Written Answers of 27 November 1995

ENVIRONMENT

  Capital Receipts
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities(a) have taken and (b) are taking advantage of the relaxation in the rules on the application of capital receipts to sell their municipal airports, bus companies and crematoriums. [1992]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  We understand that the sale of Bournemouth airport has been completed since the relaxation came into force. We do not yet have any information on sales of bus companies, and the relaxation in respect of crematoriums does not begin until 1 January 1996.

  Local Government
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the periodic electoral reviews that the Local Government Commission must undertake after it has completed the current district reviews. [1905]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Decisions on the statutory programme of periodic electoral reviews—PERs—are a matter for the local Government Commission, subject to the time constraints set down in the Local Government Act 1992. We understand that the commission is considering the programme of PERs which it will carry out once it has completed the district structure reviews.

  Legislative Repeals
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what legislation from his Department passed in the last five years contains provision for statutory repeal or review. [2039]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Within the last five years, this Department has been responsible for two Acts of Parliament which contain provision for statutory repeal or review.

  Section 128 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 allows the Secretary of State to provide by order that sections 126 and 127— housing welfare services—should cease to have effect.

  Schedule 24 of the Environment Act 1995 provides for the repeal of earlier provisions in the Act which deal with transitional provisions in respect of national parks.

  This Department has a programme to review on a regular basis all its legislation which affects business.

  Local Authority Political Groups
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authority political groups have appointed paid assistants. [2391]
  420
  Sir Paul Beresford
  My Department neither collects nor holds this information centrally.

  Power Cables
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evaluation his Department has made of the effect on property prices and the difficulties in obtaining a mortgage for properties located beneath power cables; and if he will make a statement. [1964]

  Mr. Clappison
  My Department has not undertaken such an evaluation. The market value of a property will reflect a variety of factors, including neighbouring development. I am not aware that, as a matter of policy, mortgage lenders are refusing to advance loans on properties in close proximity to overhead power lines.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1945]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Information on the size of suppliers is not held centrally and is obtainable only at disproportionate cost.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many small and medium enterprises benefited from properties made available by English Estates in each of the last five years; and how many small and medium enterprises have benefited from properties made available by English Partnerships in the last year for which figures are available. [1939]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Information is not available on the size of companies occupying properties provided by English Estates or English Partnerships. The following table gives the number of new occupancies of properties of less than 1,700m2 and thus an indication of the take up by small or medium enterprises. The figures relate to a period during which the overall size of the portfolio reduced by some 30 per cent.

  Number of new occupancies of properties under l,700m2

  1990–91: 1,272

  1991–92: 1,333

  1992–93: 1,343

  1993–94: 1,067

  1994–95: 1,032.

  English Partnerships took over responsibility for English Estates' activities on 1 April 1994.

  Single Regeneration Budget
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total funding for the single regeneration budget in actual terms and adjusted for inflation in each year since its inception; and what percentage of this funding was disbursed through competitive bidding in each of those years. [1938]
  421
  Sir Paul Beresford
  The single regeneration budget was established in April 1994. Funding has been as follows:

  £ million (cash)

  £ million(1995–96 prices)

  Percentage disbursed through competitive bidding

  1994–95

  (estimated out-turn)

  1,467

  1,500

  16

  1995–96

  (planned expenditure)

  1,348

  1,348

  27

  Programmes within the SRB that targeted resources on projects selected by competition included city challenge— in both 1994–95 and 1995–96—and the £125 million SRB challenge fund—in 1995–96. Both programmes seek to maximise investment and support from the private sector over and above public moneys. Since resources are limited, assistance under other support regimes—for example Estate Action—are also concentrated on projects likely to provide the best value for money.

  Housing Bill
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make available information about the proposed bill on housing in simple text and pictorial format and on audio tape for people with learning disabilities. [1965]

  Mr. Clappison
  When the housing legislation is published, my Department will be willing to co-operate with bodies who wish to produce material for people with learning disabilities.

  Planning Applications
  Sir John Gorst
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria he employs to set the level at which local authorities can charge for a planning permission application; and what is the relationship between this and the actual cost to the local authority of dealing with an application for planning permission. [2261]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The calculation of the proportion of costs deemed to be covered by planning application fees is based on Price Waterhouse's 1994 report for the Department, entitled "The Costs of Determining Planning Applications and the Development Control Service" and on information collected from local authorities on the income derived from fees. We estimate. that the proportion of planning application costs recovered through fees in England is now approaching 100 per cent. and we will shortly be making an announcement about future fee levels.

  Dearne Valley Partnership
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many permanent jobs have been provided with the involvement of Dearne Valley partnership within the city grant area; and what is the proportion of total expenditure by the partnership which each of these jobs represents. [2380]
  422
  Sir Paul Beresford
  In the three years to 31 March 1995 the Dearne Valley strategy has helped to create almost 1,100 jobs. Three of the partnership's strategic objects relate to employment creation and have involved 55 per cent. of city challenge expenditure over the same period.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what sums have spent in or with the involvement of the Dearne Valley partnership in each of the last three years on(a) land reclamation, (b) creation of employment, (c) administration and (d) social and community protection. [2379]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Dearne Valley partnership is responsible for overseeing the regeneration of the Dearne valley together with other public and private sector partners. The city challenge action plan has six strategic objectives.

  SO1: To develop the local economy;

  SO2: To diversify the local economy;

  SO3: To improve education and skill levels;

  SO4: To build capacity within the community;

  SO5: To improve the physical environment;

  SO6: To increase and improve the housing stock and its environment.

  From a provisional city challenge annual allocation of £7.5 million, expenditure for which the Dearne Valley partnership is directly responsible was as follows:

  £ thousands

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Employment creation (strategic objectives 1, 2 and 3)

  4,125.2

  3,984.2

  2,820.1

  Administration

  300.0

  300.0

  300.0

  Community development (including community safety) strategic objective 4)

  634.5

  708.5

  797.5

  Land reclamation was funded through complementary non-city challenge, derelict land grant as follows:

  £ thousand

  Land reclamation

  1992–93

  1,125.0

  1993–94

  3,561.0

  1994–95

  6,473.0

  Source:

  Dearne Valley Partnership

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what sum has been expended by the Dearne Valley partnership in the fulfilment of its role in each of the last 10 years, and what is the estimated expenditure for the current year. [2381]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Dearne Valley partnership was formed in 1991. It has received city challenge funding since 1992. City challenge expenditure has been as follows:

  1992–93: £7.10 million

  1993–94: £7.15 million

  1994–95: £7.50 million

  1995–96: £8.65 million (estimate).

  423
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many persons are employed in either a full or a part-time capacity by or in the Dearne Valley partnership; and what has been the total cost of this employment in each in the last three years. [2378]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Dearne Valley partnership currently employs 15 full-time staff. All city challenge partnerships are required to contain their running costs within 4 per cent. of their total five-year allocation. In the case of the Dearne valley, running costs—which include the costs of 10 staff, office accommodation and equipment, transport, supplies and services, and small consultancies—have been as follows:

  1992–93: £300,000

  1993–94: £300,000

  1994–95: £300,000.

  The remaining five staff form part of the marketing team and are funded separately within a marketing budget of:

  1992–93: Nil

  1993–94: £288,000

  1994–95: £458,000.

  Ostrich Farms
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many ostrich farms have been licensed under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, in each appropriate administrative area of Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland. [2162]

  Mr. Clappison
  This information is not held centrally. Responsibility for the issue of licences under the Act rests with individual local authorities. The 1976 Act does not extend to Northern Ireland.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Royal Ordnance plc
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the relationship between his Department, Royal Ordnance and PRB; and which countries were supplied with armaments and defence equipment arising from it. [1032]

  Mr. David Davis
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement on 24 November,Official Report, column 344.

  Research and Development
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the indicative contributions to the EU budget in respect of research and development for his Department in 1993–94. [1919]

  Mr. David Davis
  Table 2.1 of the statistical supplement to the "Forward Look of Government— funded Science, Engineering and Technology" contains indicative figures for the United Kingdom's contributions to the EC budget in respect of research and development. This Department does not have any policy responsibilities for Community research and development expenditure.

  Fundamental Expenditure Review
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects to publish the fundamental expenditure review. [2316]

  Mr. Hanley
  I expect to place copies of the FCO, diplomatic wing, and ODA fundamental expenditure reviews in the Library of the House shortly.

  European Free Trade Association
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations about European Free Trade Association membership by countries of central and eastern Europe. [1233]

  Mr. David Davis
  No such negotiations are taking place. Slovenia has signed a bilateral free trade agreement with EFTA and Estonia has initialled a similar agreement. However, these agreements do not hold out the prospects of membership of EFTA. The central and east European countries with association agreements with the EU continue to aspire to membership of the EU itself.

  EU National Parliaments
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs what proposals his Department has to give effect to declaration No. 13 of the Maastricht treaty relating to the role of national Parliaments. [1235]

  Mr. David Davis
  The Government are committed to enhancing the role of national Parliaments in the EU and are considering a number of proposals to give fuller effect to declaration No. 13. These include proposals put forward by the European Legislation Committee.

  UN Convention on Mercenaries
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy in respect of the United Nations convention on mercenaries. [1349]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  We do not intend to accede to the UN convention on mercenaries, as we believe that it would be difficult to enforce its provisions. Only nine states have now acceded to the treaty.

  Military Equipment Embargoes
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries currently subject to embargoes on the export of British military equipment. [1350]

  Mr. David Davis
  We observe mandatory embargoes imposed by the United Nations on Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Liberia, UNITA (Angola) and Rwanda.

  We will continue to observe the arms embargo on all the states of the former Yugoslavia in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1021 of 22 November 1995.

  We also observe embargoes imposed by the European Union on China, Burma, Zaire, Sudan and Nigeria.
  425
  We observe a voluntary embargo agreed by the then Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe on Armenia and Azerbaijan.

  In addition, as a matter of declared national policy, we refuse to supply military equipment to Argentina and Iran.

  Foreign Affairs Council
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council, held on 20 to 21 November, giving details of all votes and all decisions which were determined by unanimity or without dissension. [1597]

  Mr. David Davis
  The A items listed in document 11618/95, which will be deposited in the Library of the House as soon as it is available, were adopted, except for that on Nigeria, which was the subject of substantive discussion.

  The Council took note of the European Parliament resolutions in document 10794/95 PE-RE 73. A copy of this document will be deposited in the Library of the House as soon as it is available.

  On Mediterranean policy, the Council discussed preparations for the Barcelona conference. It also considered the draft MEDA regulation, on assistance to countries in the Mediterranean region. The item was referred back to the Committee of Permanent Representatives for further consideration and will be examined again at the 4 to 5 December Council.

  The Council briefly discussed the prospects for the 9 December Paris conference on economic assistance for Palestinians.

  The Commission presented draft negotiating directives for a new EU-Chile framework co-operation agreement. This was remitted to COREPER for further work.

  The Commission presented an outline of a communication on future humanitarian aid to former Yugoslavia, focusing on aid quantity and quality and the need to ensure success of future rehabilitation and repatriation programmes.

  The Commission briefly introduced draft negotiating directives for an agreement between the EC and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This was remitted to COREPER for further work.

  The Commission also presented a paper on. reconstruction, co-ordination and financing in former Yugoslavia. The Council took note and asked COREPER to take the work forward. The Council agreed to a fact-finding mission on the needs of the high representative and his staff and the principle of a joint action on the EU contribution to the costs of the high representative and his staff in Sarajevo and Brussels.

  On Nigeria, the Council adopted a common position covering a ban on military sales, an extension of the visa regime to civilian members of the Nigerian Government and suspension of EU aid. The Council also agreed to examine further measures.
  426
  The Council agreed, by qualified majority, a negotiating mandate which would provide for 5 per cent. increases in agriculture quotas, year on year, for central and east European countries, with a list of exceptions. The UK, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands voted against, and issued an explanatory declaration. The Commission expressed strong regret at the Council's decision.

  The Council adopted conclusions on EU-Russia relations.

  The Council agreed in principle to an EU contribution to the Korean Peninsular Energy Development Organisation—KEDO—but instructed COREPER to consider the matter further, including the size of the EU contribution.

  On EU-US relations, the Council agreed an action plan to be endorsed at the EU-US summit on 3 December, including a commitment to a study on ways to reduce and eliminate trade barriers.

  The presidency gave a brief progress report on negotiations with third countries for tariff compensation following enlargement, under GATT article XXIV.6.

  The Council agreed to the current proposed composition of the WTO appellate body.

  The Council had a further discussion of a draft for a new TACIS—Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States—regulation. COREPER was tasked to carry out further work and the Foreign Affairs Council will consider the issue again on 4 December.

  Only one vote was taken—that on EU-central and eastern European agricultural trade.

  The EU-Nepal co-operation agreement and the EU-Israel association agreement were signed in the margins of the Council. There were also meetings with the Foreign Ministers of the EEA and of Cyprus and Malta, in the context of the structured dialogue.

  I should also like to take this opportunity to record that at a special meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on 10 November the Council reached agreement on an EU-Morocco association agreement.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1946]

  Mr. Hanley
  Business transacted by the FCO, diplomatic wing, with small and medium enterprises in the United Kingdom in 1994–95 accounted for 43.5 per cent. of its total expenditure on the purchase of goods and services.

  The ODA does not collect statistics for procurement that record whether a company is of small or medium size.

  Air Strikes, Srebrenica
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the information he has received since 12 July relating
  427
  to requests to United Nations headquarters in Zagreb in July for air strikes to protect Srebrenica. [2156]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  We have received no information which adds materially to the statement made in the House by my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary on 12 July.

  Guatemalan Police Officers
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what form of training has been given by Britain to Guatemalan police officers in the period since July 1994. [2812]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  Britain has provided no training for Guatemalan police officers since July 1994. We have, however, sent two police experts in handwriting and fingerprinting to assess Guatemalan capabilities in this field. They went in July 1995.

  Mr. Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what selection criteria are adopted when choosing Guatemalan police officers for training in Britain; and if this includes consideration of their human rights record. [2813]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  No Guatemalan police officers have been trained in Britain in recent years.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the hon. Member for Wallsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 10 October concerning a constituent. [2725]

  Mr. Hanley
  The hon. Member's letter of 10 October to the Home Office on behalf of his constituent, Mr. Ashok Singh, was received in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's migration and visa correspondence unit on 1 November. A reply was sent on 23 November.

  International Sanctions
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken, and on what dates, to freeze the personal accounts or assets of members of regimes with whom the United Kingdom is in dispute as part of a national or international sanctions policy. [2565]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  [holding answer 27 November 1995]: The United Kingdom has no unilateral sanctions in place against the assets or personal accounts of foreign regimes. However, we do implement the mandatory financial sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council. Such financial sanctions are in place against Iraq, in UNSCR 661—adopted on 6 August 1990—and Libya, in UNSCR 863—adopted on 11 November 1993.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Company Procedures
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on company rescues following the recent consultation on company voluntary arrangements. [3079]
  428
  Mr. Oppenheim
  The recent company voluntary arrangements consultation revealed continued support for the introduction of a short moratorium that is binding on all creditors. I therefore intend to introduce legislation to effect a scheme broadly as described in consultative document when parliamentary time allows, although usage will be restricted to small companies as defined in section 247 of the Companies Act 1985. However, I am still reflecting on what was said regarding the requirement to give five days' notice of the intention to appoint an administrative receiver. I have yet to decide whether it is necessary to have a mandatory provision, or whether, in response to the invitation I have issued to the British Bankers Association, the banks can come up with a binding code of practice which obviates that need.

  Recent rescues of financially troubled companies, where, by agreement, debt is converted into equity, have proved very successful. However, it is evident that many are not aware of the rescue potential of debt equity swaps or how they work. I intend approaching those involved early next year to see how they think awareness and usage, in appropriate cases, can be increased.

  I also propose at the same time to seek the views of banks, business and advisers on whether it is feasible to devise a mechanism whereby an administrative receiver, appointed following notice of an administration petition, can be replaced by an administrator in cases where it is clear that a floating charge holder's security can be shown not to be at risk. If this was possible, it would give the ordinary creditors the opportunity of some say in any rescue without prejudicing the secured creditors.

  Legislation might provide a tool to achieve a rescue, but it cannot achieve a rescue of itself. The responsibility for that lies squarely on the shoulders of directors and their advisers. Remedial action should be taken earlier rather than later and this is the key to saving more companies. I therefore intend to discuss with business, banks and advisers what they can do to ensure that all those involved are aware of what must be done and when.

  I am making arrangements for copies of the responses to the recent public consultation on CVAs to be placed in the library of my Department.

  Distance Selling Directive
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate the number of jobs in the United Kingdom arising from the implementation of the proposed European Union distance selling directive; and if he will make a statement. [2063]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  My Department has consulted interested parties on the cost of complying with the proposals tabled in the directive with a view to establishing the potential burden on business, and the extent to which they provide necessary consumer protection. We are content that the common position achieves a satisfactory balance, and we have not been made aware of any potential job losses.
  429
  Mr. Carlile
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has made to the European Union regarding the distance selling directive; and if he will make a statement. [2062]

  Mr. Evans
  A European Commission proposal for a directive on distance selling has been under negotiation since 1992. We have participated fully in negotiations in the Council of Ministers and its working group on this matter, and are, as a result, content with the common position adopted in June 1995.

  Mr. Carlile
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on mail ordering and telemarketing sales techniques and the effects on British industry of possible changes in the rules governing telemarketing by the distance selling directive. [2064]

  Mr. Evans
  The Government are concerned that the European Parliament may vote for a proposal to make prior consent from consumers obligatory before unsolicited telephone sales calls can take place, and for other proposals which will prevent distance selling businesses from operating flexibly and efficiently. We have briefed Members of the European Parliament about United Kingdom concerns over the potential impact on industry and will be making further representations.

  Research and Development
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the indicative contributions to the EU budget in respect of research and development for his Department in 1993–94. [1906]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  Table 2.1 of the statistical supplement to the "Forward Look of Government-funded Science, Engineering and Technology" contains indicative figures for the United Kingdom's contributions to the EC budget in respect of research and development. My Department's policy responsibilities are subject to change and can vary from year to year. My Department currently has responsibility for 71.14 per cent. of the Community's research and development budget.

  European Centre for Industrial Relations
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade who represented Her Majesty's Government at the opening of the European Centre for Industrial Relations; what consultations took place; and if he will make a statement. [1039]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Two officials—the head of DTT's industrial relations division, and the head of Department for Education and Employment's European Communities branch—attended the inauguration of the European Centre for Industrial Relations.

  As mentioned in the Commission's social action programme for 1995–97, the centre was established at the initiative of the social partners at European level. The Commission issued a communication about the centre to the Council, COM (95) 445 final, on 25 September 1995. This will be deposited in the Library of the House under the usual procedures for depositing EU documentation and I am arranging for a copy to be sent to the hon. Member.

  Walker Wingsail Systems
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what financial assistance was given by his Department to Walker Wingsail Systems plc, Plymouth, before 1988. [2303]

  Mr. Page
  My Department provided £207,500 in financial assistance to Walker Wingsail Systems Ltd. of Hamble, Hampshire under the support for innovation scheme before 1988, prior to the company's move to Plymouth.

  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what monitoring has taken place of the grants made by his Department to Walker Wingsail Systems plc, Plymouth. [2302]

  Mr. Page
  Grants made to Walker Wingsail Systems Ltd. under the support for innovation scheme were monitored at each payment stage, to ensure that payments were in accordance with the approved project. In the case of financial assistance under the enterprise initiative consultancy scheme, payment of a proportion of the cost of consultancy advice provided to the company was made by my Department to the consultants via the external contractors appointed as SFI scheme managers. The company itself paid the balance. The contractors monitored the performance and quality of the consultants' work before agreeing to the payment.

  Retail Newsagents
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to keep under review a further reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the supply of newspapers and magazines to the retail newsagents' sector; and if he will make a statement. [2090]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  This is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading who, under the competition legislation, is responsible for keeping markets under review, and has independent powers to make a reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

  Small Firms
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the current position of the small firms training challenge. [1935]

  Mr. Page
  The first award winners in the skill challenge for small firms were announced jointly by myself and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment on 22 November 1995,Official Report, columns 208–9. Fourteen projects have been successful in the first round, involving about 180 companies.

  The deadline for the second round of bids is 31 December 1995, with winners to be announced in mid-February 1996. A total of 100 projects will be funded, including the first 14, with an average award of around £50,000.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what advice his Department issues to other Government Departments regarding the tendering process for small firms. [1933]
  431
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many loans were made under the small firms loans guarantee scheme in each year since the scheme began. [1941]

  Mr. Page
  The number of loans guaranteed in each year since the scheme began is:

  Year

  1981–82: 3,351

  1982–83: 6,045

  1983–84: 4,889

  1984–85: 2,081

  1985–86: 543

  1986–87: 1,042

  1987–88: 1,222

  1988–89: 2,266

  1989–90: 3,204

  1990–91: 3,387

  1991–92: 2,933

  1992–93: 2,342

  1993–94: 3,886

  1994–95: 6,207

  1995–96: 3,585 (Estimated to September 1995).

  Mr. Page
  My hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury is responsible for issuing guidance and best practice on procurement issues to Government Departments on the tendering process for all Government procurement.

  In addition, this department also produces a guide for Government procurement officers on purchasing from small firms called "Think Big, Buy Small" and a guide for small firms on "Tendering for Government Contracts", which contains advice on and details of the procurement requirements for each of the Government Departments. Both of these publications are currently being updated.

  Business Links
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the cost to public funds of the business links freephone number since it began; and how many calls it has taken in that time. [1930]

  Mr. Page
  The national business link freephone hotline was established in October 1994, utilising the existing 0800 500 200 number previously used for the enterprise initiative. The cost of calls and of the subsequent literature fulfilment to end October 1995, totalled £76,000 and 17,259 calls were handled during the period.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement regarding his Department's proposals for implementing the European Commission's community initiative for small and medium enterprises. [1937]

  Mr. Page
  The Community SME initiative programme for England will be implemented as a series of sub-programmes for each of the structural funds objective 1,2 and 5(b) areas in England for the period 1996 to 1999, with total Community funding of 47.4 mecu, £36.5 million. These programmes are being drawn up by Government offices, in consultation with local bodies in 432
  each area. The programmes are intended to focus on cross-frontier networking between SMEs in England and other Community member states, with projects normally delivered through business links, regional supply offices and training and enterprise councils. They will complement the additional funding for new, local designed, business development programmes which was announced in the competitiveness White Paper, "Forging Ahead", Cm 2867 last June. It is expected that area programmes will be agreed with the Commission from early 1996 and will open for applications from business support organisations shortly thereafter.

  Separate programmes for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been adopted by Commission and operate under the responsibility of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Offices.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1956]

  Mr. Page
  The information sought is not available and could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.

