Written Answers of 30 November 1995

ENVIRONMENT

  Building Research Establishment
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what considerations have led him to set out the timetable for consultants to complete their tasks set out in the privatisation options study outline requirements; and if he will make a statement. [2433]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The timetable for consultants to complete the study of privatisation options for the Building Research Establishment was set to be demanding but feasible for the completion of a wide-ranging and thorough project. It is in the interests of BRE's customers and staff for any uncertainty about the organisation's future to be kept to as short a period as practicable. All the consultants who were invited to submit tenders were able to comply with the maximum duration specified.

  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what date he has specified for the return of bids by consultants on the Building Research Establishment privatisation options study. [2408]

  Mr. Jones
  The bids for the consultants invited to tender for the study of the options for transferring the Building Research Establishment to the private sector were returned by 20 November.

  The Department is today appointing P. A. Consulting to carry out the study.

  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whom he proposes to appoint to the advisory group to which consultants will be expected to report on options for the privatisation of the Building Research Establishment. [2402]

  Mr. Jones
  The advisory group for the study on the options for transferring the Building Research Establishment to the private sector will be chaired by the deputy secretary housing and construction. The members will include three senior industry representatives, an official representing the Treasury, the chief executive of BRE and the departmental team responsible for the consultancy project.

  Executive Agencies (Overseas Travel)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each of 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. [2290]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
  798

  Small Rural Businesses
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the timetable for proposals from his Department in respect of small rural businesses; and what joint initiative he proposes in conjunction with the Department of Trade and Industry. [2575]

  Mr. Clappison
  The White Paper "Rural England" published in October by my Department and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food outlined a number of measures intended to help small businesses in rural areas.

  We expect to publish before the end of this year a guide for local planning authorities to promote good practice in planning for rural diversification. In the new year, we will be consulting on proposals for a rural business use class and on a draft revision of planning policy guidance note 7, "The Countryside and the Rural Economy".

  In my role as departmental Minister for small businesses, I will continue to work closely with colleagues in other Government Departments, including the Department of Trade and Industry, to ensure that our policies benefit all small firms, including those in rural areas.

  Council House Sales (Durham)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been raised from the sales of council homes in the City of Durham constituency to date; and how much the City of Durham council has available in capital receipts from these sales. [2496]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The total cash receipts from the sale of all council dwellings in the City of Durham between April 1980 and March 1995, as reported by the authority, is almost £37 million. In addition, authority loans of almost £1 million were issued to finance council house sales. At 31 March 1995, the authority had £0.3 million in accumulated usable capital receipts from all assets. The level of outstanding debt of the City of Durham at that date was £49 million.

  Rural Homelessness
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the extent of rural homelessness and the measures he will be introducing to tackle it. [2647]

  Mr. Clappison
  The data which my Department collects from local authorities about households accepted as statutorily homeless do not differentiate between households from rural and non-rural areas.

  The Housing Corporation's approved development programme funds new social housing in rural and non-rural areas. In 1995–96, some 6 per cent. of the corporation's new development programme is providing social housing in rural areas—defined as settlements with a population of 3,000 or less.

  My Department has commissioned research into the nature of demand for housing in rural areas. The results are expected in 1996.
  799

  Parish Councils
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to devolve more power from local authorities to parish councils and to ensure accountability for parish councils. [2646]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The rural White Paper states our intention to legislate for a formal consultative framework between principal and local councils. It also proposes that certain crime prevention powers which principal authorities have under existing legislation should be extended to parish and town councils, and that they should be given additional powers relating to community transport. We are currently consulting interested parties about those proposals.

  A consultation paper has proposed regulations which strengthen accounting and audit requirements for the majority of parishes. Like other local authorities, parish and town councils are independent elected bodies, accountable to their electorate, their auditor and, where necessary, to the courts for the conduct of their business.

  Rural Regeneration
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts across Europe to discuss strategy for a Europe-wide rural regeneration scheme. [2639]

  Mr. Clappison
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State keeps in regular contact with his European counterparts to discuss matters of mutual interest.

  Rural Areas (Essential Services)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidelines his Department gives to local authorities in relation to safeguarding essential services in sparsely populated rural areas. [2648]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Department is acutely aware of the need to ensure adequate service provision in sparsely populated rural areas. The Department's standard spending assessment, which calculates the revenue support grant for local authorities, already allows for the additional cost of delivering some services in sparsely populated rural areas.

  The rural White Paper "Rural England" recognises that local authorities have a significant impact on the quality of life in rural areas and therefore encourages them to prepare rural strategies that identify local rural needs and develop policies to meet. Guidance and advice is provided by the three countryside agencies sponsored by this Department.

  The recently launched rural services checklist which was announced in the rural White Paper encourages service providers to take account of the particular needs of their customers. Prepared in consultation with service providers and circulated to local authorities, it helps service providers meet the various needs of their rural customers.

  The Department provides guidance to local authorities on housing strategies, stressing the need for those local authorities with a significant rural population to develop specific rural housing policies as part of their housing programme. The Department also issues guidance to local
  800
  authorities on the administration of the non domestic rates hardship relief scheme for village shops and post offices. This will be reviewed shortly and further guidance issued.

  Environmental Technology Manufacturers
  Mr. Thomason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account he will take of the cost to environmental technology manufacturers in terms of lost business and the international competitiveness of the four year revision of all chief inspectors guidance notes and process guidance notes. [3112]

  Mr. Clappison
  Manufacturers of environmental technology have benefited significantly from the introduction of the systems of integrated pollution control and air pollution control under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  The chief inspector's guidance notes and process guidance notes are produced as part of the process of following developments in technology and techniques for preventing or reducing pollution of the environment required by the Act. They are reviewed at least every four years. The Environmental Industries Commission is consulted as part of this review process.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people on housing benefit were(a) re-housed by local authorities following eviction by private landlords and (b) moved to a lower category of accommodation by local authorities because of rent arrears, in the last 12 months. [2868]

  Mr. Clappison
  The data provided by local authorities on homelessness acceptances include information on the main reason for the homeless households' loss of last settled home.

  There were some 1,150 households for which local authorities in England accepted responsibility to secure accommodation, under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act, as a result of private sector rent arrears, in the 12 months ending June 1995. It is not known how many of these households were in receipt of housing benefit.

  Information is not available in the Department on the numbers of people on housing benefit who were moved to a lower category of accommodation by local authorities because of rent arrears.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to improve housing facilities for homeless people. [2869]

  Mr. Clappison
  The latest homelessness statistics collected by my Department from English local authorities show that the number of households in temporary accommodation has been declining since September 1992. The "Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities", to which authorities must by law have regard, makes clear that all temporary accommodation must meet acceptable standards.
  801

  Ribble Valley (Pollution)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is taking following Ribble Valley council's recent vote in respect of the inspectorate. [2912]

  Mr. Clappison
  I regret the council's vote, but HMIP must complete its consultations on health issues before announcing a decision.

  Cemfuel
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the implications for the use cemfuel of the distinction made by his Department between waste and fuel; and if he will make a statement. [2874]

  Mr. Clappison
  In so far as cemfuel constitutes waste, the provisions of the hazardous waste incineration directive (94/67/EC) will apply by 30 June 2000, which is the date specified in the directive. In the meantime, HMIP is applying equivalent controls to the use of wastes in cement kilns and waste incinerators.

  Waste Regulation Service
  Mr. Walden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what minimum standards will apply to ensure that the waste regulation service under the new Environment Agency will be delivered locally and to a standard not less than that achieved by the existing waste regulation authorities. [2891]

  Mr. Clappison
  The agency will have the same statutory responsibilities as the existing authorities for regulating the management of waste so as to prevent pollution of the environment or harm to human health. The Secretary of State will issue guidance to the agency on the discharge of these functions. It is for the Environment Agency to determine its geographical structure in line with its management statement, and reflecting the need for the efficient delivery of all its services. The management statement states that the agency should develop a close, responsive relationship with local communities.

  National non-domestic rates—calculation of distributable amount

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Final outturn £ million

  Provisional outturn £ million

  Provisional outturn £ million

  Estimated in-year contribution £million

  1. Income from Local Lists

  Multiplier (p)

  41.6

  42.3

  43.2

  44.9

  Gross Rate Yield

  12,423

  12,269

  12,763

  13,355

  (i) Reliefs

  (a) Net Transitional Relief

  -540

  -117

  -460

  -419

  (b) Empty properties

  -1,224

  -1,172

  -1,072

  -1,145

  (b) Charitable

  -387

  -4l3

  -430

  -478

  (d) Discretionary

  -21

  -21

  -24

  -28

  Net Yield after reliefs

  10,251

  10,547

  10,777

  11,285

  (ii) Collection Costs/Reductions to Contributions

  (a) Costs of collection

  -67

  -69

  -75

  -77

  (b) Losses on collection

  -181

  -186

  -190

  -205

  (c) City of London offset

  -25

  -7

  -1

  -7

  802

  Cement Industry Working Party
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will include in membership of the cement industry working party a person of independent standing to offer advice on pollution limits from industrial processes. [2913]

  Mr. Clappison
  Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution does not use working parties to draft guidance on pollution limits from industrial processes. Consultants are appointed to provide an independent international overview of up-to-date pollution control techniques. This forms the basis for HMIP guidance which is then subjected to wide consultation across a broad spectrum of consultees, many of which are independent of the industry concerned, before publication.

