Written Answers of 4 May 1995

TRANSPORT

  Rail Franchises
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the foreign national rail companies which are free to submit a bid to operate rail franchises in the United Kingdom. [22589]

  Mr. Watts
  There are no restrictions preventing foreign national rail companies bidding for franchises.

  Railtrack
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what budget his Department has allocated for advertising and promoting the sale of Railtrack plc. [22590]

  Mr. Watts
  Costs of the sale will be published in due course.

  Railways (Capital Expenditure)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the total capital expenditure on British railways, including rolling stock, in 1994–95. [22444]

  Mr. Watts
  Capital expenditure on British railways, including expenditure on European Passenger Services Ltd., is expected to be over £1 billion in 1994–95.

  The Minch (Vessel Traffic)
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps have been taken to monitor the traffic of vessels in the Minch since publication of the Donaldson report; and if he will make a statement; [21420]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the number of large vessels currently using the deep water route in preference to the Minch. [21421]

  Mr. Norris
  These are operational matters for the Marine Safety Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from R. M Bradley to Mr. Robert Maclennan, dated 4 May 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your Questions about monitoring tanker traffic in the Minch.
  In the light of the BRAER grounding in January 1993, the International Maritime Organisation adopted a number of ship routeing and reporting recommendations for areas around the United Kingdom coast, all of which entered into force in late November of that year. Laden tankers over 10,000grt are recommended to use the Deep Water Route to the west of the Hebrides rather than the Minch, except in times of adverse weather, when using the sheltered waters of the Minch is a safer option for the ship and the marine environment. At the same time, all tankers intending to use the minch should report their movements to the HM Coastguard station at Stornoway.
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  This Agency has systematically analysed those ship movement reports to check for infringements of the international routeing recommendation. From January 1994 to March 1995 the Agency analysed reports from 814 ships, 603 of which were tankers. Of those tankers, 203 were laden and 53 of those were over 10,000grt. In only one case—in January 1994—was the routeing recommendation for the Minch infringed. The Agency took immediate action with the owners.
  Lord Donaldson's report into measures to prevent pollution from merchant ships welcomed the Agency's monitoring of tanker traffic in the Minch and supported the retention by Masters of the option to use the Minch in times of adverse weather. The Agency is continuing to monitor closely the ship movement reports received by Stornoway Coastguard, and to follow-up any reported sightings of tankers that it receives periodically from other local sources.
  The Agency is taking forward Lord Donaldson's recommendation that mobile radar should be used to survey the density and type of maritime traffic around the United Kingdom coast, and to ensure compliance with existing ship routeing and reporting recommendations. Planning is at an early stage, but it is envisaged that the waters of the Minch will be surveyed in this way over the coming year.

  M25
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will set out the timetable in respect of his plans(a) to widen the existing carriageway of the M25 to five lanes in each direction between junctions 12 and 14 and 15 to 16 and (b) to create six lanes in each direction between junctions 14 and 15; [21577]

  (2) what public inquiries will be held in respect of the proposed M25 widening between junctions 12 and 16; [21584]

  (3) when he proposes to publish his environmental statements in respect of proposals to accommodate projected M25 traffic growth for the next 15 years. [21583]

  Mr. Watts
  The Highways Agency has embarked upon design work and an environmental assessment of the widening proposals following my right hon. Friend's announcement on 3 April. The agency expects to publish details of the scheme between junctions 12 and 15, including an environmental statement, early next year. A series of local public exhibitions will be held to provide an opportunity for people to see the proposals and discuss them with agency staff.

  Preparation of the scheme between junctions 15 and 16 will take longer. Subsequent progress on both schemes will depend on successful completion of any necessary statutory procedures. If design work were to confirm that the proposals could be contained within the curtilage of the existing road layout, there would be no statutory obligation to hold a public inquiry.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he proposes to minimise the effects of noise arising from proposals to extend the M25. [21574]

  Mr. Watts
  This will be achieved by a comprehensive set of mitigation measures, including additional and heightened noise barriers.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out his budget and precise proposals for land purchase in respect of the proposed M25 widening between junctions 12 to 16. [21578]

  Mr. Watts
  The precise amount of land, if any, to be purchased has yet to be assessed following further design work and the projected cost will depend upon estimates provided by the Valuation Office Agency.
  257
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he now has to introduce measures to enable the M25 motorway to perform its function as part of the strategic road network; and if he will make a statement. [21579]

  Mr. Watts
  The M25 is presently performing its function as part of the strategic road network.

  New Motorways (Cost)
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average cost per mile of new motorways. [21670]

  Mr. Watts
  This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Laurie Haynes to Mr. William O'Brien, dated 4 May 1995:
  The Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr. John Watts MP, has asked me to write to you in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning new motorway costs.
  The cost of building a new motorway varies from site to site and is dependent on the standard of provision—ie, the number of traffic lanes in each direction, location, terrain and ground condition.
  The typical cost of constructing a mile of new three lane motorway is shown below at 1994 prices.

  £ million

  Road standard environment

  Typical cost

  Dual 3 lane motorway in rural environment

  8 to 17

  Dual 3 lane motorway in urban environment

  14 to 20

  The above includes the cost of design and the cost of purchasing land but excludes VAT.

  European Regional Development Fund
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 5 December 1994,Official Report, columns 35–36, if he will list those projects in privatised companies which have received European regional development funding since privatisation indicating (a) the level of funding and (b) the dates when it was received. [20574]

  Mr. Norris
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Energy, on 1 May Official Report, column 14.

  London Underground
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many safety-related track speed restrictions were imposed on the London Underground network in each year from 1990 to 1995.

  Mr. Norris
  This information is not available in the form requested.

ENVIRONMENT

  "Remedying Environmental Damage"
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the 258
  Government's response to the report, "Remedying Environmental Damage", by the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities. [23139]

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department of the Environment has today published the Government response to the Committee's report and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the cost to public funds which has been expended on legal aid in all vaccine damage cases in each year since 1979, giving the figure for(a) legal fees and (b) medical expenses. [21418]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information requested is not available.

  Equal Opportunities
  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made within his Department on equal opportunities matters. [21491]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Lord Chancellor's Department has an equal opportunities policy statement in place. To support this, the Department has three separate action plans to achieve equality of opportunity for people of ethnic minority origin, for women and men and for disabled people. These action plans are regularly monitored and any necessary corrective action is taken to ensure that the policy is properly implemented.

  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress he hopes to achieve in his Department over the next three months to push forwards the declaration signed in October 1994 at the Vienna conference in preparation for the fourth UN conference on women; and if he will incorporate a section on equal opportunities in his Department's annual report. [21493]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Government are committed to the principles set out in the regional platform for action agreed at the preparatory conference in Vienna for the fourth UN world conference on women. We have taken these forward through a wide range of programmes and initiatives and will continue to do so. Our Department's annual report already incorporates a section on equal opportunities. We shall continue to cover equality issues in our annual report.

  Ms. Eagle
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which Minister has responsibility for equal opportunity issues. [21490]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  I am the Minister who has responsibility for equal opportunities within the Lord Chancellor's Department.

  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will publish the gender assessment being prepared by his Department. [21492]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  This Department's policy, in line with guidance issued in 1992 by the ministerial group on women's issues, is that policy proposals should ensure
  259
  that unlawful or unjustifiable race or sex discrimination does not occur and that similar principles should apply to people with disabilities.

  Mrs. Kuldip Kaur
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when permission for an appeal by Mrs. Kuldip Kaur—Ref:Imm/ECR/0152/94s—was granted; on what date the post in Delhi was informed; on what date the explanatory statement was received; if the post has informed him of the correct case references; and if he will make a statement. [21730]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The regional adjudicator will decide as a preliminary issue on 12 May 1995 whether the appeal by Mrs. Kuldip Kaur may proceed out of time. If permission is granted, the immigration appellate authorities will request the post in New Delhi to prepare and forward the explanatory statement.

  Public Records
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what consideration has been given to reducing the time in which records held by the Public Record Office are kept confidential. [21986]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Consideration was given at the time of the July 1993 White Paper on Open Government, Cm 2290, as to whether the 30-year closure period prescribed by the Public Records Act 1967 should be reduced.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what is the reason for the withholding from release at the Public Record Office of the 1956 Medical Research Council paper on the report on Hiroshima and Nagasaki pregnancy studies, document reference D314/49; [22016]

  (2) what is the reason for the withholding from release at the Public Record Office of the 1956 Medical Research Council report on leukaemia radiation, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki, containing mutation rates and minimum effective doses of radiation in various plants and animals, document reference D314/46. [22015]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Although the Medical Research Council is not governed by the Public Records Acts, it has acted to ensure that its archives are properly preserved and made accessible to researchers by transferring historical records to the Public Record Office. Questions of this nature should normally be directed to the MRC. Nevertheless, I am able to say on this occasion that the continued retention of these files by the MRC is due to preparation activity in relation to the transfer of MRC material.

  National Survey of Court Users
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects to make an announcement about the results of the national survey of courts users. [23141]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The report on the findings of the survey is published today, and copies have been placed in the Library.

TREASURY

  VAT Audits
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many VAT audits have been conducted into the returns of the unlicensed private car hire or minicab firms in Greater London during each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement. [21173]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The information is not available. Customs central records do not distinguish licensed from unlicensed operators of taxis and other private hire.

  EU Convergence Plans
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if the EU Commission will make public its reactions to the convergence plans submitted by member states of the EU; [22552]

  (2) how many member states have now submitted their convergence plans to the EU Commission; when the United Kingdom submitted such a plan; and if he will publish it; [22551]

  (3) what consideration has been given to national convergence programmes by the Monetary Committee of the EU and by the ECOFIN council. [22553]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The ECOFIN council has generally assessed each member state's initial convergence programme, on the basis of a report from the Commission and the Monetary Committee. The practice has varied for updated programmes, depending on the scale of any changes to the plans. Where there is no specific discussion, subsequent convergence programmes will be one of the sources of information used by the Commission in preparing reports for the council's regular multilateral surveillance discussions.

  The Commission does not publish its assessment of national convergence programmes but when ECOFIN considers a convergence programme, it publishes the conclusions of its discussion in the form of a press notice.

  All member states—apart from Luxembourg and the three new members, Austria, Finland and Sweden—have adopted convergence programmes. Revised and updated programmes have also been adopted, where appropriate, in the light of economic developments.

  The UK produced an updated programme in March this year, based on the 1995–96 "Financial Statement and Budget Report". A copy of this and previous convergence programmes can be found in the House of Commons Library.

  Departmental Annual Report
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much staff time, and at what estimated cost, was put into compiling the departmental annual report; and what were the figures for each year for which figures are available since 1990. [20171]

  Mr. Nelson
  To estimate the staff time for each year since 1990 would incur disproportionate cost. For the 1995 report—"Chancellor of the Exchequer's small Departments", Cm 2817—it is estimated that across the seven departments covered by the report approximately 50 man days, at a cost of some £17,000, was spent compiling the departmental report.
  261
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures the Department takes to assess the cost and staff implications of compiling material for the departmental annual report. [20172]

  Mr. Nelson
  The departmental report sets out spending plans, priorities, targets and achievements of the departments for which the Chancellor is responsible. The cost and staff implications for compiling material are kept to the minimum necessary to produce a clear and informative report.

  Financial Institutions
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what role the Bank of England has taken in promoting and encouraging the merger or takeover by other financial institutions of building societies. [21905]

  (2) what encouragement his Department is giving financial institutions to merge, amalgamate or takeover competitors. [21929]

  Mr. Nelson
  None. Such decisions are a matter for the commercial judgment of the directors and owners of those institutions.

  Abbey National
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when was the most recent meeting he had with the chairman of the Abbey National. [21930]

  Mr. Nelson
  My right hon. and learned Friend has not had a meeting with the chairman of the Abbey National since becoming Chancellor.

  Equal Opportunities
  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made within his Department on equal opportunities matters. [21517]

  Mr. Nelson
  In the last year, the Treasury ran a comprehensive programme of equal opportunities awareness training—attended by 75 per cent. of staff—issued a booklet to all staff outlining all aspects of equal opportunity policies which also included targets to fulfil the Treasury's undertakings as a member of Opportunity 2000 and an action plan on ethnic minorities. A survey of provision and arrangements for disabled staff was undertaken and an action plan is being prepared.

  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he hopes to achieve in his Department over the next three months to push forward the declaration signed in October 1994 at the Vienna conference in preparation for the fourth UN conference on women; and if he will agree to incorporate a section on equal opportunities in his Department's annual report. [21519]

  Mr. Nelson
  The Government are committed to the principles set out in the regional platform for action agreed at the preparatory conference in Vienna for the fourth UN world conference on women. We have taken these forward through a wide range of programmes and initiatives and will continue to do so.

  The Treasury's latest annual report—March 1995, Cm 2817—set out the Department's progress on equal opportunities issues. The Treasury will continue to publish information on equal opportunities issues in its annual report, in accordance with the recommendations in the Oughton report,—"Career Management and
  262
  Succession Planning in the Civil Service, Cabinet Office (OPSS), 1994," and the White Paper,—"The Civil Service, Taking Forward Continuity and Change", Cm 2748.

  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the gender assessment being prepared by his Department. [21518]

  Mr. Nelson
  The Treasury's policy, in line with guidance issued in 1992 by the ministerial group on women's issues, is that policy proposals should ensure that unlawful or unjustifiable sex or race discrimination does not occur and that similar principles apply to people with disabilities. This scrutiny is part of a continuous and routine process, as part of policy advice to Ministers.

  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Minister in his Department has responsibility for equal opportunities issues. [21516]

  Mr. Nelson
  I am the Minister responsible for equal opportunities issues.

  Industrial Production
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the rate of increase in industrial production on the United Kingdom in each year since 1992; and what were the comparable figures for (i) the United States of America, (ii) Italy, (iii) Germany and (iv) Japan. [22208]

  Mr. Nelson
  Industrial production data for the United States of America, Italy, Germany and Japan can be found in the monthly OECD publication "Main Economic Indicators". UK industrial production data can be found on the CSO database, which is available in the House of Commons Library.

  Export-led Growth (Definition)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his definition of export-led growth, with particular reference to the inclusion of(a) North sea oil and gas and (b) imports of manufactures. [22160]

  Mr. Nelson
  Changes in both gross and net exports are considered when assessing the sources of GDP growth. More detailed analysis looking at the commodity composition of exports and imports may also be relevant.

  Taxpayers
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) of 26 October 1993,Official Report, columns 571–72, providing estimates for 1994–95 and 1995–96 for the number of taxpayers with gross and taxable income in income bands up to £150,000 supplying data at intervals of not more than £10,000. [21004]

  Sir George Young
  [holding answer 25 April 1995]: Available information is given in the tables. The increase in taxpayer numbers is largely due to economic growth. Net effect of tax changes this April was to take more than 100,000 people out of tax. In addition, the number of people in work is increasing—the United Kingdom work force in employment went up 174,000 between December 1993 and December 1994.
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  £

  Number of taxpayers by range of

  Gross income1 (000)

  Taxable income2 (000)

  1994–95

  Under 5,000

  2,200

  8,500

  5,000 to 10,000

  7,900

  6,600

  10,000 to 15,000

  6,000

  4,500

  15,000 to 20,000

  3,900

  2,700

  20,00 to 25,000

  2,300

  1,400

  25,000 to 30,000

  1,300

  720

  30,000 to 40,000

  1,100

  660

  40,000 to 50,000

  420

  280

  50,000 to 70,000

  280

  190

  70,000 to 80,000

  60

  50

  Over 80,000

  180

  140

  Total taxpayers

  25,700

  25,700

  1995–96

  Under 5,000

  1,900

  8,400

  5,000 to 10,00

  7,900

  6,600

  10,000 to 15,000

  6,100

  4,500

  15,000 to 20,000

  4,100

  2,800

  20,000 to 25,000

  2,500

  1,500

  25,000 to 30,000

  1,400

  790

  30,000 to 40,000

  1,200

  740

  40,000 to 50,000

  460

  310

  50,000 to 70,000

  330

  210

  70,000 to 80,000

  60

  50

  Over 80,000

  200

  160

  Total taxpayers

  26,200

  26,200

  1 Gross income is defined as total income for income tax purposes. It excludes income from certain social security benefits and some investment income such as National Savings Certificates.