  Patent Office Services
  Mr. Touhig
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what considerations underlay his decision that a private sector organisation would be better equipped to deliver a specific Patent Office service; what will be the performance standard required; and if he will list the required criteria for the award other than value for money. [2099]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  A number of Patent Office services are in the early stages of competitive tender to assess whether they can be better provided by the private sector. Any bids will be assessed against the benchmark of continuing in-house provision for higher quality or more cost-effective delivery. Additional criteria will be appropriate to the particular service but commonly include the bidder's understanding of the office's needs, the ability to bring innovative approaches to the delivery of the services, the continuity of services offered and commitment to developing a co-operative partnership with the DTI.

  Mr. Touhig
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what systems are in place in the Patent Office to take account of benchmarking procedures when examining bids against in-house provision. [2097]

  Mr. Taylor
  In any contractorisation project, the Patent Office will draw up a benchmark based on the costs and quality of in-house provision. Guidelines have been developed to ensure that any benchmark is fair and soundly constructed.

  Mr. Touhig
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what efficiency improvements have been agreed by staff and management in the Patent Office in regard to(a) benchmarking and (b) re-engineering; and what consultation procedures are in place with the trade unions. [2098]

  Mr. Taylor
  The Patent Office is constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency and quality of service through measures such as reorganisation of staff structures, re-engineering of work processes, and contractorisation.
  433
  Staff and their trade union representatives are consulted at appropriate stages in the implementation of these measures.

  Mr. Touhig
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the proposed cost of Patent Office services currently under consideration for contracting out. [2100]

  Mr. Taylor
  Areas of the Patent Office which are under consideration for contracting out are the office's information technology services, its marketing and awareness programme, its accommodation and office services, and the operations of its London front office. The overall annual costs of these are £5.888 million, £1.608 million, £2.056 million and £1.125 million respectively.

  Labour Statistics (Shipbuilding)
  Ms Quin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the numbers in employment in(a) shipbuilding and (b) ship repair for each of the last 10 years. [2153]

  Mr. Page
  The available information is given in the table. The figures are taken from the census of employment which was conducted every three years up to 1987 and every two years thereafter. Ship repairing is not separately distinguished from shipbuilding in the census.

  Employment in Shipbuilding1s in Great Britain

  Thousands

  Employment2

  1984

  90.2

  1987

  58.2

  1989

  51.2

  1991

  47.0

  1993

  37.8

  source:

  CSO Census of Employment (SIC 92)

  1Including ship reparing.

  2Figures are as at September of each year

  Mr. Michael Johnson
  Mr. Sutcliffe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will have finished consideration of points of law in the case of Mr. Michael Johnson; and when he hopes to conclude the case. [2260]

  Mr. Johnathan Evans
  [holding answer 24 November 1995:]: Consideration of points of law is a matter for the judiciary. I understand that Mr. Johnson won his industrial tribunal case for unfair dismissal and was awarded compensation in lieu of reinstatement. He subsequently applied to the tribunal chairman for a review of two aspects of the decision, but this request was refused. I am advised that Mr. Johnson was informed of this decision on 24 May 1995.

  Irish Steel Ltd.
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he will take with regard to the approval of the European Commission of state aid(a) before and (b) after the purchase of Irish Steel Ltd. by a foreign company. [2382]
  434
  Mr. Eggar
  The European Commission's proposal to allow exceptional state aid for Irish Steel is subject to the unanimous approval of EU member states. The United Kingdom will not give its assent unless conditions are attached that will mitigate the adverse effects of the aid on the UK steel industry. The UK will ensure that the aid, if approved, is strictly monitored to ensure compliance with the agreed conditions.

  Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total number of miners and former miners made an award for PD12D chronic bronchitis and emphysema, since September, broken down for each region. [1403]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  I have been asked to reply.

  The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is set out in the tables:

  Total number of Pd 12D awards from October 1994 to September 1995 incluseive, analysed by benefits Agency Area Directorate

  Table 1

  Southern England (by Benefits Agency Area Directorate)

  Awards

  AD1 Anglia

  Nil

  AD2 Chilterns

  Nil

  AD3 South London and West Sussex

  Nil

  AD4 West Country

  3

  AD5 East London and Essex

  1

  AD6 South East

  1

  AD7 Wessex

  Nil

  Total

  5

  Table 2

  Wales and Central England

  Awards

  AD1 East Midlands

  100

  AD2 Midlands

  1

  AD3 West Mercia

  21

  AD4 Wales

  147

  AD5 Merseyside

  Nil

  AD6 Greater Manchester

  1

  AD7 Lancashire and Cumbria

  12

  Total

  282

  Table 3

  Scotland and Northern England

  Awards

  AD1 Tyne Tees

  49

  AD2 South Yorkshire and Humberside

  65

  AD3 North and West Yorkshire

  26

  AD4 Glasgow and Paisley

  Nil

  ADS North, Central and West Scotland

  4

  AD6 East Scotland

  9

  Total

  153

  435

  Table 4

  Awards

  Grand total

  440

  Note:

  Includes 12 awards resulting from aggregation.

  Source:

  Benefits Agency central data unit 100 per cent. count, subject to amendment.

  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade of those miners and former miners rejected for an award under the PD12D regulations, how many were refused on grounds of(a) X-ray evidence, (b) FEV test and (c) employment period, broken down for each region. [1404]

  Mr. Evans
  I have been asked to reply.

  The available information is set out in the tables:

  Claims for chronic bronchitis and emphysema (PD 12D) refused from October 1994 to September 1995, analysed by reason for refusal and by Benefits Agency Area Directorate

  Table 1

  Southern England

  X-ray

  FEV1

  20 year rule

  AD1 Anglia

  2

  Nil

  2

  AD2 Chilterns

  1

  Nil

  Nil

  AD3 South London and West Sussex

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  AD4 West Country

  4

  5

  1

  AD5 East London and Essex

  Nil

  1

  3

  AD6 South East

  9

  20

  7

  AD7 Wessex

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Total

  16

  26

  13

  Table 2

  Wales and Central England

  X-ray

  FEV1

  20 year rule

  AD1 East Midlands

  169

  188

  24

  AD2 Midlands and South West

  6

  3

  4

  AD3 West Mercia

  57

  68

  18

  AD4 Wales

  287

  424

  71

  AD5 Merseyside

  12

  13

  10

  AD6 Greater Manchester

  1

  3

  3

  AD7 Lancashire and Cumbria

  30

  48

  14

  Total

  562

  747

  144

  Table 3

  Scotland and Northern England

  X-ray

  FEV1

  20 year rule

  AD 1 Tyne Tees

  105

  138

  10

  AD2 South Yorkshire and Humberside

  191

  202

  21

  AD3 North and West Yorkshire

  48

  89

  12

  AD4 Glasgow and Paisley

  13

  9

  1

  AD5 North. Central and West Scotland

  13

  30

  9

  AD6 East Scotland

  44

  25

  3

  Total

  414

  493

  56

  436

  Table 4

  X-ray

  FEV1

  20 year rule

  Grand total

  992

  1,266

  213

  Source:

  Benefits Agency central data unit. 100 per cent. count, subject to amendment.

  Asbestosis
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many miners and former miners have been diagnosed to be suffering from asbestosis for which an award has been made in the last 10 years broken down by region. [1173]

  Mr. Evans
  I have been asked to reply.

  The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Cable Broadcasting
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if she will make it her policy to accelerate the introduction of digital terrestrial broadcasting in those rural and semi-rural areas which are not cabled; [2591]

  (2) by what date digital terrestrial broadcasting is to reach 95 per cent. of the population of England. [2590]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Broadcasting Bill, announced in Her Majesty's Gracious Speech, will provide the legislative framework for the introduction of digital terrestrial television services. The Government propose that those who wish to provide these services be required to meet targets, set by the Independent Television Commission, for making them available by a specific time to a specified proportion of the population. The precise potential coverage of the available digital frequencies, and the speed and pattern of the introduction of services on them, will vary, and it is not possible as yet to predict the outcome of the licensing process the Bill will propose to introduce.

  Satellite Broadcasting
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the future responsibilities of the ITC in respect of satellite broadcasters promoting television services in the United Kingdom which offend against public decency, following proposed United Kingdom and EC legislation. [158]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Government have no plans to change the ITC's responsibilities in this area.

  Culture Council
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the outcome of the Culture Council, held on 20 November, giving details of all votes and all decisions which were determined by unanimity or without dissension. [1598]
  437
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester, South and Maldon (Mr. Whittingdale) on 23 November Official Report, column 285–6.

  Legislative Repeals
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what legislation from her Department passed in the last five years contains provision for statutory repeal or review. [2040]

  Mr. Sproat
  My Department, since its inception in 1992, has introduced no legislation containing provision for statutory repeal or review.

  BBC Charter and Agreement
  Mr. Robert Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when the BBC's new charter and agreement will be published. [3161]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I have today placed in the Library of the House drafts of the BBC's new charter and the agreement between me and the corporation. The House will have an opportunity to consider these documents in the near future. The BBC's transmission services will be privatised. The BBC will retain the proceeds of sale related to licence fee funded transmission facilities.

  The future costs of transmission will be regulated to ensure that the BBC does not pay more for the services that it currently needs and benefits from any productivity savings. This is good news for licence fee payers.

  The BBC has welcomed these arrangements and said that it will invest the proceeds of sale within the BBC on digital production technology so that it is well placed to reap the benefits of digital broadcasting.

  I look forward to a secure long-term future for the BBC's public services within the framework of the proposed new charter and agreement.

  BBC
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what action her Department is currently taking in relation to the production of proposals for the future of the BBC's transmission services; [1744]

  (2) when she first anticipated being able to make an announcement on the future of the BBC's transmission services; and what factors underlay the delay in making this statement; [1711]

  (3) when her Department expects to be able to make an announcement on the future of the BBC's transmission services; [1713]

  (4) what factors underlay the separate timings for (a) her announcements on the future of the BBC's transmission services and (b) the publication of her Department's guidance on digital terrestrial broadcasting. [1745]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 23 November 1995]: As indicated in my answer to the hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner) on 20 November Official Report, column 44 we will announce our decision on the future of the BBC transmission services shortly. It was always our intention
  438
  to announce our decision once we had fully explored with the BBC possible options for the future of its transmission services, taking account of the development of its plans for digital broadcasting. The policy document, "Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting", Cm 2946, was published in August to provide an opportunity for comment on the Government's proposals in order to inform the preparation of the Broadcasting Bill announced in the Gracious Speech.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress has been made towards cutting energy consumption in Government buildings for which she has responsibility, in each year since 1990. [1455]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Prior to their merger in July 1995, energy consumption was reported separately for the former Employment Department group and the former Department for Education. The percentage changes, as issued by the energy and environment advisory division of the Department of the Environment, for each of the two former Departments, are as follows:

  Percentage changes in energy cost per unit area (£/sq m) over base year 1990–91

  (corrected for fuel costs and weather)

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  Employment Department Group

  +1

  +4

  +2

  Department for Education

  +20

  +82

  +95

  The substantial increase in energy consumption in DFE beginning in reporting year 1991–92 resulted from the transfer of London-based staff from a naturally ventilated building to a new building with heating and air conditioning plant, with a smaller floor area. The baseline for the energy-saving exercise applied to the old building.

  Raw data for 1994–95 have been reported by both former departments to the energy and environment advisory division. Corrected figures are not yet available.

  Degree Courses
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what research her Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the correlation between grades obtained at A-level and performance in higher education degree examinations. [1267]

  Mr. Forth
  My Department has not commissioned any research on this topic. There have been a number of such studies, usually small scale, and these have tended to show that there is a positive correlation between individuals' A-level score and degree class but this is small. It is for universities to determine the suitability of applicants for degree courses.

  Severe Learning Difficulties
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools catering for children with severe learning difficulties have invoked the national curriculum disapplication procedure, by local education authority, in each of the last three years. [1816]

  Mrs. Gillan
  Information is available only for 1994 and does not distinguish disapplication from modification of national curriculum requirements. The following table shows, for each local education authority in England, the number of maintained special schools approved to cater for pupils with severe learning difficulties which reported pupils for whom the national curriculum had been modified or disapplied in January 1994.

  Maintained special schools approved to cater for pupils with severe learning difficulties and who have pupils for whom the national curriculum has been modified or disapplied January 1994

  Local education authority

  Number of schools

  City of London

  —

  Camden

  —

  Greenwich

  1

  Hackney

  1

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  —

  Islington

  —

  Kensington and Chelsea

  —

  Lambeth

  1

  Lewisham

  1

  Southwark

  1

  Tower Hamlets

  1

  Wandsworth

  1

  Westminster

  —

  Barking

  —

  Barnet

  —

  Bexley

  —

  Brent

  —

  Bromley

  —

  Croydon

  1

  Ealing

  1

  Enfield

  —

  Haringey

  —

  Harrow

  —

  Havering

  —

  Hillingdon

  —

  Hounslow

  —

  Kingston upon Thames

  1

  Merton

  —

  Newham

  —

  Redbridge

  —

  Richmond upon Thames

  —

  Sutton

  —

  Waltham Forest

  —

  Birmingham

  3

  Coventry

  —

  Dudley

  2

  Sandwell

  3

  Solihull

  —

  Walsall

  2

  Wolverhampton

  2

  Knowsley

  1

  Liverpool

  2

  St. Helens

  1

  Sefton

  1

  Wirral

  —

  Bolton

  —

  Bury

  —

  Manchester

  —

  Oldham

  2

  Rochdale

  1

  Salford

  1

  Stockport

  1

  440

  Maintained special schools approved to cater for pupils with severe learning difficulties and who have pupils for whom the national curriculum has been modified or disapplied January 1994

  Local education authority

  Number of schools

  Tameside

  —

  Trafford

  1

  Wigan

  —

  Barnsley

  1

  Doncaster

  3

  Rotherham

  1

  Sheffield

  —

  Bradford

  1

  Calderdale

  —

  Kirklees

  1

  Leeds

  1

  Wakefield

  —

  Gateshead

  —

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  —

  North Tyneside

  1

  South Tyneside

  2

  Sunderland

  —

  Isles of Scilly

  —

  Avon

  3

  Bedfordshire

  2

  Berkshire

  —

  Buckinghamshire

  2

  Cambridge

  2

  Cheshire

  —

  Cleveland

  2

  Cornwall

  3

  Cumbria

  3

  Derbyshire Devon

  5

  Devon

  —

  Dorset

  1

  Durham

  2

  East Sussex

  1

  Essex

  1

  Gloucestershire

  2

  Hampshire

  4

  Hereford and Worcester

  3

  Hertfordshire

  2

  Humberside

  —

  Isle of Wight

  —

  Kent

  1

  Lancashire

  7

  Leicestershire

  —

  Lincolnshire

  6

  Norfolk

  4

  North Yorkshire

  3

  Northamptonshire

  1

  Northumberland

  —

  Nottinghamshire

  1

  Oxfordshire

  2

  Shropshire

  2

  Somerset

  —

  Staffordshire

  6

  Suffolk

  —

  Surrey

  1

  Warwickshire

  2

  West Sussex

  3

  Wiltshire

  —

  England

  121

  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance she has issued as to the circumstances in which a school for children with severe learning difficulties should apply for the disapplication of national curriculum procedure. [1818]

  Mrs. Gillan
  The revised national curriculum statutory documents state that study material may be selected from earlier or later key stages where this is necessary to enable
  441
  individual pupils to progress and demonstrate achievement. This flexibility should reduce the necessity for formal disapplication or modification of the requirements.

  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the disadvantages for a school catering for children with severe learning difficulties of applying for national curriculum disapplication for some of its pupils. [1817]

  Mrs. Gillan
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made no such assessment. Pupils should be allowed to benefit from the national curriculum to the extent of their abilities, but it is not always possible to reconcile the difficulties of certain children with an entitlement to the full national curriculum. In these cases disapplication or modification may be appropriate.

  Research and Development
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what were the indicative contributions to the EU budget in respect of research and development for her Department in 1993–94. [1908]

  Mr. Forth
  Table 2.1 of the statistical supplement to the "Forward Look of Government-funded Science, Engineering and Technology" contains indicative figures for the United Kingdom's contributions to the EC budget in respect of research and development. Departments' policy responsibilities are subject to change and can vary from year to year. The former Education and Employment Departments had responsibility for 1.5 per cent. of the Community's R and D budget.

  Capital Expenditure, Derbyshire
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will set out the outturn figures for capital expenditure in each Derbyshire school for the last 10 years. [2215]

  Mrs. Gillan
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Teleworkers
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action she intends to take to extend existing employment and health and safety regulations to protect teleworkers. [2117]

  Mr. Forth
  Teleworkers are covered by existing employment and health and safety regulations in the same way as other workers. The Employment Department published "A Manager's Guide to Teleworking" in May 1995 which contains information and advice on existing regulations. The Government at present see no need for special regulations on teleworkers.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what were the costs to public funds involved in preparing the cost-benefit assessment 442
  contained in the explanatory memorandum for the Deregulation Length of the School Day Order 1995; [2017]

  (2) what estimates she has made of the annual saving to business which accrue from the Deregulation Length of the School Day Order 1995. [2018]

  Mr. Forth
  As the explanatory memorandum makes clear, there are no cost implications involved in these proposals; so no cost-benefit assessment was required.

  The Deregulation Length of the School Day Order 1995 is intended to speed up alterations to school session times. Schools do not receive extra funds for having a longer day or reduced funds for having a shorter day. Any savings to schools and their governing bodies will be measured in time saved in implementing changes to the length of the school day.

  Nursery Vouchers
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make available information about the proposed Bill on nursery education in simpletext and pictorial format and on audio tape for people with learning difficulties. [1966]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  An information leaflet for parents about the nursery voucher scheme is already available in ethnic minority languages, braille and on audio cassette.

  A more detailed policy document on the nursery voucher scheme will be published early in the new year, including a version for parents.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of her Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1944]

  Mr. Forth
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Small Firms
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much public money has been invested in small firms training loans since their launch. [1934]

  Mr. Paice
  Between June 1994, when small firms training loans were introduced, and the end of October 1995, £404,000 in Government funding has been spent on the scheme.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many firms have applied for loans from the small firms training loans programme; and what is the total amount to date out on loan. [2265]

  Mr. Paice
  At 21 November, 44 small firms training loans had been agreed, with £427,728 on loan. The banks have informed the Department that six applications for loans have been rejected.

  Job Sharing
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what new proposals she has to encourage job sharing. [2157]

  Mr. Forth
  In the deregulated labour market of the United Kingdom more people work in flexible working patterns than in most other European countries. The Government encourage employers to consider the benefits of flexible working patterns, which can be particularly attractive to people who wish to combine a job or career with family commitments. The Department for Education and Employment and the former Employment Department have published a number of booklets, including "The Best of Both Worlds", "Be Flexible" and "Rising to the Challenge", providing information and advice on flexible working arrangements, including job sharing.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much has been spent by the Government on the assisted places scheme(a) in total, up to but not including the latest available year and (b) in the latest available year; what additional money will be made available in the planned expansion of the scheme; and how many pupils are involved in the latest available year in (i) Manchester grammar school, (ii) Manchester high school for girls and (iii) William Hume's grammar school, Manchester. [2740]

  Mrs. Gillan
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 24 October,Official Report, column 623.

  The amount available for the scheme in the supply estimates for the financial year 1995–96 is £104.4 million. Provision for 1996–97, when the scheme's expansion is planned to begin, and for succeeding years will be announced in due course. The numbers of pupils holding assisted places in the current academic year—1995–96— at the three Manchester schools cited are (i) 262, (ii) 179 and (iii) 220 respectively.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list all those in his Department who have authority to issue public interest immunity certificates; how many such certificates have been issued in each of the last five years; and what were the main reasons for them. [1418]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  A claim to public interest immunity relating to departmental documents or information is normally made by the appropriate Minister. No public interest immunity certificates have been signed either by me or the Lord Chancellor since our appointments.

  Divorce Reform
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on his proposals for divorce reform. [1406]
  444
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Family Law Bill, which was introduced in another place on Thursday 16 November, includes provisions to reform the law on divorce.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made towards cutting energy consumption in Government buildings for which he has responsibility in each year since 1990. [1435]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The progress made towards cutting energy consumption in the Government buildings for which I am responsible, in each year since 1990, is as follows:

  1990–91: base year

  1991–92: + 1.30 per cent.

  1992–93: - 3.93 per cent.

  1993–94: -3.98 percent.

  1994–95: - 4.30 per cent.

  The total energy consumption savings in real terms to March 1995 in buildings for which I am responsible is 10.91 per cent.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services for small and medium enterprises. [1949]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1950]

  Mr. Horam
  The information is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost.

  Ministerial Transport, London
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many times in the last year he has used(a) London Underground and (b) London Buses while on official business. [380]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  None

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list all those in his office who have authority to issue public interest immunity certificates; how many such certificates have been issued in each of the last five years;and what were the main reasons for them. [1424]
  445
  The Deputy Prime Minister
  A claim to public interest immunity relating to departmental documents or information is normally made by the appropriate Minister. I have not, nor have others within the Office of Public Service, its immediate predecessors or executive agencies, signed public interest immunity certificates in relation to the Department or its executive agencies in the last five years.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list all those in his office who have authority to issue public interest immunity certificates; how many such certificates have been issued in each of the last five years; and what were the main reasons for them. [1393]

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister today.

  HMSO
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to make a statement on the future of HMSO. [2127]

  Mr Freeman
  As I announced on 17 October, we are currently consulting the authorities in the House and the other place on the safeguards necessary for the future provision of printing and publishing services to Parliament. I also announced that I have appointed Coopers and Lybrand to examine the options for the future of HMSO with a view to privatisation, and I am awaiting its report. I will be making a further oral statement when we have reached a decision on the way forward, which I hope will be before the Christmas recess.

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he has met personally the heads of agencies which report to him to discuss the work of those agencies. [3099]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 1 November,Official Report, column 318.

PRIME MINISTER

  Remuneration
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Prime Minister what considerations underlay the rates of remuneration of(a) members of police authorities and (b) members of health authorities and non-executive directors of trusts. [2234]

  The Prime Minister
  Remuneration reflects the duties and responsibilities of the individuals concerned.

  Ministerial Statements
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Prime Minister if the statements made by the Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 20 November about the mentality of the Princess of Wales represented Her Majesty's Government's policy. [2409]

  The Prime Minister
  My hon. Friend made it clear that he was speaking in a personal capacity.
  446
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister if the statement made by the Minister of State for the Armed Forces subsequent to the television broadcast of the Princess of Wales represents the view of Her Majesty's Government. [2081]

  The Prime Minister
  My hon. Friend made it clear that he was speaking in a personal capacity.

  EU Finances
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister what account he has taken of the Official Journal of the European Communities, C303, volume 38, for 14 November 1995 in determining Her Majesty's Government's policy. [2802]

  The Prime Minister
  I welcome the European Court of Auditors' annual report on the implementation of the 1994 budget published on 14 November. I believe that the court's reports are an important tool in improving the management of the Community's finances and I will continue to insist that the full account is taken of them.