  The guidance does not set statutory pollution limits, but provides benchmarks of current best practices within the industrial sector.

  Local Government Finance
  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what meetings he proposes to hold with representatives of Sheffield city council following the local government settlement statement. [3202]

  Mr. Curry
  It is open to all authorities, including Sheffield, to request a meeting with Ministers during the consultation period which follows the provisional settlement announcement.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the basis of his calculations of the distributable amount of non-domestic rates for 1996–97. [3698]

  Mr. Curry
  The distributable amount of non-domestic rates in England for 1996–97 will be £12,736 million. This is based on non-domestic rate multiplier of 0.449 and includes an allowance of £429 million for an Exchequer payment to the non-domestic rates pool, to compensate for the shortfall which would otherwise occur as a result of regulations to be made under section 58 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to further phase in the effects of the 1995 revaluation on rate bills.

  The calculation for 1996–97, and the prior-year figures on which this is based, are set out in the table:

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  National non-domestic rates—calculation of distributable amount

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Final outturn £ million

  Provisional outturn £ million

  Provisional outturn £ million

  Estimated in-year contribution £million

  Total contribution in respect of year

  9,979

  10,285

  10,506

  10,996

  (iii) Adjustments

  (a) Repayments/interest payments

  -891

  -1,635

  -556

  -154

  (b) Revisions to contributions at outturn (95–96 only)

  -86

  Total adjustments

  -891

  -1,635

  -642

  -154

  Net Local Yield

  9,088

  8,649

  9,864

  10,842

  2. Income from Central List

  Net Central List Yield

  1,095

  1,114

  1,192

  1,258

  3. Income from Crown Contributions in Aid

  Net Crown Yield

  445

  548

  541

  525

  Total NDR Yield

  10,628

  10,311

  111,597

  12,626

  4. Exchequer Contributions

  (a) Local List Transition

  591

  425

  600

  419

  (b) Central List/Crown

  42

  20

  20

  10

  Total Exchequer contributions

  633

  445

  620

  429

  Total NNDR Pool payments (1+2+3+4)

  11,261

  10,756

  12,217

  13,055

  5. Adjustments

  Surplus brought forward

  -954

  -1,252

  -1,182

  -319

  Combined total

  10,307

  9,503

  11,035

  12,736

  Distributable amount

  11,559

  10,685

  11,354

  12,736

  Surplus carried forward

  -1,252

  -1,182

  -319

  Notes:

  1. Item 1: The gross calculated rate yield represents the total value of non-domestic hereditaments on local rating lists times the multiplier. For the years to 1994–95 the yield is the amount recorded in the post-end year (NNDR3) returns. For 1995–96 it is the amount underlying authorities' provisional contributions to the non-domestic rating pool including the prescribed amount for Enterprise zones.

  2. Item 1(i)(a): The transitional decrease adjustment includes the estimated amount of rates that will not be recouped locally due to the revised transitional arrangements under the provisions of the Non-Domestic Rating Acts 1992, 1993 and 1994.

  3. Item 1(i)(b): The empty property relief adjustments include voids and partially occupied hereditaments. Figures up to 1995–96 are as reported by authorities. The 1996–97 figure includes an allowance for the increase in the gross rates yield.

  4. Item 1(i)(c): Charitable rate relief. As for empty property relief.

  5. Item 1 (I)(d): Discretionary relief granted to charities, non-profit making organisations and for other reasons. As for charitable rate relief, with a further adjustment to allow for increased relief following the move to take these reliefs outside capping.

  6. Item 1(ii)(a) and (b): The allowances for the costs and losses incurred by local authorities in collecting non-domestic rates from ratepayers, including the latest estimates of additional billing an software costs arising from the Non-Domestic Rating Acts.

  7. Item 1(ii)(c): City Offset—a preliminary estimate for 1996–97 (£6.5 million of the amount which the City of London will not be required to pay into the non-domestic rating pool on account of the local rate in the City. It is the amount which will be retained by the authority to meet its own expenditure.

  8. Item 1(iii)(a): Net adjustment in respect of appeals an other amendments to the rating list affecting liability for previous years rates settled in that year.

  9. Item 1(iii)(b): The revisions to contributions line applies only to estimated outturn revisions to the provisional contributions for 1995–96. For earlier years all figures are already based upon the outturn contributions.

  10. Item 2: The rateable value of non-domestic hereditaments on the central rating list times the multiplier, and adjusted for appeals and other changes in respect of previous years. The 1996–97 figure is calculated as the estimated rateable value times the multiplier, less the effect of the transitional arrangements.

  11. Item 3: The 1996–97 figure for crown properties includes an allowance for the effect of transition.

  12. Item 4(a) and (b): The contribution from central government to offset the amount of the Secretary of State's estimate of income foregone arising from the provisions of the Non-Domestic Rating Acts 1992, 1993 and 1994.

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2975]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Department committed itself to achieving investor in people status in 1992. The Department has recently concluded a wide-ranging review of its structure and ways of working, including a staff attitudes survey, and a target date for obtaining the investor in people award will be linked to progress on its implementation.
  804

  Bathing Water, Norfolk
  Mr. Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which Norfolk beaches were tested in 1995 for enteroviruses under the EC bathing water directive. [2968]

  Mr. Clappison
  The National Rivers Authority sampled the following identified bathing waters in Norfolk for enteroviruses during the 1995 bathing season:

  Cromer

  Great Yarmouth Pier

  Great Yarmouth South

  Gorleston Beach

  805

  Urban Development Corporations
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the areas for which urban development corporations have been established since 1979, indicating in each case which are also covered by a unitary local authority. [3383]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The urban development corporations and related unitary local authorities, where applicable, are listed in the table.

  UDC

  Covered by unitary local authority

  London Docklands

  Yes

  Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets

  Merseyside

  Yes

  Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral

  Black Country

  Yes

  Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton

  Teesside

  No

  —

  Trafford Park

  Yes

  Trafford, Salford

  Tyne and Wear

  Yes

  Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland

  Bristol

  No

  —

  Sheffield

  Yes

  Sheffield

  Central Manchester

  Yes

  Manchester, Trafford

  Leeds

  Yes

  Leeds

  Birmingham

  Yes

  Birmingham

  Heartlands

  Plymouth

  No

  —

  Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment what progress has been made on the establishment of action programmes in respect of the proposed nitrate vulnerable zones; and if he will make a statement. [3907]

  Mr. Gummer
  My right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Secretary of State for Wales and I issued today a consultation document giving details of the action programme to be established under the terms of the EC nitrate directive, and which will apply in nitrate vulnerable zones. It also gives details of the draft regulations which transpose the formal requirements of the nitrate directive into domestic law. This is the latest of several rounds of consultation about implementation of the directive. The document is being sent to farmers in parishes or communities affected by the proposed zones, farmers' representatives, environmental and consumer groups, and to the water industry.

  The draft action programme contains measures on use of inorganic fertiliser and organic manure, and on storage of slurry in nitrate vulnerable zones, in accordance with the directive. The proposed measures are those described in the brief outline of the action programme included in the May 1994 consultation document on the boundaries of proposed zones. In developing the measures, we have made use of experience and knowledge gained from other Government initiatives to reduce agricultural nitrate pollution. The measures should bring about reductions in nitrate leaching in vulnerable zones.

  I am placing copies of the consultation document in the Library.
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DEFENCE

  Nigeria (Arms Trade)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the value of the arms trade to Nigeria to the United Kingdom economy since 1993. [2877]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  [holding answer 28 November 1995]:It is not Government policy to reveal details of the value of defence exports by country. Information on the value of exports, by region, is contained in UK defence statistics—a copy of which is in the House Library.

  In December 1993, European partners introduced a series of measures against the Nigerian military. All applications for new licences to export defence equipment to Nigeria were reviewed, on a case-by-case basis, with the presumption of denial. On 11 November 1995, the Prime Minister announced a full United Kingdom arms embargo against the Nigerian military and on 20 November, the European Union announced the adoption of a common position on the extension of measures in three areas; including an EU-wide embargo on arms supplies.

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2973]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The principles of investors in people are strongly supported by the Ministry of Defence.

  Given its size and complexity, the Ministry of Defence has taken a strategic decision to work towards the IIP standard through its management units rather than as a single entity. Over the last 18 months, the Department has put in place management systems which demonstrate its commitment to the good management and development of people and, in September, published its commitment to the principles of the investors in people standard in its personnel policy statement.

  Activity in the Department towards the standard is increasing. Two units have achieved recognition as investors in people and a further nine have made a formal commitment to working towards it. We intend to increase the number of units making formal commitments.

  Damages Claim (Tornado Aircraft)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 November,Official Report, column 272, what is the amount of the claim presented to Bricom. [3353]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Details relating to the claim are confidential between my Department and Bricom.

  Vessel Replacements
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to award a contract for the construction of replacements for HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid. [3448]
  807
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  We are currently in negotiation with VSEL to replace HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid. The timing of any order will be subject to the satisfactory outcome of these negotiations.