  2 Taxable income is defined as gross income for income tax purposes less those allowances and reliefs which are available at the taxpayer's marginal rate.

  Annual compensation payment to age 60 (£ rate pa)

  Superannuation lump sum (£)

  Lump sum compensation payment (£)

  Compensation in lieu of notice (if any) (£)

  1990–91

  Flexible

  14,191.15

  39,087.10

  0

  0

  Flexible

  3,736.76

  10,299.15

  0

  0

  1991–92

  Flexible

  15,411.50

  44,680.00

  0

  0

  LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

    Equal Opportunities
    Ms Eagle
    To ask the Lord President of the Council (1) what progress has been made within his Department on equal opportunities matters; [21542]

    (2) if he will publish the gender assessment being prepared by his Department; [21543]

    (3) which Minister in his Department has responsibility for equal opportunities issues. [21541]

    Mr. Newton
    The Privy Council Office, of whose 38 staff 23 are women, continues to operate as an equal opportunities employer within the relevant code. My Department has no plans to prepare a gender assessment.

    Company Ownership
    Mr. David Porter
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which a company owned 51 per cent. by the Government of another European Union country and 49 per cent. by an American company can bid by competitive tender for British business. [22047]

    Mr. Nelson
    [holding answer 2 May 1995]: The EC treaty would normally require a company established in a member state to be treated equally with British suppliers. The treaty and the transparency directive—80/723/EEC as amended—will ensure that public funding which could give competitive advantage is subject to scrutiny. For public contracts and certain contracts in the energy, water, transport and telecommunications sectors, the EC procurement directives reinforce the treaty provisions and, as a rule, require competition. For Government contracts, the policy is to seek best value for money through competition, normally by competitive tender. However, it is not possible to give a definitive reply on the eligibility of a particular company without knowing the full circumstances.

    Civil Servants
    Mr. Milburn
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the individual value of each(a) compulsory early retirement and (b) flexible early retirement package received by civil servants leaving his Department on grounds of limited efficiency in each of the last five years. [22075]

    Mr. Nelson
    [holding answer 2 May 1995]: Compensation payments for early retirement on grounds of limited efficiency are age, salary and service related. There have been three retirements from the Treasury on grounds of limited efficiency over the past five financial years—all flexible early retirements—as follows:

    No Minister within the Department has particular responsibility for equal opportunities issues.

  DUCHY OF LANCASTER

    Civil Servants
    Mr. Peter Griffiths
    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants of executive grade were in post in 1980, 1990 and 1995. [22539]

    Mr. Horam
    Information for the years from 1980 to 1994 can be found in table 4 of "Civil Service Statistics", copies of which are in the Library. Information for 1995 is not yet available.
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    Mr. Milburn
    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the individual value of each(a) compulsory early retirement and (b) flexible early retirement package received by civil servants leaving his Department on grounds of limited efficiency in each of the last five years. [22091]

    Mr. David Hunt
    I am also answering on behalf of the Prime Minister.

    Four elements usually make up the package received by those leaving on limited efficiency grounds—compulsory early retirement. The first three are the payments which would be made under the principal civil service pension scheme. The fourth element is set out in the civil service management code. The four elements are as follows:

    Annual compensation payments to age 60 £ pa

    Superannuation lump sum £

    Lump sum compensation payment £

    Compensation in lieu or notice (if any) £

    1990–91

    Compulsory

    7,000.19

    18,025.17

    11,901.54

    11,974.00

    1991–92

    Compulsory

    14,007.71

    36,190.06

    18,481.91

    17,860.00

    1992–93

    Compulsory

    11,737.00

    33,480.60

    11,737.00

    0

    Flexible

    12,217.00

    33,477.73

    0

    0

    1993–94

    Compulsory

    8,541.59

    25,140.95

    4,103.33

    0

    1994–95

    There have been no instances of compulsory early retirement or flexible early retirement on limited efficiency grounds in the central Department, HMSO, COI or the executive agencies in the financial year 1994–95.

  OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

    Educational Low-priced Book Scheme
    Mrs. Ray Michie
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the success of the educational low-priced book scheme in furthering the education and training of students in developing countries. [22150]

    Mr. Baldry
    A review of the educational low-priced books scheme in 1994 revealed that about a third of books sold under ELBS went to prosperous countries, including Hong Kong, Malaysia and Turkey. Our assessment is that the scheme is not reaching poorer students in the poorest countries who cannot afford to buy books and therefore is not able to further the education and training of many students in developing countries.

    Mrs. Ray Michie
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what was the result of the review of the educational low-priced book scheme; and if he will list those who were consulted during the review; [22153]

    (2) what measures he intends to take to ensure that the work of the educational low-priced book scheme is maintained and adequately funded; and if he will make a statement. [22155]

    Mr. Baldry
    The educational low-priced book scheme is being phased out over two years. During this period,266

    1. An annual compensation payment/pension based on l/80th of pensionable pay multiplied by the length of reckonable service. The reckonable service will usually include an enhancement of up to 6 2/3 years.

    2. A lump sum of three times the pension.

    3. A lump sum compensation payment of up to six months salary.

    4. Pay in lieu of notice of up to six months salary.

    Flexible early retirement does not include the third and fourth elements listed above.

    The figures below cover the Cabinet Office—including the OPSS and its agencies—HMSO, and the COL There have been four compulsory early retirements and one flexible early retirement on limited efficiency grounds in the past five financial years.

    new strategies will be developed to achieve improved targeting and access to key text books and other essential learning materials for poorer students in the poorest countries, in pursuit of our developmental objectives.

    The Publishers Association, publishing houses, the administrators of the scheme—International Book Development Ltd.—the British Council, ODA programme managers, ODA professional advisory groups and overseas students studying in the UK were consulted during the course of the review.

    Mrs. Ray Michie
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the educational low-priced book scheme operational budget for 1994; how this is distributed; and how many administrative staff are involved. [22154]

    Mr. Baldry
    The total budget in the financial year 1994–95 was £1.53 million, including £0.2 million for administration. International Book Development Ltd. administer the scheme under contract to ODA.

    Details of sales by region, country and subject coverage from 1985 to 1993 will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses shortly.

    Mrs Ray Michie
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list(a) the overseas countries, (b) the number of students and (c) the number of further educational establishments to have benefited from the educational low-priced book scheme. [22152]
    267
    Mr. Baldry
    The educational low-priced books scheme has been available in the following countries:Africa—Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi. Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
    Asia—Bangladesh, Bhutan, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Phillipines, Sri Lanka, Thailand.
    Pacific—Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Western Samoa.
    Caribbean and Atlantic—Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago.
    Mediterranean and Near East—Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Turkey.

    Under the scheme, books are sold through local commercial outlets. There is thus no central record of the number of students who have purchased books or which further education establishments may have benefited from the scheme.

    Mrs. Ray Michie
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what criteria he judges the value of the educational low-price book scheme in the sphere of higher education and vocational training in the developing world. [22149]

    Mr. Baldry
    The value of the educational low-priced books scheme is assessed against our normal developmental criteria. Our aim is to provide support for education for the poorer students in the poorest countries in the best targeted and most cost-effective way.

    Mrs. Ray Michie
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the discontinuation of the educational low-priced hook scheme on overseas students from developing countries who sit examinations set by the royal colleges. [22151]

    Mr. Baldry
    Phasing out the educational low-priced books scheme should not prevent developing country students who sit examinations set by the royal colleges from purchasing key text books. Text books provided under the scheme are predominately undergraduate rather than postgraduate. Since the books are sold through commercial outlets, the scheme cannot be targeted on specific groups of students. We intend to introduce a new strategy aimed at the needs of the poorer students in the poorest countries and which will not subsidise those students or others who can afford to pay the full price for books.

  FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

    Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
    Mr. Llew Smith
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what status has been accorded to the Palestine Liberation Organisation at the non-proliferation treaty conference at the United Nations in New York. [22020]

    Mr. David Davis
    The conference has agreed to a request from the permanent observer mission of Palestine that Palestine be granted observer status.
    268
    Mr. Llew Smith
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list these states party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty which accused the United Kingdom of breaking article I of the non-proliferation treaty, through the United Kingdom's military nuclear agreements with the United States of America, in representations made at the non-proliferation treaty conference in New York on 21 April. [22024]

    Mr. David Davis
    Mexico, quoting from an unsubstantiated report. UK-US collaboration is in full accord with the obligations imposed by the NPT.

    Mr. Llew Smith
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response the United Kingdom delegation to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty review conference in New York made to the criticisms made by Turkey in main committee II of the conference that existing safeguards at reprocessing plants are inadequate. [22021]

    Mr. David Davis
    The statement by the Turkish delegation in main committee II dealt generally with International Atomic Energy Authority safeguards. We do not accept that IAEA safeguards measures on declared nuclear materials are inadequate.

    Mr. Llew Smith
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response has been made by the United Kingdom delegation to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty conference in New York to the proposal by the Netherlands at the conference that full scope nuclear safeguards should apply to all nuclear facilities and materials without discrimination. [22023]

    Mr. David Davis
    The Dutch Foreign Minister, Mr Hans Van Mierlo, urged the NPT review and extension conference to accept the principle of the application of full scope safeguards on all peaceful nuclear activities without discrimination in nuclear weapon and non nuclear weapon States. All civil nuclear material in the United Kingdom is subject to international safeguards.

    Mr. Menzies Campbell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Her Majesty's Government will respond to operative paragraph 2 of the European Parliament's motion on the extension of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, adopted on 5 April. [22351]

    Mr. David Davis
    The extension of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty is too important to be held hostage to any other issue.

    Mr. Menzies Campbell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to the proposal made by the Government of South Africa at the nuclear non-proliferation treaty review and extension conference for the establishment of a committee to meet between review conferences to consider ways of strengthening the treaty. [22353]

    Mr. David Davis
    We believe that the treaty's review procedures provide ample opportunity for states' parties to voice their concerns about the implementation of the treaty, but we are giving careful consideration to the South African proposals.

    East Timor
    Mrs. Clwyd
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 8 March,Official Report, column 198, on what date the staff

    269
    attached to the jakarta embassy who visited East Timor on 14 to 19 November 1991 visited Wara Husada number 4 military hospital. [22285]

    Mr. Goodlad
    The member of the British embassy staff in Jakarta who visited East Timor from 14 to 19 November 1991 did not visit the Wara Husada number 4 military hospital.

    British Prisoners Abroad
    Mr. Cox
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom citizens were serving prison sentences in overseas prisons

    British citizens and others in prison overseas for drugs offences on 18 April 1995

    1BC

    2BDTC

    3BS

    4BPP

    5CC

    6HKC0I

    7NONBRIT

    Total

    Angola

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Argentina

    6

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    6

    Australia

    14

    4

    1

    —

    —

    3

    —

    22

    Austria

    4

    12

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    16

    Bahrain

    2

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    2

    Barbados

    4

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    4

    Belgium

    24

    1

    —

    —

    1

    —

    —

    26

    Bolivia

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Brazil

    8

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    3

    11

    Canada

    4

    2

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    6

    China

    3

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    3

    CIS

    0

    1

    —

    —

    1

    —

    —

    2

    Colombia

    2

    —

    —

    —

    1

    —

    —

    3

    Costa Rica

    1

    —

    —

    —

    1

    —

    —

    2

    Cuba

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Denmark

    17

    1

    —

    —

    —

    1

    —

    19

    Egypt

    —

    —

    —

    —

    4

    —

    —.

    4

    Equador

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Ethiopia

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Fiji

    2

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    2

    Finland

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    France

    289

    —

    2

    —

    8

    —

    1

    300

    Germany

    20

    2

    —

    —

    —

    1

    —

    23

    Ghana

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Grand Cayman

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Greece

    10

    2

    —

    —

    14

    —

    —

    26

    Hong Kong

    3

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    3

    Iceland

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    India

    17

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    17

    Indonesia

    1

    —

    —

    —

    1

    —

    —

    2

    Israel

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Italy

    11

    3

    —

    —

    3

    —

    —

    17

    Jamaica

    5

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    6

    Japan

    18

    9

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    27

    Kenya

    2

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    2

    Korea

    2

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    2

    Luxembourg

    0

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Malaysia

    1

    1

    —

    —

    —

    1

    —

    3

    Malawi

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    —

    —

    1

    Mexico

    1

    —

    2

    —

    2

    —

    —

    5

    Morocco

    22

    2

    —

    —

    5

    —

    1

    30

    Nepal

    5

    —

    —

    —

    4

    —

    —

    9

    Neth. Antilles

    1

    —

    —

    —

    1

    —

    —

    2

    Netherlands

    17

    3

    —

    —

    1

    —

    —

    21

    New Zealand

    5

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    5

    Nigeria

    3

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    3

    Norway

    7

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    7

    Pakistan

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    0

    Papua New Guinea

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Paraguay

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Peru

    3

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    3

    Philippines

    2

    3

    —

    —

    —

    8

    1

    14

    Portugal

    9

    —

    —

    —

    5

    —

    —

    14

    270
    for drug offences on 18 April; and if he will list the figures (a) by gender (b) by country in what the sentences are being served. [22379]

    Mr. Baldry
    On 18 April 1995, there were 999 British citizens serving sentences for drugs offences around the world. In addition, there were a further 321 other British nationals, and others to whom we extend consular protection, for example, British dependent territories citizens, unrepresented Commonwealth nationals or EU nationals. Following is a table giving the breakdown by national status and by whereabouts.

    A division by gender could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
    271

    British citizens and others in prison overseas for drugs offences on 18 April 1995

    1BC

    2BDTC

    3BS

    4BPP

    5CC

    6HKC0I

    7NONBRIT

    Total

    Singapore

    1

    2

    —

    —

    —

    1

    —

    4

    Slovenia

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    —

    —

    1

    Spain

    258

    10

    —

    1

    35

    —

    —

    304

    Sri Lanka

    4

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    4

    Sweden

    13

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    14

    Switzerland

    9

    2

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    12

    Taiwan

    3

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    3

    Tanzania

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Thailand

    23

    62

    —

    —

    34

    19

    —

    138

    Trinidad

    9

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    9

    Turkey

    9

    —

    —

    —

    6

    —

    —

    15

    Turks and Caicos

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    1

    UAE

    0

    —

    1

    —

    1

    —

    —

    2

    United States of America

    112

    6

    —

    —

    2

    6

    2

    128

    Viet nam

    0

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Zimbabwe

    1

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    —

    1

    Totals

    999

    130

    7

    1

    132

    40

    11

    1,320

    1 British Citizen.

    2 British Dependant Territories Citizen.

    3 British Subject (without citizenship) or a person who has British Subject status by virtue of a connection with Southern Ireland.

    4 British Protected Person.

    5 Commonwealth Citizen.

    6 Holder of Hong Kong certificate of identity.

    7 Where none of the above are applicable eg. Irish nationals.

    Mr. and Mrs. Anwar Jahan Rashid
    Mr. Madden
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is going to be taken on the application made to the United Kingdom post in Islamabad by Mr. and Mrs. Anwar Jahan Rashid to visit the United Kingdom, Ref: V95/000618; and if he will make a statement. [22591]

    Mr. Baldry
    I have instituted inquiries and shall arrange for the migration and visa correspondence unit to write to the hon. Member when these are complete.