  Arms Exports
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on assessing the degree to which children have been involved in past conflicts in countries for which export licence applications for military equipment have been made. [2773]

  The Prime Minister
  We are committed to a responsible policy of defence equipment sales and routinely encourage other arms suppliers to observe similar responsibility in their own export policies. We take into account the human rights record of recipient states when considering applications for an export licence.

  The United Kingdom is committed to promoting human rights worldwide.

  Human Rights (Turkey)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) what priority he will accord to the human rights record of Turkey in respect of its treatment of the(a) Assyrian, (b) Armenian and (c) Greek Christian minorities in determining whether to support Turkey's admission to the European Customs Union; [2577]

  (2) if he will make a statement on his discussions in respect of the persecution of (a) Assyrian, (b) Armenian and (c) Greek Christian minorities in Turkey arising during his meeting with Prime Minister Tansu Ciller. [2576]

  The Prime Minister
  I did not specifically touch on the question of Christian minorities in Turkey with Prime Minister Ciller. We discussed the outlook for human rights in Turkey, and Mrs. Ciller assured me of her commitment to further reforms. We fully support the proposed Customs Union between the European Union and Turkey, and we hope to see it launched on schedule at the start of 1996.

  Head of State
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received regarding the constitutional position of the head of state. [2667]
  447
  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of representations on constitutional matters.

  Asylum and Immigration Bill
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library copies of the letter sent to him by the statutory Newham police communities consultative committee dated 17 November concerning the proposed Asylum and Immigration Bill and his reply. [2689]

  The Prime Minister
  My hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Home Department has replied to the Newham police communities consultative committee.

  Crown Estate
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister who owns the Crown Estate. [2242]

  The Prime Minister
  The Crown Estate is held in right of the Crown, but its income forms the major part of the hereditary revenues of the Crown that have been surrendered to the Exchequer in return for the civil list by each monarch since 1760. The Crown Estate is managed by Commissioners under the Crown Estate Act 1961. Copies of the Commissioners' annual reports are available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister what official valuation has been made of the Duchy of Cornwall estate. [2241]

  The Prime Minister
  Information on certain of the Duchy of Cornwall's capital assets is shown in the annual accounts presented to Parliament. The accounts for 1994, presented on 7 June 1995, HC 464 record the net sum as £86,913,196. Assets such as the unique Isles of Scilla have been in the estate for centuries and are regarded as inalienable; these and other long-held assets are not reflected in the figure. By charter and statute, the capital assets cannot be eroded. The Duchy Management Acts 1863–1982 make the Treasury responsible for the capital to generate income for future Dukes.

  Crown Jewels
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the items which constitute the Crown Jewels. [2859]

  The Prime Minister
  By a strict definition the Crown Jewels are the objects used or worn by the Sovereign during the ceremony of the Coronation. The most famous of these are the Imperial State Crown, St. Edward's Crown and the Jewelled Sceptre. However, the expression Crown Jewels is used colloquially to cover the contents of the Jewel House at the Tower of London, an inventory of which is maintained by the royal collection.

  Princess of Wales
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will make a statement on the constitutional implication of the views expressed by Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales about the possibility of her becoming Queen; [2080]
  448
  (2) if his statement of 9 December 1992, Official Report, column 845, that there is no reason why the Princess of Wales should not be crowned Queen in due course still represents Her Majesty's Government policy. [2079]

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing further to add to my statement of 9 December.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the total estimated annual saving to business which will accrue in respect of the rules and regulations he identified for repeal in his answer of 6 November,Official Report, column 546. [2065]

  The Prime Minister
  In addition to the £40 million savings identified in my answer of 6 November,Official Report, column 546, further examples identified include: £30 million a year from simplification of trade marks legislation; £23 million a year from changes in the regime for the slaughter of poultry; £10 to 15 million a year from simplification of the procedures under the Companies Act 1985 for companies which have ceased to trade; cash flow savings of £75 million a year as a result of raising the threshold of the quarterly payment of PAYE and national insurance contributions from £450 per month to £600 per month. The total annual saving to business arising from all regulations identified for amendment or repeal is not available.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Prime Minister what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1953]

  The Prime Minister
  For these purposes my office is part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service.

TREASURY

  Best Practice Guidelines
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish his Department's best practice guidelines for Government Departments. [1931]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The Treasury issues a great deal of best practice and other guidance in documents such as "Government Accounting", which is published by HMSO, and other guidance notes such as those produced by the Treasury's central unit on procurement.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the costs to public funds involved in preparing the cost benefit assessment contained in the explanatory memorandum for the Deregulation(a) Friendly Societies Act 1992, (b) Credit Unions and (c) Building Societies Orders 1995. [2022]
  449
  Mrs. Angela Knight
  It is not practical to estimate the costs to public funds of preparing the assessments contained in the explanatory memoranda, because these, along with the other work involved in preparing the draft orders, were contained within the normal running costs of the Registry of Friendly Societies and the Treasury.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual saving to business which will accrue from the Deregulation(a) Friendly Societies Act 1992, (b) Credit Unions and (c) Building Societies Orders 1995. [2021]

  Mrs. Knight
  The estimated savings are included in the explanatory memoranda laid with the three draft orders. These will be significant in some areas, such as removing the requirement for a credit union to demonstrate the existence of a common bond. In others, savings will depend on the extent to which societies and credit unions take advantage of the benefits proposed. In addition, the changes will provide new opportunities for growth by giving institutions increased flexibility in their operations or greater freedom to expand their business.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1958]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The Treasury does not distinguish between different sizes of supplier: it seeks best value for money in procurement. The information requested, therefore, is not available.

  Part-time Work and Job Sharing
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to alter(a) the national insurance and (b) the taxation systems to encourage (i) part-time work and (ii) job sharing. [2154]

  Mr. Jack
  The hon. Lady would not expect me to anticipate my right hon. and learned Friend's Budget statement.

  Nigerian Military Regime
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what methods are available to him for assessing the value of the assets in Britain belonging to the Nigerian military regime; [2563]

  (2) what methods are available to him for assessing the whereabouts and value of the financial accounts held in Britain belonging to the Nigerian military regime; [2564]

  (3) if his Department has details of the value and number of personal accounts held in Britain by members of the Nigerian military regime; [2811]

  (4) what is the value of the personal accounts and assets held in Britain by members of the Nigerian military regime. [2815]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  Details of bank accounts are always kept confidential unless the authorities have reason to suspect the commission of a crime in the United Kingdom. We have no exchange controls and therefore 450
  cannot trace money flowing in and out of such accounts. Access to registers of assets such as shareholdings or property is the same as for any other holder of such assets.

  Gardening Leave
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the grades of Treasury staff that qualified for gardening leave between 1993 and 1995 indicating the relevant salary bands for each year; [532]

  (2) if he will list the number of staff on the grades qualifying for gardening leave for the periods mentioned in his answer of 2 November, Official Report, column 428, excluding any such staff on permanent secondment to other Departments. [973]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  Staff do not qualify for "gardening leave". This term is used to cover those not working, but excluding those on statutory paid leave, maternity leave or long-term sick leave. It is Treasury policy to provide opportunities for temporary work for staff between postings whenever possible. This policy applies to staff at all grades but generally it affects only staff at grade 7 and below. The salary bands for these grades are published in the "Civil Service Management Code" which is available in the House of Commons Library. The Treasury staff in post figures for the periods requested are given in the table.

  Her Majesty Treasury staff in post by quarter

  Full-time equivalents

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1 January

  —

  1,849

  1,305

  1 April

  —

  1,387

  1,127

  1 July

  1,924

  1,362

  1,092

  1 October

  1,891

  1,349

  1,080

  1. The table includes Forward, until it was privatised in February 1994.

  2. The table excludes staff on loan to other Departments or on secondment but paid directly by outside organisations but includes staff on secondment that are paid by the Treasury and then reimbursed.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total number of his staff who served on gardening leave during 1994. [974]

  Mrs. Knight
  The total number of staff who were on "gardening leave"—those not working, but excluding those on statutory paid leave, maternity leave and long term sick leave—during 1994, was 23.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the average length of gardening leave periods undertaken in(a) 1994 and (b) 1995. [531]

  Mrs. Knight
  The average period of time on "gardening leave"—those not working, but excluding those on statutory paid leave, maternity leave or long term sick leave—was 20 weeks in 1994 and 18 weeks, until 1 October, in 1995.

  Taxation
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what would be the cost, in respect of tax revenues forgone, of disregarding one-off payments for long-term care insurance from the current
  451
  limits which apply to tax-free capital lump sums taken on retirement; [88]

  (2) what would be the cost of making payments for long-term care insurance tax deductible; [89]

  (3) what estimate he has made of the current cost of (a) men and (b) women of long-term care insurance bought in a one-off payment upon retirement. [171]

  Mr. Jack
  It would not be appropriate for me to comment on tax matters at this stage of the Budget cycle.

  Mr. Ainsworth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the direct revenue yield in a full year at 1995–96 levels of income from restricting

  £ million

  Basic Rate

  Restriction to: 20 per cent.

  15 per cent.

  Effect of restricting

  Yield

  Numbers affected

  Yield

  Numbers affected

  Yield

  Numbers affected

  (a) Personal allowances

  1,400

  3.2

  5,700

  26.1

  10,600

  27.9

  (b) Relief for pension contributions

  720

  1.9

  1,410

  11.9

  2,130

  12.9

  (c) Other reliefs

  160

  0.7

  1n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1 Information on reliefs given at source is not available from the survey of personal incomes so it is not possible to estimate the effect to restricting other reliefs to 20 per cent. or 15 per cent.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much income tax was raised in the financial year 1978–79; and what percentage came from the top rate of income tax and from tax on investment income. [126]

  Mr. Jack
  The total income tax liability in 1978–79 is estimated to have been £20.3 billion. The other information requested is not readily available. Detailed analytical tables showing the distribution of incomes and of income tax were published in "The Survey of Personal Incomes 1978–79", a copy of which is in the library.

  Mr. Ainsworth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the effect on the number of taxpayers in the financial year 1996–97 and on the number of higher rate taxpayers of(a) indexation, (b) raising the main personal allowances by five per cent. more than indexation, and (c) raising personal allowances by 10 per cent. more than indexation, giving figures separately for each main allowance and a total for main allowances. [81]

  Mr. Jack
  Estimates based on statutory indexation and with income levels projected to 1996–97 levels using the summer economic forecast are as follows.

  Estimated number of income taxpayer 1996–97

  Millions

  Total

  Of which higher rate taxpayers

  (a) Indexation

  25.9

  2.2

  (b) (i) Increasing personal allowance for those aged under 65 by 5 per cent. more than indexation

  25.6

  2.2

  (ii) Increasing personal allowance for those aged 65 or over by 5 per cent. more than indexation

  25.7

  2.2

  452
  (a) personal allowances, (b) relief from pension contributions and (c) other reliefs, to relief at 25, 20 and 15p, giving in each case the numbers of people affected. [82]

  Mr. Jack
  Estimated full-year yields at 1995–96 income levels based on a projection of the 1993–94 survey of personal incomes and other survey data in line with the assumptions in the summer economic forecast are given in the table. The figures do not take account of any behavioural effects which might result from the introduction of such changes, and show the yield from restricting each allowance or relief separately. If two or more were restricted the total yield would be greater than the sum of the individual figures.

  Estimated number of income taxpayer 1996–97

  Millions

  Total

  Of which higher rate taxpayers

  (iii) Increasing all personal allowances by 5 per cent. more than indexation

  25.5

  2.2

  (c) (i) Increasing personal allowance for those aged under 65 by 10 per cent. more than indexation

  25.4

  2.2

  (ii) Increasing personal allowance for those aged 65 or over by 10 per cent. more than indexation

  25.6

  2.2

  (iii) Increasing all personal allowances by 10 per cent. more than indexation

  25.1

  2.2

  EU Budget
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what proportion of that expenditure from the EC's 1994 budget which the Court of Auditors has qualified is attributable to the United Kingdom; [168]

  (2) what proportion of that expenditure from the 1994 budget which the Court of Auditors qualified is attributable to fraud as against accounting errors by (a) each member state and (b) the Commission. [169]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The statement of assurance— SOA—published by the Court of Auditors on 14 November 1995 is global in nature. It does not seek to make an assessment of particular areas of spending nor does it seek to analyse accounting or other errors by member states or by the institutions of the Community. An explanatory memorandum on the SOA will shortly be deposited in Parliament.

  Inheritance Tax
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people and what percentage of taxpayers in Lancashire are liable for inheritance tax on estates valued over(a) £160,000, (b) £200,000, (c) £300,000, (d) £400,000, (e) £500,000, (f) £1,000,000 and (g) £2,000,000. [1988]

  Mr. Jack
  I regret that this information is not available.

  Economically active (thousands)

  Economic activity rate (percentage of all persons aged 16 and over)

  Spring

  All

  Men

  Women

  All

  Men

  Women

  1991

  28,592

  16,247

  12,345

  63.5

  74.8

  52.9

  1992

  28,581

  16,187

  12,395

  63.1

  73.8

  53

  1993

  24,447

  16,021

  12,426

  62.7

  72.9

  53.1

  1994

  28,433

  15,996

  12,436

  62.5

  72.5

  53.1

  1995

  28,426

  15,981

  12,445

  62.4

  72.2

  53.1

  Self-employed (thousands)

  Self-employed as a percentage of all persons in employment

  Spring

  All

  Men

  Women

  All

  Men

  Women

  1991

  3,402

  2,582

  820

  13.0

  17.5

  7.2

  1992

  3,227

  2,438

  789

  12.5

  17.0

  6.9

  1993

  3,184

  2,384

  800

  12.5

  17.0

  7.0

  1994

  3,301

  2,480

  820

  12.8

  17.5

  7.1

  1995

  3,355

  2,544

  811

  12.9

  17.7

  7.0

  Correspondence
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the letters to the hon. Member for North, Norfolk from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, dated 13 October 1993, reference cst.ps/dr/llmpl2.10. [1669]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Fuel Duties
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will rearrange fuel duties to reduce the retail prices of the least polluting fuels for motor vehicles. [2145]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I cannot anticipate my right hon. and learned Friend's Budget statement.

  Mortgage Dealers
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the regulatory bodies which oversee the work of firms which sell or offer advice on mortgages which do not include an investment element in them. [2320]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The Bank of England supervises United Kingdom authorised banks; the Building Societies Commission supervises building societies. Credit institutions authorised in other members of the European Economic Area which provide services in the UK are supervised by their home state authorities.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the size of the United Kingdom labour force in each of the past five years; what were the activity rates for men and women during those years; and what were the numbers and proportion of self-employed. [1812]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  Estimates for the United Kingdom from the labour force survey are shown in the tables following:

  Spirits Duty
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the excise duty receipts from spirits in each of the first six months of the present and the last tax year; [2140]

  (2) if he has adjusted the forecast duty from spirits; [2142]

  (3) if he will estimate the shortfall in estimated duty receipts from spirits for the current year. [2141]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The table shows spirit duty receipts for the first six months of 1995–96 were approximately 93 per cent. of revenues in the first six months of 1994–95. The outturn for the whole of 1994–95 was £1.776 billion.

  HM Treasury's summer economic forecast contained a figure of £1.9 billion spirits receipts in 1995–96. The next set of forecasts will be published on Budget day in the 1996–97 "Financial Statement and Budget Report".

  £ million

  Month

  1995–96

  1994–95

  April

  112

  126

  May

  106

  128

  June

  129

  134

  July

  121

  122

  August

  115

  121

  September

  128

  134

  455
  This information is published every month by the Central Statistical Office in "Financial Statistics", table 2.1D.

  Mr. Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Treasury model for tax on spirits was last adjusted. [2143]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The models used for spirits duty receipts are reviewed regularly.

  Earnings Rates
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish hourly and weekly wage rates for 1992 and 1995 together with the percentage change between the two, according to data from the "New Earnings Survey" deflated by the retail prices index, for(a) full-time manual men on adult rates, (b) full-time non-manual men on adult rates, (c) full-time manual women on adult rates, (d) full-time non-manual women on adult rates and (e) full-time men and women on adult rates, giving the figures for 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles and the mean in each case. [2324]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 24 November 1995]: The 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles and the mean for the categories requested are published in part
  456
  A, table 1 of the "New Earnings Survey", for 1992 and 1995. To compare data for the two years in question the retail prices index, all items, should be used. This information is published in the "Central Statistical Office Business Monitor" MM23. Copies of the publications can be found in the Members' Library.

  Interest Rates
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are current interest rates; what was the average for the period February 1974 to May 1979 and May 1979 to date; and if he will make a statement. [1489]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 23 November 1995]: The rate, measured by the clearing banks' base rate, is currently 6.75 per cent.

  The average interest rate, represented by the Bank of England's minimum lending rate, between February 1974 and May 1979 was 10.53 per cent. From May 1979 to date minimum lending rate—or clearing bank base rate in periods when MLR was not posted—has averaged 10.92 per cent.

  The rates for recent periods can be found in table 7.1J of the CSO's "Financial Statistics", a copy of which is in the Members' Library.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prisoner Statistics
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for theHome Department how many male and female prisoners were held by the Prison Service on(a) 27 May 1993 and on (b) 27 November 1995. [1084]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. Paddy Tipping, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking how many male and female prisoners were held by the Prison Service on (a) 27 May 1993 and (b) 27 November 1995.
  Figures for 27 May 1993 are not available. However, on 31 May 1993 there were 42,091 male and 1,494 female prisoners held by the Prison Service. Figures are not yet available for 27 November 1995. I will write to you again with these details as soon as they become available.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1948]

  Mr. Howard
  The information required to answer this question is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Prisoner Repatriations
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to take decisions on application by detained Irish nationals to be repatriated to prisons in the Irish Republic; and if he will make a statement. [2427]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons came into effect for the Republic of Ireland on 1 November 1995.

  Under the convention, both jurisdictions, as well as the prisoner concerned, are required to consent to repatriation before any transfer can take place. Requests will be determined on their individual merits as and when information is available to all parties to enable informed decisions on consent to be made.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if those British citizens detained in prisons overseas who were received by the United Kingdom in the last five years, including those returned from America, were subject to remission and parole policies prevailing in the United Kingdom; [2429]

  (2) how many British citizens detained in prison overseas who have applied to be repatriated to prisons in the United Kingdom have had their applications refused over the last five years to date; and if he will list the countries from which the applications were made. [2426]
  458
  Miss Widdecombe
  Repatriation requires the consent of both jurisdictions and the prisoner concerned. Information is held only in cases where the United Kingdom withholds consent. In the last five years, one prisoner, a British national imprisoned in Canada, has been refused repatriation.

  Under the terms of the Repatriation of Prisoners Act 1984 and the international agreements entered into by the United Kingdom for the repatriation of prisoners, the United Kingdom is responsible for administering the balance of a prisoner's sentence remaining to be served at the date of transfer. Repatriated prisoners are considered for release under the same rules which apply to other prisoners convicted here.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to take a decision on the transfer on compassionate grounds of Patrick Kelly and Michael O'Brien to prisons in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [2428]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The requests for transfer to Northern Ireland made by Patrick Kelly and Michael O'Brien were refused on 26 September. Their requests did not meet the criteria for transfer. They had no known links with Northern ireland and they were not previously resident there before their present convictions.

  Their requests for transfer were, none the less, considered on an exceptional basis. It was not considered that sufficient compelling or compassionate grounds existed for allowing the transfers exceptionally.

  Patrick Kelly has submitted fresh evidence in support of his request for transfer to Northern Ireland. This is currently under consideration. Mr. Kelly will be advised as soon as a decision has been made.

  Dartmoor Prison
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how often the Governor of HM prison Dartmoor authorised the use of(a) bodybelts, (b) ankle straps, (c) handcuffs and (d) special segregation unit cells between January 1990 and the present date; [2092]

  (2) on how many occasions since January 1990 prisoners in HM prison Dartmoor were kept in bodybelts for more than 12 hours. [2093]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. David Jamieson, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the use of restraints at Dartmoor prison.

  459
  Since January 1990, the governor of Dartmoor has authorised the use of a bodybelt on three occasions, once for 4 hours 45 minutes, once for 19 hours 5 minutes and once for 24 hours. The use of ankle straps has not been authorised during the period concerned.
  Handcuffs are used routinely when escorting prisoners outside the secure perimeter of the prison to court or to another prison. They have only been used within the prison twice, on a prisoner who had staged a roof-top protest at another prison and had threatened to repeat the protest at Dartmoor. The governor decided that the prisoner would be handcuffed when moving from his cell to the visits area in order to reduce the possibility of him carrying out the threat.
  The segregation unit special cells have been used on 331 occasions from January 1990 to date.

  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions in the last five years from which figures are available inmates at Dartmoor prison have been(a) detained in a strip cell known as the box and (b) restrained by bodybelt for both medical and non-medical purposes; [2263]

  (2) what is the (a) shortest, (b) longest and (c) average time during which inmates in Dartmoor prison are detained in a bodybelt or mechanical restraint. [2264]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Ms Jean Corston, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the use of restraints at Dartmoor prison.
  There are two special cells in the segregation unit at Dartmoor. They contain no furniture other than a low level plinth on which a prisoner may lie down and a small stool on which he may sit, both fastened to the floor of the cell. Since January 1991, the cells have been used on 281 occasions to locate prisoners who have exhibited behaviour which could result in them harming themselves or others. There have been two occasions since January 1991 when a prisoner at Dartmoor has been restrained in a bodybelt.
  Since January 1990, the governor of Dartmoor has authorised the use of a bodybelt on three occasions, once for 4 hours 45 minutes, once for 19 hours 5 minutes and once for 24 hours. The use of ankle straps has not been authorised during the period concerned.

  Drug Abuse (Prisons)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average number of disciplinary actions taken against prisoners for illegal drug use in each of the past five years. [2165]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the average number of disciplinary actions taken against prisoners for illegal drug use in each of the past five years.
  Use of a controlled drug by prisoners in Prison Service establishments became a disciplinary offence in January 1995 under Prison and Young Offender Institution Rules. Provisional data for the period from January to October 1995 show that there have been 921 proved adjudications for this offence.

  EC Measures
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EC measures impose fines or other criminal penalties on people and businesses in the United Kingdom. [2091]

  Miss Widdecombe
  EC measures do not impose fines or other criminal penalties directly: they are implemented by means of United Kingdom law.

  Information about criminal penalties imposed to comply with our EC obligations is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Immigration
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place a copy of Commissioner Gradin's proposals on immigration, asylum policy and border controls put to the recent meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in the Library; and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy in respect of these proposals. [2826]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council at La Gomera on 14–15 October 1995 was an informal meeting and as such took no formal decisions. I have, however, provided a summary of the discussions to the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Select Committee on European Legislation.