  Departmental Property, Somerset
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many empty residential properties for service personnel his Department currently has in(a) Yeovil and its environs and (b) Somerset. [3345]

  Mr. Soames
  My Department currently owns 53 vacant service families quarters in Yeovil and its environs and an additional 25 elsewhere in Somerset. Of the vacant quarters, 24 at Ilchester are awaiting demolition as part of a larger plan for the redevelopment of the area. The remainder are either already allocated to service families due to move in shortly or form part of the management margin needed to ensure that accommodation is available to house entitled service personnel.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many residential properties for service personnel his Department is currently building in Yeovil; [3347]

  (2) how many residential properties for service personnel his Department intends to build in Yeovil; [3348]

  (3) what is the cost to his Department of the residential properties for service personnel currently being built in Yeovil. [3349]

  Mr. Soames
  My Department is not currently building any residential properties for service personnel in Yeovil. However, we intend to build 120 properties to accommodate service personnel moving from Portland in late 1997 and 1998. We also plan to demolish 72 substandard properties in Ilchester and replace them with 84 new houses. It is not our practice to give estimated costs as this could prejudice the tendering process which is due to take place early in 1996.

  Army (Trained Strength)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the total trained strength of the British Army in April 1996. [3350]

  Mr. Soames
  The total trained strength of the Army will be some 104,000 at 1 April 1996, based on recent assessments of recruiting and retention rates. This includes Gurkhas, but excludes members of the Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service).

  Reservists
  Dr. David Clark
  to ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many letters have been sent to reservists in the last two weeks advising them to be prepared for possible full-time deployment within Her Majesty's Forces. [3351]

  Mr. Soames
  Some 1,322 letters have been sent to members of the Army Reserve and the Regular Army Reserve of Officers inviting them to be called out for service with the implementation force in former Yugoslavia. Members of the Territorial Army have been trawled through the chain of command and those 808
  expressing an interest have then been handed a letter giving further information. There is no central record of the number of letters which have been distributed to members of the TA.

  Service Housing
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further steps he intends to take to improve the quality and management of service housing. [3423]

  Mr. Portillo
  Earlier this year, the Government created a specialist housing division within MoD, the Defence Housing Executive, to undertake the management and maintenance of the married quarters estate on behalf of all three services. That has provided the estate with a unified, professional housing management organisation which we intend should offer a more responsive and efficient housing service to our personnel and their families. There is a great deal to be done in this area, and the executive has some challenging targets to meet. Over 90 per cent. of its budget is already spent on buying maintenance and other services from the private sector. But further improvements in cost-effectiveness are both possible and necessary.

  The DHE will continue in its current form, as a unit within MoD, for a guaranteed period of at least three years. That will enable it to focus on the management improvements we expect it to deliver. I pay tribute to the DHE and its chief executive for the progress already made.

  Beyond that, the Government have been considering, with financial and other advisers, possibilities for transferring ownership of the married quarters estate to the private sector. I am satisfied that we should take this forward.

  The main points of our proposal are that the MoD should transfer the ownership of the married quarters estate in England and Wales to the private sector on a series of very long leases, renting back the accommodation which is needed to meet service housing needs. To that end, we would enter into detailed agreements governing the maximum and minimum levels of MoD occupancy, allowing sufficient flexibility to cater for inevitable uncertainties about our long-term accommodation needs. Several thousand surplus properties would be transferred on a freehold basis immediately—and future surpluses would similarly be returned to the new landlord. Special arrangements would allow the MoD to share in the enhanced value where the subsequent disposal of such properties was particularly successful. The MoD would retain, through the Defence Housing Executive, responsibility for maintenance and the allocation of housing. It is intended to include the bulk of the official service residences in the sale, where it is possible and sensible to do so.

  Our fundamental requirement is to be able to provide our services with the housing that they need and deserve. That requirement flows from operational circumstances which demand mobility of service families, and from the imperative to deal fairly with our personnel and their families, upon whose commitment, dedication and forbearance we so heavily rely.
  809
  Meeting that requirement, however, is not dependent upon retaining ownership of the married quarters estate. Indeed, it is inappropriate for Government to own a large estate of this kind if they can avoid doing so. As far as possible, I want to place the business of owning married quarters, and disposing of them when they are no longer required, in the private sector, where significant efficiencies can be expected. Accordingly, I have decided to take forward the transfer of the married quarters estate to the private sector.

  I am confident that this proposition will meet the services' housing needs, in a manner consistent with operational and security requirements, and will safeguard the welfare and interests of our personnel and their families. We will also be able, if such a transfer is successfully achieved, to fund additional investment in upgrading the housing stock where necessary. Much of the married quarters estate is in good condition, but there are areas where improvements are overdue, and this sale offers the opportunity to put this right more quickly. It also offers the prospect of real progress in dealing with the current empty homes problem. At present some 20 per cent. of our housing stock is unoccupied; even allowing for the unique requirements of service housing, and the particular difficulties associated with the changes and redeployments of recent years, that is unsatisfactory. By involving the dynamism and expertise of the private sector in dealing with surplus properties, I believe we can help to put that right and improve the supply of housing to the public.

  I therefore intend to test the market. If a good price is available, the Government will transfer the stock. Such a transfer would depend upon reaching agreement on terms which satisfy the interests of the Services and on a price which properly reflects the public interest.

  The Government will in due course publish a preliminary information memorandum, which will set out the proposals in greater detail, and invite interested parties to prequalify for the opportunity to tender for the estate.

  Morocco (RAF Deployments)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates, numbers and types of aircraft involved, numbers of sorties flown and minimum permitted altitudes, for Royal Air Force deployments to Morocco during(a) 1994 and (b) 1995. [1280]

  Mr. Soames
  There were no deployments to Morocco in 1994. Between 21 and 28 April 1995, six Tornado GR1 aircraft flew 32 sorties. The minimum permitted altitude was 300 ft above ground level.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what agreements have been reached with the Moroccan Government for low flying training facilities in that country. [1281]

  Mr. Soames
  In September 1993 the United Kingdom signed an accord on military co-operation with the Kingdom of Morocco. In July 1994 we completed technical arrangements to facilitate bilateral exercises, including exercises involving RAF low flying training in Morocco.
  810

  Tornado Training Establishment
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the German and Italian authorities concerning the future of the Tornado tri-national training establishment; and what plans he has to move RAF Tornado training from Cottesmore. [1288]

  Mr. Soames
  The RAF has regular meetings with its German and Italian counterparts on all issues relating to the Tornado tri-national training establishment.

  Former Yugoslavia
  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]

  Mr. Portillo
  [pursuant to his reply, 27 November 1995, c. 482–83]:On Monday, 4 December, some 380 British personnel should begin deployment to the former Yugoslavia as our contribution to pre-positioned troops for a NATO peace implementation force. These will include communications, logistics and engineer units together with advance headquarters elements. Their job will be to help prepare for the arrival of the main forces who will follow as soon as possible after the final signature of a peace agreement, the necessary UN Security Council resolution and an agreed balance of forces committed to the implementation force.

SCOTLAND

  Agricultural Allowance Schemes
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when the beef annual premium was paid to farmers in Scotland in(a) 1993, (b) 1994 and (c) 1995; [2805]

  (2) when the sheep annual premium was paid to farmers in Scotland in (a) 1993, (b) 1994 and (c) 1995; [2808]

  (3) when the hill livestock compensatory allowance was paid to farmers in Scotland in (a) 1993, (b) 1994 and (c) 1995. [2809]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Payments under the sheep annual premium scheme, the suckler cow premium scheme, the beef special premium scheme, and the hill livestock compensatory allowances scheme are made over a considerable period of time, depending on the kind of payment and when eligibility for payment is established. Payments for the scheme years commenced in the months shown in the table.

  Scheme

  1993

  1994

  1995

  SAPS

  October 1993

  October 1994

  August 1995

  BSPS

  November 1993

  November 1994

  October 1995

  SCPS

  November 1993

  December 1994

  —

  HLCA

  February 1993

  February 1994

  March 1995

  Sheep Quota Allocations
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes in respect of the position of those sheep producers refused sheep quota allocations from the developer category of the 1993
  811
  national reserve following the decision not to appeal against Mr. Justice McPherson's ruling; and if he will make a statement. [3164]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Sheep producers in the less-favoured area ring fences who had their applications to the developer category of the 1993 national reserve rejected together with those who were deterred from applying will be offered a chance to apply again for assessment under new guidelines. The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department will write to producers to let them know what action they need to take. The Department is maintaining close consultation with industry representatives in drawing up the revised guidelines.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  National Lottery
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans she has to extend lottery funding to grant aid individual sporting competitors. [2500]

  Mr. Sproat
  I am keeping the national lottery distribution arrangements under review.

  "Raising the Game"
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the value of the extra resources that the Government are planning to commit to fulfil the pledges contained within "Raising the Game"; and on which vote the cost will fall. [1555]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Sports Council will be making available an extra £1 million to enable trainee and serving teachers to obtain coaching qualifications and setting up a £2 million challenge fund to promote formal links between clubs and schools. These additional funds will be made available as a result of savings on administration following the restructuring of the Sports Council. Sportsmatch will also be earmarking £1 million of its funding for schools projects. Most significantly, the national lottery provides sport with an unprecedented opportunity to expand its stock of facilities and equipment and provides the means of fulfilling the Government's aim that, by 2000, all young people will have access to quality facilities, including playing fields.