  HEALTH

    Prescriptions
    Mr. Gordon Prentice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of net disposable income is required to allow(a) a single and (b) a married person to get help with NHS prescriptions under the NHS low income scheme. [19397]

    Mr. Malone
    The figure will vary according to individual circumstances. Intending claimants are advised to consult leaflet AB 11—"Help with NHS costs"—a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

    Dental Services
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many additional staff will be required; and what will be the cost of introducing the more rigorous prior approval system for dental care; [20702]

    (2) if she will make a statement on the details of the proposed more rigorous prior approval mechanism for dental treatment under the NHS; and to what extent this has been influenced by a study of the system in Russia; [20680]
    272
    (3) what is the maximum delay in providing dental care she will approve following the introduction of the more rigorous prior approval mechanism for dental care; [20696]

    (4) what estimate she has made of the total additional administrative costs which will be incurred by dentists providing NHS dental care when the more rigorous prior approval mechanism for dental care is introduced. [20703]

    Mr. Malone
    The Government will develop more rigorous prior approval mechanisms for dental care to ensure that all treatments that are clinically essential are available through national health service dentistry, but that only those treatments which are clinically essential and for which there is no clinically acceptable, less costly, alternative are provided. This will promote better use of available resources. The Government's proposals were not influenced by study of the system in Russia. Details of the mechanisms will be developed in consultation with the dental profession.

    The aim is to develop guidelines and protocols which will promote a clear understanding among dentists of the conditions under which treatment may be approved. This should prevent the submission of inappropriate requests for approval. If there are fewer requests, then there would be fewer rejections.

    There is no reason to expect that patients would have to wait for a longer period for treatment to be approved under more rigorous prior approval than they do at present. Nor need there be an increase in administrative cost for the Dental Practice Board.

    NHS Charges and Receipts
    Mrs. Beckett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the planned increase in charges and receipts from the figure given in the estimated outturn for 1994–95 to that cited in plans for 1995–96 NHS current and capital expenditure. [21755]

    Mr. Sackville
    The Government's expenditure plans, published in the departmental report, Cm 2812, show that
    273
    total national health service income from charges and receipts is expected to be £1,470 million in 1995–96, comparable to 1993–94 outturn of £1,466 million. This is some £230 million more than the forecast outturn for 1994–95, although this is subject to revision at outturn—for example, to reflect late recording of some receipts.

    Junior Doctors
    Mr. Spearing
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health from what date a compulsory requirement for junior doctors to serve in a casualty and accident department ceased to apply; what consultations took place between her Department and the relevant medical authorities concerning this change; and what estimate she has made of the impact of these measures on the supply of junior doctors to other departments. [21869]

    Mr. Malone
    The content of training programmes for junior doctors is the responsibility of the relevant royal college or faculty. Since January 1994, it has not been compulsory for doctors wishing to sit the fellowship

    Deaths assigned to ICD1 codes E950–E959 (suicide and self-inflicted injury) and E980–E989 (injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted), England, 1988–93

    Farmers

    Farm workers

    All persons

    E950–E959 suicide

    E980–E989 undetermined

    E950–E959 suicide

    E980–E989 undetermined

    E950–E959 suicide

    E980–E989 undetermined

    1988

    43

    6

    25

    3

    3,968

    1,987

    1989

    32

    5

    21

    6

    3,515

    1,868

    1990

    33

    8

    21

    9

    3,710

    1,884

    1991

    36

    10

    18

    2

    3,630

    1,937

    1992

    31

    7

    17

    8

    3,675

    1,866

    19932

    31

    3

    14

    11

    3,299

    1,323

    1 International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.

    2 1993 figures are provisional. The system of coding underlying cause of death in England and Wales was changed on 1 January 1993.

    Numbers for 1993 may not be comparable to earlier years for some causes, including suicide and injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted. Work is continuing to clarify this, and further details will be available later in the year.

    Marriages
    Dr. Howells
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many marriages between British citizens and non-British, non-EU citizens were reported as bogus to the Registrar-General by individual registrars in each year since 1989. [21816]

    Mr. Sackville
    Superintendent registrars are instructed to send a report to the Registrar-General where they have good reason to suspect that a proposed marriage of a person from abroad has been arranged for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls. The number of reports received from individual superintendent registrars since 1989 will be placed in the Library. Details of reports received of marriages between British citizens and non-British, non-EU citizens is not kept separately and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    Residential Care
    Mr. Alan Howarth
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimates she makes of the numbers of married people of each sex who are contributing(a) all or (b) part of their income from occupational pensions to
    274
    examination of the Royal College of Surgeons to spend a part of their training programme in an accident and emergency department, although it is strongly recommended that they do so. Consultation on changes to training requirements are a matter for the relevant royal college.

    We have consistently increased the number of junior doctors in recent years, both in accident and emergency medicine and in other specialties. The decision by some trainees, because of the change in the fellowship examination, not to opt to work in accident and emergency departments has also added to the supply of junior doctors in other specialties.

    Suicides
    Mr. Martyn Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many suicides occurred in England among(a) farmers, (b) farm workers and (c) the general population in each year since 1988. [21907]

    Mr. Bowis
    The information is shown in the table.

    the costs of local authority provided residential or nursing care; [22278]

    (2) how many married people of each sex in local authority provided residential or nursing home care have a spouse remaining in their own home; [22283]

    (3) how many married people of each sex are in receipt of occupational pensions and in local authority provided residential or nursing home care; [22276]

    (4) what is the estimated total amount of money deriving from occupational pensions contributed by married people to the costs of local authority provided residential and nursing home care. [22279]

    Mr. Bowis
    This information is not available centrally.

    GP Minor Surgery
    Ms Church
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what cost-benefit analysis has been carried out on the likely effect of retaining the restriction on the number of minor operations at the same time as improving general practitioner's surgeries; [22387]

    (2) what limit is placed on general practitioners per quarter in respect of minor operations and for what reasons; and what assessment she has made of the consistency of this policy with a primary care driver approach to health care. [22389]

    Mr. Malone
    General practitioners may claim specific fees under the statement of fees and allowances for up to
    275
    15 minor surgical procedures a quarter. This represents a balanced approach between the procedures on the minor surgery list and the other responsibilities of GPs to their patients. Procedures not on the minor surgery list may be performed by GPs under direct contract with a local purchaser, where this will provide an efficient and effective service to patients.

    Ms Church
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to review the limit on minor operations to take into account(a) general practitioner list size and (b) differential needs across the country. [22388]

    Mr. Malone
    None.

    Care in the Community
    Ms Jowell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those statutes, statutory instruments, circulars, advice notes and departmental letters concerned with provision of care in the community in a table showing(a) the full title and date of publication of each item, (b) a summary of its subject matter, (c) whether it is concerned with services provided by health authorities, local authorities or both, (d) the address of the location from which copies are available, (e) its costs, (f) whether the item is available to the public on request and (g) whether stocks are presently available. [21031]

    Mr. Bowis
    This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    Clinical Audit
    Mr. Bayley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total cost of clinical audit in the national health service to date since 1991. [22458]

    Mr. Malone
    Between April 1991 and March 1995, £247 million was provided to health authorities and the royal colleges to support clinical audit in England. The main purpose of these funds has been to develop and sustain an infrastructure of clinical audit committees and audit support staff. The other cost associated with clinical audit is that of clinicians' time, which has not been costed, and is dependent on the pattern of each individual clinician's input to clinical audit.

    Personal Social Services
    Mrs. Beckett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total income generated from charges to receipts of personal social services in each year from 1982–83, expressed in 1995 prices. [22390]

    Mr. Bowis
    The information requested, up to 1993–94, the last year for which it is available, is shown in the table. The increase in 1993–94 reflects the growth in local authority care activity following the community care reforms.

    Fees and charges for personal social services

    Year

    Fees and charges (£ million)

    1982–83

    609.4

    1983–84

    613.8

    1984–85

    605.4

    1985–86

    672.5

    1986–87

    668.5

    1987–88

    625.1

    276

    Fees and charges for personal social services

    Year

    Fees and charges (£ million)

    1988–89

    599.4

    1989–90

    608.6

    1990–91

    568.6

    1991–92

    556.8

    1992–93

    530.2

    1993–94

    639.1

    England totals derived from local authorities' annual expenditure returns on form R03. Constant 1995–96 prices, based on gross domestic product indices.

    Public Bodies
    Dr. Wright
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department are under a statutory requirement to(a) publish their advice to the Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament; and if she will list those bodies with a statutory basis. [21161]

    Mr. Sackville
    [holding answer 27 April 1995]: The following Department of Health advisory non-departmental public bodies have a statutory requirement to:

    Publish their advice to the Government:

    The Committee on Dental and Surgical Materials.

    The Standing Dental Advisory Committee

    Publish an annual report:

    The British Pharmacopoeia Commission.

    The Committee on the Safety of Medicines.

    The Health Advisory Service

    The Joint Planning Advisory Committee.

    The Medicines Commission.

    Lay an annual report before Parliament:

    The British Pharmacopoeia Commission.

    The Medicines Commission.

    The following Department of Health advisory non-departmental public bodies have a statutory basis:

    The Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee.

    The British Pharmacopoeia Commission.

    The Clinical Standards Advisory Group.

    The Committee on Dental and Surgical Materials.

    The Committee on the Safety of Medicines.

    The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

    The Medicines Commission.

    The Standing Dental Advisory Committee.

    The Standing Medical Advisory Committee.

    The Standing Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Committee.

    The Standing Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee.

    The Unrelated Live Transplant Regulatory Authority.

    Dentomycin
    Mr. Alex Carlile
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement outlining the reasons why Dentomycin was not included on the list of products available for dental prescribing. [22040]

    Mr. Malone
    [holding answer 1 May 1995]: The list for dental prescribing contains medicinal products which patients can obtain.on national health service prescription. Dentomycin is solely for use by a dental professional during the provision of treatment and, therefore, should not be included on the list.

  SCOTLAND

    East Kilbride Development Corporation
    Mr. Ingram
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman and board of East Kilbride development corporation to discuss(a) the future of Scottish Nuclear and (b) the impact of the Rolls-Royce closure announcement on the local economy. [22383]

    Mr. Kynoch
    [holding answer 3 May 1995]: My meeting with the chairman planned for 1 May was deferred because of parliamentary commitments. It is currently being rescheduled.

    1988

    1989

    1990

    1991

    1992

    1993

    1994

    Farmers

    30,484

    31,348

    30,397

    29,531

    28,965

    27,741

    28,206

    Percentage of population

    0.60

    0.62

    0.60

    0.58

    0.57

    0.54

    0.55

    Farm workers

    41,141

    40,275

    41,850

    40,762

    40,749

    40,577

    41,226

    Percentage of population

    0.81

    0.79

    0.82

    0.80

    0.80

    0.79

    0.80

    Source:

    Agricultural Census and General Register Office (Scotland).

    Note:

    Farmers includes full-time and part-time occupiers. Farm workers include full-time and part-time spouses of occupiers doing farm work, and hired or family labour. Excluded are young people working under Youth Training. The figures are derived from the main and minor holdings' agricultural census.

    Suicides
    Mr. Martyn Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many suicides occurred among(a) farmers, (b) farm workers, and (c) the general population in each year since 1988. [21909]

    Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
    The number of deaths from suicide registered in Scotland since 1988,(a) where the deceased's occupation was given as "farmer" or "farm worker" and (b) in the general population, is as follows:

    Deaths registered as suicide among farmers, farm workers and the general population

    Year

    Farmers

    Farm workers1

    General population

    1988

    7

    5

    598

    1989

    12

    7

    527

    1990

    13

    3

    535

    1991

    11

    7

    525

    1992

    13

    6

    569

    1993

    9

    8

    615

    19942

    12

    3

    622

    1 Includes farmers' wives.

    2 1994 figures are provisional.

    Geese, Islay
    Mr. Morley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many licences were issued under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to permit the killing of(a) barnacle and (b) Greenland whitefronted geese on Islay to prevent serious agricultural damage in each year since 1982. [22348]

    Sir Hector Monro
    [holding answer 3 May 1995]: The information is as follows:

    Hospitality
    Mr. Tony Banks
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on official hospitality by his Department in 1994–95. [21209]

    Mr. Lang
    [holding answer 1 May 1995]: The total expenditure on official hospitality for the Scottish Office for the financial year 1994–95 was 153,806.

    Farmers and Farm Workers
    Mr. Martyn Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of(a) farmers and (b) farm workers for each year since 1988, giving the figures on a percentage of the Scottish population. [21858]

    Sir Hector Monro
    The figures are as follows:

    Year

    Number of barnacle licences

    Number of whitefront licences

    1982–83

    14

    —

    1983–84

    50

    —

    1984–85

    34

    —

    1985–86

    26

    —

    1986–87

    29

    —

    1987–88

    40

    13

    1988–89

    30

    2

    1989–90

    28

    8

    1990–91

    24

    13

    1991–92

    26

    12

    1992–93

    6

    2

    1993–94

    2

    1

    1994–95

    2

    2

    Ministerial Visits
    Mrs. Ewing
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of times he has visited Brussels in the last year; with which Commissioners he has met on each occasion; and which policy matters were discussed. [16051]

    Mr. Lang
    [holding answer 29 March 1995]: In the last year, I have undertaken two visits to Brussels. On 8 and 9 September, I visited Brussels to participate in the 50th anniversary celebrations of the liberation of Belgium but did not meet Commissioners on that occasion. On 21 and 22 March, I again visited Brussels and met Commissioner Liikanen to discuss budget reforms and Commissioner Fischler to discuss Scottish agricultural issues and structural funds for rural areas. I also spoke to Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan about trade issues. My noble Friend the Minister of State visited Brussels on 8

    279
    March when he met Commissioner Bonino and discussed matters relating to fisheries policy.

    In addition to these meetings, Scottish Ministers have attended the following meetings of the European Council of Ministers in Brussels and other locations:

    Meetings

    12 April 1994

    Fisheries Council

    Minister of State

    27–28 May 1994

    Justice/Interior Issues

    Minister of State

    3–4 June 1994

    Regional Policy

    Mr. Stewart

    10 June 1994

    Fisheries Council

    Sir Hector Monro

    28 September 1994

    Fisheries Council

    Sir Hector Monro

    23 November 1994

    Fisheries Council

    Sir Hector Monro

    19–20 December 1994

    Fisheries Council

    Sir Hector Monro

    22 December 1994

    Fisheries Council (Continuation)

    Lord Fraser

    6 April 1995

    Fisheries Council

    Sir Hector Monro

  TRADE AND INDUSTRY

    Official Receivers
    Mr. Garnier
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the digest of responses of official receivers to the consultation undertaken, prior to the laying of the draft order enabling the contracting out of various of their functions. [23140]

    Mr. Jonathan Evans
    Yesterday, I published a digest of the responses of official receivers and copies have been laid in the Libraries of the House. They are also available in the Vote Office.

    Government Assistance
    Mr. Malcolm Bruce
    To ask the president of the Board of Trade what will be the level of Government expenditure on the support for products under research and the small firms merit award for research and technology schemes in 1995–96.

    Mr. Ian Taylor
    Estimated Government expenditure in 1995–96 will be £9.75 million on the SPUR scheme and £13.75 million on the SMART scheme, including Scotland and Wales.

    Exports and Imports
    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the proportion of United Kingdom exports in 1990 and 1994 which were(a) imported in the same form and (b) assembled in the United Kingdom from imported components. [22161]

    Mr. Needham
    The information is not available.

    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing for 1990, 1992 and 1994 the value and volume of production, imports, exports and home sales of the goods falling within SITCD75. [22162]

    Mr. Needham
    Information on trade for division 75 of the standard international trade classification is available from "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom". Information on production is not available under this classification. Information on trade and manufacturers'280
    sales for class 33 of the standard industrial classification 1980—office machinery and data processing equipment—in 1990 and 1992 was published by the central statistical office in business monitors PAS3301 and 3302. These publications are available in the Library of the House. Information for office machinery and computers in 1994 is expected to be published later this year by Taylor Nelson AGB in the 1994 edition of "UK Markets Annual Report 61".