  During the meeting, Ministers considered the prospects for the third pillar of the treaty on European Union at the forthcoming intergovernmental conference. Commissioner Gradin expressed the view that immigration and asylum policy should be transferred into Community competence. She did not, however, put forward any formal proposals.

  The Government do not share that view. We firmly believe that the matters dealt with under the third pillar, including immigration and asylum, should remain subject to intergovernmental co-operation. There was broad agreement with this position from other member states at La Gomera.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a Green Paper and a White Paper concerning current trends and problems in the fields of asylum and immigration and his proposals for legislation. [2690]

  Miss Widdecombe
  We have no plans to publish a Green Paper or a White Paper on these matters. The statement that my right hon. and learned Friend made to the House on 20 November identified a number of pressing issues requiring early action. Parliament will shortly have the opportunity to debate the Government's proposals for legislation.

  Frontier Controls
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on the European Commission's three proposed directives on the right to travel and the elimination of controls on persons crossing the internal frontiers of the European Union. [2828]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Commission's proposals are not acceptable, as they conflict with our firm determination to maintain the United Kingdom's frontier controls with other member states of the European Union. Explanatory memoranda on the draft directives were laid on 12 October 1995.

  Justice and Home Affairs Council
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who represented Her Majesty's Government at the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in the Canary Islands on 14 and 15 October. [2825]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Government were represented at the informal Council in La Gomera by Mr. Timothy Walker, a deputy Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office and the United Kingdom delegate to the K4 committee.

  Police Patrols
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has that beat patrolling by police constables has suffered as a result of greater emphasis on panda car patrols. [1673]

  Mr. Maclean
  There needs to be a balance between foot and mobile police patrolling to meet the operational requirements of individual forces and the communities which they serve. This is a matter for chief constables to decide.

  Ms Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are employed on the beat at any one time, per head of population. [1677]

  Mr. Maclean
  This information is not centrally collected. At the end of March 1995, 68,240 officers were deployed to patrol duties in England and Wales.

  Private Security Industry
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will be in a position to respond to the first report of the Home Affairs Select Committee of Session 1994–95, HC 17, on the private security industry. [1674]

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government are looking in detail at the recommendations contained in the Select Committee report and will give a full response as soon as possible.

  Ms Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received about regulation of the private security industry. [1691]

  Mr. Maclean
  We have received a total of 16 representations in the last two months.

  Vulnerable Prisoner Units
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of vulnerable prisoner units that exist in prisons in England and Wales; and if he will list these establishments. [1704]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about vulnerable prisoner units in prisons in England and Wales.
  Vulnerable prisoner units, as distinct from segregated accommodation requiring controls under Prison Rule 43 or Young Offender Institution Rule 46, exist in 37 establishments as shown in the list annexed to this letter.

  Annexe

  Acklington Prison

  Albany Prison

  Blakenhurst Prison

  Brinsford Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre

  Cardiff Prison

  Castington Young Offender Institution

  Channings Wood Prison

  Dartmoor Prison

  Doncaster Prison

  Dorchester Prison

  Durham Prison

  Elmley Prison

  Frankland Prison

  Full Sutton Prison

  Glen Parva Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre

  High Down Prison

  Holme House Prison

  Lewes Prison

  Lincoln Prison

  Littlehey Prison

  Liverpool Prison

  Low Newton Remand Centre

  Maidstone Prison

  Manchester Prison

  Risley Prison

  Rochester Prison

  Shepton Mallet Prison

  Stafford Prison

  Styal Prison and Young Offender Institution

  1Usk Prison

  Wandsworth Prison

  Wayland Prison

  1Whatton Prison

  Whitemoor Prison

  Wolds Prison

  Woodhill Prison

  1Wymott Prison

  1Establishments holding only vulnerable prisoners.

  Prison Costs
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average annual cost per prison place. [1697]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Ms Janet Anderson, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the average annual cost of a prison place.
  In 1993–94, the last year for which information has been published, the net operating cost per place per year was £22,712.

  Police Force Statistics
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average annual change in the number of police officers in England and Wales between(a) 1974 and 1979, (b) 1980 and 1990 and (c) 1991 and 1995. [1678]

  Mr. Maclean
  The average annual increase in police strength was as follows:

  Number

  (i) 1974 to 1979

  +2,245 1officers

  (ii) 1980 to 1990

  +1,378 officers

  (iii) 1991 to 1995 (March)

  +31 2officers

  1 This includes an increase in actual police strength of 1,816 between May 1979 and December 1979.

  2 This figure obscures an average annual increase of 424 constables in this period, which has been achieved by a significant delayering of the police service's management structure.

  Metropolitan Police
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of staff in the Metropolitan police are involved in(a) operational duties and (b) non-policing functions. [1679]

  Mr. Maclean
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that all police officers are available for operational duties. Currently, 88.7 per cent. of police officers and 37.2 per cent. of civilian staff are allocated to operational duties, and 11.3 per cent. of police officers and 62.8 per cent. of civilian staff to non-operational support duties.

  Prison Reports
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the additional costs of implementing the recommendations of the Woodcock and Learmont reports during 1995–96. [1682]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The implementation of the Woodcock report is expected to cost about £60 million in 1995–96. Whether the Prison Service will require additional provision to cover these costs will emerge in February 1996 at the time of the spring supplementary estimates. No additional expenditure is forecast in 1995–96 for the implementation of the Learmont report.464
  The Prison Service is now considering General Sir John Learmont's recommendations in detail and until that work is completed the likely cost of implementation cannot be assessed.

  Ms Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Woodcock report. [1684]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The timetable for implementation of the recommendations made in the Woodcock report was published on 8 February. To date, 33 recommendations have been implemented and the remaining 31 have been implemented in part.

  The majority of the recommendations not yet fully implemented require major construction work. A construction programme—which started with those prisons holding the highest categories of prisoners—is under way. That programme is currently being reviewed in the light of the recommendations in General Sir John Learmont's review of security across the Prison Service.

  Remand Prisoners
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his current estimate of the average length of time for which remand prisoners are held prior to commencing trial. [1698]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Ms Janet Anderson, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, what is his current estimate of the average length of time for which remand prisoners are held prior to commencing trial.
  The available information is for the estimated average time in custody for untried prisoners. Figures for 1994 are given in the attached table.

  Estimated average time spent in custody for untried prisoners, in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales in 19941 by sex

  Estimated average number of days in custody3

  Type of custody

  Male

  Female

  Untried2

  59

  44

  1 Provisional figures.

  2 Time spent in custody before conviction.

  3 Estimated from number of receptions and average population in 1994.

  Sentencing Policy
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to publish a White Paper on sentencing. [1700]

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 26 October Official Report, column 755–56.

  Prison Population
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his current estimate of the size of the prison population at 31 March 1995; [1688]

  (2) how many prisoners he expects to be held in England and Wales by the end of the current financial year. [1694]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The latest projection, produced in October, is for the prison population in England and Wales on 31 March 1996 to be around 53,400. The population was projected from current trends and assumptions but past experience has shown the likelihood of unforeseen departures from the trend.

  Ms Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what increase in the numbers of prisoners he expects to take place by the end of 1995. [1692]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The latest projection, produced in October, is for the prison population in England and Wales on 31 December 1995 to be around 50,000. This compares with a population of 52,410 on 22 November 1995. The December figure will be depressed in comparison to other months due to the seasonal downturn at the end of the year. The population was projected from current trends and assumptions but past experience has shown the likelihood of unforeseen departures from the trend.

  COPEX Exhibition
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what police presence was provided at the COPEX exhibition at Sandown racecourse in November; and at what cost. [1640]

  Mr Maclean
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that a total of 22 officers policed the COPEX exhibition at an estimated additional total cost of £1,050.00.

  Prison Education Service
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provision exists in the prison education system to cater for prisoners who(a) already have achieved and (b) have not achieved educational success. [397]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about what provision exists in the prison education system to cater for prisoners who (a) already have achieved and (b) have not achieved educational success.
  A high proportion of prisoners have low educational attainments. Priority in prison education is therefore given to dealing with basic learning deficits. Adult basic education courses in literacy and numeracy are provided at all adult establishments and courses in English for speakers of other languages are provided where required. We are in the process of implementing a national core curriculum which emphasises adult basic education and social and life skills, English for speakers of other languages, information technology,
  466
  and how to be an effective learner. In addition, courses are made available at the discretion of the individual governor in accordance with orders placed on the education provider (usually a college of further education) which holds the contract for that establishment.
  There are opportunities for prisoners who wish to undertake advanced academic studies, including, in some cases, study for A Levels and enrolment as undergraduates with the Open University, or with other universities as external students.
  Not all of the courses available to prisoners are geared towards academic or vocational success. Prisoners of all abilities can derive benefit from art and craft classes and activities, or distance learning materials obtainable through the education department for open and flexible learning. More advanced students may study for GNVQs and GCSE in various subjects and some establishments run vocational training and construction industry training courses, with opportunities to achieve National Vocational Qualifications.

  Doncaster Prison
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the use of HM prison Doncaster for immigration detainees is now a permanent arrangement; [479]

  (2) who took the decision to hold immigration detainees in Doncaster prison; and on what date the decision was taken. [400]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the decision to hold immigration detainees in Doncaster prison and whether its use for that purpose is now a permanent arrangement.
  The decision to use a unit in Doncaster prison for holding immigration detainees was taken in June 1994 and formally announced on 13 June 1994.
  Because of population pressures and reservations subsequently expressed by the Immigration and Nationality Department of the Home Office as to its suitability for holding Immigration Act detainees, only limited use, on grounds of operational expediency, has been made of Doncaster for the holding of persons detained solely under the Immigration Act 1971. There are currently three such persons detained there. It has not been formally removed from the list of Prison Service establishments designated for the holding of such detainees but the Prison Service and the Immigration and Nationality Department are considering possible alternatives.

  Mr. Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detainees Doncaster prison holds at any one time; where the prison detainees are being held; what special facilities have been made available for the detainees; and what provisions there are in the contract signed in February 1994 between the Home Office and the contractor for this arrangement. [401]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many detainees Doncaster prison holds at any one time; where the prison detainees are being held; what special

  467
  facilities have been made available for the detainees; and what provisions there are in the contract signed in February 1994 between the Home Office and the contractor for this arrangement.
  There is no agreed number of detainees held in Doncaster. There are currently three detainees, detained solely under the Immigration Act 1971, held at Doncaster. Two are in normal accommodation and one, who is a paraplegic, in the Health Care Centre.
  Detainees at Doncaster have access to the same facilities as other prisoners. There are no special facilities specifically for detainees.
  The contract between the Home Office and Premier Prison Services (PPS) requires PPS to hold up to 771 prisoners at Doncaster. A prisoner is defined as "any person for the time being detained in legal custody as a result of a requirement imposed by a court or otherwise that he be so detained". This includes detainees.

  Blakehurst Prison
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list steps taken to implement each of the recommendations set out on pages 86 to 97 inclusive of Judge Tumim's inspection report on Her Majesty's prison Blakenhurst published on 1 February 1995 by(a) UK Detention Services Ltd. and (b) the Prison service. [386]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons on Blakenhurst prison.
  The attached note, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House, gives details of the steps taken to implement each of the recommendations to the Director General of the Prison Service, the Prison Service area manager responsible for Blakenhurst and the Director of the establishment.

  ANNEXE

  Recommendations to the Director General

  8.01 Deficiencies in meeting the contract should be addressed by all parties in particular as follows:

  Examination of Contractor's financial records excluding prisoner earnings (Schedule 1.21 (v))

  The Contract (Schedule 1, condition 21(v)) requires the contractor to keep books of account which are made available to inspection. The Contractor complied with the contract by making accounts available as and when requested.

  Revision of Schedule 3 price (Schedule 1.21(iv))

  Price revision is a commercial matter, subject to negotiation between the Contractor and the Prison Service, and dependent on consideration of the relevant indices issued by Central Statistical Office and their insertion in the price revision formula given in Schedule 3 of the contract. Both parties are complying with this procedure.

  Progress reports (Schedule 1.36)

  Progress reports have been supplied when requested by the Prison Service in full compliance with the contract. In addition regular meetings have been held between the Prison Service and UKDS, often with the on-site Prison Service Controller and the director of the prison present, to discuss progress as well as performance.

  Identify specific records to be kept (Schedule 1.37)

  Specific records have been dentified and kept by the Contractor including maintenance schedules, prisoner damage reports, escorting and prisoner population records in full compliance with the contract.

  468

  Regular reviews of cleaning programme (Schedule 2.20)

  A programme was agreed formally on 23 July 1993. Weekly reports are submitted to the Controller, together with frequent reviews held at minuted meetings.

  Prisoner compacts (Schedule 2.69)

  A system was drawn up and agreed between Contractor and Controller on 25 June 1993 and formally reviewed on 28 April 1994. When the inspection team visited the compact was not being used because of a failure in communication between two UKDS departments. The director put the system back into use during the inspection week.

  Prisoners involved in decision making and methods of doing so (Schedule 2.72)

  At the time of the inspection prisoners were members of the unit and food meetings, this continues but even more prisoner involvement is planned. This arrangement complies with the contract.

  Consultancy/free telephone to Citizens Advice Bureau (Schedule 2.100)

  The Citizens Advice Bureau offers a consultancy on Wednesday evenings. Free telephone calls are available house block senior custody officers. This meets the requirements of the contract.

  Regime review (Schedule 2.118)

  Since Blakenhurst was incorporated into the Prison Service line management in April 1994, regime monitoring has been fully implemented.

  Commercial arrangements for prisoners' work (Schedule 2.121) and review of Business Plan (Schedule 2.121)

  It has proved difficult for UKDS to generate much commercial work for prisoners because of the shortage of high grade "real wages" work appropriate for prisoners. At present this is offered in the Komatsu Shop, which refurbishes industrial machinery. The "real wage" system began on 21 November 1994 and involves a maximum of ten prisoners.

  Continuing review and improvement of the induction/assessment policy (Schedule 2.130)

  Revised induction/assessment is now in operation and fully meets the contract.

  Contacts by prisoners with the community prior to release (Schedule 2.131)

  The arrangements for resettlement have in the past been a cause for concern because the throughcare input lacked sufficient thrust and direction. This has been much improved with the arrival of a new senior probation officer and greater cooperation. The director/chief probation officer contract has been reviewed and action taken to revitalise weak areas. The area manager has requested additional throughcare proposals from UKDS.

  Treatment programme for convicted sex offenders (Schedule 2.135)

  Although the Contract refers to the national "core" programme, The Prison Service subsequently agreed that this was not appropriate for a local prison. The sex offender treatment programme at Blakenhurst is an assessment programme and the contractual wording has been amended to reflect that.

  8.02 The contract document should be strengthened to take fuller account of offers made in the Contractor's tender submission (2.13)

  The contractor is obliged by the contract to deliver the services in conjunction with, and in the spirit of, his tender. There would be some difficulty enforcing this—a weakness that has been rectified in subsequent contracts.

  8.03 The amount of assistance which can appropriately be given to the Contractor by the Controller should be defined clearly (2.22)

  HMCIP felt that the Controllers were taking too active a role in management. In the early days this was the case. But it has not fettered the Controllers' capacity to inspect and monitor. When the Area Manager took line responsibility in April 1994 the Controller's role was reviewed. New job descriptions for the Controller and his deputy were agreed on 4 May 1994. They meet the point made by the Inspectorate.

  469

  RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE AREA MANAGER

  8.04 The extent of monitoring local financial information by the Controller and area manager should be reviewed.

  Under the contract, UKDS receive a lump sum for running the prison. The Prison Service has no control over how this is spent as long as the contract is not breached in any way.

  8.05 The monitoring of each part of the contract should be more methodical and records should be kept of the date on which each aspect is examined.

  This formal monitoring is now being carried out.

  8.06 Category D prisoners should not be held in secure accommodation.

  Six category D prisoners are retained for special work places and all others have been transferred.

  8.07 The director should receive copies of all relevant Prison Service instructions, advice to governors and information notices including copies of briefing papers.

  This is now done.

  8.08 A shower should be provided in the kitchen for the inmate work party.

  This is still under consideration by the director.

  8.09 Consideration should be given to providing a secure treatment room on the ground floor of the hospital and one in the vulnerable prisoner unit.

  This recommendation was considered but rejected by the director.

  8.10 The Prison Service should take back unwanted class 1 locks and reimburse the contractor for those not used.

  This has been done.

  8.11 An emergency exit door should be provided in the education department leading from either the glass engraving or the cookery rooms to the outside walkway.

  Automatic closures have been fitted to the door as recommended in the fire safety report of June 1993.

  8.12 Technical advice should be sought about the effect of the screening of the vulnerable prisoner spur on the airflow in the event of a fire.

  Advice has been received and is being considered.

  8.13 Privacy screening should be provided around the bath in reception.

  This has been done.

  8.14 The facilities in the vulnerable prisoner unit should be upgraded to overcome the claustrophobic atmosphere and provide a proper servery, adequate storerooms and offices, and opportunities for more activities.

  A storeroom has been provided together with an improved trolley system. The other recommendations were rejected on cost grounds.

  8.15 Equipment required by the optician and physiotherapist should be supplied.

  The equipment has been supplied.

  8.16The alarm system for the hospital should be reviewed.

  This has been done and the appropriate action taken.

  8.17 The use of the special medical room should be reviewed in comparison with other local prisons.

  This is now being done.

  8.18 The security of the treatment/dispensing room should be improved.

  The security of the doors has been improved.

  8.19 An ultrasonic instrument cleaner should be supplied for the dentist.

  This has now been supplied.

  8.20 There should be a doctor's consulting suite on the VP unit with a properly equipped doctor's interview room and a separate treatment room.

  This is not required. Prisoners from the VPU attend the health care centre for interviews and treatment.

  Racially Motivated Crime
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a breakdown of the numbers of racially motivated crimes reported over the last 15 years for each police authority in the United Kingdom. [1530]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 24 November 1995]: The available information relates to reported racial incidents in England and Wales since 1989 and has been provided by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary. The figures for 1994–95 will be published shortly. Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the Secretary of State in each Department.

  Reported racial incidents by police force area: 1989 to 1993–94

  Police force area

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  11993–94

  Avon and Somerset

  71

  83

  148

  98

  159

  Bedfordshire

  25

  33

  0

  57

  60

  Cambridgeshire

  60

  71

  107

  110

  100

  Cheshire

  0

  0

  3

  29

  98

  Cleveland

  55

  57

  68

  73

  50

  Cumbria

  4

  1

  9

  13

  17

  Derbyshire

  20

  53

  143

  60

  221

  Devon and Cornwall

  3

  6

  9

  7

  14

  Dorset

  12

  3

  9

  10

  25

  Durham

  23

  41

  70

  40

  32

  Essex

  26

  43

  59

  80

  133

  Gloucestershire

  20

  51

  25

  33

  28

  Greater Manchester

  40

  123

  204

  401

  658

  Hampshire

  50

  42

  141

  139

  212

  Hertfordshire

  49

  51

  0

  106

  117

  Humberside

  52

  67

  81

  68

  79

  Kent

  81

  88

  120

  56

  160

  Lancashire

  93

  201

  119

  231

  262

  Leicestershire

  190

  287

  369

  338

  315

  Lincolnshire

  2

  2

  4

  5

  4

  City of London

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Merseyside

  123

  144

  162

  134

  155

  Metropolitan Police

  —

  2,908

  3,373

  3,227

  2 5,124

  Norfolk

  22

  23

  45

  30

  33

  Northamptonshire

  72

  66

  60

  120

  102

  Northumbria

  217

  289

  376

  349

  405

  North Yorkshire

  6

  12

  20

  22

  22

  Nottinghamshire

  27

  135

  221

  222

  264

  South Yorkshire

  52

  117

  124

  151

  106

  Staffordshire

  44

  101

  158

  95

  117

  Suffolk

  62

  74

  75

  55

  73

  Surrey

  7

  7

  50

  61

  79

  Sussex

  141

  92

  98

  98

  214

  Thames Valley

  128

  171

  201

  195

  166

  Warwickshire

  21

  44

  32

  35

  87

  West Mercia

  6

  13

  3

  19

  100

  West Midlands

  169

  268

  445

  379

  487

  West Yorkshire

  306

  254

  322

  218

  244

  Wiltshire

  19

  25

  29

  24

  51

  Dyfed Powys

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Gwent

  4

  5

  12

  31

  21

  North Wales

  1

  0

  3

  4

  2

  South Wales

  94

  308

  385

  311

  400

  England and Wales

  12,397

  6,359

  7,882

  7,734

  10,997

  1 Financial year data. Some of the increase in total reported incidents in 1993–94 may be attributable to the implementation of a precise definition of a racial incident when included in the Police Service Performance Indicator Suite.

  2 Adjusted figure (due to a change in classification criteria) from that given in the Official Report (24 June 1994, Column 330).

  3 Excluding Metropolitan Police.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list for his executive agencies for the last financial year in respect of overseas travel by agency staff(a) the costs of the travel, (b) the countries visited and (c) the posts held by the staff concerned. [2286]

  The Attorney-General
  The one executive agency for which I am responsible is Government Property Lawyers. No member of staff of the agency travelled overseas in an official capacity in the financial year 1994–95.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Attorney-General what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1942]

  The Attorney-General
  The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Local Government
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the Acts of Parliament and Consolidation Acts that affect local government that have been introduced by his Department since January 1994. [2831]

  The Attorney-General
  The Solicitor-General took through the House of Commons the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1995 which effected the repeal of certain obsolete and unnecessary local enactments. Subject to this, no Acts of Parliament affecting local government have been introduced by my Department since January 1994.

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list all those in his Department who have authority to issue public interest immunity certificates; how many such certificates have been issued in each of the last five years; and what were the main reasons for them. [1428]

  The Attorney-General
  A claim to public interest immunity relating to departmental documents or information is normally made by the appropriate Minister. Any claim relating to my own department would be made by me or, in my absence, the Solicitor-General. I am also responsible for three departments headed by a statutory officer holder: the Director of Public Prosecutions, the director of the Serious Fraud Office and the Treasury Solicitor. They may make a public interest immunity claim relating to their departments, after consultation with me. The following claims have been made inter partes. The director of the Serious Fraud Office made a claim in 1994, by affidavit, to preserve the confidentiality attaching to documents and information relating to the internal decision making process of the SFO.

  In addition, I am aware of two certificates used in 1991 and 1992 in proceedings in Northern Ireland. Both were signed by my predecessor and were intended to preserve the confidentiality attaching to exchanges between the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will set up a Select Committee to examine the circumstances of the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie. [682]

  Mr. Newton
  As I told the hon. Gentleman in my answer to his similar question on 23 October 1995,Official Report, column 458, there are no plans to do so.