  Departmental Targets
  Ms Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the published recommended response time within which her Department is expected to reply to letters from the public. [3008]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  My Department has set a target of 18 working days to reply to letters from the public.

  New Palace Yard (Archaeology)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the archaeology being carried out during the current digging within the confines of New Palace Yard. [3106]
  812
  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 28 November 1995]:An archaeological excavation in New Palace Yard was completed in 1994 as part of those being undertaken in the vicinity of the Houses of Parliament by the Museum of London archaeology service on behalf of London Underground Ltd.'s Jubilee line extension project. The current Jubilee line extension work in New Palace Yard comprises engineering operations only.

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps her Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if she will make a statement. [2988]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Department of National Heritage is currently developing a human resource development strategy based on the four key principles required for investors in people accreditation. A staff development adviser was appointed in August this year and she is working closely with the Central London training and enterprise council and a diagnostic study will be carried out to assess the exact requirements to achieve IIP status. As soon as that diagnostic study has been completed, I will be able to give a target date for achievement of the award.

  Under-age Gambling
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of - State for National Heritage what research her Department has undertaken into the problems of under-age gambling; and if she will make a statement. [1968]

  Mr. Sproat
  My Department has not undertaken any research into under-age gambling. I welcome yesterday's announcement by the Director General of the National Lottery about tough new action designed to stamp out under-age lottery sales. As part of this action, Oflot and the lottery operator will also commission research on UK and overseas experience in relation to ticket sales to children.

  Royal Palaces
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what grace and favour accommodation in which occupied royal palace is allocated to(a) the private secretary to Her Majesty the Queen, (b) the Keeper of the Privy Purse, (c) the Master of the Household, (d)the Comptroller, the Lord Chamberlain's Office (e)the Crown Equerry and (f) the Director of the Royal Collection. [2431]

  Mr. Sproat
  This information is provided on page 33 of the Committee of Public Accounts minutes of evidence for 24 April 1995, which is available in the Library of the House. None of these officials occupies accommodation on a grace and favour basis as all have abatements to their salaries in recognition of their occupying official accommodation.

  Undertakings to Indemnify and Contingent Liabilities
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was(a) the number of undertakings given by her under section 16 of the

  813
  National Heritage Act 1980 during the six-month period ended 30 September 1995 and (b) the amount of value, expressed in sterling, of any contingent liabilities as at the end of that period in respect of such undertakings given by her under that section at any time as remain outstanding at the end of that period. [3910]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information my hon. Friend requests is as follows:

  In the six-month period ended 30 September 1995 the following undertakings to indemnify were given by the relevant Departments for items on loan to national and non-national institutions.

  Number

  Department of National Heritage

  470

  Scottish Office Education Department

  78

  Welsh Office Education Department

  37

  Department of Education for Northern Ireland

  16

  The value of contingent liabilities in respect of such undertakings given at any time and outstanding at 30 September 1995 are:

  £

  Department of National Heritage

  1,975,720,233

  Scottish Office Education Department

  137,926,172

  Welsh Office Education Department

  35,201,147

  Department of Education for Northern Ireland

  4,333,303

  Tourism
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will set out the forecast Exchequer grant for the promotion and support of tourism for 1996–97 and 1997–98, at 1979 prices and expressed per head of population, for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. [2166]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 29 November 1995]:The planned Government grant to the English tourist board and the British Tourist Authority for 1996–97 and 1997–98, expressed in 1979 prices, and per head of population for the countries covered by the boards, is set out in the following table. It is not possible to give figures for other parts of the United Kingdom as I understand that my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland have still to announce the allocation of the overall settlements for their Departments announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 28 November.

  British tourist authority

  English tourist board

  GIA £million (1979 prices)

  £ Per head population

  GIA £million (1979 prices)

  £ Per head population

  1996–97

  13.4

  0.23

  3.8

  0.08

  1997–98

  13.1

  0.23

  3.7

  0.08

  Source:

  Population Estimates Unit (OPCS) 1979–1994, Government
  Actuaries Department 1995 (1992—based projection).
  814
  The British Tourist Authority is responsible for marketing Great Britain overseas. The grant per capita for BTA has therefore been calculated using the total population of England, Wales and Scotland.

  Greenwich Park
  Mr. Deva
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the recommendations made by the Royal Parks review group in its report on Greenwich park. [3909]

  Mr. Sproat
  I have now considered the group's report in detail. As with the two previous reviews—on Hyde park and Kensington gardens, and on St. James's, Green and Regent's parks—the review group, chaired by Dame Jennifer Jenkins, examined a wide range of issues relating to the role and management of the park, consulting widely with individuals and interested organisations. The conclusions were discussed at a one-day conference, and were well received. The conference delegates supported the majority of the recommendations, but made a few alternative suggestions.

  The group's recommendations focus on the opportunities to provide for changing demands and pressures without losing sight of the park's prime function of providing a green open space, close to the heart of the city, where local residents and tourists alike can enjoy themselves in the open air, amidst examples of London's finest built heritage. We have been looking positively at the group's proposals, and I confirm that I can accept them in principle. I set out the action we have taken, and my proposals for taking matters forward, including the necessary consultations which will have to be carried out before some recommendations can be implemented. The availability of financial resources will of course determine the timing of some.

  The principle recommendations of the group are to nominate a world heritage site at Greenwich, and to open up the great axis, leading from the Isle of Dogs across the Thames to the Royal Naval college and the Queen's house, up the park's escarpment to the Wolfe monument, and on to the spire of All Saints church in Blackheath.

  I endorse the world heritage site proposal. I have sought preliminary advice from English Heritage, and my Department is pursuing discussions with the London borough of Greenwich, and other interested parties. If all goes well, I hope to put Greenwich forward by the end of this year for inclusion in the United Kingdom's tentative list of world heritage sites, with a view to making a formal nomination by July 1996.

  I endorse the proposal to open up the great axis, and my Department will be taking this forward in respect of the Royal Naval college site, in consultation with the relevant parties. The document, inviting expressions of interest in the future use of the Royal Naval college buildings, confirms the Government's wish to see greater public access to this site. The proposal concerning the axis, as it unfolds through the area leading from the Queen's house, up through the park, and as to how a less divisive boundary between the National Maritime museum and park can be achieved, will be the subject of detailed discussion between the two organisations. The Royal Parks agency will commission its landscape architects, in co-operation with the museum, to look at the

  815
  landscaping issues in detail, including the escarpment, and will put forward recommendations. Consultations will then take place with all concerned.

  As in earlier reports, the Jenkins group considered that there was a need to curb traffic and parking, to improve the safety of pedestrians and the atmosphere of the park. They recommended that this could be achieved by banning through traffic, and closing St. Mary's gate, at the north end of the park, and redesigning the layout of Blackheath avenue to create more space for pedestrians. The closure of St. Mary's gate will require discussion with the London borough of Greenwich, the Minister for Transport in London, the Traffic Director for London, and local interested groups. Discussions are in hand, and subject to the outcome, we are thinking of introducing a six month trial ban next year. The Royal Parks Agency will also commission a design study of Blackheath avenue in due course as funds permit.

  On the group's recommendations to bring into the park additional areas, from which the public are now excluded, the agency has begun discussions with the London borough of Greenwich about the Old Orchard, and with Thames Water about the reservoir. The agency has commissioned a feasibility study of how best to use the former nursery site, with a view to retaining two glasshouses and the contractor's yard, and incorporating the remainder into the deer enclosure. Any programme of works resulting from the study would not begin until full consultations had taken place. The works would be phased over a number of years, and would be dependant on available financial resources.

  The group made a number of other recommendations to improve the ambience of the park, including improvements in planting and pruning, banning dogs from sports areas, and continuing with the current sports provision. These have already been implemented. Work is about to begin on improving surfaces in the children's playground, and costs will be met from existing budgets. The costs of other recommendations, to improve paths and upgrade benches, will be met from current and future maintenance budgets of the Royal Parks Agency. For proposals such as the provision of shelters and cycle tracks, the agency will be seeking sponsorship and private finance.

  The report also refers to the prime meridian in the context of the millennium. I accept the recommendation that there should be no new millennium building in the
  816
  park, but welcome the suggestion of marking the meridian line in some way. The Royal Parks Agency will be inviting proposals of how this might be achieved.

  The full cost of implementing the recommendations is not yet known, as further studies are required in many instances. It will also be necessary to consider the royal parks requirements alongside other demands on my Department's budget.

  I am most grateful for the contribution and time Dame Jennifer and her group have given to the review, and for their comprehensive report and constructive recommendations. I look forward to their final report on the remaining royal parks—Richmond and Bushy.

  Television Licence Fees
  Mr. Coe
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will announce the television licence fees which will take effect from 1 April 1996. [3911]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Government announced on 4 November 1993,Official Report, columns 309–10, that they had decided to link increases in the television licence fee to the retail prices index for the remaining three years of the BBC's current royal charter.