    Computer Exports
    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the United Kingdom export of computers is wholly or mainly constructed from imported components. [22163]

    Mr. Needham
    The information is not available.

    Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd.
    Mr. Wareing
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to receive the report of the Director of Fair Trading on the activities of Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd. [22439]

    Mr. Jonathan Evans
    I understand that the inquiry by the Director General of Fair Trading into discounts in the brewing industry is near to completion. I anticipate that he will then announce his conclusions as to whether there is a case for further action under the Fair Trading Act 1973.

    Mr. Wareing
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what communications he has had with the European Commission respecting the activities of Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd. [22440]

    Mr. Jonathan Evans
    I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 3 March 1995,Official Report, column 751.

    Military Goods (Exports)
    Mr. Cousins
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, between December 1984 and August 1990, exporters were required to obtain end-user certificates for the export of goods, licensed under the Military List, to(a) Thailand, (b) Singapore, (c) Pakistan, (d) Portugal, (e) Cyprus and (f) Hong Kong. [19402]

    Mr. Ian Taylor
    I am having research done. I will be in touch in a short while.

  NATIONAL HERITAGE

    Acceptance in Lieu Scheme
    Mr. Fisher
    To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if it is his policy to maintain Her Majesty's Government's support for the acceptance in lieu scheme at its present levels. [22293]

    Mr. Dorrell
    I have no plans to change the present level of Government support for the acceptance in lieu scheme. This scheme, together with all my Department's spending commitments, is, however, being examined in our fundamental expenditure review. This is currently in progress and I cannot at this stage anticipate its findings.

  PRIME MINSTER

    Ministerial Documents
    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to ensure that documents originated or acquired by Ministers in the course of their official duties are not sold by them or their heirs and assigns. [22621]

    The Prime Minister
    By convention, Prime Ministers, on leaving office, have taken with them copies of certain documents which they dealt with personally while in office. These include some documents originated or acquired by them in the course of their official duties. This convention has not applied to Ministers other than former Prime Ministers. The extent to which former Prime Ministers or their heirs and assigns may dispose of such papers, and how, depends on the circumstances of each case.

    It is my policy that in future material removed from official custody at the end of an Administration should contain no official material other than that which is already in the public domain.

    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Prime Minister in what circumstances a document subject when originated to the provisions of the Official Secrets Acts may be classified other than a state paper. [22527]

    The Prime Minister
    Documents originating from other than official sources, and which contain official information that should not be disclosed, come within the provisions of the Official Secrets Acts but are not state papers.

    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Prime Minister (1) if retired Ministers are required to submit their memoirs for approval under the Official Secrets Acts before publication; [22531]

    (2) if the right hon. Nigel Lawson submitted his memoirs for approval under the official Secrets Acts before publication, with particular reference to mention of the Governor of the Bank of England. [22622]

    The Prime Minister
    There is no requirement for former Ministers to submit their memoirs under the Official Secrets Acts before publication. The report of the Committee of Privy Counsellors on Ministerial Memoirs, Cmnd. 7386, recommended that former Ministers who wished to make public an account bearing on their ministerial life should let the Secretary of the Cabinet see in advance the full text of what they propose to say. The Cabinet Secretary offers advice to the author of the text, including on whether it contains material contravening the requirements of national security.

    My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Lawson submitted his memoirs to the Cabinet Secretary in the normal way, without any particular reference.

    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Prime Minister if he will refer to the Nolan committee the propriety of Ministers or their heirs retaining and using for private gain information or documents acquired in the course of their official duties. [22526]

    The Prime Minister
    I have no plans to do so.

    Engagements
    Sir Peter Tapsell
    To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 4 May. [21122]
    282
    Mr. Harry Greenway
    To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 4 May. [21121]

    The Prime Minister
    This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

    Central Computer Database
    Mr. Cohen
    To ask the Prime Minister what plans there are to create a central computerised database on individuals using the database of the national insurance recording system 2—to be available to other Government Departments; and if he will make a statement. [22540]

    The Prime Minister
    The recently announced replacement of the national insurance recording system—NIRS2—does not include any plans to create a separate computer database on individuals, nor does it involve extending access arrangements to the NIRS2 database to other than existing users of the current NIRS system.

    Churchill Papers
    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer of 27 April to the right hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown),Official Report, column 978, what steps he has taken to establish whether the papers sold by the Churchill family to the national heritage memorial fund were at any time covered by the provisions of the Official Secrets Acts. [22423]

    The Prime Minister
    Churchill college has been advised on which papers in the Churchill archive can be released to researchers and which need to be withheld.

    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Prime Minister what steps the Government took to purchase the annotated eight-page typescript of Sir Winston Churchill's E1 Alamein speech sold by Sotheby's in December 1994; and whether this is included in the Churchill documents purchased by the national heritage memorial fund. [22421]

    The Prime Minister
    The manuscript to which the hon. Member refers was sold by a private owner and was one of many which Sir Winston Churchill gave away during his lifetime. At no time did it form part of the Churchill archive and it does not do so now. It is for the national institutions which maintain archives to decide whether to commit funds to the purchase of papers which appear on the open market.

    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Prime Minister how many of the papers sold by the Churchill family to the national heritage memorial fund are to be found in the Public Record Office in their original or a duplicate form; and what copyright fees have to be paid to the Churchill family when such documents in either location are reproduced. [22525]

    The Prime Minister
    The papers purchased by the national heritage memorial fund are the non-state papers. They are not normally to be found in the Public Record Office in either original or duplicate form. Copyright in the papers purchased by the national heritage memorial fund is a matter for the copyright owners.
    283
    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Prime Minister whether he will request the trustees of the national lottery fund to hand back the Churchill papers to the family in return for the money they have received. [22419]

    The Prime Minister
    No. The integrity of the Churchill archive has now been secured for the nation by the purchase of the non-state papers from the Churchill family and by the transfer of the state papers similarly to Churchill college.

    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to reduce the fees charged for access to and reproduction of the Churchill papers; and if he will publish the proposed scale of charges. [22420]

    The Prime Minister
    No fees are levied on access to the Churchill papers at Churchill college. Reproduction is a matter for the copyright owners as is the question of charges. A licence has been granted which waives the copyright fee in respect of the reproduction of Crown copyright material for the purposes of research and private study. Other charges, for example the commercial use of the papers, will be levied in accordance with normal practice.

    Civil Servants
    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Prime Minister whether civil servants who have been allowed to publish material which relies in any particular on what they have learnt or done in the course of their employment by the Crown are expected to hand to the Crown any profit derived by the author from the publication. [22424]

    The Prime Minister
    The extent to which a civil servant may be required to account to the Crown for any profit made from such publication will depend on whether the author produced all or part of the work during official time and whether the work is based on or otherwise used Crown copyright material.

    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Prime Minister in what circumstances civil servants may publish without prior approval any material based directly or indirectly on what they have learnt or done in the course of their employment by the Crown. [22422]

    The Prime Minister
    Civil servants must clear in advance material for publication which draws on official material or experience.

    Mr. Milburn
    To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the individual value of each(a) compulsory early retirement and (b) flexible early retirement package received by civil servants leaving his Department on grounds of limited efficiency in each of the last five years. [22092]

    The Prime Minister
    [holding answer 2 May 1995]: For these purposes my office is part of the Cabinet Office—Office of Public Service and Science. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

    Hospitality
    Mr. Tony Banks
    To ask the Prime Minister how much was spent on official hospitality in his official capacities in the financial year 1994–95. [21215]
    284
    The Prime Minister
    [holding answer 1 May 1995]: The provisional total is £30,000

    Rules of Succession
    Mr. Mackinlay
    To ask the Prime Minister (1) in which country of which Her Majesty is Head of State the inheritance of the Crown is prohibited to adherents of certain religions; [20852]

    (2) in which countries of which Her Majesty the Queen is Head of State (a) the oldest child and (b) the oldest male child of the monarch succeed to the throne. [20853]

    The Prime Minister
    [holding answer 25 April 1995]: I am not aware that any other Commonwealth realm has rules relating to the succession to the throne.

  WALES

    Equal Opportunities
    Ms Eagle
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made within his Department on equal opportunities matters. [21471]

    Mr. Redwood
    My Department has a full programme to promote equal opportunities for all staff. It includes detailed programmes of action for women, for staff with a disability and for staff from ethnic minorities. Progress is monitored continuously and a report produced annually. Monitoring shows, for example, that the proportion of women in middle and senior management grades is increasing.

    Green Barriers
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy concerning green barriers. [22112]

    Mr. Gwilym Jones
    Green barriers are a matter for local planning authorities, which may if they wish include proposals for such areas in their development plans together with appropriate policies.

    Green Belts
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy concerning green belts; and if he will make a statement. [22113]

    Mr. Gwilym Jones
    It is for local planning authorities to decide whether green belts are necessary and useful within their area. It is then for an authority to promote a green belt through the development plan system allowing public consultation and discussion of both the principle and the detail of any proposals in the context of the whole plan.

    Wales TUC
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the Wales TUC; and if he will make a statement. [22115]

    Mr. Redwood
    I last met the executive committee of the Wales TUC on 5 December last year, when a range of topics were discussed.

  EMPLOYMENT

    Training
    Mr. Malcolm Bruce
    To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the planned level of Government expenditure on(a) TECs and (b) LECs in 1995–96. [22445]

    Mr. Paice
    In 1995–96, the Government are planning to invest in excess of £1.2 billion in training and enterprise councils in England. This funding will be provided by the Employment Department, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of the Environment, through the single regeneration budget. It will cover the range of activities for which TECs are responsible, notably management of training and vocational education initiatives, business support services and local economic regeneration.

    The Government also invest considerable sums in local enterprise companies in Scotland and TECs in Wales. The

    Date

    Location

    Number of schools invited1

    Number of schools represented

    Number of delegates

    Cost2 £

    5 December 1995

    Manchester

    3,192

    61

    127

    9,273

    27 January 1995

    Swindon

    357

    24

    65

    5,446

    23 February 1995

    Gatwick

    3,114

    43

    81

    7,113

    1 March 1995

    Norwich

    1,660

    49

    101

    3,662

    10 March 1995

    London

    3,500

    75

    147

    7,327

    14 March 1995

    Bournemouth

    3,114

    75

    164

    7,044

    Total

    39,865

    1 The same schools were invited to more than one conference in order to give headteachers and governors more choice over date and location.

    Costs listed are those attributable to specific conferences.

    In addition, there are two on-going contracts: one for support services, under which for these six conferences some £48,000 can be attributed, and one for mailings, with £8,500 attributable.

    Mr. Blunkett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many delegates attended the GM speakers' conference at the Hotel Russell on 27 and 28 February; and what was the total cost of(a) the conference and (b) expenses claimed by delegates. [22452]

    Mr. Robin Squire
    A total of 190 delegates from GM schools attended this conference, which cost £32,676. They have claimed a further £8,743 in travelling expenses.

    Mr. Blunkett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the total number of grant-maintained schools which submitted bids for the financial year 1995–96, for capital grant allocations for named projects; what was the value of the bids submitted; for how many schools an allocation for named projects was approved; and what was the total value of allocations for named projects. [22457]

    Mr. Robin Squire
    These matters are now the responsibility of the Funding Agency for Schools. I have asked the chairman of the funding agency to write to the hon. Member.

    Grant Maintained Schools Foundation Ltd.
    Mr. Blunkett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the offices of the Grant Maintained Schools Foundation giving, in each case,(a) the number of (i) information and (ii) administrative
    286
    extent of this funding is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales.

  EDUCATION

    Grant-Maintained Schools
    Mr. Blunkett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her answer of 5 December 1994,Official Report, columns 53–56, if she will list, in chronological order, the "Going GM" conferences held in her Department on grant-maintained status since 21 November 1994 giving in each case, (a) the date, (b) the location, (c) the number of schools invited, (d) the number of schools represented, (e) the number of representatives attending and (f) the cost. [22596]

    Mr. Robin Squire
    The information requested is set out in the table.

    staff employed, (b) the rent paid for the offices and (c) to whom the rent is paid. [22455]

    Mr. Robin Squire
    The Grant Maintained Schools Foundation Ltd. has a network of seven local offices. The London office also serves as the headquarters. At the six offices in England, a total of 15.5 full-time equivalent staff are employed as shown. It is not possible to distinguish between information and administrative staff.

    Location

    Staff employed

    London

    9.7

    Lancashire

    2.0

    Yorkshire and east Midlands

    0.8

    West Midlands

    1.0

    North east

    1.0

    South west

    1.0

    Total

    15.5

    The GMSF's budget application for 1995–96 includes a forecast of £68,816 for rent. Information on the amount of rent paid for each office, and to whom the rent is paid is a matter for the Foundation and the relevant landlords.

    The GMSF local office in Swansea is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

    Mr. Blunkett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost of running the Grant Maintained Schools Foundation in 1994–95; and what is the level of grant provision for 1995–96. [22456]
    287
    Mr. Robin Squire
    The Department paid grant of £695,000 to the Grant Maintained Schools Foundation Ltd. in 1994-95. Grant to a maximum of £815,000 is available for the current financial year.

    History Curriculum
    Mr. Wareing
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education what changes in the history curriculum of schools she plans to make to ensure that children have an understanding of the background to, and the conduct of, the second world war; and if she will make a statement. [22438]

    Mr. Forth
    The second world war will continue to occupy a prominent role within the national curriculum for history, as it has always done. Under the new history curriculum, which will be taught in schools from next September, all 11o 14-year-olds in maintained schools will have to be taught about the second world war and its legacy for Britain and the world. The choice of teaching materials is a matter for individual schools and teachers.

    Proposed Primary School, Liverpool
    Mr. Wareing
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education when she expects to announce a decision on the proposal to build a Christian primary school in Croxteth, Liverpool; and if she will make a statement. [22441]

    Mr. Robin Squire
    My right hon. Friend hopes to make a decision on these proposals shortly.

    Independent Schools
    Mr. Blunkett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many non-United Kingdom nationals were enrolled in independent schools in Britain(a) in total and (b) as a percentage of the independent school population (i) in 1980 and (ii) currently. [2453]

    Mr. Robin Squire
    The Department does not collect details of the nationality of pupils enrolled in independent schools. The annual census carried out by the independent schools information service, published on 25 April, found that nearly 6,800 foreign pupils enrolled last year in United Kingdom independent boarding schools.

    Funding Agency for Schools
    Mr. Blunkett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost of running the Funding Agency for Schools in 1994-95; and what is the level of provision for 1995-96. [22454]

    Mr. Robin Squire
    Total grant paid to the agency in the financial year 1994-95 for its running costs—revenue and capital expenditure—was £10.927 million. Estimates provision for 1995-96 is £11.5 million.

    Expenditure, Cumbria
    Dr. John Cunningham
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment she has made of the effect on education in west Cumbria of the recent reductions in the education budget. [22741]

    Mr. Robin Squire
    It is for Cumbria county council to determine how much of its overall budget is allocated to education and how much to other services.

    Schools, Ealing
    Mr. Harry Greenway
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much is currently spent per pupil in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Ealing by (i) school governors under delegated local management of schools budgets and by (ii) the Ealing education committee in terms of its own administrative organisations; and if she will make a statement. [22207]

    Mr. Robin Squire
    The figures are derived from the budget statement for 1995-96 published by the Ealing LEA under section 42 of the Education Reform Act 1988, in respect of expenditure on schools covered by its scheme for the local management of schools. The figures in the right-hand column relate to planned expenditure by the LEA under the head "management and administration".