  Members' Pay
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council when he plans to review hon. Members' pay. [685]

  Mr. Newton
  As I indicated in the debate on ministerial salaries on 26 October,Official Report, column 1191, my aim is to maintain arrangements under which hon. Members' pay can be increased annually in a fair and sensible way, without the need for annual debate.

  Trade Union Sponsorship
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Lord President of the Council when the Privileges Committee last examined the relationship between an hon. Member and any trade union sponsorship applicable to that Member. [688]

  Mr. Newton
  The function of the Committee of Privileges, which is to be replaced by the Select Committee on Standards and Privileges, is to consider matters of complaint of breach of privilege referred to them by the House.

  Complaints relating to trade union sponsorship have been referred to the Committee on a number of occasions. The most recent report of the Committee relating to such a complaint is the first report from the Committee of Session 1990–91—House of Commons Paper No. 420— which contains details of earlier cases.

  Legislation (Scrutiny)
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what consideration he has given to including departmental Select Committees in the procedures for the scrutiny of legislation. [687]

  Mr. Newton
  None, but my hon. Friend may wish to draw the matter to the attention of the Procedure Committee.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what progress has been made towards cutting energy consumption in Government buildings for which he has responsibility in each year since 1990. [1434]

  Mr. Newton
  The Privy Council Office is housed within the Cabinet Office estate. I accordingly refer the hon. Member to the reply given on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to my hon. Friend the Member for East Surrey, (Mr. Ainsworth) on 17 May 1995,Official Report, column 2600.

  Drugs Information
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what plans he has to distribute the leaflet, "Tackling Drugs Together: Information for Parents, Businesses and Communities"; and when the distribution will take place. [1500]

  Mr. Newton
  Over 5,000 copies of the leaflet, which is intended to involve local communities in the Government's strategy to tackle the misuse of drugs, have already been sent to the 105 drug action teams which have recently been set up across England, in accordance with the White Paper "Tackling Drugs Together". Copies have also been placed in the Library of the House.

  The drug action teams are determining the distribution arrangements for the leaflet in the light of their local knowledge and developing plans to engage their communities—including parents and businesses—in tackling local drugs problems. Some drug action teams are, for example, planning to distribute the leaflet to all GP surgeries.

WALES

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions air pollution levels have exceeded recommended official Government levels in each county and for Wales as a whole, in each of the last three years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement. [470]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  There are currently four European directives on air quality which set mandatory and non-mandatory limits for lead, sulphur dioxide and suspended particles, nitrogen dioxide and ozone levels in the air.

  In the last three years the relevant thresholds were breached at Government monitoring sites in Wales as follows:

  Number of Exceedences

  Limit

  Site

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Taken on a daily basis:

  Ozone information

  Aston Hill

  3 days

  1 day

  1 day

  threshold

  Cardiff

  2 days

  —

  1 day

  Taken on an annual basis:

  Guide value for SO2

  Cwmgwrach

  Exc.

  —

  —

  Port Talbot

  Exc.

  —

  —

  Glynneath

  Exc.

  Exc.

  Exc.

  Taken on an annual basis:

  Guide value for suspended particles

  Wrexham

  —

  Exc.

  —

  Exc.= Exceeded the Guide values, based on the average daily readings taken over the year.

  474
  Further information is available in the environmental digest for Wales and the report "Air Pollution in the UK 1993–94", copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Emergency Hospital Beds
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to require each NHS trust to publish information regarding the frequency of closure of admittance to emergency hospital beds. [638]

  Mr. Richards
  I have no such proposals, but I would expect trusts to make this information available locally on request.

  Mr. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the frequency of the closure of admittance to emergency hospital beds, expressing the number of beds so closed as a proportion of the total number of hospital beds and indicating the percentage increase or decrease, in each case, for each NHS trust and for Wales as a whole for the last two years for which information is available. [898]

  Mr. Richards
  Operational information of this kind is not held centrally.

  Out-of-town Superstores
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list all out-of-town superstores(a) for which planning applications were made and (b) for which planning consent was granted since 1990, indicating the dates; and if he will make a statement. [1085]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if it is the policy of his Department for Ministers to reply to hon. Members' letters in the language requested by those hon. Members. [1767]

  Mr. Hague
  If an hon. Member requests that we reply in Welsh or in English we will comply with that request.

  Legislative Repeals
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what legislation from his Department passed in the last five years contains provision for statutory repeal or review. [2039]

  Mr. Hague
  My Department has been responsible for promoting a small number of Bills in the last five years. None contains provision for statutory repeal or review.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1959]

  Mr. Hague
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Dry Stone Walls
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what(a) grants and (b) other support will be available from his Department for the conservation and protection of dry stone walls from April 1996. [2328]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Grants for the restoration, conservation and protection of dry stone walls are available from the Welsh Office in those parts of Wales which are designated as environmentally sensitive areas and those areas which come under the Tir Cymen pilot scheme administered by the Countryside Council for Wales. Support under these schemes will continue beyond April 1996.

  Assistance towards the provision, replacement or improvement of walls is also available throughout Wales under the farm and conservation grant scheme which is currently due to end on 19 February 1996. I have asked my officials to investigate the possibilities that may exist to enable the continuation in Wales of grant aid for capital works—including dry stone walling—that are available under the scheme. We shall make an announcement in due course.

SCOTLAND

  Hospital Closures
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many closure proposals are currently being

  Health visitors and district nurses1: by qualification

  Headcount: at 30 September

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  21995

  Health visitors

  1,753

  1,793

  1,762

  1,889

  1,843

  1,823

  1,786

  1,758

  Health visitors 3

  1,609

  1,651

  1,612

  1,676

  1,640

  1,630

  1,609

  1,588

  Health visitor with combined duties4

  144

  142

  150

  213

  203

  193

  177

  170

  District nurses

  53,220

  2,727

  2,702

  2,696

  2,687

  2,650

  2,672

  2,691

  District nurses 3

  52,575

  2,104

  2,104

  2,101

  2,103

  2,095

  2,143

  2,177

  District nurse with combined duties4

  645

  623

  598

  595

  584

  555

  529

  514

  Notes:

  1Data from September 1991 are derived using a new occupation classification for nursing staff. This may have caused some discontinuities in the time series as previous misclassifications have been corrected.

  2 Data at 31 March 1995.

  3 The figures for health visitors and district nurses include some staff without an HV or DN qualification working in these fields, probably in a supporting role.

  4 Health visitors with combined duties including district nursing and vice versa are included under both categories in the table, (i.e., double counted).

  5Data at 30 September 1988 include some qualified nurses working in the community but not necessarily as district nurses. In subsequent years these nurses have been reclassified.

  Source:

  National Manpower Statistics from payroll (NAMS) Information and Statistics Division.

  Health visitors and district nurses1: by qualification

  Whole time equivalent: at 30 September

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  19952

  Health visitors

  1,655.30

  1,696.30

  1,653.50

  1,751.20

  1,692.40

  1,663.70

  1,613.50

  1,588.30

  Health visitors 3

  1,516

  1,559.60

  1,508.60

  1,546.20

  1,497.40

  1,479.10

  14,431

  1,424

  Health visitor with combined duties 4

  139.3

  136.7

  144.9

  205

  195

  184.6

  170.4

  164.4

  476
  submitted by NHS trusts and boards with regard to long-term stay in Scotland; and if he will list the hospitals targeted for closure. [1272]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have approved the closure of Gartloch, Woodilee, Gogarburn, Broomhill and Lochmaddy hospitals. All will remain open until such time as the planned reprovision of accommodation and services are in place and available.

  Proposals affecting Lochgreen, Lennos Castle, Craig Dunain and Eastbank hospitals have been submitted by the respective health boards for my consideration.

  Closure proposals are a matter for the health boards. Before they are presented for my decision the health boards must conduct a public consultation exercise in every case. On receipt of closure proposals I look for confirmation that genuine consultations have taken place; that the reprovision arrangements are appropriate; and that the health board has agreed its proposals with the local social work and housing authorities.

  District Nurses and Health Visitors
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the numbers of district nurses and the numbers of health visitors employed in Scotland, broken down by real frequency and whole-time equivalents for the years between 1988 and 1995 inclusive. [1269]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is set out in the tables.
  477

  Health visitors and district nurses1: by qualification

  Whole time equivalent: at 30 September

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  19952

  District nurses

  52,555.1

  2,318

  2,281.20

  2,239.40

  2,201.40

  2,187.50

  2,177

  2,188.20

  District nurses3

  51,983.1

  1,762

  1,744.30

  1,713.50

  1,691.80

  1,697.80

  1,705.80

  1,731.60

  District nurse with combined duties 4

  572

  556

  536.9

  525.9

  509.6

  489.7

  471.2

  456.6

  Notes:

  1 Data from September 1991 are derived using a new occupation classification for nursing staff. This may have caused some discontinuities in the time series as previous misclassifications have been corrected.

  2 Data at 31 March 1995.

  3 The figures for health visitors and district nurses include some staff without an HV or DN qualification working in these fields, probably in a supporting role.

  4 Health visitors with combined duties including district nursing and vice versa are included under both categories in the table, (i.e. double counted).

  5 Data at 30 September 1988 include some qualified nurses working in the community but not necessarily as district nurses. In subsequent years these nurses have been reclassified.

  Source:

  National Manpower Statistics from payroll (NAMS) Information and Statistics Division.

  Research and Development
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the indicative contributions to the EU budget in respect of research and development for his Department in 1993–94. [1915]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Table 2.1 of the statistical supplement to the "Forward Look of Government-funded Science, Engineering and Technology" contains indicative figures for the United Kingdom's contributions to the EC budget in respect of research and development. The Scottish Office does not have policy responsibility for Community R and D expenditure and makes no direct contribution to the R and D budget.

  Appeals

  Allowed

  Refused or abandoned

  Outstanding

  1 October 1993–31 December 1993

  Nil

  —

  —

  —

  1 January 1994–31 December 1994

  1

  1

  —

  —

  1 January 1995–24 November 1995

  11

  2

  6

  3

  Procurators Fiscal
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what procurator fiscal staff and services are currently in Arbroath; and when he intends to fill any vacancies; [2333]

  (2) what were the numbers and locations of procurator fiscal staff in each Angus sheriffdom in each of the past five years; [2331]

  (3) what consultations he has had and he intends having before finalising decisions about changes in the procurator fiscal system in Angus and Scotland; [2332]

  (4) when he intends to appoint a procurator fiscal based in Arbroath. [2330]

  Criminal Appeals
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in each of the past four years the Lord Advocate has appealed a sentence passed on conviction on indictment which he is considered to be(a) unduly lenient and (b) wrong in law; of such appeals, how many led to the imposition of heavier sentences and how many were found to be wrong in law; and if he will make a statement. [1086]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In terms of section 228A(a) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 the Lord Advocate was given the power to appeal against a sentence imposed in respect of an indictment on the ground that it is considered by him to be unduly lenient. This provision came into force on 1 October 1993. To date the power has been exercised as shown in the table.

  There have been no appeals by the Lord Advocate thus far in terms of section 228A(b) on a point of law.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There were four staff in the Forfar procurator fiscal's office between 1991 and 1993, and from 1994 to date there have been three. There are five staff in the procurator fiscal's office in Arbroath. There has been no change in the staffing level there in the last five years. The holder of the office of procurator fiscal, Arbroath, transferred to the procurator fiscal's office in Glasgow on 23 November 1995, and the procurator fiscal, Dundee, has been appointed procurator fiscal, Arbroath,ad interim.

  The Lord Advocate is presently giving consideration to the future arrangements for staffing the Arbroath and Forfar offices. In the event that he proposes any change from previous arrangements which would have significant implications, he will consult relevant interests.
  479
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the level of business undertaken by the procurator fiscal service in Arbroath in each of the past five years. [2235]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The following table shows the number of reports received by the procurator fiscal from the police and other reporting agencies for the years 1990 to 1995, and gives details of court proceedings.

  Procurator fiscal's office, Arbroath

  Total reports received

  Solemn Pleas

  Courts trials

  Summary pleas

  Courts trials

  1990–91

  3,076

  13

  15

  1,520

  179

  1991–92

  3,521

  22

  12

  1,692

  185

  1992–93

  3,767

  16

  15

  1,439

  198

  1993–94

  2,953

  19

  8

  1,545

  161

  1994–95

  3,133

  15

  6

  1,184

  125

  Dry Stone Walls
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what(a) grants and (b) other support will be available from his Department for the conservation and protection of dry stone walls from April 1996. [2327]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Grant assistance for dry stone walling works in Scotland is available from the following sources:

  Objective 1 highlands and islands agricultural programme (agricultural business improvement scheme): 70 per cent. grant for dyking works on inbye and hill land, and for the provision of dykes to exclude livestock in association with conservation management;

  Crofting counties agricultural grants scheme (Scottish Crofting Counties only): 55 per cent grant for the provision, substantial alteration, restoration and protection of dry stone walls for agricultural purposes;

  Scottish Natural Heritage: grants up to a maximum rate of 50 per cent. for dry stone walling works which improve the character and attractiveness of the landscape, and contribute to conservation of biodiversity.

  The Government have no. current plans to withdraw assistance under these schemes. Grants at the rate of 30 per cent.—within less-favoured areas—and 25 per cent.—outwith less-favoured areas—are currently available in Scotland under the farm and conservation grant scheme, national. However, the legislation governing this scheme is due to expire in February 1996. We are currently considering future arrangements.

  Depending on the nature of their management agreements, farmers in environmentally sensitive areas in Scotland can receive payments at varying rates, depending on location, for dry stone walling works. It is likely that this form of support will also continue beyond April 1996.

  Departmental Contracts
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts have been awarded by him to the consultancy firm PIEDA in the past 10 years: at what cost and on what subjects. [1224]
  480
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 22 November 1995]: Detailed information about all consultancy contracts let by my Department is not maintained centrally and a full reply could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. However, two surveys were carried out by my Department in February 1994 and August 1995 from which the following contracts have been identified:

  1990–91

  Appraisal of business plans

  Aerial surveillance operations

  1991–92

  Housing initiative survey

  Interim evaluation of Strathclyde integrated development operation Highlands and island interim evaluation of national programme of community interest.

  1992–93

  West Nerston retail impact study

  Stirling Castle visitors centre study

  1993–94

  Evaluation of the crofters building grants and loans scheme

  1994–95

  Staffing and organisational review of sea fisheries inspectorate

  evaluation of the crofters building grants and loans scheme

  1995–96

  Staffing and organisational review of sea fisheries inspectorate

  Financial management review of Scottish Homes

  Information on costs is available in relation to the work carried out in 1994–95 and 1995–96 when contracts awarded were valued at a total of £92,500.

  Ambulance Service
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what performance targets are set for the Scottish ambulance service for non-emergency calls. [1226]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [Holding answer 22 November 1995]: Non-emergency patients are taken to routine hospital appointments by the patient transport service provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service NHS trust. This service is purchased by NHS trusts to standards which are sensitive to local circumstances and are agreed as part of the contracting process. To monitor performance and identify possible improvements, each division of the Scottish Ambulance Service NHS trust conducts an annual patient satisfaction survey. In addition the accident and emergency service provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service NHS trust also deals with calls classified by general practitioners or other health care workers as urgent. In such cases the target is for 95 per cent. of patients to arrive at hospital no later than 15 minutes after the time agreed with the caller, this is typically one to two hours but is determined by the caller's assessment of the patients clinical need.

DEFENCE

  Bosnia
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the further deployment of British troops to the former Yugoslavia as part of the international peace plan. [2446]
  481
  Mr. Portillo
  Contingency planning for a NATO-led force to help implement a peace agreement on Bosnia is well advanced. Britain will make a significant contribution.

  Final decisions on the British contribution, and on the time scale of deployment, cannot be taken yet. They depend on the satisfactory outcome of a number of important issues, including signature of the peace agreement by the parties and equitable burden sharing among our allies. Details of the various national contributions to the force, including those from non-NATO countries, remain under discussion with NATO. The commitment of substantial US ground forces will be a pre-requisite for the involvement of our own forces. NATO plans to withdraw the force within 12 months.

  Current planning envisages British forces operating in central and western Bosnia, with the headquarters located at Gornji Vakuf, in our present area of operations. In addition, we plan to contribute our existing sea and air assets in theatre, although we would expect our maritime forces to reduce as the embargoes are lifted.

  The NATO operation will be run on the ground by the headquarters of NATO's ACE Rapid Reaction Corps, for which we have the lead alliance responsibility. That means that the United Kingdom will provide the commander, General Sir Michael Walker, and about 60 per cent. of the staff.

  On top of that we are considering deploying a divisional headquarters—3 UK Division—and a brigade with armour, infantry and artillery elements, under Headquarters 4 Armoured Brigade, together with a number of supporting units.

  The forces will incorporate units from our UN contingent already in Bosnia. As my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary said on 22 November, Official Report, column 667, we expect the total land force contribution to be of the order of 13,000.

  Such a force is bound to involve the United Kingdom in greater expense than would have been the cost to us from continuing with our role in UNPROFOR, but those extra costs cannot yet be calculated with accuracy.

  Along with the forces from other NATO countries, including the US, it will probably be necessary to pre-position a number of personnel to prepare for the deployment of the main forces who will follow as soon as possible after the final signature of a peace agreement. The notice to move all units which may be involved in the deployment as a whole is being reviewed and will be reduced as necessary.

  Indonesian Pilots (Training)
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the pilots of the Indonesian Air Force have been trained at any of the RAF flying schools in the United Kingdom; and, if so, if he will give the numbers of pilots, the years, and the bases at which such training took place. [902]

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 6 November,Official Report, column 595.

  Procurement Executive, Abbey Wood
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the compliance with value for money requirement of his Department's Abbey Wood procurement executive headquarters. [2444]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The Abbey Wood project has been assessed against value-for-money criteria at all stages since its inception. Two investment appraisals in 1991 justified the selection of Bristol as the location and Abbey Wood as the site for collating the procurement executive. The late 1992 IA, which reappraised alternative accommodation solutions, justified the decision to proceed with the Abbey Wood construction programme. Subsequent appraisals in 1993 assessed the impact of taxation of relocation allowances, and the implementation of changes in management of the common user estate.

  During the 1994 defence costs study, 27 options including the base case were appraised to reconsider the cost-effectiveness of the Abbey Wood project in the light of anticipated reductions in the size of the procurement executive headquarters organisation. I As have been scrutinised within the Department, by the Treasury at each major approval stage, and by the National Audit Office.

  Value engineering has been applied extensively during the development of the design, resulting in some £27 million being saved in acquisition costs compared with less well optimised schemes. Life cycle costing techniques have been applied to inform major design decisions, with investment appraisals being conducted on design options, resulting in energy efficient and low maintenance cost solutions. Construction contracts have been subject to competition, and proposals evaluated against value for money criteria, taking account of risk assessment.

  The cost-effectiveness of options proposed by tenderers were assessed in terms of both capital and life cycle costs, and adopted where better value for money would result. Space standards have been subject to two strategic reviews, resulting in tauter space standards being adopted. A strict configuration control regime has been in force to minimise cost variances arising from changes, yet allowing potential additional savings to be evaluated.

  Planning for a comprehensive post-project evaluation has been initiated to enable the overall cost-effectiveness of the collocation of the PE to be assessed upon completion of the project.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the working area per square metre for each person at his Department's procurement executive headquarters at Abbey Wood. [2441]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Within the Abbey Wood headquarters office buildings, the basic work space allocation for each employee is:

  Metre2

  All staff up to, and including grade 6

  6.75

  Staff at grade 5 and grade 4

  13.00

  Staff at grade 3 and above

  27.00

  483
  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current total estimated cost for the railway and station at Filton being built to service his Department's Abbey Wood procurement executive; and what was the original total estimated cost of the railway and station. [2443]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The current estimated cost of the new Filton Abbey Wood station which is being built for Avon county council to serve all the new and existing developments in the area is £885,000. The original estimated cost was £1.056 million.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's estimate of the number of employees at his Department's Abbey Wood procurement executive headquarters who will use the railway station on the site each day. [2445]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Surveys conducted within the procurement executive indicate that over 500 staff are likely to use Filton Abbey Wood railway station each day.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the procurement executive were expected to occupy the Abbey Wood procurement executive headquarters when the scheme was first announced; and how many people employed by the procurement executive are now expected to occupy the building. [2450]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  When the scheme was first announced, the planning assumption for PE HQ numbers to be accommodated at Abbey Wood was 4,800 plus a further 500 PE project related and integrated logistics support staff.

  Current plans envisage 4,300 plus a further 600 PE project related and integrated logistics support staff.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were employed in the procurement executive in each of the last three years; and what is his Department's estimate of the numbers to be employed in each of the next five years. [2451]

  Mr Arbuthnot
  The numbers of staff directly employed—military and civilian—in each of the last three years were:

  1 April 1993: 11,230

  1 April 1994: 10,760

  1 April 1995: 7,540

  During the financial year 1994–95 some 3,070 test and evaluation staff were transferred to the Defence Research Agency.

  The estimated numbers of staff to be employed to meet the anticipated programme requirement in future years, rounded, are:

  1 April 1996: 6,600

  1 April 1997: 6,350

  1 April 1998: 6,200

  1 April 1999: 6,050

  1 April 2000: 5,850

  (excluding Ministry of Defence police employed to support the nuclear contract programme).

  484
  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when final planning permission was granted for the Abbey Wood procurement executive headquarters; what is the total size of the site; how many lakes have been built on the site; what is the size of the lakes on the site; if the lakes are stocked with fish; what is the purpose of the suspension bridge situated over one of the lakes; what has been the cost of landscaping the Abbey Wood site; and how many trees were planted as part of the landscaping. [2447]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Detailed planning permission for the Abbey Wood headquarters was granted in March 1993. The total size of the site is 98 acres. One lake has been built on the site, with a surface area of 22,000 m2 to satisfy National Rivers Authority requirements to contain storm water run-off and prevent flooding of surrounding waterways. Four small ponds, with a total surface area of 600 m2 are integrated into the landscape scheme to satisfy local planning authority requirements for maintaining wildlife corridors and enhancing the ecology of the local area. There are no plans to stock the water features with fish.