  Licence fee increases are based on the annual RPI figure as at the previous September, in the same way as pensions and other state benefits. Application of the RPI figure of 3.9 per cent. for the year September 1995 to the current unrounded licence fees produces new rounded totals of £90.00 for a colour licence and £30.00 for a black and white licence. The necessary regulations to bring these fees into force will be laid before the House in due course.

  Scratchcards
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will estimate the number of national lottery outlets selling scratchcards to under 16-year-olds. [1970]

  Mr. Sproat
  My Department cannot estimate the number of national lottery outlets selling scratchcards to under 16-year-olds. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has, under section 11 of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993, issued a direction to the Director General of the National Lottery, that no licence should be granted which authorises the promotion of any lottery, which does not allow for sufficient controls to prevent persons who have not attained the age of 16 from participating. I have therefore asked the director general to write to the hon. Member, placing copies of his response in the Libraries of the House.
  817

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  BBC World Service
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the performance of the BBC World Service against its remit to explain, inform and educate those outside the United Kingdom of the affairs and nature of the United Kingdom. [3169]

  Mr. Hanley
  We have regular discussions with the World Service about its performance. The World Service is aware that informing overseas listeners about the United Kingdom is an important aspect of its remit. The content of programmes is a matter for the World Service.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to require the BBC World Service to broadcast the "Today", "The World at One", "PM" and "The World Tonight" programmes. [3170]

  Mr. Hanley
  It is for the BBC World Service to decide which domestic BBC programmes are suitable for international broadcasting.

  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to meet the managing director of the BBC World Service to discuss funding proposals for the next triennium. [3163]

  Mr. Hanley
  Detailed discussions on the next triennium will begin early next year.

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2976]

  Mr. Hanley
  The personnel and security command of the diplomatic wing is committed to seeking investor in people recognition and expects to be able to do so in April 1996. We regard this as a pilot project which, if successful, might lead to investor in people status later being sought by other commands and divisions of the diplomatic wing.

  The aid wing is committed to achieving investor in people status, has completed initial diagnostic work and engaged an adviser.

  Indonesia
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the pro-democracy groups in Indonesia which have been 818
  funded in the last five years; and how much each group received. [3145]

  Mr. Hanley
  We provide no funding to any Indonesian political group, but we maintain contact with a range of groups in Indonesia through our embassy in Jakarta and have invited on occasion representatives to visit the UK under our sponsored visit scheme.

  Angola
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the peace process in Angola. [1494]

  Mr. Hanley
  [holding answer 29 November 1995]:We are encouraged that, a year after the signing of the Lusaka protocol, the ceasefire in Angola continues to hold and that the quartering of UNITA troops has now begun. However, there is still much to be achieved before the Lusaka protocol is implemented in full. We urge both parties to fulfil their obligations.

  Nigeria
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 21 November,Official Report, column 71, on what dates in 1995 Ahmed Abdullahi, a senior member of the Nigerian Provisional Ruling Council, was in Britain.

  Mr. Hanley
  [holding answer 29 November 1995]:General Abdullahi made two visits to the UK in 1995. In February, he was given, exceptionally, a visa on compassionate grounds to receive urgent medical attention. He made a further private visit in September, having acquired a visa through misrepresentation. Procedures at the visa section of our high commission in Lagos have been reviewed.

  World Conference on Women
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which aspects of the Beijing programme of action he is prioritising. [2911]

  Mrs. Gillan
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government attach a great deal of importance to the world conference on women, and we are fully committed to implementation of the "Platform for Action", its outcome document.

  I have outlined a plan for implementation which includes a short, accessible public report of the conference, which will be available shortly; an invitation to non-governmental organisations to submit their views on priorities for implementation by 1 February 1996; and a report on progress on implementation one year after the conference. We await the outcome of the consultation exercise before setting any specific priorities for implementation.
  819

  Rwanda
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action has been taken by the international community and the Rwanda Government to improve conditions at Kigali prison. [2556]

  Mr. Hanley
  The international community provides food and medical treatment for prisoners in Kigali and other prisons in Rwanda. Over 500 women and children have already been transferred from Kigali prison to new facilities or to a new wing within the Kigali prison, built with international funding and the co-operation of the Rwandan Government. Adolescent prisoners and 1,500 adult prisoners are to be transferred to new facilities shortly.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Land Registration
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the estimated cost to public funds of moving to mandatory land registration within five years. [2246]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The question concerns a specific matter on which the chief executive of HM Land Registry Executive Agency is best placed to provide the answer. I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 30 November 1995:
  I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning the estimated cost to public funds of moving to mandatory land registration within five years.
  Land Registration is compulsory on sale throughout England and Wales for all conveyances and transfers of freehold land and all leases for a term of more than 21 years. Over 15.7 million titles are already registered and it is estimated that, under existing legislative provisions, approximately 18 million titles will be registered by the year 2000.
  If the remaining unregistered titles were to be brought onto the public land register within five years by new, mandatory, compulsory registration provisions there would be no direct cost to public funds as the Land Registry is required to cover all its expenditures from fees paid by those who use its services. However, under existing legislation, public authorities, in their capacity as landowners, would be required to pay fees for registering their titles.
  In September, a joint report by the Law Commission and the Land Registry (Law Com No 235; Cm 2950) was published which proposes extending the circumstances in which a disposition of unregistered land must be completed by registration, thereby bringing forward the time when all land in England and Wales would be brought onto the public land register. The report also recommends the introduction of a new fee structure to enable reduced fees to be charged to encourage voluntary registration. A draft Bill to give effect to these (and other) recommendations is included in the report and a suitable opportunity is being sought to bring this forward for consideration by Parliament.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which countries in the European Union limit the acreage of land to which any one owner may have title. [2245]
  820
  Mr. Evans
  The question concerns a specific matter on which the chief executive of HM Land Registry Executive Agency is best placed to provide the answer. I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

  Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 30 November 1995:
  I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning which countries in the European Union place limitations on the acreage of land that may be held by any one owner. In England and Wales registration of title is the responsibility of Her Majesty's Land Registry. The Land Registration Acts place no such limitation on ownership. Since the repeal by the Charities Act 1960 of the old Mortmain and Charitable Uses Acts, the general law of England and Wales has imposed no such limitation on ownership. 1 am not aware of any restriction elsewhere in the European Union.

  Mental Incapacity
  Mr. Khabra
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects to publish a response to the Law Commission's report on mental incapacity. [2138]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The Government set up an interdepartmental working group, chaired by the Lord Chancellor's Department, to consider the Law Commission report on mental incapacity. The group was asked to produce an initial report for consideration by Ministers by 1 September 1995, and has met this timetable. Ministers are now considering the report of the working group together with that of the Law Commission. The Government will make an announcement of their initial view on the Law Commission's report once Ministers have had the opportunity to consider the implications of the proposals.

  State Papers
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list those countries of the European Union that do not release state papers until a specified period has elapsed; and if he will give the period in each case. [2720]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The definition of "state papers" differs throughout the European Union, as do the periods for which such papers are withheld. The different provisions in the 12 then member states are set out in chapter 4 of the 1994 report of the group of experts on the co-ordination of archives,"Archives in the European Union".Copies of the report are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Executive Agencies (Overseas Travel)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list for each of 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. [2285]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The Court Service became an executive agency on 3 April 1995. Hence, for the financial year in question, the Lord Chancellor was responsible for three executive agencies—the Public Trust Office, Her Majesty Land Registry and the Public Record Office. The
  821
  question concerns a specific matter on which the chief executives of those agencies are best placed to provide the answer and I have accordingly asked them to reply direct.

  Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 November 1995:
  I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question requesting details in respect of overseas travel within the last financial year. I can provide the following information:

  (a) In the year 1994/95 the total expenditure on overseas travel by Land Registry staff was £8,084.

  (b) The countries visited were Switzerland, France, Belgium and South Africa.

  (c) The posts held by the six staff concerned were: Chief Land Registrar (Switzerland), Solicitor to HM Land Registry (France), Director of Information Technology and Head of Services, Computer Services (Belgium), Director of Corporate Services and Head of Development & Support, Computer Services (South Africa)

  I do hope that this answers the points raised with the Parliamentary Secretary but please contact me if I can be of any further assistance.

  Letter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 November 1995:
  The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 22 November 1995, regarding the cost of overseas travel made by agency staff in the last financial year, including the posts held by the staff concerned and the countries visited.
  There was no overseas travel on official business by any member of the Public Trust Office during 1994/95.

  Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 November 1995:
  I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about (a) the costs of travel, (b) the countries visited, and (c) the posts held by the staff concerned, in respect of overseas travel by agency staff for the last financial year.
  The answers are:

  (a) £7708.

  (b) Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, and the United States of America.

  (c) The Keeper of Public Records; the Director of Corporate Services; the Manager of the NewPRO programme and two of his staff; the Head of Preservation Services; a Government Services Inspection and Documentation Officer; the Publications Manager; a Reader Services Department Team Leader and the Head of Map Section.

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2979]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The constituent parts of my Department are approaching the investor in people initiative separately.

  The Court Service, established as an agency in April this year, is committed in principle to achieving the investor in people standard within the lifetime of the current corporate plan, that is by April 1998. A scoping study, begun earlier this year, will shortly recommend to
  822
  the chief executive when the process should begin and what the time scale should be for the action plan and assessment phase. The chief executive will make a public announcement once these decisions have been taken.