    £ per pupil

    Sector

    Allocated to schools

    Management and Administration

    Primary

    1,729.63

    56.39

    Secondary

    2,208.21

    56.19

  DEFENCE

    Equal Opportunities
    Ms Eagle
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made within his Department on equal opportunities matters. [21537]

    Mr. Soames
    A statement about progress on equal opportunities for my Department's civilian staff and Service personnel was published in the Ministry of Defence 1995 departmental report, Cm 2801, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

    Ms Eagle
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he hopes to achieve in his Department over the next three months to push forward the declaration signed in October 1994 at the Vienna conference in preparation for the fourth UN conference on women; and if he will agree to incorporate a section on equal opportunities in his Department's annual report. [21539]

    Mr. Soames
    The Government are committed to the principles set out in the regional platform for action agreed at the preparatory conference in Vienna for the fourth UN world conference on women. Where appropriate, my Department has taken these forward through a wide range of programmes and initiatives related to service and civilian employees, and will continue to do so. A section on progress made on equal opportunities matters in my Department is incorporated annually in the departmental report, a copy of which is placed in the Library of the House.

    Ms Eagle
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the gender assessment being prepared by his Department. [21538]

    Mr. Soames
    My Department's policy for both civilian and service personnel, in line with guidance issued in 1992 by the ministerial group on women's issues, is that policy proposals should ensure that unlawful or unjustifiable sex or race discrimination does not occur.
    289
    For civilian personnel, similar principles apply in respect of people with disabilities. This scrutiny is part of a continuous and routine process, as part of policy advice to Ministers and is included in my Department's policy on equal opportunities.

    Ms Eagle
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Minister in his Department has responsibility for equal opportunities issues. [21536]

    Mr. Soames
    Responsibility for these issues is shared between myself and my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence.

    Naval Gunfire
    Mr. Ian Bruce
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents in the last 10 years in training exercises on the south coast there have been of naval gunfire landing where it was not supposed to. [21444]

    Mr. Soames
    There have been no recorded incidents in the period in question.

    Mr. Matthew Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated extra cost of using helicopters for the spotters, at the proposed naval firing range at Dodman point, Cornwall, per annum. [22059]

    Mr. Soames
    Observation from helicopters during naval gunfire support would mostly be undertaken by the firing ship's own helicopter, in a dual role of range safety and fall of shot observation. There would, therefore, be no additional cost. However, for those Royal Navy ships which do not have their own helicopter, which we estimate to be approximately one fifth of the 70 or so firing serials each year, the cost to the Royal Navy would be in the region of £3,000 per two-hour serial. This would, however, be substantially less than the cost of continuing NGS training at Lulworth cove.

    Mr. Matthew Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will review the effectiveness and cost of the use of Dodman point for the proposed naval firing range after it has come into use. [22061]

    Mr. Soames
    Yes. The efficacy and cost-effectiveness of all aspects of naval training are kept under constant review.

    Mr. Matthew Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department have assessed which other areas along the coast other than Dodman point which might be suitable for the proposed naval firing range. [22060]

    Mr. Soames
    The whole of the south coast area, from Start point to the Lizard, was considered in broad terms, and within this a number of specific sites were considered in details. Of these, only the site off Dodman point met the specific criteria required for naval gunfire support training. The viability of continuing training at Lulworth was also considered carefully, but would prove too costly in terms of both fuel consumption and manpower availability.

    Low Flying
    Mr. Gordon Prentice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many interviews of people complaining of low flying have been conducted by the RAF police in the latest 12-month period for which figures are available. [21985]

    Mr. Soames
    Of the RAF police investigations into military aircraft activity initiated in 1994, 339 will have 290
    involved interviews with at least one complainant, and in some cases more than one. Statistics are not kept in such a way as to identify the precise number of complainants interviewed.

    Portland Naval Base
    Mr. Fatchett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the criteria used for determining the successful bid in relation to the role of the Portland naval base; and if he will make a statement. [22547]

    Mr. Soames
    The criteria used to select the successful purchaser for Portland naval base were complex. A number of bids were shortlisted and then evaluated by the marketing agents, specialist advisors and officials. There was wide consultation at local level with various agencies including the borough and county councils, South Dorset Economic Partnership and the trade unions at the naval base.

    The party finally selected was the one with the best proven track record to date, with viable commercial proposals that had financial backing, the best prospect of providing jobs and the best chance of obtaining planning permission for the proposed uses. The purchaser, Portland Port Ltd., has a strong management team and the resources to call on several marine oriented companies in the UK elsewhere. I believe that the company offers the best long-term solution for local people and reuse of the naval base.

    Rosyth
    Mr. David Shaw
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the nature of the contract on subcontract work undertaken at Rosyth by(a) KS Asbestos Removal Ltd. and (b) a company or partnership connected to Brooks; and what assessment he has made as to whether (i) the contract was obtained by means of a competitive tender, (ii) the lowest tenderer obtained the work, (iii) the work was actually carried out and completed satisfactorily and (iv) the company or its directors are eligible to obtain future work. [21572]

    Mr. Freeman
    Inquiries have failed to identify any ship work or works services contracts or payments to either KS Asbestos Removal Ltd. or Brooks Ltd. for work at Rosyth. Additional details will be required to enable further investigation.

    Arms Export
    Mr. Bennett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) under which military list specifications, as specified in group 1 of part III of schedule 1 to SI 1992 No. 3092 goods for export to(a) Taiwan, (b) Turkey, (c) the United States of America and (d) Yugoslavia were refused export licences in 1993; [20572]

    (2) under which military list specifications, as specified in group 1 of part III of schedule 1 to SI 1992 No. 3092 goods for export to (a) India, (b) Iran, (c) Israel, (d) South Korea, (e) Libya, (f) Mozambique, (g) Oman, (h) Pakistan, (i) South Africa, (j) Sierra

    291
    Leone, (k) Singapore (l) Slovenia and (m) Syria were refused export licences in 1993. [20573]

    Mr. Ian Taylor
    I have been asked to reply.

    The military list classifications of the goods in question are set out.

    ML classification

    India

    5, 6, 15

    Iran

    4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 24

    Israel

    1, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 15, 16, 18

    Korea (South)

    11

    Libya

    3

    Mozambique

    15

    Oman

    1

    Pakistan

    4, 15

    Sierra Leone

    1

    Singapore

    15

    Slovenia

    11

    South Africa

    10, 11, 16, 17

    Syria

    4, 7

    Taiwan

    4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15

    Turkey

    4

    USA

    11

    Yugoslavia

    17

    VE Day Commemoration
    Mr. Wareing
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who will be representing the parts of the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia at Her Majesty's Government's official celebrations of the 50th anniversary of VE day. [22629]

    Mr. Goodlad
    I have been asked to reply.

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) on 28 April 1995, Official Report, columns 743-45.

  HOME DEPARTMENT

    Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
    Mr. Mike O'Brien
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if cases which have had an award provisionally decided under the new tariff-based criminal injuries compensation scheme will now be automatically reviewed under the old scheme and have their appropriate level of compensation determined under the old scheme; [21728]

    (2) if cases rejected under the eligibility rules for the criminal injuries compensation tariff scheme will be reassessed following the recent court decision as if they had been submitted under the old criminal injuries compensation scheme; and if any applicant who would have been rejected under the tariff scheme will be approached directly by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to seek from them any additional information required to determine eligibility under the old scheme. [21727]

    Mr. Maclean
    : Yes.

    Mr. Mike O'Brien
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board will notify applicants of any 292
    additional information required if they are to have their applications determined under the old scheme rather than the tariff scheme; [21725]

    (2) in what circumstances applicants have to make a new application for a review of the award granted under the tariff scheme. [21729]

    Mr. Maclean
    I understand that the board has already written to every applicant or representative to tell them that their cases will now be decided under the terms of the old, 1990 scheme. The letters made it clear that where further information was required by the board for such assessment, it would be in touch with the addressees again. I further understand any such approaches will be made as soon as possible.

    Mr. Mike O'Brien:
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if applications now to be submitted to the CICA/CICB should be submitted using the old application form or the new application form based upon the tariff scheme. [21721]

    Mr. Maclean
    I understand from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board that new applications should be completed on the 1990 scheme forms. Extra stocks of these have been ordered for distribution around the usual networks. Some supplementary application forms are also being printed, in order to enable those who have already completed a tariff scheme application to provide all the additional information required for assessment under the 1990 scheme.

    Mr. Mike O'Brien
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to introduce new legislation to deal with criminal injuries compensation; and to what extent recipients of current criminal injuries compensation are safeguard against retrospective elements in future legislation abating their awards. [21723]

    Mr. Maclean
    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) on 26 April, column 561.

    Mr. Mike O'Brien
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if cases rejected as out of time under the new criminal injuries compensation tariff scheme but which would have been in time under the old criminal injuries compensation scheme will now be re-opened; and if it will be necessary for applicants rejected under the new time limit on the tariff scheme to resubmit their applications. [21726]

    Mr. Maclean
    I understand that the chairman of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board will be considering personally all "out of time" applications rejected under the former tariff scheme. It will not be necessary for applications to he re-submitted, and the chairman's decisions will be notified to applicants as soon as practicable.

    Mr. Mike O'Brien
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now reinstate CICB members who were given notice of termination to deal with reassessments of cases which have now become necessary following the court decision on the tariff-based criminal injuries compensation scheme; and what assessment he has made of the impact of staffing levels on the time taken to determine applications. [21722]
    293
    Mr. Maclean
    All board members who had not already stated a wish to stand down had already been offered reappointment to 31 March 1996, before the judgment of the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords. Invitations to join the board had also been extended to potential new members to keep the board at or near full strength. Present plans envisage an increase in support staff from 450 to 480 in the current financial year, but the position will be kept under review.

    Mr. Mike O'Brien
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases submitted under the criminal injuries compensation tariff scheme have not yet been decided; and if they will be decided under the pre-tariff scheme or under the tariff scheme. [21724]

    Mr. Maclean
    Some 72,000 applications were received under the tariff scheme. They will all be assessed or reassessed under the reinstated, 1990, scheme.

    Mr. Mike O' Brien
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in cases where criminal injuries compensation would have been greater under the new scheme than under the old scheme, if applicants will receive less than the Home Secretary and the CICA have provisionally awarded to those applicants; and how many people are affected in each category of compensation. [21720]

    Mr. Maclean
    My right hon. and learned Friend has no direct responsibility for the assessment or award of compensation to individual applicants under the criminal injuries scheme.

    Where any award reassessed under the 1990 scheme is lower than the tariff award, the latter will stand. It will not be known how many people fall into that category until all the tariff awards have been reassessed.

    Mrs. Roche
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of(a) nurses, (b) firefighters, (c) shopworkers and (d) police officers awarded compensation under the criminal injuries compensation scheme were women; [22308]

    (2) how many shopworkers (a) in London and (b) in England and Wales have been awarded criminal injuries compensation awards under the new tariff scheme; how many of those awards were less than they would have received under the old scheme; and what was the average amount by which each claimant received a reduced amount. [22309]

    Mr. Maclean
    Information about awards made to occupational groups under the 1990 scheme is not recorded centrally. It is not therefore possible to make the comparisons required. For awards made under the tariff scheme the proportion of awards made to women was as follows:

    Per cent

    Medical Personnel

    67

    Firefighter

    0

    Police

    8

    The term "medical personnel" includes doctors and nursing grades.
    294
    Mrs. Roche
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many(a) firefighters, (b) police officers and (c) nurses (i) in London and (ii) in England and Wales were awarded criminal injuries compensation under the tariff scheme. [22310]

    Mr. Maclean
    [holding answer 3 May 1995]: The following tariff awards have been made:

    Occupational group

    London

    England and Wales (including London)

    Police

    30

    182

    Firefighter

    1

    10

    Medical personnel

    9

    51

    The term medical personnel includes doctors and nursing grades. No further breakdown is readily available.

    Mrs. Roche
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown by gender of those awarded criminal injuries compensation under the tariff scheme. [22307]

    Mr. Maclean
    [holding answer 3 May 1995]: Some 3,332 awards have been made to male victims and 1,774 to female victims. Further awards may be made since all offers of award outstanding at the date of the tariff scheme's withdrawal on 5 April will be honoured if the offers are accepted by claimants. The applications will then be reassessed by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board under the reinstated, 1990, scheme in the usual way.

    International Wildlife Crime
    Mr. Morley
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will describe the areas of work currently being undertaken by the Interpol sub-group of wildlife crime. [21832]

    Mr. Maclean
    I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on the 29 March at column 674.

    Greater Manchester Police
    Ms Abbott
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will institute an inquiry into the Greater Manchester police in respect of the charity dinner held on 25 April; and if he will make a statement. [21810]

    Mr. Maclean
    I believe that the event to which the hon. Member refers took place on 10 March. This is a matter for the chief constable of Greater Manchester.

    Firearms
    Mr. Mike O'Brien
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his policies for(a) limiting the ease of use of stolen shotguns and (b) requiring them to be fitted with barrel locks when being stored. [22098]

    Mr. Maclean
    The primary purpose of the existing controls on firearms and shotguns is public safety. The firearms rules 1989 require all shotgun certificate holders to store their guns securely so as to prevent, as far as is reasonably practicable, unauthorised access and to take all reasonable precautions to prevent theft during transit. Appropriate. security arrangements will depend upon the individual circumstances in each case. Home Office guidance on security suggests that barrel blocks may provide extra security but should never be used instead of
    295
    a locked gun cabinet or other similarly secure container. The Firearms Consultative Committee, the independent body which advises my right hon. and learned Friend on firearms matters, recommended in its fourth annual report, 1992-93 that barrel block devices should not be made mandatory and there are no plans to do so.

    Mr. Mike O'Brien
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many shotguns have been stolen from authorised firearm keepers in each of the last five years. [22097]

    Mr. Maclean
    The available information relates to the number of incidents in which shotguns were stolen in England and Wales. The following table gives the figures for the years 1989-1993.

    Notifiable offences of burglary or theft recorded by the police in which shotguns were reported to have been stolen

    Number

    1989

    495

    1990

    479

    1991

    574

    1992

    570

    1993

    594

    Telephones
    Sir Terence Higgins
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers exist to prosecute those who clone portable telephones and use the numbers belonging to others to make telephone calls; and if he will make a statement. [21806]

    Mr. Maclean
    Under section 42 of the Telecommunications Act 1984, it is an offence to use a cloned portable telephone. If it can be shown that the telephone was stolen from its owner it may be possible, subject to the evidence, to prosecute the user for handling stolen goods contrary to section 22 of the Theft Act 1968. There is no legislation which prohibits the actual cloning of a portable telephone.

    Electoral Voting
    Mrs. Clwyd
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans the Government have to review the format of the absent voter forms to prevent fraud by misappropriation of proxy votes; what systems are in place to monitor the number of people claiming proxy votes in elections; and if he will make a statement; [22289]

    (2) what steps are being taken to monitor the exercising of proxy votes in the local government elections; [22288]

    (3) if he will consider the collection of statistics on the use of proxy votes. [22286]

    Mr. Nicholas Baker
    Absent voting application forms have been amended to ensure that electors indicate clearly whether they are applying to vote by post or proxy, and to ensure that all appointments of a proxy are signed by the elector. These amendments help to prevent fraud. The number of proxies appointed to vote was collated for the first time at the 1994 European parliamentary elections 296
    and similar statistics will be collated at the next general election. Figures relating to proxy voting at local government elections are not collected centrally.

    Mrs. Clwyd
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government have to increase the penalties for electoral fraud where the offence involves the deprivation of a vulnerable elector of his or her vote. [22290]

    Mr. Nicholas Baker
    None.

    Mrs. Clwyd
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider the use in elections of travelling ballot boxes which can be taken to hospitals and residential homes where there are more than 10 residents. [22287]

    Mr. Nicholas Baker
    There are no plans to do so.

    Police Powers
    Mr. Waller
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that the power to require the drivers of moving vehicles to stop should be confined to the police. [22339]

    Mr. Maclean
    The Government have no plans to change the law in this regard.