  Site planning obligations, suitability of land for buildings, and on-site road infrastructure requirements to access car parks and neighbouring land dictated that land to the north-east of the site had to be annexed from the main development, and used for vehicle parking. The bridge provides pedestrian access to the north-east car park, whilst satisfying security requirements. The estimated cost of soft landscaping is £5 per sq m for a total area of 270,000 m2. Once complete, some 5,000 trees will have been planted as part of the landscape scheme which life cycle costing has shown to be more cost effective in terms of upkeep than grass.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects to name a new head of the procurement executive. [2448]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I expect to name a new head of the procurement executive in early 1996, as a result of the open competition which is currently under way.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is the prime contractor for the building of the procurement executive at Abbey Wood. [2449]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The main contractor for the shell and core construction of the buildings at Abbey Wood is John Mowlem Construction plc.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current total cost of staff relocation to his Department's Abbey Wood procurement executive headquarters; what this cost was when the project was first announced; and what are these costs per person. [2454]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Taking account of the post defence costs study restructuring of the procurement executive HQ organisation, the current estimated total cost of relocation of staff to Abbey Wood is £74.5 million. At current economic conditions, and allowing for the changes in taxation of relocation costs announced in March 1993, the original estimated total cost of staff relocation when construction of Abbey Wood was approved was £86.2 million. The current estimated average cost per head is some £22,000. The original estimated average cost per head has been calculated at some £24,000.
  485
  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been his Department's estimates in respect of the total cost of the new procurement executive headquarters at Abbey Wood in each of the last four years. [2455]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The estimated works cost of the Abbey Wood development in each of the last four financial years—inclusive of site acquisition, construction, fitting out, professional works management fees and VAT—has remained within its approved budget of £248.5 million at 1992 prices—£273.4 million at 1995 prices.

  Drugs (Army Personnel)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many drug tests have been carried out by his Department on the Army since the testing scheme was introduced; how many soldiers have been tested for drugs in this period; how many have failed the drug tests; and if he will provide a breakdown by regiment. [2595]

  Mr. Soames
  As of 15 November 1995, 16,968 Army personnel have been tested. To date, 133 have failed the test and results are awaited for a further 328 tests. The units tested are as follows—some of these have been tested more than once:

  Ministry of Defence, (Executive Committee of the Army Board)

  Headquarters Scotland

  Headquarters Northern Ireland

  Headquarters 1st (UK) Armoured Division

  Headquarters 3 (UK) Division and Signal Regiment

  Headquarters 52nd Brigade

  Headquarters 42nd (Northern Western) Brigade

  Headquarters Herford Garrison

  Headquarters Episkopi Garrison

  Headquarters Lisburn Station

  Headquarters Kineton Station

  Headquarters Joint Support Group Northern Ireland

  The Household Cavalry Regiment

  The Royal Dragoon Guards

  1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

  7th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

  5th Regiment Royal Artillery

  16th Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery

  32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

  47th Field Regiment Royal Artillery

  Royal Artillery Ranger Hebrides

  33 Engineer Regiment Royal Engineer

  1st (UK) Armoured division Headquarters & Signal Regiment

  7th Signal Regiment

  9th Signal Regiment

  15th Signal Regiment

  16th Signal Regiment

  30th Signal Regiment

  238 Signal Squadron

  241 Signal Squadron

  253 Signal Squadron

  280 Signal Squadron

  Joint Communications Unit (Northern Ireland)

  1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards

  1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards

  1st Battalion The Scots Guards

  1st Battalion The Irish Guards

  1st Battalion The Royal Scots

  1st Battalion The Royal Highland Fusiliers

  1st Battalion The Kings Own Scottish Borderers

  1st Battalion The Highlanders

  1st Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

  2nd Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment

  2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

  1 st Regiment The Prince of Wales' s Own Regiment of Yorkshire

  486

  1st Battalion The Green Howards

  1st Battalion The Queens Lancashire Regiment

  1st Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment

  1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Wales

  1st Battalion The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and

  Wiltshire Regiment

  1st Battalion The Staffordshire Regiment

  1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets

  2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment

  2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment

  5th Regiment Army Air Corps

  9th Regiment Army Air Corps

  3 Base Ammunition Depot

  3 Close Support Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

  5 Airborne Brigade Combat Services Support Battalion

  6 Supply Regiment Royal Logistic Corps

  7 Transport Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

  11th Explosives Ordnance Disposal Regiment Royal Logistic

  Regiment

  12 Supply Regiment Royal Logistic Corps

  15 Supply Regiment Royal Logistic Corps

  21 Logistic Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps

  23 Pioneer Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

  24 Transport Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps

  20 Squadron The Royal Logistic Corps

  221 Explosives Ordnance Disposal Squadron Royal Logistic

  Corps

  321 Explosives Ordnance Disposal Squadron Royal Logistic

  Corps Cyprus Logistic Unit

  5 Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps

  23 Parachute Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps

  6th Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

  Army Pay and Documents Office (Northern Ireland)

  Royal Military Police Training Centre Chichester

  2nd Regiment Royal Military Police

  174 Provost Company Royal Military Police

  115 Provost Company Royal Military Police

  36 Detachment Special Investigation Branch Royal Military

  Police

  32 Army Education Centre

  45 Army Education Centre

  Education Services

  7 Dental Group

  9 Dental Group

  Defence Animal Support Unit

  Rhine Area Support Unit

  Garrison Labour Support Unit Herford

  Army Families and Welfare Services Herford

  Army Careers and Information Office Herford

  Station Staff Office Herford

  Hawk Aircraft (Indonesia)
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of Hawk aircraft sold to the Indonesian Government for use by the Indonesian Air Force. [903]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  As has previously been confirmed, the Indonesian Air Force purchased 20 Hawk trainer aircraft in the early 1980s. In 1993 a further order was placed for an additional 24 aircraft which have not yet been delivered.

  Mr. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish details in the Official Report of the number of sales of Hawk trainer aircraft for each of the last available five years, indicating which countries purchased the aircraft and what numbers. [901]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  It is not normal Government practice to reveal details of specific exports. These matters are confidential between the customer and the supplier.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1943]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Departmental Dwellings
  Mr. David Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many dwellings owned by his Department are(a) currently unoccupied and (b) have been unoccupied for six months or more in the counties of (i) Mid-Glamorgan and (ii) Gwent. [2164]

  Mr. Soames
  As at 30 September 1995 my Department owned 124 vacant dwellings in Gwent, of which 116 were being held for a unit deployment due to commence in December and eight were in the process of being sold. A total of 122 of these dwellings had been vacant for more than six months. My Department owned no vacant dwellings in Mid-Glamorgan.

  Flying Training
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what were the dates of arrival and departure of Royal Air Force aircraft deployed to Goose bay for flying training in the 1994 season; [1277]

  (2) what were the dates of arrival and departure of Royal Air Force aircraft deployed to Goose bay for flying training in the 1995 season. [1313]

  Mr. Soames
  Royal Air Force aircraft were deployed to Goose bay for flying training as follows:

  1994

  1995

  Hercules

  13–17 March

  23–28 January

  Tornado GR1

  14 April-27 June

  6 July-27 September

  1 August-26 September

  —

  Private Finance Initiative
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the private finance initiative was not considered for the development of his Department's Naval Support Command at Foxhill, Bath. [2442]

  Mr. Soames
  The scope for a private finance initiative approach to the overall NSC accommodation requirement was considered before the proposals were announced but was not pursued since it was considered unlikely to provide value for money. Proposals to accommodate the NSC HQ at Ensleigh, Bath and at Abbey Wood, Bristol were announced on 14 June 1995. Subsequently, proposals for a PFI solution involving the Foxhill site were put forward by Bath city council in July and August 1995. These proposals were carefully examined. When they were adjusted to meet the NSC requirement, they did not offer better value for money than the planned way ahead which was subsequently confirmed on 6 September.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints he has received from Northumberland about tactical low-flying sorties over the area in the past five years. [2723]

  Mr. Soames
  The number of complaints and inquiries about military low flying received by my Department from Northumberland over the past five years are as follows:

  1991: 111

  1992: 220

  1993: 180

  1994: 160

  1995: 1421

  1Up to 31 October 1995.

  Portland Naval Base
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Serious Fraud Office has contacted his office concerning the sale of Portland naval base; and if he will make a statement. [2694]

  Mr. Soames
  The Serious Fraud Office contacted my Department on 19 October 1995. All complaints referred to the SFO are subject to a process known as vetting so that the SFO's decision about whether or not to accept the case is properly based on the facts available at the time of the decision. The complaint in this case is at that stage.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the compliance with the correct procedures in respect of the sale of Portland naval base to Portland Port Ltd. [2692]

  Mr. Soames
  I am completely satisfied that the correct procedures have been adopted in respect of the sale of Portland naval base following a review of the case by my senior officials and the National Audit Office.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department signed a contract with Portland Port Ltd. concerning the Portland naval base. [2691]

  Mr. Soames
  A contract has not yet been signed with Portland Port Ltd. We are at an advanced stage in finalising the details of the sale contract, which has inevitably been subject to a very complex legal negotiation. When all outstanding issues are finally resolved contracts for sale will be exchanged.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what considerations apart from the bidding price his Department took into account when evaluating bids for the purchase of Portland naval base. [2693]

  Mr. Soames
  Many factors were taken into account in selecting a purchaser including the availability and source of funding; employment projections; conformity with local aspirations; credibility of the proposed use; short, medium and long-term proposals for use; environmental issues; planning and other necessary consents.

  Drugs Tests (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when a drugs test was last carried out on the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; how many soldiers
  489
  were tested; how many (a) officers and (b) other ranks failed the test; what actions have been taken against those failing; and if he will make a statement. [2594]

  Mr. Soames
  A random drugs test was conducted on the 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on 31 October 1995. Three hundred and ninety two all ranks were tested of which no officers tested positive, but 22 other ranks did. The commanding officer will consider each of the soldier's cases on their merits before recommending to retain or discharge them.

  Expenditure Plans
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent savings in the equipment budget are being delivered by deferment of projects. [2452]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Our new expenditure plans will be published tomorrow. This Government remain committed to maintaining and enhancing the front-line capabilities of the armed forces, and to providing the support needed to enable them to carry out their wide range of tasks.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent the expenditure profile has been modified to take account of deferments in(a) capital project and (b) equipment projects. [2453]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  We will be publishing our forecast of expenditure for this financial year as part of the Budget day announcements tomorrow.

  Surplus Vessels
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 21 November,Official Report, columns 64–66, if he will list the countries to which the surplus vessels were sold; and what were the values of the contracts. [2695]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Vessels from the list given in my earlier answer were sold to: Chile, Ecuador, Lebanon, Indonesia, Portugal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brazil and India, although the vast majority were sold to the United Kingdom commercial market.

  The values of the contracts are commercially confidential and could be released only with the permission of the purchasers.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Child Care Facilities
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission when he expects comprehensive child care facilities to be available in the House. [675]

  Mr. Beith
  Details of child care facilities available to Members and staff of the House were given on 23 October 1995,Official Report, columns 458–59. There has not been any significant change since then.

  Copyright
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps are being taken to 490
  protect the copyright of parliamentary papers in the creation of an agency to run HMSO. [677]

  Mr. Beith
  By virtue of sections 165 to 167 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, the copyright in any work made by, or under the direction or control of, the House of Commons is owned by the House. The functions of the House as owner of copyright are exercised by the Speaker on the House's behalf. I can assure my hon. Friend that the Commission is well aware of the importance of protecting the House's control of that copyright and will do so vigorously. The statutory provisions I have cited are not affected by the Government's proposals to privatise HMSO.

  Radio 5 Live
  Miss Hoey
  To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee whether he will arrange for Radio 5 Live to be made available on the Parliamentary Data and Video Network in place of London Radio; and if he will make a statement. [2562]

  Mr. Waller
  Following a notice in the all-party Whip seeking Members' views on the proposal, the Information Committee has endorsed the substitution of Radio 5 Live for London Radio, which will be effected as soon as the necessary technical arrangements can be made. It should be noted that Radio 5 Live broadcasts on AM and thus the sound quality may not be as good as the FM transmissions. In the longer-term, the Committee proposes that the requirement for more television programmes will make it necessary to phase out radio on the Parliamentary Data and Video Network.

  Parliamentary Data and Video Network
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee what assessment he has made of the reliability of the Parliamentary Data and Video Network. [679]

  Mr. Waller
  The Parliamentary Data and Video Network provides a data network which is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It has been running continuously since November 1993, although it has grown considerably during that time. For the two years from November 1993 to October 1995 inclusive, downtime for the network has been calculated as follows:

  Hours

  Percentage

  PDVN unscheduled downtime

  101.65

  0.58

  PDVN scheduled downtime

  316.25

  1.80

  Downtime attributable to PWD/works

  1,056.00

  6.03

  Total

  1,473.90

  8.41

  PDVN scheduled downtime and PWD works downtime have almost all occurred over weekends or on other non-sitting days.

  On the afternoon of 16 November, a serious fault occurred on the network which resulted in intermittent problems for all users of the PDVN. The cause of the fault has now been located and the E-mail address corruption which occurred as a result of the fault is being remedied. A full investigation is under way into the cause in order to prevent a similar occurrence.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Ministerial Transport, London
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many times in the last year he has used(a) London Buses and (b) London Underground while on official business. [413]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  For short journeys in London, I usually walk—a practice I recommend to the hon. Member. For journeys outside London, I usually take the train.

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all those in his Department who have authority to issue public interest immunity certificates; how many such certificates have been issued in each of the last five years; and what were the main reasons for them. [1396]

  Mr. Boswell
  A claim to public interest immunity relating to departmental documents or information is normally made by the appropriate Minister. In the past five years only one such certificate has been issued—in 1993. Its purpose was to make a claim for public interest immunity for certain categories of confidential documents held by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the case of Littlewood v. Department of Health and MAFF, so as to enable the High Court to decide whether the interests of justice required them to be disclosed in the case.

  Arable Area Payments Scheme
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each county in England the largest single amount to an individual under the set-aside compensatory payment scheme. [2395]

  Mr. Baldry
  For reasons of confidentiality, it is not possible to identify separately any payments made under the arable area payments scheme.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each county in England the number of people claiming set-aside compensatory payments in respect of land previously used to grow crops; and if he will give a total amount by county. [2394]

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Sherwood (Mr. Tipping) on 22 November 1995,Official Report, columns 199–200.

  Dry Stone Walls
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what(a) grants and (b) other support will be available from his Department for the conservation and protection of dry stone walls from April 1996; [2325]

  (2) what plans he has to introduce a nationwide grant scheme for the conservation and protection of dry stone walls. [2326]
  492
  Mr. Boswell
  The Department's responsibilities in this area extend only to England. Payments for the restoration of dry stone walls are available under the environmentally sensitive areas scheme. We shall shortly issue a consultation paper giving detailed proposals for the future of the countryside stewardship scheme, which provides payments for environmental purposes in the wider countryside outside ESAs.

  Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fishing vessel decommissions his Department funded during the year 1994–95; what was the average funding per vessel; what is the average cost of decommissioning a vessel; and how many vessel owners applied to his Department for funding to decommission their vessels during the year 1994–95. [2653]

  Mr. Baldry
  Under the Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) Scheme 1994, 471 applications were received, and 162 vessels were successfully decommissioned at a total cost of £8.8 million. The average cost per vessel was some £54,160. Owners submit bids taking account of the cost of the applicant of scrapping. Information on this cost is not available centrally.

  Departmental Targets
  Ms Armstrong
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture,
  Fisheries and Food what is the published recommended response time within which his Department is expected to reply to letters from the public. [3000]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  This Department has a recommended response time of 28 days from the date of receipt to reply to letters from members of the public.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Civil Service (Casual Staff)
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will specify the equivalent qualifications to O-Levels for employment as a civil service casual administrative assistant; and what assessment he has made as to whether those qualifications are such as not to constitute a prima facie case of discrimination against women who have brought up children. [1411]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The following qualifications are accepted as equivalent to the normal eligibility requirement of at least two grade C passes in GCSE-GCE O-Level including English language for the purposes of employment as a casual administrative assistance in the Northern Ireland civil service:

  BEC Higher National Diploma

  BEC Higher National Certificate

  BEC National Diploma

  BEC National Certificate

  BEC General Diploma

  BEC General Certificate

  BEC Certificate in Office Studies

  TEC Higher Diploma

  493

  TEC Higher Certificate

  Btec Higher National Diploma

  Btec Higher National Certificate

  Btec National Diploma

  Btec National Certificate

  Btec General Diploma

  Btec General Certificate

  Btec 1st Awards

  RSA Certificate/Diploma in Office Procedures

  RSA Certificate Office Practice Level II

  RSA Certificate Office Studies

  RSA Business Administration

  NCVQ Level I and II Business Administration

  SNVQ Level I and II Business Administration

  City and Guilds Technician Certificate.

  Other formal qualifications equivalent to a grade C pass in individual subject areas are also acceptable. Formal qualifications not on the above list are considered on a case-by-case basis. It is not evident how the use of such an extensive range of qualifications would constitute a prima facie case of discrimination against women who have brought up children.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will arrange for satisfactory previous employment as a casual administrative assistant in the civil service to be added to the list of qualifications equivalent to O-levels for future such employment as a casual. [1412]

  Sir John Wheeler
  No. This concession would only benefit persons erroneously admitted to the civil service without valid educational qualifications in the past and would be unfair to others correctly refused entry by reason of lack of such qualifications.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are employed as casuals within the Northern Ireland civil service; what is the number of such casuals who are currently in receipt of a civil service pension; and what is the average annual present amount of such pensions and the various grounds on which these individuals with such pensions retired. [1410]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The total number of casual staff employed in the Northern Ireland Office and the six Northern Ireland Departments is 1,420

  Information on the number of casuals in the Department of Health and Social Services who are in receipt of a civil service pension could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In the Northern Ireland Office and the remaining five Northern Ireland Departments there are two casuals in receipt of a civil service pension; the average amount is £5,311. Both officers retired on age grounds.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those projects which have now been identified as being suitable for the private finance initiative; and if he will make a statement on the private finance initiative. [1159]
  494
  Sir John Wheeler
  A range of projects across all Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office are under consideration, including schemes covering sewage treatment plants in the Water Executive, IT in the Land Registry and hospital equipment leases. The Department of Finance and Personnel is undertaking a scoping study to identify the application of PFI to all areas within Northern Ireland Departments and the NIO.

  Mr. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he proposes to commence the private finance initiative in Northern Ireland, if it will be operational in all the Departments of government and if he will make a statement about progress towards the practical implementation of the private finance initiative. [1158]

  Sir John Wheeler
  All Northern Ireland Departments, the Northern Ireland Office and their non-departmental public bodies are fully committed to the private finance initiative and a number of projects are already under consideration in Northern Ireland. My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has made it clear that capital projects will not be approved unless private finance options have been explored.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards cutting energy consumption in Government buildings for which he has responsibility in each year since 1990. [1437]

  Mr. Ancram
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Countryside, Planning and Energy Efficiency to the hon. Member for East Surrey (Mr. Ainsworth) on 17 May,Official Report, columns 260–62.

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all those in his Department who have authority to issue public interest immunity certificates; how many such certificates have been issued in each of the last five years; and what were the main reasons for them. [1419]

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  As regards the period to March 1994, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 18 February 1994,Official Report, column 1034, and 3 March 1994, Official Report, column 914.

  In October 1994 I signed two certificates. In each case, in connection with civil proceedings I made a claim for certain members of prison immediate reaction forces to be screened from the public and for the protection from disclosure of certain information relating to control and restraint techniques used in prisons.

  In January 1995 I signed a certificate in relation to an inquest to protect police intelligence gathering operations and the lives and safety of people involved.

  In May and June 1995 I signed two certificates in relation to civil proceedings to protect information relating to three shooting incidents in 1982 and their subsequent investigations.
  495
  In June 1995 the Minister of State signed a certificate in relation to civil proceedings, making a claim for certain members of prison immediate reaction forces to be screened from the public.

  In October 1995 I signed a certificate in relation to civil proceedings, making a claim to protect certain police documents.

  A claim to public interest immunity relating to departmental documents or information is normally made by the appropriate Minister.

  Temazepam
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what amount of Temazepam per capita is distributed annually in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [1509]

  Mr. Moss
  In 1994, 64g of Temazepam were dispensed on prescription per 1,000 population in Northern Ireland.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths in each of the past five years are attributable to the abuse of Temazepam(a) in Northern Ireland and (b) in each health district. [1510]

  Sir John Wheeler
  There have been no deaths recorded in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years attributable to Temazepam abuse.

  Stormont Buildings
  Dr. Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if the cost of the refurbishment of the Stormont buildings will be met by an increased allocation of funds; [1602]

  (2) what is the estimated cost of the refurbishment of Stormont buildings following the fire; [1601]

  (3) what proportion of the money for the refurbishment of Stormont buildings will be taken from existing departmental budgets. [1603]

  Mr. Moss
  The estimated cost of refurbishing Parliament Buildings is £20 million. This figure provides for the comprehensive refurbishment of the entire building and includes provision of approximately £1.5 million-£2 million for the restoration of the fire damaged Commons Chamber.

  The total cost of the project is being met from existing departmental budgets; no additional allocation of funds has been made.

  Trade Union Commissioner
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received in respect of the objectivity of the commissioner for the rights of trade union members. [1409]

  Mr. Ancram
  None.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the annual cost of operating a separate Northern Ireland commissioner for the rights of trade union members over each of the last two years and 496
  the equivalent costs of its Great Britain counterpart; and, for both bodies, what were the numbers of inquiries resulting in an application for assistance in those two years. [1408]

  Mr. Ancram
  The information is as follows:

  Annual operating costs £

  Inquiries resulting in application for assistance

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Northern Ireland Commissioner for the rights of Trade Union Members

  31,741

  33,643

  7

  15

  (Great Britain) Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members

  274,941

  293,716

  47

  57

  Higher Education
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for how many student places would provision in Northern Ireland need to be increased to match the proportionate provision for Scottish students in Scotland. [1770]

  Mr. Ancram
  For every Scottish domiciled full-time undergraduate student in the United Kingdom there are 1.274 full-time undergraduate places in Scotland—1993–94 figures. For a similar ratio to hold in Northern Ireland, the number of full-time undergraduate places in the Province would need to increase by 15,500.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research has been done by his Department to look at the adequacy of the provision of places in higher education for Northern Ireland students within Northern Ireland. [1771]

  Mr. Ancram
  The Northern Ireland Higher Education Council, which advises the Government on the planning and funding of higher education in Northern Ireland, presented a report to me earlier this year on access, participation and student migration. This report will inform Government's consideration of the adequacy of the provisions of places in higher education for Northern Ireland students within Northern Ireland.