  The Public Trust Office began to work towards investor in people in April this year and has completed the diagnostic stage to determine the readiness of the office for assessment against the standard; surveys and interviews of staff have been carried out and the findings were recently presented to the management board. A decision has been taken to pursue a commitment to achieve accreditation for the PTO by April 1997 and the action plan is being drawn up.

  The headquarters of my Department began active consideration of the investor in people initiative in the summer and is currently examining the options for completing the diagnostic stage of the process, with a provisional target date of April next year. Decisions on a target date for committing to IIP and on timing of an action plan will follow thereafter.

  ATTORNEY-GENERAL
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Attorney-General what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2980]

  The Attorney-General
  The Law Officers' departments are committed to the principles of the investor in people initiative. The Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office are actively considering the options for the implementation of IIP. The CPS is pursuing with a training and enterprise council the possibility of a pilot exercise in one of its offices. The Treasury Solicitor's department envisages taking a decision to work towards the IIP standard after 1 April 1996, once it has assumed agency status. The Government Property Lawyers has already decided to seek IIP accreditation: much of the groundwork has been carried out and the agency is in contact with a TEC with a view to making progress in the near future. The legal secretariat to the Law Officers is a small office, the staff of which are almost all on loan from other Departments, and thus there are no immediate plans to implement IIP in its case.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Onshore Oil Licensing
  Mr. Ainger
  to ask the President of the Board of Trade what advice he received from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Countryside Council for Wales before inviting applications from oil companies for blocks in watery areas in the latest onshore oil licensing round. [2854]

  Mr. Page
  Previous practice regarding onshore licensing has been to offer all unlicensed onshore areas, including watery areas, in each licensing round. Watery areas have attracted very few applications, none in the last two rounds, and environmental and other bodies interested in these areas were consulted only after applications had
  823
  been received and on a case-by-case basis. It was felt that to consult over areas that were—on the basis of previous experience—unlikely to be the subject of applications would place an unnecessary burden on the organisations consulted. For this reason, neither the Joint Nature Conservation Committee nor the Countryside Council for Wales was asked to advise on the watery areas before the invitation to apply for licences in the seventh round of onshore licensing was announced.

  After the announcement, it became clear that a number of companies were interested in exploring in the watery areas and the views of the JNCC, and CCW were therefore sought. Consultation with these bodies over blocks on offer in the seventh round continues.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the organisations that have communicated their objection or concern about the latest onshore oil licensing round covering watery areas. [2851]

  Mr. Page
  The DTI consulted over 90 organisations following the offer of watery areas in the seventh onshore oil and gas licensing round. Those on the following list have either objected or expressed varying degrees of concern. Applications were received for three of the areas, the Solway firth, the Minches and the Ribble estuary, and 12 of the organisations listed have expressed an interest in these.Organisations that have communicated their objections or concern about the latest onshore licensing round covering watery areas.

  Argyll and Bute Council

  Carmarthen Bay Forum

  Cefn Sidan Community Council

  Countryside Council for Wales

  Cumbria County Council

  Cumbria Wildlife Trust

  Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council

  Dyfed County Council

  Dyfed Wildlife Trust

  Eastern Sea Fisheries Joint Committee

  Essex County Council

  Essex Wildlife Trust

  Friends of Cardigan Bay

  Friends of the Earth Cymru

  Fylde Borough Council

  Gwent Wildlife Trust

  Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

  Highland Regional Council

  Humberside County Council

  Isle of Wight Council

  Joint Countryside Advisory Service

  Kent Trust for Nature Conservation

  Lancashire County Council

  Lancashire Wildlife Trust

  Lincolnshire County Council

  Llanelli Borough Council

  Lothian Regional Council

  Merseyside Development Corporation

  Metropolitan Borough of Sefton

  Metropolitan Borough of Wirral

  Norfolk Wildlife Trust

  824

  Pembroke, Carmarthen and West Glamorgan Green Parties

  Port of London Authority

  Royal Society for Nature Conservation (The Wildlife Trusts)

  Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

  Shetlands Islands Council

  South Pembrokeshire District Council

  South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee

  Strathclyde Regional Council

  The Clyde Fishermen's Association

  The Fishermen's Association Limited

  The Lincolnshire Trust for Nature Conservation

  The National Trust (Whiteford Burrows Advisory Committee)

  The Scottish Fishermen's Federation

  The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

  Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts

  Departmental Targets
  Ms Armstrong
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the published recommended response times within which his Department is expected to reply to letters from the public. [3004]

  Mr. Lang
  The published targets for letters for ministerial reply are as follows:

  Substantive reply sent within 10 working days: 77 per cent.

  Substantive reply sent within one calendar month: 98 per cent.

  For other letters, individual management units and agencies within the Department are free to set their own targets and performance measures as part of the MINIS process. There is no recommended standard, but all performance measures and targets are monitored and reviewed annually in MINIS to ensure that they are challenging and will lead to continued improvements in output and performance.

  More detailed information about individual management units, performance measures, including timeliness targets for responding to correspondence from the public are published annually in the Department's MINIS documents. Copies of MINIS 94 and MINIS 95 are available in the Library of the House. Agencies' targets are also published in their annual reports.

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2984]

  Mr. Lang
  The Department announced its formal commitment to working towards investor in people accreditation in May 1994. This was followed by a full diagnosis of the relevant procedures and attitudes within the Department. A draft action plan was produced which is now being extended to cover staff who joined the DTI from the Cabinet Office and the former. Employment Department in the latest machinery of Government changes. The revised plan will be submitted to Central London training and enterprise council for approval within the next few weeks, although the key changes in procedures are already being put in place. A trial IIP
  825
  assessment is planned for the summer of 1996. The timing of the final assessment will be decided in the light of the results of the trial.

  "Realising our Potential" Awards
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many applications were received for responsive mode (non-ROPAS) grants by the(a) the Medical Research Council, (b) the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, (c) the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, (d) the Particle

  1994 responsive mode1 (non-ROPA) grants Analysis of applications and awards by Research Council

  Research Council

  Number of applications

  Number x- rated

  Number of awards

  Number of ineligible

  Number rejected

  BBSRC

  1,107

  775

  313

  —

  794

  EPSRC1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  ESRC

  925

  562

  178

  47

  747

  MRC

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  NERC

  486

  275

  115

  —

  371

  PPARC1

  412

  353

  294

  0

  118

  1995 responsive mode1 (non-ROPA) grants Analysis of applications and awards by Research Council

  Research Council

  Number of applications

  Number x-rated

  Number of awards

  Number of ineligible

  Number rejected

  BBSRC

  1,121

  879

  253

  —

  868

  EPSRC1

  1,036

  —

  417

  —

  619

  ESRC

  834

  522

  225

  18

  609

  MRC

  987

  790

  217

  —

  770

  NERC

  524

  346

  101

  —

  423

  PPARC1

  259

  221

  181

  0

  78

  1For EPSRC and PPARC readily available grants data does not distinguish responsive and non-responsive proposals. The figures shown are therefore for all non-ROPA grants.

  BBSRC: the council does not record the number of ineligible applications received.

  ESRC: 'ineligible' applications include those rejected by the office as unsuitable for processing on technical grounds (outside Council's remit or insufficiently specified). Also includes applications withdrawn by candidates, the ESRC have supplied two sets of figures for the 'rejected' category;

  the figures shown are for all applications not funded which includes unfunded alphas;

  the alternative figures are 363 (1994) and 312 (1995) for all non-alpha applications not funded which is the category which ESRC regards as 'reject'.

  EPSRC: the new EPSRC grants system began on 1 January 1995. The period 1 April 1994 to September 1994 was spent dealing with applications made to SERC and Phase 1 ROPAs. This was followed by what was essentially an inter-regnum during which responsive applications received and grants awarded were insignificant and mainly related to maintaining support for existing groups;

  the EPSRC does not have closing dates for its grant scheme;

  readily available grants data does not distinguish responsive and non-responsive proposals;

  the data relates to responsive mode proposals (excluding ROPAs) received and fully considered between 1 January and 31 July 1995.

  MRC: the figures relate to the 1 August 1994–31 July 1995 grant round;
  826
  Physics and Astronomy Research Council and (e) the Economic and Social Research Council in 1994–95; how many were turned down because of ineligibility; how many were x-rated; and how many were (i) accepted and (ii) rejected. [2991]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The information requested is set out in the following tables. Because of the differing ways the research councils organise their grant schemes it is not possible to provide all the information precisely as requested.

  Particular attention should be paid to the explanatory notes.

  MRC do not keep statistics on ineligible applications.

  NERC: figures are for academic years 1993–94 and 1994–95; ineligible applications are sifted out at an early stage and are therefore not sent for peer review or considered by the Research Grants Training and Awards Committee. As a consequence no applications fall into the ineligible category.

  PPARC: PPARC have been unable to identify responsive and non-responsive grants separately; figures therefore reflect the whole of the grants portfolio;

  it is not yet possible to provide a full picture for '1995' because PPARC is part way through a grants round.