    Wandsworth Prison
    Mr. Cox
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement as to the procedures that are now followed at Wandsworth prison in respect of inmates suspected of being a possible suicide risk. [22375]

    Mr. Michael Forsyth
    Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

    Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 4 May 1995:
    The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the procedures that are now being followed at Wandsworth prison for any inmates suspected of being a possible suicide risk.
    Mr. Butler, the Director of Personnel, wrote to you on 21 March in my absence, outlining the existing procedures at Wandsworth prison in respect of an inmate regarded as a possible suicide risk. The procedures which are followed at Wandsworth have not altered since Mr. Butler's letter.

    Live Animal Exports Protests (Costs)
    Mr. Mackinlay
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the estimated additional(a) daily costs and (b) total costs to date incurred by the Essex police as a consequence of the live animal exports protests at Brightlingsea; and if he will make a statement; [22195]

    (2) if he will reimburse wholly or in part the additional costs incurred by the Essex police as a consequence of the live animal exports protests at Brightlingsea; and if he will make a statement. [22196]

    Mr. Maclean
    I understand from the chief constable that the average additional daily cost for the period to 15 April is estimated to be £19,580. The estimated total additional cost for the same period is £1,840,514.
    297
    The Home Office will reimburse 51 per cent. of the police expenditure incurred at Brightlingsea prior to 1 April 1995. After that date police grant is paid as a cash-limited sum and contributes to the cost of all police operations.

    Police (Firearms Deaths and Injuries)
    Mrs. Roche
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police officers have been(a) injured and (b) killed by firearms in (i) the Metropolitan police area and (ii) England and Wales in each of the last 10 years; [21893]

    (2) how many working hours were lost by police officers in (a) London and (b) England and Wales arising from injuries by firearms in each of the last 10 years. [21897]

    Mr. Maclean
    The following table gives the information available to me which relates to the years 1988 to 1993. Information for earlier years is not available. Full information for 1994 is not yet available, but no police officer was killed by a firearm in that year.

    Notifiable offences recorded by the police in which a police officer on duty was killed or injured by a firearm in England and Wales

    Metropolitan police

    England and Wales

    Injured

    Killed

    Injured

    Killed

    1988

    4

    —

    9

    2

    1989

    8

    —

    10

    1

    1990

    1

    1

    4

    1

    1991

    4

    —

    7

    —

    1992

    3

    —

    9

    11

    1993

    1

    1

    9

    1

    1 Special constable.

    The information requested on the number of working hours which were lost through injuries caused by firearms is not held centrally.

    Mr. Raghbir Singh Johal
    Mr. Winnick
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 1 May,Official Report, column 95. regarding correspondence over Mr. Raghbir Singh Johal, what is the average time taken for replies to be sent to members of the public over this case. [22597]

    Mr. Nicholas Baker
    Fifteen working days.

    Mr. Winnick
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if all information requested by the solicitors representing Mr. Raghbir Singh Johal has been supplied by his Department. [22542]

    Mr. Nicholas Baker
    Mr. Singh's solicitors have been provided with all the information requested, as far as is consistent with the interests of national security.

    Mr. Winnick
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requests he has had to meet representatives of the Sikh community over the case of Mr. Raghbir Singh Johal; and what reply he has made. [22543]

    Mr. Nicholas Baker
    There have been two requests. No reply has yet been given.

    Elections (EU Voters)
    Mr. Madden
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he has received about the requirement, under the arrangements outlined in the circular RPA 394, for EU citizens resident 298
    in the United Kingdom to apply if they wish to register as European parliamentary electors; what arrangements apply to their registration in respect of local government elections; and if he will make a statement; [22632]

    (2) when he proposes to bring forward legislation enabling arrangements to be made allowing European Union citizens resident in the United Kingdom to be included as local government electors on the register coming into force in February 1996; what is the latest estimate of the numbers of such EU citizens who may be included on the register throughout the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [22587]

    Mr. Nicholas Baker
    The treaty of European Union gave all nationals of the Union resident in a member state of which they are not nationals the right to vote and stand as a candidate in European parliamentary and local government elections. European citizens were eligible to vote and to stand as candidates in the European Parliament elections last year.

    No formal representations have been received on circular RPA 394 on EU citizens resident in the UK wishing to register as electors.

    Legislation to provide for registration of Union citizens as electors in future local elections will be presented to Parliament as parliamentary time allows. There are about 400,000 eligible EU citizens in the UK.

    Mr. Madden
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EU citizens, resident in the United Kingdom, included on the register of those eligible to vote in the local elections on 4 May, were declared ineligible to vote before polling day. [22586]

    Mr. Nicholas Baker
    EU citizens, other than British and Irish citizens, were not eligible to vote in the elections on 4 May.

    War Crimes Unit
    Mr. Cyril Townsend
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers by rank, have been working in the war crimes unit in New Scotland yard, since 31 March; and what is the expected cost of the maintenance of this unit. [22595]

    Mr. Maclean
    Six police officers have been working in the war crimes unit since 31 March: two detective inspectors, one detective sergeant and three detective constables. The cost to the Metropolitan police of running this unit is approximately £77,000 per month.

    North Tyneside Council (Criminal Allegations)
    Mr. Trotter
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many inquiries the police have conducted into the activities of organised criminals in connection with the Labour party in north Tyneside within the last year; and if he will make a statement. [22631]

    Mr. Maclean
    Investigation into the activities of organised criminals in north Tyneside is a matter for the chief constable of Northumbria police. I am told, though, that the police are at present conducting a preliminary inquiry into certain allegations connected with the North Tyneside council.

    Deportation (National Security)
    Mr. Winnick
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of notice of decision to deport on grounds of national security have gone to the appeals panel in the last five years; and on what number of such cases the panel has differed from his own decision. [22541]

    Mr. Nicholas Baker
    The independent advisory panel has considered representations in 54 cases in the last five years, all but three at the time of the Gulf war. The panel's advice is confidential.

    Safer Cities Projects, Cardiff and Rhyl
    Sir Ivan Lawrence
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on when the safer cities projects in Cardiff and Rhyl will be established. [23136]

    Mr. Maclean
    I am pleased to announce that, following a tender competition, contractors have been selected to manage the two safer cities projects which I announced on 2 December 1994.

    After careful evaluation of the tenders, Crime Concern has been chosen to manage the project at Cardiff, and the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders will manage the project at Rhyl.

    Both organisations have significant experience in crime prevention, project management and working with voluntary agencies. We expect preliminary work to begin shortly, and the projects will come on stream in the summer.

    Endangered Bird Species (Sales)
    Mr. Morley
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Secretary of State for the Environment's answers of 3 March,Official Report, columns 757-58, and 22 March, Official Report, column 201, how many police forces monitor trade journals for sales of birds listed in the convention on international trade in endangered species. [21878]

    Mr. Maclean
    [holding answer 2 May 1995]: This is an operational matter for chief officers of police and is not recorded centrally.

    Market Testing
    Mr. Milburn
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with market testing programmes in which his Department has been engaged since their inception. [21370]

    Mr. Michael Forsyth
    [holding answer 1 May 1995]: From 1 April 1992 and 31 march 1995, expenditure on external consultancies in respect of the "Competing for Quality" programme is estimated to have been approximately £855,000 by the Prison Service and approximately £910,000 by the rest of the Home Office.

    The estimated annual savings figures so far as a result of the "Competing for Quality" programmes since April 1992 are £19 million for the Prison Service and £11 million for the rest of the Home Office.

    England v. Ireland Football Match
    Mr. Madden
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange the inquiry reports, by(a) the Irish Football Association, (b) Judge Finlay, (c) the Irish police and (d) all other relevant reports by English and Irish authorities into public disorder at the England v. Ireland football match in Dublin in February, to be placed in the Library; if he will list the main recommendations for action contained in these reports; and if he will make a statement. [22327]

    Mr. Maclean
    [holding answer 2 May 1995]: I understand that a copy of the report "Violence at Lansdowne Road" by Mr. Justice Thomas Finlay will be available shortly in the Library. It is for the relevant Irish authorities to decide whether to make their other corresponding reports publicly available. In respect of the report of the English Football Association I refer the hon. member to my written answer of 22 March, Official Report, column 199.

    Prisoners (Police Cells)
    Mrs. Roche
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are currently in police cells(a) in each police station in England and Wales and (b) in each division of the Metropolitan police; and how many there were in (a) and (b), (i) one year ago, (ii) five years ago, (iii) 10 years ago and (iv) 15 years ago. [21608]

    Mr. Michael Forsyth
    [holding answer 1 May 1995]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

    Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 4 May 1995:
    The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of prisoners currently held in police cells in each police station in England and Wales; in each division of the Metropolitan Police and the number held one year aged, 5 years ago, 10 years ago and 15 years ago.
    The information you requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
    Police forces are only required to provide the Prison Service with daily returns showing the total number of prisoners being held in police cells. Over the last 18 months the use of police cells has been confined to the north of England. The information about the number of prisoners held in police cells submitted by the police forces concerned over the last 18 months is contained in the attached table.

    Location of prisoners held in police cells on 25 April 1994 and 25 April 1995

    Police station

    Number of prisoners

    25 April 1994

    Greater Manchester

    Central Detention Centre

    28

    Collyhurst

    5

    Crescent

    4

    Mottram

    7

    Astley Bridge

    7

    Bolton

    15

    Ashton I M

    2

    Wigan

    11

    Stretford

    12

    Trafford

    12

    Bury

    7

    301

    Location of prisoners held in police cells on 25 April 1994 and 25 April 1995

    Police station

    Number of prisoners

    Littleborough

    11

    Rochdale

    72

    Oldham

    8

    Merseyside

    Main Bridewell

    41

    Crosby

    12

    Kirkby

    12

    Stanley Road

    12

    St. Helens

    11

    Lancashire

    Blackpool

    8

    Preston

    9

    West Yorkshire

    Eccleshill

    10

    Toiler Lane

    13

    South Yorkshire

    Bridge Street

    8

    Northumbria

    Gillbridge Avenue

    16

    25 April 1995

    Greater Manchester

    Central Detention Centre

    50

    Bootle Street

    6

    Collyhurst

    5

    Platt Lane

    4

    Crescent

    6

    Mottram

    5

    Astley Bridge

    5

    Bolton

    5

    Leigh

    7

    Wigan

    15

    Stretford

    10

    Trafford

    14

    Bury

    7

    Whitefield

    4

    Littleborough

    6

    Middleton

    5

    Rochdale

    9

    Merseyside

    Kirkby

    8

    Crosby

    8

    St. Helens

    10

    Wallasey

    8

    Lancashire

    Morecambe

    8

    Blackpool

    18

    Preston

    18

    Skelmersdale

    6

    West Yorkshire

    Halifax

    7

    Huddersfield

    12

    Eccleshill

    12

    Toiler Lane

    15

    Leeds

    18

    302

    Location of prisoners held in police cells on 25 April 1994 and 25 April 1995

    Police station

    Number of prisoners

    Cheshire

    Congleton

    7

    Wilmslow

    2

    Crewe

    6

    Mrs. Roche
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown of the cost of keeping a prisoner in a police cell, giving the proportion of the total spent on police officers. [21709]

    Mr. Michael Forsyth
    [holding answer 1 May 1995]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

    Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 4 May 1995:
    The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the breakdown of the cost of keeping a prisoner in a police cell.
    The average cost per night of keeping a prisoner in a police cell in 1994 was £250. A breakdown of this figure is given below:

    £

    Police officer costs

    197

    Civilian staff costs

    8

    Police support costs (travelling and subsistence)

    16

    Prisoner support costs (food, laundry, medical)

    13

    Administrative costs

    12

    Other costs (including nominal accommodation charge and prisoners' recreation

    4

    Closed Circuit Television
    Mrs. Roche
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who took the decision that CCTV bids in(a) Folkestone and Hythe and (b) Penrith and the Borders should be successful in receiving Government funding over the challenge scheme. [22312]

    Mr. Maclean
    [holding answer 3 May 1995]: I decided on all bids under the CCTV challenge scheme on the basis of recommendations made by an assessment panel of Home Office officials and consultants seconded to the Home Office.

    Road Accidents (Police Vehicles)
    Ms Jowell
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many road traffic accidents involving police patrol vehicles were reported in each police force area in England and Wales for each year since 1991; and how many(a) police officers and (b) civilians sustained injuries as a result. [21029]

    Mr. Maclean
    [holding answer 3 May 1995]: The latest information which is available centrally on the total number of police vehicle accidents in 1991-93 is shown in the following table. The information on injuries relates to those where death or serious injury has arisen in the course of either police pursuits or responses to emergency calls.
    303