  In addition, consultants have been commissioned to undertake an economic appraisal of the university of Ulster's proposal for a new campus in north and west Belfast. One of the aims of this study is to appraise the options for accommodating growth in higher education provision in Northern Ireland. The consultant's final report should be completed shortly.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Northern Ireland students have higher education places elsewhere in Great Britain; and how many higher education students from Great Britain study in Northern Ireland. [1772]
  497
  Mr. Ancram
  In 1993–94, 12,300 Northern Ireland domiciled students had higher education places in Great Britain, and 900 students domiciled in Great Britain had higher education places in Northern Ireland.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1952]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Springvale Campus Project
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to publish the Planning, Industrial and Economic Development Advisers' evaluation of the Springvale campus project. [1777]

  Plastic baton rounds fired by the RUC 1 September 1994–21 November 1995

  Date

  Location

  Number fired

  Number of alleged injuries

  Circumstances

  13 September 1994

  Belfast

  1

  —

  Hijacking/rioting/petrol bombs thrown

  23 October 1994

  Cookstown

  18

  2

  Rioting outside hotel

  21 March 1995

  Belfast

  3

  1

  Disorder following football match

  26 June 1995

  Belfast

  2

  1

  Rioting/petrol bombs thrown

  3 July 1995

  Belfast

  7

  —

  Rioting/disturbances/petrol bombs thrown

  4 July 1995

  Belfast

  6

  1

  Riots/petrol bombs thrown

  4 July 1995

  Armagh

  1

  —

  Hijacking/rioting/petrol bombs thrown

  5 July 1995

  Belfast

  7

  0

  Rioting/petrol bombs thrown

  6-Jul-95

  Belfast

  5

  0

  Rioting/petrol bombs thrown

  10 July 1995

  Ahoghill

  2

  —

  Rioting in town centre

  10 July 1995

  Bushmills

  6

  2

  Rioting in village

  10 July 1995

  Londonderry

  —

  1

  Hijacking/rioting/petrol bombs thrown

  10 July 1995

  Portadown

  51

  —

  Disorder following parade

  11 July 1995

  Belfast

  5

  —

  Rioting/petrol bombs thrown

  12 July 1995

  Belfast

  33

  —

  Rioting/petrol bombs thrown/clashes between rival factions

  12 July 1995

  Ahoghill

  29

  —

  Rioting/petrol bombs thrown

  12 August 1995

  Belfast

  4

  1

  Disorder following parade

  12 August 1995

  Londonderry

  100

  —

  Disorder following parade

  27 August 1995

  Castlederg

  10

  —

  Clashes between rival factions

TRANSPORT

  A5
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the cost of recent improvements to the A5 from the M69 junction to the Longshoot junction; if he will list the works; and what further improvements are planned. [655]

  Mr. Watts
  The recently completed scheme cost £610.000.

  The works include:

  Widening the A5 and installation of new traffic lights;

  A turning lane for premises on the north side of the A5;

  An extension to Wapping Barn bridge; and creation of a cycleway on the north side of the A5.

  498
  Mr. Ancram
  It is not the normal policy of the Government to publish economic appraisals. None the less, given the importance of this case, the Secretary of State and I are considering options as to what information to make available publicly. The economic appraisal is still not complete, and we will wish to see the completed report before deciding on the most appropriate way of informing the public of its findings.

  Plastic Bullets
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all occasions since 31 August 1994 when the RUC has used plastic bullets, giving in each case the number used, the details of the injuries and the circumstances in which such shootings took place. [1961]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The occasions since 31 August 1994 when the RUC fired plastic baton rounds, the number fired, the number of people allegedly injured and the circumstances in which the plastic baton rounds were fired are listed:

  Further works in hand and planned are:

  Developer funded scheme currently under way;

  Extension to A5 cycleway facilities;

  Provision of ghost island at Nutts lane.

  Rail Services, North-West England
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what interest has been expressed in running rail services in the north-west of England following privatisation. [661]

  Mr. Watts
  The franchising director has not yet sought indications of interest in the rail franchises in the north-west of England. Good progress is being made with the franchising programme and the franchising director continues to prepare services for offering to the private
  499
  sector in accordance with his objective from the Government to franchise passenger rail services as rapidly as is reasonably practicable.

  Heathrow
  Mr. Jessel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he proposes to take to reduce aircraft flights from Heathrow during 1997. [662]

  Mr. Norris
  I do not propose to take action during 1997 to reduce aircraft flights from Heathrow.

  Road Building Programme
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the planned expenditure in the road building programme for 1995–96. [664]

  Mr. Watts
  The Government plan to spend £1,775 million on trunk roads in England in 1995–96. Roads in Wales are, of course, the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  London Transport (Investment)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about investment in London Transport. [666]

  Mr. Norris
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations from a variety of organisations and individual members of the public about investment in London Transport.

  Fenchurch Street Line
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the privatisation of the Fenchurch Street line. [667]

  Mr. Watts
  Very good progress has been made, and the franchising director expects to award the LTS Rail franchise in December.

  Rail Services (Monitoring)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to monitor the performance of providers of rail services. [669]

  Mr. Watts
  The performance of train operating companies is currently monitored by the British Railways Board and the rail users' consultative committees. Franchises will be required to provide the franchising director with information to enable him to monitor operational performance and customer satisfaction levels.

  Fatal Accidents
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what new proposals he has to reduce the total of fatal accidents. [670]

  Mr. Norris
  Fatalities from road accidents are at their lowest level since records began and have fallen for five successive years. The measures that we are taking to reduce road casualties in general should help reduce fatal road accidents still further. These include the introduction of a theory test as part of the driving test in July 1996 and the "Safe Town" initiative announced in July this year.

  Buses (Disabled Access)
  Mr. Betts:
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he will take to ensure reasonable access for the disabled to public bus services. [671]

  Mr. Norris
  We have taken powers in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to enable us to make regulations to require new buses and coaches to be accessible to disabled people, including those who use wheelchairs. Similar provisions have also been included for taxis and rail vehicles.

  Discussions are already under way with the bus and coach industry—manufacturers and operators—on the shape of the regulations which will be introduced as soon as we have determined appropriate technical solutions which are effective and sustainable.

  London-Tilbury-Southend Line
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress in introducing private competition in the London-Tilbury-Southend Line. [672]

  Mr. Watts
  Very good progress has been made, and the franchising director expects to award the LTS Rail franchise in December.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made against the Government's timetable for rail privatisation; and if he will make a statement. [647]

  Sir George Young
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner) earlier today.

  East London Line
  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the full restoration of London Underground services on the east London line to occur. [660]

  Mr. Norris
  London Underground has re-applied to the London Docklands development corporation for listed building consent to strengthen and waterproof the tunnel carrying the east London line under the Thames. The timing of the re-opening of the line depends on the progress of its application.

  M62 Relief Road
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make a decision in relation to the future of the proposals of his Department for a M62 relief road. [665]

  Mr. Watts
  I have received a large number of representations about the scheme from my hon. Friend and others. From these, it is clear that the majority of people consulted about the relief road do not want it. In the light of consultation I have decided to withdraw plans to build the relief road.

  Rail Passengers
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people travel by train in the course of one year. [668]

  Mr. Watts
  Some 25 million people made at least one train journey in 1991, the latest year for which figures are available.

  Research and Development
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the indicative contributions to the EU budget in respect of research and development for his Department in 1993–94. [1917]

  Mr. Norris
  Table 2.1 of the statistical supplement to the "Forward Look of Government-funded Science, Engineering and Technology" contains indicative figures for the United Kingdom's contributions to the EC budget in respect of research and development. Departments' policy responsibilities are subject to change and can vary from year to year. My Department currently has responsibility for 1.77 per cent. of the Community's research and development budget.

  Locomotives
  Mr. Chris Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is his estimate for the cost of obtaining information about how many British Rail locomotives since 1992(a) have been scrapped, (b) offered for sale and (c) are currently in storage as surplus to requirements; [2322]

  (2) what discussions he has had with the chairman of the Railways Board about the refusal of British Rail to put up for sale locomotives which are surplus to its requirements; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Watts
  The policy agreed between the Government and the British Railways Board is that where freight equipment is identified as surplus to operational requirements, it will be offered for sale by BR on a competitive basis. Operational requirements includes the retention of old rolling stock for spare parts, and holding a strategic reserve for potential future traffic. Detailed questions about the location, value and ultimate fate of old locomotives—and the cost of undertaking surveys—are for BR and its subsidiary companies.

  Mr. Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of obtaining information regarding the number of British Rail locomotives, currently being stored out of use, which have been offered for sale to operators or potential operators of train services; [3074]

  (2) if he will estimate the value of the British Rail locomotives currently stored out of use and surplus to requirements which (a) are being offered for sale and (b) are not being offered for sale. [3073]

  Mr. Watts
  I refer the hon. Member to my replies given today.

  Mr. Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from potential operators of train services complaining about the refusal by British Rail to sell surplus locomotives. [658]
  502
  Mr. Watts
  The Department of Transport has received representations from one potential operator of train services regarding this matter.

  Rail Freight
  Mr. Chris Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's policy with regard to the promotion of cross-channel freight traffic by rail. [2685]

  Mr. Watts
  The Government have supported BR's investment of over £400 million in channel tunnel freight services. This demonstrates our commitment to the development of international rail freight services.

  Taxis (Disabled Access)
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce regulations requiring taxis to be accessible for wheelchairs. [2104]

  Mr. Norris
  The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 gives the Secretary of State power to make regulations for that purpose. My right hon. Friend will be preparing regulations and will consult interested parties before laying regulations before the House. One subject of the consultation will be when the regulations should come into effect.

  In London, all taxis will have to be wheelchair accessible by 1 January 2000 following a decision announced in December 1988. Outside London some local authorities have already set their own dates for wheelchair accessibility.

  Skid Resistance
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the method of skid resistance measurement to take account of critical road conditions. [2222]

  Mr. Watts
  I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Ms Joan Walley, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr. John Watts, has asked me to write to you in reply to your Parliamentary Question concerning measurement of skid resistance.
  We are continually reviewing the method of skid resistance measurement. The United Kingdom os one of the few countries in Europe to have a policy in which road surfaces are designed to provide adequate skid resistance at both low and high speed, and reflecting the different site conditions that occur. This is achieved through specification of polish resistant stone together with a minimum level of surface roughness, supported by regular monitoring of skid resistance during the life of a road.
  The Highways Agency also have an active programme of research and international cooperation in skid resistance measurement aimed at improving the accuracy of measurement techniques to reflect all road conditions.

  Penzance-Bristol Line
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if it is the Government's policy to promote the designation of the Penzance-Bristol railway line as part of the trans-European rail network. [2356]
  503
  Mr. Watts
  The inclusion of the Penzance-Bristol line in the draft trans-European rail network map was supported by the United Kingdom Government. The Council of Ministers reached a common position on the trans-European transport network at the June Council. The rail network map, as agreed by the Council, includes the Penzance-Bristol railway line.

  Road Accidents
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) deaths and (b) injuries resulting from road accidents have been recorded in each year for the last 15 years; and how many of those affected were under the age of 15 years. [1804]

  Mr. Norris
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Road accident casualties in Great Britain: 1979–1994

  All ages Killed

  of which Injured

  Killed

  Injured

  1979

  6,352

  328,161

  591

  46,832

  1980

  6,010

  322,590

  466

  45,462

  1981

  5,846

  318,994

  504

  43,889

  1982

  5,934

  328,362

  481

  44,117

  1983

  5,445

  303,139

  536

  44,835

  1984

  5,599

  318,715

  521

  46,666

  1985

  5,165

  312,359

  457

  43,187

  1986

  5,382

  316,069

  405

  41,024

  1987

  5,125

  306,348

  416

  39,597

  1988

  5,052

  317,253

  409

  40,641

  1989

  5,373

  336,219

  387

  42,654

  1990

  5,217

  335,924

  368

  43,485

  1991

  4,568

  306,701

  331

  40,051

  1992

  4,229

  306,444

  268

  40,123

  1993

  3,814

  302,206

  270

  38,615

  1994

  3,650

  311,539

  265

  40,761

  1. Casualties reported to the Department of Transport by the Police.

  Road Building Programme
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the road building programme. [306]

  Mr. Watts
  No.

  Automatic Ticket Machines
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at how many underground stations automatic ticket machines have been installed; at what cost; how many stations remain without such machines; and if he will make a statement. [1492]

  Mr. Norris
  These are operational matters for London Underground Ltd.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place all documents currently held by his Department relating to the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie in the Library. [1635]

  Mr. Norris
  No.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1957]

  Mr. Norris
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  Legislative Repeals
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legislation from his Department passed in the last five years contains provision for statutory repeal or review. [2030]

  Mr. Norris
  The legislation for which my Department had responsibility contains provisions for the repeal or amendment of other enactments in the usual way. The following Acts provide power, exercisable by statutory instrument, to modify or exclude the application of enactments contained in primary legislation:

  The Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions) Act 1991 (section 2)

  The Road Traffic Act 1991 (sections 23, 27, 76, 77 and Schedule 3)

  The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (section 102)

  The Transport and Works Act 1992 (section 5)

  The Finance Act 1993 (section 21)

  The Railways Act 1993 (section 153)

  The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (section 33).

  International Maritime Organisation
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what new proposals he has concerning the United Kingdom's relations with the International Maritime Organisation. [2152]

  Mr. Norris
  None.

  Bull Bars
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission research as to whether bull bars(a) inhibit the operation of airbags, (b) lead to higher risk of chassis distortion in accidents and (c) increase the danger to drivers and passengers in cars fitted with bull bars. [2262]

  Mr. Norris
  The Transport Research Laboratory is investigating all reported injury accidents involving vehicles fitted with bull bars. Its work covers all aspects of these accidents and an interim report is due at the end of the year.

  Trans-Europeans Networks
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what capital projects are to be funded, partially or fully, by the EU TEN programme. [2160]

  Mr. Watts
  The European Community's financing regulation for TENs provides for the funding of transport and other capital projects in the period 1995–1999. Funding decisions will be taken on an annual basis and so far only the funds for 1995 have been allocated.
  505
  In line with the conclusions of the Cannes European Council, just over 75 per cent. of the 1995 funds have been allocated to the 14 priority projects identified by the Essen Council, which are:

  High speed rail/combined transport link, Berlin-Verona

  High speed rail link, Paris-Brussels-Cologne-Amsterdam-London (includes CTRL)

  High speed rail, Madrid-Montpelier

  Betuwe line (rail/combined transport), Netherlands-Germany

  High speed rail/combined transport, Lyon-Turin-Trieste

  High speed rail, France-Germany

  Greek motorway schemes

  Motorway, Lisbon-Valladolid

  Railway/combined transport, Cork-Dublin-Larne

  Malpensa Airport (Milan)

  Oresund fixed link, Denmark-Sweden

  The Nordic triangle (road and rail)

  High speed rail, West Coast Main Line

  Ireland-UK-Benelux Road Link

  The remaining 25 per cent. has been allocated to over 50 other priority projects, mostly involving traffic management studies.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport announced the 1995 allocation of TENs funding to the UK in his reply to the hon. Member for Surbiton (Mr. Tracey) on 26 October, Official Report column 732.

  TENs funding for 1996 and beyond cannot be decided until the transport guidelines have been adopted by the European Council and European Parliament. We will, however, shortly be consulting with interested parties as to what schemes might be included in the UK's 1996 bid.

  Channel Tunnel Services
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the first sleeper trains through the channel tunnel are expected to come into service. [2159]

  Mr. Watts
  European Night Services Ltd., which will operate the sleeper services through the channel tunnel, expects to phase them in starting in the second half of 1996.

  A650
  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what expenditure has been incurred to date on preparatory works for the A650 Bingley bypass; [2817]

  (2) what is the number of (a) fatal, (b) serious and (c) minor accident casualties which have occurred during the most recent five years for which statistics are available on the section of the A650 trunk road due to be relieved by the proposed A650 Bingley bypass; [2818]

  (3) what is the estimated annual cost to business and industry of traffic delays on the section of the A650 trunk road due to be relieved by the proposed Bingley bypass. [2816]

  Mr. Watts
  I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to my hon. Friend.
  506
  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Gary Waller, dated 27 November 1995:
  As you know, the Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr. John Watts, has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking about the estimated annual cost to business and industry of traffic delays on the section of A650 trunk road due to be relieved by the proposed Bingley Bypass, the number of accidents in the most recent years on the same stretch of road and the costs incurred to date on preparatory works for the bypass.
  The estimated annual cost of delays on this length of the A650 is £1.75m.
  Between January 1990 and October 1995, there were 2 fatal, 34 serious and 186 slight accidents resulting in 281 casualties.
  The total cost of preparatory works, including design fees, is £18.9m.

  Manchester Metro
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on(a) the funding of the Manchester Metrolink light rail and (b) the environmental benefits achieved by Metrolink. [2829]

  Mr. Norris
  Bids for light rail schemes are submitted to my Department during the annual transport policies and programmes—TPP—round, and are funded through the package approach. I am prepared to consider supporting light rail schemes, including extensions to the Metrolink, provided they can be demonstrated to be the right and most cost-effective solution to a particular urban transport problem, where they are planned within the context of a strategy or transport package to achieve mode shift away from the private car and where they will attract significant private sector and local investment. It should be remembered, however, that light rail is not the only solution to urban transport problems, and the difficulties and costs associated with developing schemes should not be underestimated.

  Manchester Metrolink is currently carrying about 13 million passengers a year, and is estimated to have removed about 1.3 million car journeys a year from the corridor it serves.

  QEII
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the report made by the Marine Safety Agency on the QEII before it sailed from Southampton in December 1994. [3116]

  Mr. Norris
  We intend to publish the report shortly.

  Cycle Tracks
  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what system the use of cycle tracks is monitored; and if he will make a statement. [2873]

  Mr. Norris
  It is for each highway authority to judge whether and to what extent it should monitor the use made of its cycle tracks.

  Charter Trains
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government are taking to expand the charter train market in the new railways regime. [663]
  507
  Mr. Watts
  The expansion of the charter train market is a commercial matter for charter train operators and the rail industry. Railtrack welcomes applications from operators seeking to run charter trains on its network.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average monetary value of maintenance assessments undertaken by the Child Support Agency to date, excluding those produced by the implementation of interim maintenance assessments. [1574]

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Mr. William Cash, dated 24 November 1995:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency assessments.
  In cases where the absent parent has earned income the average full maintenance assessment, as at May 1995, was £39.69. When absent parents on benefit are included the average figure was £23.53.

  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of child support maintenance applications which the Child Support Agency has dealt with to date(a) where full maintenance assessments have resulted in monetary values less than or equal to the prescribed minimum under the Act, currently £2.35, (b) where full maintenance assessments have resulted in monetary values greater than the prescribed minimum under the Act, currently £2.35, (c) where interim assessments are currently in force, (d) which are currently classed as deferred under the measures announced in December 1994 and (e) which are still pending but which are within the CSA's current work load. [1573]

  Mr. Mitchell
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Mr. William Cash, dated 24 November 1995:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency assessments.
  The information requested is shown in the table below:

  Number of Full Maintenance Assessments with a value between zero and £2.35

  Number of Full Maintenance Assessments with a value greater than and £2.35

  Number of Interim Maintenance Assessments in force

  144,510

  166,945

  92,998

  Data supplied as at 15 September 1995. In addition, you requested information on the number of cases currently classed as deferred under the measures announced in December 1994. The number of cases deferred was in the region of 350,000. The actual number of these still pending is less because some clients have asked the Agency to take on their case, and others are no longer receiving benefit. On this basis we estimate that there are around 300,000 cases remaining to be taken on.

  At the end of September 1995, the Child Support Agency had 384,500 applications for child maintenance on hand, pending action.
  508
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what date he became aware of the disputes between(a) EDS and Computer Associates and (b) other parties; and if the supply of the Child Support Agency's computer system was affected by these legal disputes. [2016]

  Mr. Mitchell
  At the time the contract for the Child Support Agency system was awarded to EDS, there was no knowledge of any dispute between EDS and any other party.

  During subsequent development of the system by EDS it became known that it was in dispute with Computer Associates but this had no effect on supply of the system.

  The only other dispute known is the dispute between EDS and the state of Florida. Information on this was obtained from the computer press some time after the supply of the system.

  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases where an absent parent has been approached by the child support agency he has become aware that the absent parent has become unemployed. [2013]

  Mr. Mitchell
  The information requested is not available. Practical experience has shown that very few absent parents deliberately leave their jobs to avoid paying maintenance for their children. This is because the maintenance assessment formula ensures that all absent parents, and their second families, are at least £30 a week better off after payment of maintenance than they would be if unemployed and receiving income support. No one can now be assessed to pay more than 30 per cent. of their net income in current maintenance. In addition, someone who has left work voluntarily is not entitled to unemployment benefit, and income support is payable at a reduced rate.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress has been made towards cutting energy consumption in Government buildings for which he has responsibility in each year since 1990. [1439]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Construction and Planning to the hon. Member for East Surrey (Mr. Ainsworth) on 17 May,Official Report, columns 260–62, for details of this Department's energy performance from 1990–91 to 1993–94. My hon. Friend will be publishing details of Departments' performances in 1994–95 shortly and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of those claiming housing benefit are in(a) part-time or (b) temporary employment. [1461]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information is not available in the format requested as it is not possible to identify separately the number of housing benefit recipients who are in temporary employment. The available information is set out in the table.
  509

  Housing benefit recipients with earnings: Great Britain, May 1994

  Also in receipt of income support

  Not in receipt of income support

  Total

  Number of housing benefit recipients with earnings

  96,000

  320,000

  416,000

  Source

  Housing Benefit Management Information System annual 1 per cent. sample, May 1994.

  Notes

  a) Figures refer to benefit units which may be a single person or a couple.

  b) The figure for housing benefit recipients who are also in receipt of income support represents part-time earners only. The figure for housing benefit recipients not in receipt of income support represents full-time and part-time earners.

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all those in his Department who have authority to issue public immunity interest certificates; how many such certificates have been issued in each of the last five years; and what were the main reasons for them. [1392]

  Mr. Burt
  Public interest immunity certificates relating to departmental documents or information are normally authorised by the appropriate Minister. No such certificates have been issued in respect of the Department of Social Security in the past five years.

  Research and Development
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the indicative contributions to the EU budget in respect of research and development for his Department in 1993–94. [1916]

  Mr. Burt
  Table 2.1 of the statistical supplement to the "Forward Look of Government-funded Science, Engineering and Technology" contains indicative figures for the United Kingdom's contributions to the EC budget in respect of research and development. Departments' policy responsibilities are subject to change and can vary from year to year. This Department currently has responsibility for 0.12 per cent. of the Community's R and D budget.

  Benefit Savings
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of the benefit savings cited in his answer of 19 April,Official Report, column 181, were due to (a) maintenance paid and (b) benefit not paid. [2071]

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  All benefit savings are due to benefit not paid.

  Legislative Repeals
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what legislation from his Department passed in the last five years contains provision for statutory repeal or review. [2035]
  510
  Mr. Heald
  The legislation passed within this Department in the last five years which contains provisions for statutory repeal or review is as follows:

  Disability Discrimination Act 1995 section 7(5)

  Pensions Schemes Act 1993 section 41 (1)—(2)

  Pensions Act 1995 sections 137(5) and 138(5)

  The Pensions (Polish Forces) Scheme (Extension) Order 1992.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of Social Security what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1955]

  Mr. Burt
  We do not collect information on the size of companies who supply the DSS with goods and services.

  However, we are pursuing a number of procurement initiatives which should help small businesses. These include ensuring that we minimise the paperwork burden for prospective suppliers, and involvement in the HM Treasury's central unit on procurement working group on SME's—small and medium enterprises.