  Royal Cornish Consols United Tin Mines Cost Book Co.
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on factors leading to the Department of Trade and Industry discharging the receiver appointed to investigate the activities of the Royal Cornish Consols United Tin Mines Cost Book Co.; and if he will publish the receiver's report. [2580]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The receiver was appointed by the High Court as part of injunctive proceedings designed principally to bring an end to a misconceived tax avoidance scheme. That receiver has obtained his release from the court, and has not produced any report for this Department.
  827

  Steel
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action has been taken during the last six months to reduce state aid for steel production within the EC. [2962]

  Mr. Eggar
  The Commission ordered the repayment of illegal state aid to a steel producer in Germany. Formerly, state-aided companies in Spain, Portugal and Italy have been privatised. At the November 1995 Industry Council, the Commission, while proposing an exceptional derogation for Irish steel, reaffirmed its commitment to avoid putting forward any future requests for derogation from the steel aid rules. The UK Steel Subsidies Monitoring Committee has played a part in maintaining the pressure to end steel subsidies in Europe.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the current order book of the British steel industry; and what it was in each of the last three years. [2964]

  Mr. Eggar
  Information on orders outstanding is not available. Figures of total orders booked in each of the last four years are in the table.

  UK steel industry products

  Total orders booked

  12 months ending September

  Million tonnes

  19921

  13.8

  1993

  14.0

  1994

  14.9

  1995

  14.5

  Note:

  153 week period.

  Source:

  1SSB Ltd.

  Life Funds
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what approaches have been received from Australian Mutual Providence regarding the proposed release of surplus moneys from the life funds; and what reasons have been given for such a proposal. [3354]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Department does not comment on its contacts with individual companies.

  The Department's view on the balance between policyholders' and shareholders' interests in the long-term funds of life insurance companies was set out by my predecessor my hon. Friend the Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Evans) in his reply to the hon. Member for Shoreham (Mr. Stephen) on 24 February 1995, Official Report, columns 362–63.

  Gas Measurement Branch
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the annual income of the Gas Engineering Meters and Quality Laboratory arising from(a) fees, (b) charges and (c) fines; what was total number of staff employed (i) part time and (ii) full time; and what contribution his Department made towards the annual running costs in the past three years. [3255]
  828
  Mr. Eggar
  I assume that this question refers to the work of the gas measurement branch of the oil and gas division of my Department. The income from fees and charges for Gas Act 1986 work in the three financial years, 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1995 is as follows:

  Financial year

  Fees £

  Charges £

  1992–93

  2,292,549

  1,001,715

  1993–94

  1,718,997

  912,304

  1994–95

  1,518,188

  967,804

  There was no income from fines. Any fines would be paid into the magistrates court in respect of any criminal proceedings.

  The number of staff in post in April of the relevant years carrying out Gas Act work is also as follows:

  Staff in post

  Part time

  Full time

  1992

  4

  62

  1993

  3

  61

  1994

  2

  58

  1995

  4

  46

  Apart from total expenditure over the three years of about £6,000 for Gas Act statutory work for which there was no power to make a charge, all of the gas measurement branch's annual running costs were recovered by relevant fees and charges.

  Medicine Sales
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what information he has as the basis of the investigation currently being undertaken by the Office of Fair Trading into the resale price maintenance of medicines; and if he will make a statement; [3013]

  (2) what estimate he has made as to the likely savings to the National Health Service from the abolition of the resale price maintenance scheme for medicines; [3015]

  (3) if he will support the abolition of the retail price maintenance of medicines. [3019]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  [holding answer 28 November 1995]:In 1970, the restrictive practices court exempted medicaments from the general prohibition on resale price maintenance. The exemption can only be ended by the court. The Director General of Fair Trading has a duty to monitor and regularly review existing goods exempted from the prohibition. The Office of Fair Trading's current review is to establish whether there is a prima facie evidence of material change in the relevant circumstances since the exemption was granted. If the DGFT concluded that there was a material change of circumstances he could apply to the court to seek leave for review of the exemption. It would be premature to speculate about the DGFT's conclusions.
  829

  Asbestosis
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many coal miners and former coal miners diagnosed to be suffering from asbestosis since 1983 have received a payment under the 1974 pneumoconiosis compensation scheme. [2726]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 28 November 1995]:This is a matter for the British Coal Corporation. I am asking the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Business Links (Rural Areas)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many business links in rural areas will be operating by the end of 1995; and if he will indicate their location by county. [2643]

  Mr. Page
  Most business links have within their boundaries a variety of locations—urban, suburban and rural. It is not possible therefore to enumerate business links operating only in rural areas. By the end of 1995 business link services will be available to around 85 per cent. of all VAT-registered companies in England.

PRIME MINISTER

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 30 November. [1653]

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 30 November. [1654]

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

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Prime Minister what steps his office is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2972]

  The Prime Minister
  For this purpose, my Office is part of the Cabinet Office. In February 1993, the Cabinet Office registered commitment to achieve investor in people status. The formal commitment relates only to the Office of Public Service part of the Cabinet Office and the establishment officer's group. However, the whole Department is participating in the process of change and will share in the benefits. An action plan for the Department was produced following consultation with staff and was formally accepted by the Central London training and enterprise council in July 1995. Work is in hand to take forward the action required to bring the Department to the necessary standard. The Department is seeking to achieve accreditation by the end of 1996.
  830

  Crown Act 1707
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to bring forward legislation to amend the Succession to the Crown Act 1707. [3378]

  The Prime Minister
  No.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Charter Mark
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many firms have withdrawn from the charter mark award scheme; and if he will make a statement. [2908]

  Mr. Willetts
  Only one. British Gas withdrew from the charter mark scheme earlier this month when its charter mark was under review.

  Executive Agencies (Overseas Travel)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list for each of 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. [2284]

  Mr. Willetts
  As this concerns a purely operational matter, I have asked the chief executives of the agencies concerned to write direct to the hon. Member.

  Letter from R. N. Edwards to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 22 November 1995:
  There has been no overseas travel on behalf of the Chessington Computer Centre by any of its staff during the last financial year.

  Letter from Craig Muir to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 29 November 1995:
  "To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list for each of 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."

  (a) £579.34

  (b) United States of America

  (c) Director of Business Development.

  Letter from Mike Devereau to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 27 November 1995:
  I have been asked to reply, in respect of the Central Office of Information, to your question to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster about overseas travel.
  COI staff of all grades make many visits in the course of providing services to other departments from whom costs are recovered. For example radio technicians support overseas visits by senior ministers, film marketing specialists attend sales conferences and managers travel with touring exhibitions.
  The cost in 1994–95 was £65.078. The countries visited were:

  Albania

  Azerbaijan

  Austria

  Bangladesh

  Belgium

  Bosnia

  831

  Brazil

  Croatia

  Czech Republic

  Denmark

  Egypt

  France

  Germany

  Greece (Corfu)

  Holland

  Hong Kong

  India

  Italy

  Japan

  Luxembourg

  Norway

  Oman

  Poland

  Russia

  Saudi Arabia

  Serbia

  Singapore

  South Africa

  Sweden

  Switzerland

  Taiwan

  Turkey

  Ukraine

  United Arab Emirates

  USA

  Letter from Mike Lynn to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 27 November 1995:
  I have been asked to reply, in respect of HMSO, to your question to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster about overseas visits. I should explain that HMSO is a trading organisation which buys and sells outside the UK, and participates in international conferences and exhibitions associated with our goods and services. The details requested are as follows:

  (a) The recorded cost of overseas travel during the last financial year was £66,000.

  (b) Countries visited

  Turkey

  Luxembourg

  Norway

  Sweden

  Thailand

  Malaysia

  Philippines

  Italy

  Belgium

  Poland

  Cyprus

  Sri Lanka

  Singapore

  Spain

  USA

  832

  Germany

  Austria

  India

  Holland

  Japan

  France

  (c) Staff concerned

  Chief Executive

  Deputy Chief Executive

  Export Sales Manager

  Export Sales Executive

  European Liaison Manager

  Translator

  International Security Print Executive

  Press Manager

  Technical Director

  Research Analysts

  Sales Executives

  Senior Buyer

  Designer

  Director Purchasing

  Head of Paper Purchasing

  Paper Negotiator Manager

  Distribution Director

  Research Manager

  Letter from S. H. F. Hickey to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 27 November 1995:
  The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has asked me to reply for the Civil Service College to your Question about overseas travel by Agency staff.
  The cost of overseas travel and subsistence in the 1994/95 financial year was £92,078. The countries visited are listed in the annex to this letter. The staff concerned were myself, Business Group Directors and teaching and consultancy staff.
  There was some travel to international conferences, often to present papers, but the large majority of the expenditure was in connection with fee-earning business, primarily in the area of promulgating the UK experience of public sector reform. For example, we have had major contracts for supporting public sector reform in Southern Africa and Eastern Europe.

  Countries visited by CSC Staff in 1994/95

  Belgium

  Canada

  Cyprus

  Eire

  Finland

  France

  Germany

  Holland

  Hungary

  Italy

  Lebanon

  Luxembourg

  Namibia

  Norway

  Oman

  Poland

  Rumania

  South Africa

  Spain

  The Czech Republic

  USA

  Zimbabwe

  833
  Letter from E. C. McCloy to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 24 November 1995:
  Your written question to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has been referred for me to reply on behalf of this Agency.
  During 1994/95 there was no expenditure on travel overseas by any member of Agency staff.