    Total police vehicle accidents

    Police fatal injury

    Police serious injury

    Force name

    1991

    1992

    1993

    1991

    1992

    1993

    1991

    1992

    1993

    Avon and Somerset

    577

    505

    672

    0

    0

    0

    3

    1

    11

    Bedfordshire

    144

    107

    108

    0

    0

    0

    4

    2

    0

    Cambridgeshire

    170

    91

    111

    0

    0

    0

    0

    2

    0

    Cheshire

    194

    194

    218

    0

    0

    0

    1

    0

    0

    Cleveland

    271

    261

    253

    0

    0

    0

    0

    1

    0

    Cumbria

    139

    140

    141

    0

    0

    1

    0

    0

    0

    Derbyshire

    170

    239

    237

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Devon and Cornwall

    711

    620

    474

    1

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Dorset

    211

    134

    182

    0

    0

    0

    1

    0

    2

    Durham

    221

    160

    234

    0

    0

    0

    2

    1

    0

    Essex

    81

    415

    281

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Gloucestershire

    144

    170

    184

    0

    0

    0

    0

    6

    2

    Greater Manchester

    885

    885

    937

    0

    0

    0

    1

    2

    4

    Hampshire

    439

    401

    469

    0

    0

    0

    2

    0

    0

    Hertfordshire

    185

    253

    247

    0

    0

    0

    3

    3

    5

    Humberside

    211

    255

    237

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    2

    Kent

    422

    439

    655

    0

    0

    0

    4

    1

    1

    Lancashire

    354

    354

    357

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    5

    Leicestershire

    231

    253

    284

    0

    0

    0

    1

    4

    0

    Lincolnshire

    83

    75

    67

    0

    0

    0

    2

    0

    0

    City of London

    60

    78

    80

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Merseyside

    528

    590

    442

    0

    0

    0

    3

    1

    7

    Norfolk

    229

    181

    196

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    2

    Northamptonshire

    194

    183

    196

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    1

    Northumbria

    700

    1,089

    938

    0

    0

    0

    3

    3

    0

    North Yorkshire

    160

    191

    172

    0

    0

    1

    3

    5

    2

    Nottinghamshire

    304

    316

    333

    0

    0

    0

    2

    1

    3

    South Yorkshire

    298

    289

    326

    0

    0

    0

    4

    1

    6

    Staffordshire

    470

    336

    315

    0

    0

    0

    0

    4

    1

    Suffolk

    159

    144

    135

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Surrey

    192

    183

    168

    0

    1

    0

    2

    0

    0

    Sussex

    296

    345

    296

    0

    0

    0

    2

    2

    3

    Thames Valley

    738

    709

    837

    0

    0

    0

    1

    3

    2

    Warwickshire

    253

    261

    158

    0

    0

    0

    1

    1

    0

    West Mercia

    219

    210

    242

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    West Midlands

    847

    910

    987

    0

    0

    1

    9

    5

    0

    West Yorkshire

    993

    663

    870

    1

    0

    0

    1

    0

    0

    Wiltshire

    96

    114

    127

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Dyfed Powys

    77

    99

    116

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Gwent

    89

    165

    122

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    North Wales

    148

    142

    158

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    South Wales

    434

    992

    371

    0

    0

    0

    5

    7

    3

    Metropolitan police

    5,118

    5,419

    5,561

    0

    1

    2

    41

    56

    51

    Total

    18,445

    19,560

    19,504

    2

    2

    5

    101

    112

    113

    Civilian fatal injury

    Civilian serious injury

    Force name

    1991

    1992

    1993

    1991

    1992

    1993

    Avon and Somerset

    1

    4

    2

    5

    11

    5

    Bedfordshire

    0

    0

    0

    2

    0

    0

    Cambridgeshire

    4

    0

    0

    0

    5

    3

    Cheshire

    0

    1

    0

    5

    6

    3

    Cleveland

    0

    0

    0

    3

    2

    0

    Cumbria

    0

    0

    0

    2

    0

    1

    Derbyshire

    0

    0

    1

    0

    0

    1

    Devon and Cornwall

    0

    0

    0

    0

    1

    0

    Dorset

    0

    1

    0

    4

    2

    3

    Durham

    1

    0

    0

    2

    1

    0

    Essex

    0

    1

    0

    1

    2

    0

    Gloucestershire

    0

    0

    1

    1

    1

    0

    Greater Manchester

    3

    3

    1

    15

    4

    41

    Hampshire

    0

    1

    0

    7

    0

    2

    Hertfordshire

    0

    0

    1

    5

    4

    2

    Humberside

    0

    0

    2

    1

    0

    6

    Kent

    1

    1

    1

    2

    2

    0

    Lancashire

    4

    1

    0

    7

    2

    4

    Leicestershire

    0

    0

    0

    0

    12

    2

    Lincolnshire

    0

    0

    0

    2

    0

    0

    City of London

    0

    0

    0

    0

    3

    1

    Merseyside

    4

    0

    1

    26

    21

    4

    304 305

    Civilian fatal injury

    Civilian serious injury

    Force name

    1991

    1992

    1993

    1991

    1992

    1993

    Norfolk

    0

    0

    0

    0

    1

    3

    Northamptonshire

    1

    1

    0

    2

    2

    2

    Northumbria

    3

    1

    2

    4

    1

    10

    North Yorkshire

    0

    0

    0

    4

    5

    7

    Nottinghamshire

    0

    0

    0

    3

    3

    0

    South Yorkshire

    1

    1

    0

    9

    10

    4

    Staffordshire

    0

    0

    0

    0

    1

    1

    Suffolk

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    8

    Surrey

    0

    0

    0

    2

    2

    0

    Sussex

    0

    0

    1

    5

    5

    6

    Thames Valley

    1

    1

    1

    6

    5

    11

    Warwickshire

    1

    0

    0

    1

    1

    0

    West Mercia

    1

    0

    0

    3

    0

    0

    West Midlands

    1

    3

    2

    0

    1

    1

    West Yorkshire

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    4

    Wiltshire

    0

    0

    1

    0

    0

    0

    Dyfed-Powys

    0

    0

    1

    0

    0

    2

    Gwent

    0

    0

    0

    0

    1

    0

    North Wales

    0

    0

    0

    1

    0

    3

    South Wales

    0

    1

    1

    0

    12

    2

    Metropolitan police

    3

    7

    10

    40

    59

    45

    Total

    30

    28

    29

    170

    188

    187

    Prisoners (Drug Misuse)
    Mr. Flynn
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners received medical treatment in each of the past 10 years(a) within prisons or (b) transferred to outside hospitals for the symptoms of drug misuse. [22223]

    Mr. Michael Forsyth
    [holding answer 3 May 1995]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

    Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 4 May 1995:
    The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question on how many prisoners received medical treatment in each of the past 10 years (a) within prisons or (b) transferred to outside hospitals for the symptoms of drug misuse.
    The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All Prison Service establishments provide detoxification, education and counselling facilities to prisoners with drug misuse problems through the health care centre, probation department or community drug agencies.
    As part of the new Prison Service drugs strategy, published on 25 April 1995, all prison governors are required to develop and implement local drug strategies which will form part of their contract with their area manager. The local strategies will include provision for education, treatment and throughcare for prisoners who misuse. have misused, or are at risk of misusing drugs.
    This year the Prison Service will be greatly expanding the number and types of drug treatment programmes. These programmes include therapeutic communities, 3-month treatment programmes, intensive counselling and education services, detoxification units and community linked throughcare programmes. Careful monitoring and evaluation of these programmes will help to determine the development of drug treatment in other establishments.

  SOCIAL SECURITY

    Equal Opportunities
    Ms Eagle
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress he hopes to achieve in his Department over the next three months to push forward 306
    the declaration signed in October 1994 at the Vienna conference in preparation for the fourth UN conference on women; and if he will incorporate a section on equal opportunities in his Department's annual report. [21509]

    Mr. Burt
    The Department will reflect, in its wide range of programmes and initiatives, any final commitments on equal opportunities undertaken by the UK Government at the Vienna preparatory conference for the fourth world conference on women and elsewhere.

    The Department's 1996 annual report will include appropriate reference to equal opportunities.

    Income Support
    Mr. Mudie
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list(a) the percentage of cases found in error and (b) the estimated financial value of the errors in respect of income support in each year since 1988–89. [21808]

    Mr. Roger Evans
    The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Ian Magee, the acting chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

    Letter from Ian Magee to Mr. George Mudie, dated 3 May 1995:
    The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking about the accuracy of Income Support and the value of errors since 1988.
    The full range of information is not available. Although the Benefits Agency has longstanding procedures to provide information about the accuracy of benefit payments, a mechanism to establish the financial value of errors identified during checks was not put in place until April 1994. This information is not yet available for the full year ending March 1995. The information given in the attached table has been obtained from National Audit Office reports.
    I hope you find this reply helpful.
    307

    Extract of results of National Audit Office of income support 1988–89 to 1993–94

    Year

    Cases containing financial error (per cent.)

    Total monetary value of errors £ million

    1988–89

    13.5

    160.0

    1989–90

    14.4

    219.6

    1990–91

    13.6

    344.9

    1991–92

    16.9

    411.8

    1992–93

    16.3

    715.9

    1993–94

    16.8

    681.5

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the cost of providing income support to spouses of people whose occupational pensions are contributing to the cost of local authority residential and nursing home care. [22280]

    Mr. Arbuthnot
    The information is not available.

    Pensions (Expatriates)
    Mr. David Nicholson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what agreements exist for the payment of uprated UK pensions to UK expatriates resident in(a) Commonwealth, (b) EU and (c) foreign countries, what were the dates of these agreements; and if he will make a statement on the factors underlying the absence of such agreements with other countries in which numbers of UK expatriates are resident. [21784]

    Mr. Arbuthnot
    The information is in the table.

    In order to enter into an agreement with the UK, the other country's social security scheme has to be sufficiently similar to provide reciprocity. Increasingly, there has to be sufficient movement of workers between the two countries to justify the outlay of resources to negotiate, operate and maintain the agreement. Above all, any additional benefit costs have to be affordable.

    The great majority of UK pensioners overseas, over 350,000, who do not receive uprated pensions in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. Although the UK has reciprocal agreements with Australia, Canada and New Zealand, they do not allow for pension increases to be paid. Because of the considerable costs involved, the Government have no plans to revise these three agreements, or to negotiate an agreement with South Africa or any other country, to pay uprated pensions.

    Table of countries where annual pension increases are paid and the dates on which reciprocal social security agreements came into force

    Country

    Date

    (a) Commonwealth

    Barbados1

    1 April 1992

    Bermuda

    November 1969

    Cyprus

    18 May 1957

    Gibraltar

    26 March 1974

    Guernsey

    4 April 1966

    Isle of Man

    28 October 1948

    Jamaica

    1 October 1972

    Jersey

    4 April 1966

    Malta

    29 October 1956

    Mauritius

    November 1981

    (b)EU and EEA2

    Austria

    1 October 1972

    Finland

    1 Feburuary 1984

    308

    Table of countries where annual pension increases are paid and the dates on which reciprocal social security agreements came into force

    Country

    Date

    Germany

    1 August 1961

    Iceland

    1 August 1985

    Republic of Ireland

    4 April 1966

    Norway

    1 April 1991

    Portugal

    1 October 1979

    Spain

    1 April 1975

    Sweden

    1 May 1988

    (c)Foreign

    Israel

    1 November 1957

    Philippines

    1 December 1989

    Switzerland

    1 June 1954

    Turkey

    1 June 1961

    U.S.A.

    September 1969

    Yugoslavia (including the former Republics)

    1 September 1958

    1 This agreement fulfils a commitment given to the Government of Barbados in 1974.

    2 Annual pension increases must be paid to British citizens and other nationals of the European Union and the European Economic Area states living in the EU and EEA under the EC regulations on social security for migrant workers—regulation 1408/71. These regulations became binding on the Uk on 1 April 1973 and were extended to the EEA on 1 January 1994. The regulations largely supersede pre-existing reciprocal agreements with those countries. However, some such agreements remain relevant in respect of UK pensioners who are nationals of countries outside the EU and EEA, including the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Those agreements only are listed under "EU and EEA".

    Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority
    Mr. Jim Cunningham
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what consideration he has given to appointing a representative of pensioners, as stipulated in the Pensions Bill; [21834]

    (2) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his powers to ensure that interested parties are represented in the new authority stipulated in the Pensions Bill [Lords]. [21835]

    Mr. Arbuthnot
    This answer is based upon the assumption that both these questions relate to the composition of the board of the new Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority. There is no stipulation in the Pensions Bill that a representative of pensioners should be appointed to the board. The membership of the board will be drawn from a wide range of interests, following the model adopted for the Occupational Pensions Board which has long enjoyed a reputation for integrity and impartiality.

    Housing Benefit
    Sir Fergus Montgomery
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will exclude specialist housing for vulnerable people run by housing associations from comparison with average accommodation when he brings about changes to the housing benefit relations in October 1995. [22265]

    Mr. Roger Evans
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Stockport (Ms Coffey) that on 2 May,Official Report, column 165.

    Weekly Incomes
    Mr. Byers
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 4 April,Official Report, column 1074, on weekly income, to which tax year the table refers. [22659]

    Mr. Burt
    Pursuant to the reply by the Under-Secretary of State for Social Security, my hon. Friend the Member for Monmouth (Mr. Evans), of 4 April,Official Report, columns 1074–76, the table provided shows the tax and benefits position for 1994–95. The original question did not specify the year for which information was required. The reply was therefore provided for the latest year for which all the necessary information was available.

    Water Charges
    Mrs. Jane Kennedy
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has made to compensate benefit recipients for increases in water bills in excess of the rate of inflation. [22546]

    Mr. Burt
    Variations in the cost of water are reflected in the indices used to uprate benefits.

    Mrs. Jane Kennedy
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the proportion of a singe person's income support spent on water rates. [22545]

    Mr. Burt
    The Department does not hold such information. Income support recipients may manage their benefit according to their individual preferences.

    War Widows
    Mr. Simon Hughes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his oral statement of 24 April,Official Report, column 532, if he will give full details of the calculations made to arrive at his estimate of £40 million in a full year as the costs of the Lords amendment to the Pensions Bill restoring war widows pensions to war widows who were widowed a second time, divorced or legally separated including, with particular reference to (i) the gross costs of this change, (ii) the amount of money
    310
    saved by consequential non-payment of old age pensions, (iii) the amount of money saved by consequential non-payment of other benefits, listed by benefit and (iv) all assumptions about the net savings made as a result of war widows pension not being disregarded for the purpose of other benefits, including the number of local authorities and the number of war widow pensioners in each authority where minimum or only partial disregard is given. [22660]

    Mr. Arbuthnot
    The available information is in the following table:

    £ million

    Gross Cost

    120

    Retirement pension/widow's benefit offset

    50

    Income support offset

    10

    Housing benefit offset

    20

    Council tax benefit offset

    5

    Total income-related benefit offset

    30

    Net cost

    40

    Notes:

    1. Figures are based on restoring war widows pension to an estimated 16,500 former war widows. It is estimated that about 16,500 might gain; 15,000 of whom are estimated to have been widowed again, and 1,500 divorced or legally separated.

    2. Figures are provided at 1995–96 prices; rounded to the nearest £5 million, but are estimates rather than being accurate to that degree.

    3. Gross figures are based on an average WWP of £140 a week.

    4. The estimate assumes that around 40 per cent. of the gross cost of restoring WWP would be offset through consequential non-payment of retirement pension widows benefits, and that around a further 25 per cent. would be offset through reductions in income related benefit expenditure. The income support offset ratio is estimated to be around 10 per cent.; the housing benefit offset at around 15 per cent.; and the council tax benefit offset at around 5 per cent.—rounded to the nearest 5 percentage points, but are estimates rather than being accurate to that degree. Figures may not sum due to rounding.

    5. These offset ratios are based on information from the 1991–92 family expenditure surveys, uprated to 1995–96 prices. Due to the uncertainties contained in these estimates, they should be treated as indicating broad orders of magnitude only.

    6. No assumptions were made about the war widows pension not being fully disregarded for housing benefit and council tax benefit. Had the law provided for such a disregard, the estimated cost of the Lords amendment to the Pensions Bill would have been greater.

  AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

    Sheep Dip
    Mr. Flynn
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many claims his Department has received for compensation arising from the use of organophosphorous sheep dip. [20954]

    Mrs. Browning
    None. Any such claims would be entirely a matter for the individual and the company concerned.

    Live Animal Exports
    Mr. Dowd
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to obtain further legal advice with regard to taking action on the export of live animals from the United Kingdom. [20955]

    Mrs. Browning
    We have already taken extensive legal advice about the export of live animals. We are considering the new RSPCA legal opinion carefully alongside that advice.

    British Veal
    Mr. Pawsey
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to increase consumption of British-produced food, with particular reference to veal. [20957]

    Mrs. Browning
    Our marketing grants are helping UK suppliers to meet the needs of customers on both the domestic and export markets. In addition, MAFF Ministers initiated a catering project towards the end of 1993 to provide special encouragement in this sector.

    As regards veal in particular, I opened a seminar on 24 February in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which brought together all those with an interest in welfare friendly veal. The Ministry will be funding a demonstration project into veal production, to show the best practices for producing veal under welfare-friendly systems, and to provide economic data.

    Tobacco Regime
    Mr. Simon Coombs
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the reform of the common agricultural policy tobacco regime. [20958]

    Mr. Waldegrave
    The tobacco regime reforms agreed in 1992 and applicable from the 1993 harvest, were a step in the right direction, in reducing the quantities of tobacco eligible for support, removing the facilities for intervention and export refunds in all but exceptional circumstances and switching production to lower tar, more marketable varieties. However, we do not believe that tobacco production should be subsidised or supported at all and will continue to take every opportunity to curb the regime.

    Agri-environment Schemes
    Sir Kenneth Carlisle
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last visited the agri-environment schemes at the Halvergate marshes. [20959]
    312
    Mr. Waldegrave
    I visited the Halvergate marshes within the broads environmentally sensitive area on 5 April this year.

    Quarantine Regulations
    Mr. Sutcliffe
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to change the quarantine regulations concerning the entry of animals into the United Kingdom. [20960]

    Mrs. Browning
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Weston-super-mare (Sir J. Wiggin) on 25 January 1995,Official Report, column 216.

    Mrs. Gorman
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures will be taken to inspect Spanish fishing boats entering the Irish box area for the first time next year. [20937]

    Mr. Jack
    Spanish vessels operating in the UK's section of the Irish box will be liable to fair and vigorous inspection by the Royal Navy as are all other fishing vessels found within British fishery limits. The resources necessary to ensure effective enforcement will be reviewed in the light of the final agreement on the detailed rules for this fishery.

    Mr. Wallace
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated cost to date to his Department of the appeal to the European Court regarding the legitimacy of the days at sea restrictions contained in the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1992. [20956]

    Mr. Jack
    The legal proceedings in question were initiated by the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, not the Government. Liability for costs will depend on the outcome of the case. It is not therefore possible to give meaningful figures for the cost to MAFF of defending this action until final judgment.