  Part-time Work
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to change the benefits system to encourage(a) part-time work and (b) job sharing. [2155]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Family credit already helps 215,000 people working between 16 and 24 hours a week. In 1994 we introduced a child care disregard to remove a stumbling block preventing some parents from taking up work. Disability working allowance also tops up the earnings of some disabled people who work for 16 hours or more a week. From October 1996 we are piloting in eight areas earnings top-up, a new in-work benefit for people without dependant children. This will also help people working 16 hours a week or more to be better off in work.

  In October 1996 we are introducing a back-to-work bonus whereby those on income support or jobseeker's allowance who undertake small amounts of work of less than 16 hours a week can accumulate a lump sum of up to £1,000 based on their part-time earnings. This will be paid when either the claimant or partner moves into work which takes them off benefit.

  From October 1996 the partner of a claimant receiving jobseeker's allowance or income support will be able to take work of up to 24 hours a week without removing entitlement to benefit. There will also be a £10 disregard in respect of both of these benefits.

  Job sharing is a matter which is best left to employers and employees to arrange, but the measures already taken should facilitate it.

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the benefits which were subsequently claimed by the 18,895 people who were found capable of work following the all work test referred to in his answer of 23 October 1995,Official Report, column 485.[1840]
  511
  Mr. Burt
  [holding answer 24 November 1995]: Of incapacity benefit claimants found capable of work following the application of the all work test between April and September, 8,974 have claimed unemployment benefit. Information for other benefits claimed is not available.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people who have been found capable of work between April and October 1995 were undertaking exempt work under regulation 17(a) of the Incapacity for Work (General Regulations); [1752]

  (2) how many people in receipt of (a) severe disablement allowance, and (b) incapacity benefit, undertaking exempt work under regulation 17(a) of the Incapacity for Work (General) Regulations, have subsequently lost benefit because they have earned above the earnings limit; [1830]

  (3) how many people in receipt of (a) severe disablement allowance and (b) incapacity benefit, are also undertaking work which is exempt under regulation 17(a)(i), (ii) and (iii) of the Incapacity for Work (General) Regulations; and what is the average amount of their earnings. [1831]

  Mr. Burt
  [holding answer 24 November 1995]: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of incapacity benefit are currently exempt from the all-work test by virtue of(a) receipt of the highest rate of the disability living allowance care component, (b) in receipt of invalidity benefit and aged over 58 years on 13 April, (c) with a serious medical condition and (d) a serious mental illness. [1832]

  Mr. Burt
  [holding answer 24 November 1995]: Such information as is available is in the table.

  Reason for exemption from all work test

  Number exempt

  Receipt of the Disability Living Allowance highest rate care component

  20,976

  Receipt of Invalidity Benefit between 1 December

  1993 and 12 April 1995 and aged 58 or over on 13 April 1995

  480,000

  Severe medical condition, including severe mental illness

  138,828

  1. Figures for severe mental illness are not separately available.

  2. Figures for exempt incapacity benefit claimants who are also in receipt of Widow's Benefit are not held on the computer system and are not included above.

  3. Information available to end of October 1995.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of incapacity benefit between April and October 1995 have had their benefit suspended for undertaking work which is not exempt. [1833]
  512
  Mr. Burt
  [holding answer 24 November 1995]: Claimants are treated as capable of work for any week in which they do work which is not in one of the permitted categories.

  Information is not available on the number of people who leave incapacity benefit for work, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of invalidity benefit failed to attend a medical examination to assess their incapacity for work in each of the quarters ending December 1994 and March 1995. [1747]

  Mr. Burt
  This is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Keith Bradley dated 24 November 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question about how many claimants of Invalidity Benefit failed to attend a medical examination to assess their incapacity for work in each of the quarters ending December 1994 and March 1995.
  Information is not available in the format requested. This is because separate statistics for each benefit were not kept on the numbers failing to attend a medical examination.
  The total number of customers who failed to attend a medical examination, in respect of Invalidity Benefit and Sickness Benefit, to assess their incapacity for work in the quarter ending December 1994 was 17,750 and for the quarter ending March 1995, the figure was 20,066.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Income Support
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost of raising the £15 earnings disregard to £44 per week for people entitled to the disability premium in each of the benefits(a) income support, (b) housing benefit and (c) council
  tax benefit. [1754]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  [holding answer 24 November 1995]: The information is set out in the table.

  Benefit

  Cost £ million

  Income support

  10

  Council tax benefit

  10

  Housing benefit

  20

  Total

  35

  1. Based on data taken from the 1994 Annual Statistical Enquiry and from the 1991–92–93 Family Expenditure Surveys uprated to 1995–96 prices, benefits and earnings levels.

  2. For HB/CTB cases the estimate of the proportion of disability premium cases with earnings is based on data taken from the 1994 HBMIS data.

  3. As it is not possible to model changes in hours worked due to the suggested increase in the earnings disregard, any costs/savings arising from changes in hours worked have not been included.

  4. Lone parents in receipt of the disability premium are assumed to benefit from the change. Disabled pensioners have not been included as they are in receipt of a Pensioner rather a disability premium.

  5. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £5 million.

HEALTH

  Nurse Resignations
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses have resigned from their positions within the national health service in the last 12 months. [179]

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

  Nurses who resign from their posts, for whatever reason, are not necessarily lost from the national health service as many are likely to resume an NHS post after a career break. As nursing is a predominantly female profession this is to be expected. People take career breaks for a wide variety of reasons ranging from having a family to extending their skills and experience by exploring other fields of employment. Naturally the Government are keen to harness this invaluable body of training, skills and experience and bring them back into the NHS.

  Ministerial Transport, London
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times in the last year he used(a) London Buses and (b) the London Underground while on official business. [416]

  Mr. Dorrell
  I have not travelled on London Buses or the London Underground in an official capacity in the last year.

  Mental Hospitals
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to commission another survey of English mental hospitals to monitor their closure, comparable to those commissioned by the mental health task force in 1993 and 1994. [1920]

  Mr. Bowis
  None.

  Residential Places and Hospital Beds
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) local authority residential places, (b) independent sector residential places, (c) national health service long-stay geriatric and psycho-geriatric beds and (d) independent sector nursing home places there were in (i) 1970 and (ii) 1990. [1127]

  Mr. Bowis
  The information available centrally is shown in the table. The figures for 1970 are not strictly comparable with those for 1990 due to a variety of changes in recording practices.

  Residential places and hospital beds

  19701

  19901

  Local authority residential places2

  n/a3

  105,400

  Independent sector residential places2

  54,900

  180,500

  NHS geriatric hospital beds (annual average available)4.5

  39,5916

  48,734

  NHS psycho-geriatric long-stay hospitals beds (annual average available)5

  n/a7

  18,879

  Independent sector nursing home places8

  n/a9

  94,313

  Notes:

  1 Figures for 1970 relate to 31 December; those for 1990 relate to 31 March.
  514
  2 Places in homes for elderly people and people with physical and/or sensory disabilities.

  3 Information on places was not collected in 1970; there were 99,700 elderly residents in local authority residential homes at 31 December 1970.

  4 Figures are for long and short stay beds.

  5 1970 classification based on clinical specialty, 1990 based on ward classification.

  6 Figure is for England and Wales.

  7 Figures for geriatric and long-stay not separately identified in 1970.

  8 Beds for elderly people and elderly people with mental health problems.

  9 Information not collected centrally.

  Source:

  Department of Health statistical returns RAC5, KO36.

  Wheelchairs
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that NHS community trusts do not require insurance cover for wheelchairs loaned to patients. [1786]

  Mr. Bowis
  Patients are not required to insure their wheelchairs. Patients issued with a powered indoor-outdoor wheelchair may be advised to take out third party insurance so that they are covered against personal liability in the event of an accident.

  Network of Access and Child Contact Centres
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to fund the work of the Network of Access and Child Contact Centres. [1903]

  Mr. Bowis
  The Network of Access and Child Contact Centres may apply for section 64 funding from the Department of Health in the same way as any other voluntary organisation, but it has not done so in the current round.

  Consultants
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the results of the national survey of the work load of 274 NHS consultants. [540]

  Mr. Malone
  I refer the hon. Member to the Medical Workforce Standing Advisory Committee's second report, which refers to a survey conducted by the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association in 1992–93 on the amount of time spent by its members on purely management activities. The committee's report is available in the Library.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will institute an inquiry into the arrangements for and costs of(a) each retirement of consultants and (b) their subsequent re-employment on a part-time basis. [1800]

  Mr. Malone
  Most pension arrangements cover all staff groups, including consultants. Data on the cost of consultant retirements, and their subsequent re-employment on a part-time basis, are not available centrally. I have no plans to institute an inquiry on costs for consultants as a separate group.

  Mental Health
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the average percentage of local
  515
  authority personal social services budgets currently spent on mental health services; [1922]

  (2) how many local authorities' expenditure falls below the average currently spent on mental health services; and if he will list those authorities, giving the percentage of their budgets devoted to such services, in descending order. [1923]

  Mr. Bowis
  Local authorities' budget returns for 1995–96 show that, overall, planned expenditure on mental health services in England represents 5.6 per cent. of the total of personal social services budgets.

  The 57 authorities who have budgeted to spend below that percentage on mental health services are shown in the table.

  Personal social services: percentage of total budgeted expenditure on mental health services 1995–96

  Percentage

  Hereford and Worcester

  5.5

  Avon

  5.3

  Cheshire

  5.3

  Bromley

  5.1

  Hillingdon

  5.0

  Sheffield

  4.9

  Newham

  4.9

  Knowsley

  4.8

  Devon

  4.7

  Barking and Dagenham

  4.7

  Redbridge

  4.7

  East Sussex

  4.7

  Dorset

  4.6

  Cleveland

  4.6

  South Tyneside

  4.6

  North Yorkshire

  4.5

  Coventry

  4.5

  Suffolk

  4.4

  Dudley

  4.4

  Derbyshire

  4.4

  Bexley

  4.2

  Wakefield

  4.2

  Sefton

  4.2

  Rochdale

  4.1

  Cumbria

  4.1

  Tameside

  4.1

  Humberside

  4.1

  Salford

  4.1

  Wirral

  4.0

  Lancashire

  4.0

  Berkshire

  3.9

  Wiltshire

  3.9

  Leeds

  3.9

  Kent

  3.9

  Cornwall

  3.9

  Barnsley

  3.8

  Havering

  3.7

  Sunderland

  3.7

  Wolverhampton

  3.6

  Cambridgeshire

  3.5

  West Sussex

  3.4

  Durham

  3.3

  Calderdale

  3.3

  Bedfordshire

  3.3

  Stockport

  3.2

  St. Helens

  3.2

  Essex

  3.2

  Gloucestershire

  3.1

  Hertfordshire

  3.0

  Walsall

  2.8

  Doncaster

  2.6

  Bury

  2.6

  Lincolnshire

  2.4

  516

  Personal social services: percentage of total budgeted expenditure on mental health services 1995–96

  Percentage

  Northumberland

  2.2

  Wigan

  2.2

  Staffordshire

  1.8

  Isles of Scilly

  0.5

  Percentages based on figures from local authorities' budget returns on form RA96.

  Dr. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for health if it is his policy that places for mentally ill people in residential homes are interchangeable with psychiatric hospital beds. [1921]

  Mr. Bowis
  Our policy is that mentally ill people should be placed in the accommodation best suited to their assessed needs.

  Bed Availability
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis of usage, survey or projection he has instructed or advised district health authorities of the number of beds per unit or population; and what adjustments in those levels are made for observed and recorded variations in needs for acute health care. [1796]

  Mr. Sackville
  We have not issued any central guidance. It is for individual health authorities and trusts to determine local bed requirements in accordance with local needs and circumstances.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was for each NHS trust and for England as a whole for the last available two years the frequency of closure of admittance to emergency hospital beds, expressing the number of occasions of such closure as a proportion of the total number of hospital beds and indicating the percentage increase or decrease in each
  case. [639]

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally. Information on the average daily number of available beds for each NHS trust for the years 1993–94 and 1994–95 is published in "Bed availability for England", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department maintains on the number of(a) rehabilitation, (b) convalescent, (c) respite and (d) continuing care beds available in the NHS and the private sector. [2779]

  Mr. Bowis
  Information collected from the national health service is published in "Bed Availability for England," copies of which are available in the Library. Data are collected by broad ward classification rather than by clinical specialty and returns are made on a financial year basis. Information from the independent sector does not identify the purpose for which beds are provided.

  Chiropody Services
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to issue further instructions to health authorities on the provision of chiropody services to men aged between 60 and 65 years. [1799]

  Mr. Bowis
  None.

  Cow's Milk
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has(a) evaluated and (b) commissioned into the effect of cow's milk on the health of those who are intolerant to it; what consideration he has given to making lactolite available via the national health service; and what inter-departmental discussions have been held about the extension of the welfare food scheme to include alternatives to cow's milk to those on income support. [2003]

  Mr. Sackville
  My Department has not commissioned any specific research into cow's milk intolerance but it keeps under review the scientific literature on the general issue of food intolerance, including cow's milk intolerance. I have given no consideration to making lactolite available via the national health service. The Department has held no inter-departmental discussions about any extension of the welfare food scheme to include alternatives to cow's milk.

  Family Health Services Authority, Doncaster
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the severance payment made to the last chief executive of Doncaster FHSA. [1785]

  Mr. Malone
  There was no severance payment made. The employment contract was allowed to run to expiry. On retirement, appropriate superannuation benefits were paid.

  GP Lists
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to require general practitioners to provide patients whom they remove from their lists with detailed reasons for that removal. [2235]

  Mr. Malone
  None,

  NHS Doctors
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital doctors have left the national health service in each year since 1991 who qualified(a) five years previously and (b) 10 years previously. [2278]

  Mr. Malone
  Data are not available in the form requested. Evidence of doctors leaving the profession prematurely is available from studies published in 1991 by Professor James Parkhouse. These studies suggested that although about 20 per cent. of doctors were not practising in the national health service five years after qualification the majority of these were not lost permanently to medicine. Many were working in short-term postings overseas to further develop their skills, while others were working in United Kingdom medical work outside the NHS, or taking short career breaks.

  Support Force for Children's Residential Care
  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by the support force for children's residential care since September 1993; and if he will make a statement. [3083]
  518
  Mr. Bowis
  The support force for children's residential care completed its two-year programme of activity in September 1995. It has produced a report of this work. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

  This report demonstrates the significant contribution made by the support force in its two-year span. I am committed to a continuing programme of action to safeguard the future of quality residential child care as an option of choice. My Department is considering the most appropriate and effective means of taking forward and reviewing the work that the support force has started.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what legislation from his Department passed in the last five years contains provision for statutory repeal or review. [2034]

  Mr. Sackville
  Section 3 of the Health Authorities Act 1995 which enables district health authorities and family health services authorities to act jointly in preparation for the reorganisation of health authorities provides for that section to cease to have effect on 1 April 1996.

  Small and Medium Businesses
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994–95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1947]

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Electro-magnetic Fields
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the possibility that exposure to electro-magnetic fields is a cause of cancer; and if he will make a statement. [1963]

  Mr. Sackville
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Normanton (Mr. O'Brien) on 3 November 1994 Official Report, columns 1274–5.

  Community Care (Direct Payments) Bill
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make available information about the Community Care (Direct Payments) Bill in simple text and pictorial format and on audio tape for people with learning difficulties. [1967]

  Mr. Bowis
  A consultation document on the Community Care (Direct Payments) Bill, explaining the Bill and setting out proposals for regulations, will be published shortly. It will be available in a variety of formats.

  Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what stage the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS trust's proposed capital investment plan has reached;
  519
  and what further stages must be passed for it to obtain approval. [2163]

  Mr. Sackville
  I understand that Dudley health authority is conducting a public consultation on the implications of the proposed capital development by the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS trust. When this is complete the trust will need to prepare and submit an outline business case to the NHS executive west midlands regional office and then, providing it is content, test the project for private finance. Assuming these stages proceed satisfactorily, the next step will be to prepare a full business case for consideration by the NHS executive headquarters who will decide whether the project needs to be submitted to HM Treasury for approval.

  Video Surveillance
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he has had with the chairman of North Staffordshire NHS trust about the use of covert video surveillance in cases of suspected child abuse; if the hospital has now terminated the practice of the covert video surveillance; for how long was it in use; and if he will make a statement. [2824]

  Mr. Bowis
  None. I refer the hon. Member to the trust chairman for details.

  Out-sourcing Research
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated in respect of out-sourcing by (i) BUPA and (ii) other private hospital and healthcare providers for the purposes of comparison with proposals for out-sourcing under the private finance initiative; and if he will make a statement.. [2820]

  Mr. Sackville
  None.

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those trusts with registered nursing homes indicating the numbers registered in each of the last four years.. [2777]

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department maintains on the number of people moving between residential and nursing homes. [2783]

  Mr. Bowis
  None.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many jointly registered residential and nursing homes there have been in each region in each of the last five years.. [2420]

  Mr. Bowis
  [holding answer 24 November 1995]: Information as recorded by local authorities on the number of residential homes registered under the terms of the Registered Homes Act 1984 for the provision of nursing care as well as residential care is shown in the table.
  520

  Dual registered residential care homes

  Numbers

  Year ending 31 March

  Regional health authority

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  England

  446

  519

  602

  745

  880

  Northern

  19

  25

  29

  46

  49

  Yorkshire

  32

  33

  41

  59

  80

  Trent

  24

  31

  42

  56

  73

  East Anglian

  5

  7

  10

  19

  37

  North-West Thames

  18

  19

  18

  25

  21

  North-East Thames

  18

  19

  23

  31

  29

  South-East Thames

  40

  44

  45

  53

  55

  South-West Thames

  59

  66

  71

  78

  83

  Wessex

  46

  65

  72

  86

  95

  Oxford

  25

  28

  31

  32

  34

  South Western

  49

  64

  88

  103

  135

  West Midlands

  40

  44

  52

  61

  64

  Mersey

  35

  36

  33

  32

  34

  North Western

  36

  38

  47

  64

  91

  Hospital Discharges
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department maintains about the destination of geriatric discharges from hospital. [2781]

  Mr. Bowis
  The latest centrally held information, 1993–94, on the destination on discharge of patients treated by consultants in geriatric medicine in national health service hospitals in England is as follows:

  Destination on discharge

  Percentage

  Usual residence

  69.18

  Deaths

  17.23

  NHS hospital outside district—general ward/younger physically disabled

  5.70

  Non-NHS institution

  4.34

  Local authority residential home

  1.30

  Temporary residence eg Hotels, residential educational institutions

  1.22

  NHS hospital outside district—mentally ill/handicapped ward

  0.34

  NHS nursing home

  0.32

  Not known

  0.19

  Special hospital

  0.13

  Figures do not add to 100 due to rounding.

  National Health Service Assets
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to cover the transfer of national health service assets beyond the actual capital projects being financed to the management of facilities management consortia under the private finance initiative. [2822]

  Mr. Sackville
  National health service bodies are expected to obtain value for money from any transaction involving the sale or transfer of assets to a third party. General guidance on the disposal of national health service assets is included in the publication "Estatecode: Property Transactions—A Management Guide for NHS Trusts" published by HMSO, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 26 October, ref. POH(2)4593/52. [2724]

  Mr. Malone
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Community Care Services
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the level of spending on community care services in each(a) district and (b) region in each of the last four years. [2778]

  Mr. Bowis
  The information is not currently available centrally in the form requested.

  Elderly People
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made about changes in the costs of providing NHS treatments or services to elderly people(a) over the last 10 years and (b) over the next 10 years. [2782]

  Mr. Bowis
  The available information on the costs to the hospital and community health services of changes in the number of elderly people is contained in the departmental report. Copies of the report are available in the Library.

  Chernobyl
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contribution his Department made to the conference held by the World Health Organisation in Geneva on 20 to 25 November on the consequence of the Chernobyl accident; how his Department was represented; what British papers were submitted; and if he will make a statement on the outcome of the conference. [2775]

  Mr. Sackville
  At the World Health Organisation conference, on 20 to 23 November, on the consequences of the Chernobyl accident my Department was represented by an official and also by the medical assistant director of the National Radiological Protection 522
  Board who assisted in the organisation of the conference. The NRPB assistant director was a member of the technical advisory meeting held in February 1995 and the paper selection meeting in July 1995. The medical department at the NRPB has also contributed to the production of the technical summary of the international programme of the health effects of the Chernobyl accident and the forthcoming full report to be published in April 1996.

  British papers were presented by Professor D. Williams of Cambridge university and Professor T. Lee of St. Andrews university, on thyroid cancer and psycho-social effects respectively.

  The conference was attended by over 350 participants from 38 countries. The most important aspects were thyroid cancer, psycho-social effects and epidemiological studies. There is a real increase in childhood thyroid cancers in Belarus, the Russian Federation and the Ukraine. The conference agreed that there is a need to continue the co-ordinated international support to determine the exact nature of causation and ensure optimal therapy. The non-radiogenic psycho-social impact resulting from extensive relocation of the populations from contaminated areas has produced the most significant overall morbidity so far. Participants agreed with the need to continue with well controlled epidemiological studies of those affected.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each NHS trust spent on non-NHS provision in each year since 1991–92. [2776]

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available centrally.

  Bed Occupancy
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department maintains on bed occupancy rates. [2780]

  Mr. Sackville
  Information on occupied bed days is published each year in volume 1 of "Hospital Episode Statistics", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Prisons: Annual Cost per Prisoner Place
  Prisons: Annual Cost per Prisoner Place
  Charity Commission: Regulations
  Charity Commission: Regulations
  Iraq: Southern Marsh Population
  Iraq: Southern Marsh Population
  EU/US Summit, 3rd December
  EU/US Summit, 3rd December
  Nuclear Weapons: Reduction
  Nuclear Weapons: Reduction
  Anti-personnel Landmines
  Anti-personnel Landmines
  Chinese One Child Policy
  Chinese One Child Policy
  BBC Charter and Agreement
  BBC Charter and Agreement
  Long-term Unemployed: Statistics
  Long-term Unemployed: Statistics
  Higher Education Review
  Higher Education Review
  Male Teachers: Decline in Numbers
  Male Teachers: Decline in Numbers
  Combined Joint Task Force
  Combined Joint Task Force
  House of Lords Voting: Government Defeats
  House of Lords Voting: Government Defeats
  House of Lords: HMSO Supply and Service Agreement
  House of Lords: HMSO Supply and Service Agreement
  Hansard: Annual Subscription for CD-ROM
  Hansard: Annual Subscription for CD-ROM
  Parliamentary Material: Pricing
  Parliamentary Material: Pricing
  Traffic Congestion North of London
  Traffic Congestion North of London
  Organophosphate Poisoning
  Organophosphate Poisoning
  Scottish Homes: Definition of Rurality
  Scottish Homes: Definition of Rurality