    Dental Health Warnings
    Dr. Moonie
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to impose dental health warnings on drinks with a high sugar content. [20936]

    Mrs. Browning
    I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer given today to the hon. Member for Cambridge (Mrs. Campbell).

    Export Opportunities
    Mr. Michael Spicer
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he intends to develop export opportunities for the United Kingdom's food and drink industry. [20951]

    Mr. Jack
    The marketing development scheme introduced last June exists specifically to encourage industry to improve its marketing and export performance. We are also working closely with food export firms and Food From Britain on a plan for vigorous promotion of British food and drink over the next three years. For example, at the international food and drink exhibition in London last week, all the Ministers in this Department demonstrated their full support for British food companies aiming at international markets. We shall continue this support at every opportunity.

    Biodiesel Production
    Mr. Martyn Jones
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the present biodiesel production in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) other EU nations and (c) the USA. [21867]

    Mr. Jack
    The UK biodiesel industry is at an early stage and there is currently no commercial production of biodiesel in the UK. However, a proportion of oilseeds grown for industrial use on set-aside land in the UK is exported for biodiesel production elsewhere in the European Community.

    No official information is available on biodiesel production in other member states or the USA.

    Animal Diseases
    Mr. Morley
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of Epizootic Lymphangitis occurred in each year since 1985. [22180]

    Mrs. Browning
    The last case of Epizootic Lymphangitis recorded in Great Britain was in 1906.

    Mr. Morley
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of paramyxovirus occurred in each year since 1985. [22171]

    Mrs. Browning
    [holding answer 1 May 1995]: The number of confirmed outbreaks of paramyxovirus reported in England for the years in question is:

    1985: 298

    1986: 247

    1987: 227

    1988: 199

    1989: 129

    1990: 252

    1991: 86

    1992: 123

    1993: 76

    1994: 29

    British Beef
    Mrs. Helen Jackson
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many beef producers in each country have suffered losses as a result of the failure of British Beef. [22607]

    Mr. Jack
    The information requested is not held by this Department.

    Biocontrol Agents
    Mr. Flynn
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest evaluation of the research into the use of carnivorous snails and slugs to reduce the use of poisons in gastropod control. [22451]

    Mrs. Browning
    MAFF does not fund research into the use of carnivorous slugs and snails to control gastropods since the prevailing scientific view is that they are unlikely to offer any particular advantages as biocontrol agents except in a limited number of very specific control situations. MAFF is aware of work with carnivorous snails in France to control the snail vector of the liver fluke parasite which can be a problem in commercial watercress beds and on the use of carnivorous snails in Belgium for the control of garden slugs. However, other methods of biocontrol such as the use of nematodes, non-toxic chemical repellents and predatory beetles are considered to offer a greater potential for reducing the use 314
    of "poisons" in a wider range of pest control situations. Work on a number of these is supported by MAFF.

    As biocontrol agents, carnivorous slugs and snails have a poor record and considerable care needs to be taken to ensure that non-target species will not be predated, particularly if non-indigenous species of carnivorous snails are to be used. The most notable situation in which a carnivorous snail was used to control a gastropod pest proved not only unsuccessful but highly ecologically damaging to a number of indigenous non-pest snail species. Carnivorous snails from Florida were used in an attempt to control the giant African land snail, which had become a pest on a number of Pacific islands. Unfortunately, the carnivorous snails ignored the giant land snails and found the indigenous snail population more to their taste.

    Animal Health and Veterinary Group
    Mr. French
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what conclusions he has drawn from the responses to his consultation document on the review of his Ministry's animal health and veterinary group, and if he will make a statement. [23231]

    Mr. Waldegrave
    In a written reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Finchley (Mr. Booth) on 24 October last, I announced the issue of a consultation document setting out the initial conclusions which I had reached in consultation with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales on the review of the Ministry's animal health and veterinary group.

    I am grateful to the many individuals and organisations who responded to the consultation document. My right hon. Friends and I have taken into account the views expressed in reaching the following decisions.

    I intend actively to pursue consultations with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and other interested bodies on my proposal to make an Order under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 to permit tuberculin testing to be carried out by suitably qualified lay personnel working under veterinary direction. The use to be made of such a facility will be a matter for further discussion with interested organisations.

    I have considered carefully the future of the voluntary livestock health schemes in the light of the comments received. I now intend the Ministry to retain responsibility for the pig health scheme, the deer health scheme, and the poultry health scheme. Fees will need to be increased as necessary to meet the full costs of the schemes, but in view of the current position of the pig industry in this country I will forgo any increase in fees in that sector over the next three years.

    A number of industry organisations expressed an interest in taking over the sheep and goat health scheme and I intend to pursue discussions with them with a view to implementing a smooth handover of this scheme, with the exception of the scrapie-free category which meets the export needs for breeding animals and will be retained by the Ministry along with the existing scrapie export register.

    Similarly, the EBL-free category of the cattle health scheme will be retained by the Ministry, pending achievement of national EBL-free status. But discussions

    315
    will be held with industry groups who have expressed an interest in taking over the other elements of the scheme.

    As regards the Ministry's functions for animal welfare, I intend to proceed with my proposal. The number of visits to farms will continue at the same level but should concentrate where there is some reason to believe problems may be found. This should prove more effective than the current system of random visits.

    As regards the organisational structure for this area of the Ministry, I recently announced the merger of the veterinary investigation service in England and Wales with the Central Veterinary Laboratory in an enlarged executive agency of the Ministry with effect from 1 October 1995. The agency will be responsible for the continuation in the public sector of the very important disease surveillance work carried out by the VI centres. Diagnostic services will continue to be made available to private veterinary practitioners. While it will be the responsibility of the chief executive, Dr. T. W. Little, to meet demanding targets for the efficient management of the agency, any reduction in the external availability of diagnostic services would be a matter for ministerial consideration.

    Following a detailed study of the regional and divisional management structure of the veterinary field service, we intend to streamline this structure by moving from five to three regions and from 28 to 15 divisions in England, from two regions to one, and from seven to five divisions in Scotland, and by retaining one region and moving from four to three divisions in Wales. Although this will involve a concentration of administrative staff, the number of front-line veterinary staff will be maintained and will for the most part continue to be located in their existing offices. The restructuring should be mainly concluded by 1 April 1996. Consequential changes are proposed to the pay and grading of veterinary officers and their divisional heads, reflecting revised levels of responsibility and current circumstances of veterinary recruitment and retention.

    Finally, I would like to record my appreciation of the loyalty and commitment shown by Ministry staff affected by the uncertainty necessarily caused by this protracted review. I believe that these decisions, once carried through, will provide a sound basis for continued effective and efficient implementation of the Government's animal health had welfare programme.

    Meat and Hygiene Regulations
    Mr. Steen
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many veterinary surgeons are employed in the United Kingdom from(a) Spain and (b) other EEC countries to advise on and enforce the Meat and Hygiene Regulations and to supervise at abattoirs; [22187]

    (2) how many British veterinary surgeon are employed in other EEC countries to advise on and enforce the Meat and Hygiene Regulations and to supervise at abattoirs. [22158]

    Mrs. Browning
    [holding answer 2 May 1995]: Records are not held centrally of the nationality or country of origin of all the veterinary surgeons employed in the UK at meat premises. However, in Great Britain it is known that the Meat Hygiene Service directly employs two veterinary surgeons with German nationality who transferred to MHS when it took over responsibility for
    316
    this work from local authorities on 1 April. The MHS also contracts with private veterinary practices for the provision of veterinary supervision at meat premises. As was the case when local authorities were responsible for this work, it is known that a small number of these veterinary practices employ a few veterinary surgeons who are not of British nationality.

    We have no information about the numbers of British veterinary surgeons employed in other EEC countries.

    Lawley's Mink Farm (Inspections)
    Mr. Morley
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many inspections of Lawley's mink farm, Brooksbank avenue, Scholemoor, Bradford, have been undertaken by the State Veterinary Service since 21 October 1994. [21169]

    Mrs. Browning
    [holding answer 1 May 1995]: The premises were visited by the State Veterinary Service on 16 November 1994, when no mink or Arctic fox were found there.

    Hospitality
    Mr. Tony Banks
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much was spent on official hospitality by his Department in 1994–95. [21208]

    Mr. Jack
    [holding answer 1 May 1995]: Some £63,684.81, provisional figure, was spent on official hospitality by the Department, excluding its agencies, during the financial year 1994–95.

    The principal items of expenditure included hospitality:
    to overseas officials and other visitors including, for example, visitors from EC organisations and from other member states;
    to industry representatives, trade associations and professional bodies;
    in the course of work being undertaken for the Department by individuals in an advisory capacity;
    at agricultural and trade shows.

  NORTHERN IRELAND

    Departmental Expenditure
    Mr. John D. Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of expenditure in the last financial year has taken place in each month in each Northern Ireland Department; what percentage variations occur between months; and what is Her Majesty's Government's policy in relation to surges in expenditure so as to avoid departmental underspends at the end of the financial year. [21787]

    Sir John Wheeler
    The information requested is given in the following tables and excludes the following departmental expenditure.Education—Teachers superannuation expenditure.
    Economic Development—Privatisation of the electricity supply industry in Northern Ireland. A total of £190,189,000 was received during the year from the second payment in respect of the sales of shares. This sum less expenses of £3,444,000 was paid over to the Uk Consolidated Fund.
    Finance and Personnel—£6 million payment made in March 1995 in respect of advance funding of early departure costs.
    317
    Departments should keep within annual budgets and decisions on spending should have regard to achieving the best possible value for money. Departments may carry

    Departmental expenditure

    Per cent.

    Finance and Personnel

    Environment

    Economic Development

    Agriculture

    Month

    Proportion of expenditure

    Variations

    Proportion of expenditure

    Variations

    Proportion of expenditure

    Variations

    Proportion of expenditure

    Variations

    April 1994

    7.59

    —

    5.5

    —

    6.7

    —

    5.2

    —

    May 1994

    7.52

    -0.84

    6.5

    +17.4

    7.4

    +8.7

    7.1

    +34.7

    June 1994

    6.67

    -11.26

    6.6

    +1.8

    8.5

    +16.4

    12.7

    +79.7

    July 1994

    7.10

    +6.40

    5.1

    -22.8

    7.3

    -14.2

    6.3

    -50.6

    August 1994

    7.34

    +3.39

    6.5

    +27.4

    8.1

    +10.4

    10.2

    +63.4

    September

    1994

    6.89

    -6.18

    13.3

    +104.6

    8.4

    +3.9

    5.4

    -47.8

    October 1994

    6.57

    -4.68

    5.6

    -58.0

    7.4

    -11.8

    4.4

    -17.0

    November

    1994

    7.11

    +8.20

    6.7

    +20.9

    8.1

    +9.9

    15.2

    +243.2

    December 1994

    7.51

    +5.64

    6.8

    +0.4

    8.9

    +10.1

    10.3

    -32.7

    January 1995

    10.28

    +36.89

    4.8

    -28.3

    8.6

    -3.2

    5.2

    -49.0

    February 1995

    13.94

    +35.67

    13.4

    +175.3

    7.2

    -16.5

    8.1

    +55.8

    March 1995

    11.48

    -17.62

    19.2

    +43.6

    13.4

    +86.3

    9.9

    +21.2

    Departmental expenditure

    Per cent.

    Education

    Health and Social Services

    Nothern Ireland Office

    Month

    Proportion of expenditure

    Variations

    Proportion of expenditure

    Variations

    Proportion of expenditure

    Variations

    April 1994

    8.1

    —

    4.64

    —

    7.43

    —

    May 1994

    7.9

    -2.5

    7.31

    +57.8

    8.84

    +19.02

    June 1994

    8.8

    +11.4

    7.65

    +4.7

    8.08

    -8.53

    July 1994

    7.2

    -18.2

    7.62

    -0.5

    8.13

    +0.55

    August 1994

    7.1

    -1.4

    7.47

    -2.0

    7.18

    -11.71

    September 1994

    7.9

    +11.3

    8.88

    +18.9

    8.72

    +21.48

    October 1994

    8.6

    +8.9

    7.61

    -14.3

    7.55

    -13.37

    November 1994

    8.4

    -2.3

    7.75

    +2.0

    8.41

    +11.39

    December 1994

    8.2

    -2.4

    8.44

    +8.7

    7.49

    -11.00

    January 1995

    7.9

    -3.7

    8.77

    +4.0

    7.91

    +5.64

    February 1995

    8.7

    +10.1

    8.59

    -2.0

    8.40

    +6.20

    March 1995

    11.2

    +28.7

    115.26

    +26.6

    11.86

    +41.12

    1 Including prior year payments.

    Advice Services
    Dr. Hendron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how the Department of Health and Social Services will apply the policy of targeting social needs to advice services; [22103]

    (2) what is the Department of Health and Social Services strategy in terms of funding advice services in areas of greatest need. [22104]

    Mr. Moss
    From 1 April 1995, new funding arrangements have been introduced for independent advice centres in Northern Ireland. The new arrangements will ensure that resources are targeted on areas of greatest need by taking account of the extent of social need in each area on the basis of objective indicators of deprivation. Additional resources are being made available by the Department of Health and Social Services to raise the grant available to district councils for their support of advice services from £260,000 in 1994–95 to £377,000 in 1995–96.

    Dr. Hendron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the current level of Government
    318
    forward into the following financial year running costs and capital underspends under the end of year flexibility schemes.

    funding of advice services by (a) central Government and (b) local government. [22101]

    Mr. Moss
    The level of funding of advice services in Northern Ireland in 1993–94, the latest year for which information is available, is as follows:

    £

    (a) central Government

    1,466,190

    (b) local government

    281,731

    Dr. Hendron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the amount of increased income and increased benefit take-up generated on behalf of clients by independent advice agencies in(a) Belfast and (b) Northern Ireland; and what impact this has had on the local economy in (a) Belfast and (b) Northern Ireland. [22106]

    Mr. Moss
    The information required to carry out such estimates is not available.

    Dr. Hendron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the Department of Health and
    319
    Social Services' policy in terms of funding advice services in the areas of greatest need covering the making Belfast work area. [22105]

    Mr. Moss
    The Department's policy in this area is the same as applies throughout Northern Ireland. That is to ensure that resources are targeted to take account of the extent of social need in each area on the basis of objective indicators of deprivation. Under the Making 320
    Belfast Work initiative, additional funding has been made available to support the work of advice services in the greater Belfast area. In 1994–95 this amounted to £160,000. The aim of this initiative is to strengthen and better target the efforts being made by the community, the private sector and the Government in addressing the economic, educational, social, health and environmental problems facing residents in the areas of greatest need in Belfast.

  "Remedying Environmental Damage": Government Response
  "Remedying Environmental Damage": Government Response
  Court Users: Survey Report
  Court Users: Survey Report
  Abortions
  Abortions
  Fetus: Sensory Development
  Fetus: Sensory Development
  Manufacturing Industries: Employees
  Manufacturing Industries: Employees
  Travel and Tourism: Employees
  Travel and Tourism: Employees
  Civil Service and Armed Forces: Relaxation of Entry Requirements
  Civil Service and Armed Forces: Relaxation of Entry Requirements
  Organophosphate Sheep Dips: Health Effects
  Organophosphate Sheep Dips: Health Effects
  European Union: UK Membership
  European Union: UK Membership
  European Court of Justice: Judgments
  European Court of Justice: Judgments
  Kibeho: UNAMIR
  Kibeho: UNAMIR
  Kibeho: Humanitarian Assistance
  Kibeho: Humanitarian Assistance
  European Convention on Human Rights: Articles 9 and 10
  European Convention on Human Rights: Articles 9 and 10
  EC Legislation: Repeals Procedure
  EC Legislation: Repeals Procedure
  UN Register of Conventional Arms
  UN Register of Conventional Arms
  Statutory Instruments: Statistics
  Statutory Instruments: Statistics
  Public Revenues: Statistics
  Public Revenues: Statistics