  Civil Servants (Contact with the Opposition)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the guidelines and timings for meetings of permanent secretaries with Opposition Front Bench Members, and for the undertaking of contingency work by civil servants in preparation for a change of Government; and if he will make a statement. [3268]

  Mr. Heseltine
  The convention has been that, by authority of the Prime Minister, towards the end of a Parliament or when a general election has been called, Opposition parties may arrange, with the authority of their party leaders and through the head of the civil service, contacts with senior civil servants. These arrangements are designed to allow briefing on factual questions on departmental organisational changes which Opposition parties have in mind or which may result from Opposition party policies. Any exchanges would be confidential. Following the last general election, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the leader of the Opposition that he would be content to authorise confidential exchanges between senior civil servants and Opposition spokesmen from January 1996.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Nigeria
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the involvement of the Crown Agents in the export of military, security or police equipment to Nigeria since June 1993; and if he will make a statement. [2074]

  Mr. Hanley
  Crown Agents has had no involvement in procurement of military equipment for Nigeria. Under contractual arrangements entered into before 1993, a Crown Agents subsidiary company acted as shipping agent for one company exporting military equipment under licences granted before EU measures were imposed in December 1993. This involvement ceased in January 1995.

  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the police training for Nigerian police officers in the United Kingdom and Nigeria since 1990 has involved(a) instruction in crowd control techniques and (b) the use of firearms. [2479]

  Mr. Hanley
  Training has not included instruction in either crowd techniques or the use of firearms.

  Mr. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which towns or cities in Nigeria United Kingdom personnel have visited to provide training to Nigerian police forces in each year since 1990. [2480]
  834
  Mr. Hanley
  United Kingdom personnel provided training in Jos between 1991 and 1993, and in Enugu between 1993 and 1995.

  Children
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will obtain reports from Her Majesty's ambassadors stationed in countries currently or recently suffering from war and armed conflict on the degree to which children have been pressed into direct military action; and what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on aid or expedient support for Governments permitting children to be trained for military service. [2734]

  Mr. Hanley
  We receive regular reports from our representatives overseas. As part of our good governance policy, we always take account of a Government's level and use of military expenditure when deciding our allocations of bilateral aid.

  We take every opportunity to urge those countries which have ratified the UN convention on the rights of the child to comply fully with the relevant sections of article 38 of the convention, which deals with children in armed conflict.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what programmes or projects are currently supported by the overseas aid budget to establish post-conflict trauma aftercare for children in developing countries which have suffered from civil war or other armed conflict. [2736]

  Mr. Hanley
  The most effective interventions to assist children who have been affected by conflict are those which seek to provide a normal, stable environment for child development. We adopt a holistic approach to post-conflict situations through normal economic and social rehabilitation activities, supplemented by more targeted programmes, such as child tracing or family reunification. For this purpose, we have supported Save the Children programmes in Gaza and the west bank, Liberia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zaire, Serbia and Montenegro, Red Cross services in Angola and UNICEF programmes in Burundi and the former Yugoslavia.

  Sri Lanka
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received about the delivery of humanitarian aid to Tamil refugees in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. [2515]

  Mr. Hanley
  Food and non-food relief is reaching the displaced people in the north, including the Jaffna peninsula. The main requirement is for shelter materials, household goods and the provision of safe drinking water. We continue to channel our relief and rehabilitation support through the non-governmental organisation CARE, Oxfam and Save the Children, and through the International Committee of the Red Cross. All these organisations operate in co-ordination with the Government of Sri Lanka.
  835

TREASURY

  Investors in People
  Mr. Buyers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2986]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The Treasury made a formal commitment to work towards achieving the investor in people standard in April 1994, when it agreed a departmental action plan with the Central London training and enterprise council. A mid-term assessment of the Department's progress is planned for early 1996, the outcome of which will determine the target date for accreditation.

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. [1427]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  A claim to public interest immunity relating to departmental records or information is normally made by the appropriate Minister, or in the case of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise by the chairman. No PII certificates have been signed by Treasury Ministers during the last five years.

  In order to protect in proceedings confidential information provided by taxpayers about their personal affairs or the identity of informers, the chairman of the Inland Revenue may swear affidavits, rather than sign PII certificates, claiming on public interest grounds that disclosure of documents should not be made. As far as can be ascertained, one such affidavit has been signed in the last five years—in 1991—and was for use in civil proceedings.

  The chairman of Customs and Excise also claims PII by affidavit and not by certificate. There have been three affidavits in the last five years—one each in 1992, 1994 and 1995. Each was used in civil proceedings in order to protect informant and intelligence information.

  Value Added Tax (Blood Products)
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what consultations his Department held with the Department of Health in respect of the imposition of value added tax on the recombinant factor VIII product Kogenate; [3130]

  (2) on how many occasions he has considered the imposition of value added tax on the recombinant factor VIII product, Kogenate; what was his decision in each case; and if he will make a statement. [3129]

  Mr. Heatcoat-Amory
  Customs and Excise advised Bayer in September 1994 that Kogenate could be relieved from VAT as it appeared to fall within the exemption for human blood or products derived from human blood. Customs subsequently discovered that other supplies were treating recombinant products as outside this exemption and to ensure equity reviewed the position. On the basis of 836
  scientific advice from the Department of Health, Customs ruled that since these products were not derived from human blood, they were taxable at the standard rate of VAT. Bayer was advised of the new ruling on 25 September 1995.

  This ruling brings the VAT liability of these products into line both with that applied in other member states under the EC sixth VAT directive and with that of other drugs and therapeutic products. Plasma-derived human factor VIII remains exempt from VAT.

  Departmental Targets
  Ms Armstrong
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the published recommended response times within which his Department is expected to reply to letters from the public. [3002]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The recommended response time within which the Department is expected to reply to letters from the public is between 10 to 15 working days.

  Low-risk Ports of Entry
  Mr. Cann
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those ports of entry into the United Kingdom which are regarded as low risk by the Customs and Excise. [3186]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  All ports of entry into the United Kingdom are subject to Customs controls. It would not be in the public interest to disclose the Customs assessments of risk arising at individual ports.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials with responsibility for the private finance initiative formerly within his Department have been transferred to(a) the Department of Health or (b) the NHS Executive. [3093]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 28 November 1995]:No permanent officials have been transferred from Her Majesty's Treasury to the Department of Health or NHS Executive to work on PFI matters; however one member of staff seconded to Her Majesty's Treasury is working on private finance matters within the NHS executive.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Cold Weather Payments
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give a breakdown of the numbers of pensioners refused cold weather payments by region over the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [1092]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency and he will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 29 November 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for a breakdown of the number of pensioners refused cold weather payments by region over the past five years.

  837
  Cold Weather Payments are paid to people receiving Income Support whose benefit includes a disability or pensioner premium or who have a child under aged 5 in their family. Payments are made automatically to those eligible without the need for a claim form to be completed.
  I hope you find this helpful.

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of invalidity benefit were(a) medically examined and found (i) capable of work, (ii) capable of alternative work and (iii) capable of undertaking their usual occupation in each of the quarters ending December 1994 and March 1995 and (b) without examination were found (i) capable of work, (ii) capable of alternative work and (iii) capable of undertaking their usual occupation in each of the quarters ending December 1994 and March 1995. [1748]

  Mr. Burt
  [holding answer Friday 24 November]:The administration of incapacity benefits is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Keith Bradley, dated 29 November 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about how many claimants of invalidity benefit were (a) medically examined and found (i) capable of work, (ii) capable of alternative work and (iii) capable of undertaking their usual occupation in each of the quarters ending December 1994 and March 1995 and (b) without examination were found (i) capable of work, (ii) capable of alternative work and (iii) capable of undertaking their usual occupation in each of the quarters ending December 1994 and March 1995.
  Information is not available in the format requested. The figures below are for the number of medical opinions given, following examination, that a customer is capable of work. Such opinions are not given without a medical examination. Decisions as to whether or not a person is found capable of work for benefit purposes is made by independent adjudication officers.

  Number of opinions given following examination

  Number of opinions given following examination

  December 1994

  March 1995

  Capable of work

  Alternative work

  26,534

  26,150

  Usual occupation

  4,269

  4,096

  Total

  30,803

  30,246

  Incapacity Benefit replaced Invalidity Benefit from April 1995. For Incapacity Benefit purposes, the examining doctor does not give any opinion on a person's capacity to work, rather an assessment is carried out of the individual's functional limitations and restrictions which is then scored by the adjudication officer, along with the customer's own assessment, in order to reach a decision on capacity for work.

  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Child Support Agency
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of the Child Support Agency's assessed case load was not paying regular maintenance immediately prior to take on by the agency. [2066]
  838
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  [holding answer Monday 27 November 1995]: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 Ann Chant to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 29 November 1995:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency assessed caseload.
  In the first year of the Agency it was estimated that just under 60 per cent of all the cases taken on were not already receiving maintenance. This proportion has increased to an estimated 77 per cent since April 1994.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many absentee fathers the Child Support Agency has traced since its introduction. [2217]

  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. [2217]

  Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 29 November 1995:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security on how many absentee fathers the Child Support Agency has traced since its introduction.
  The number of absent parents traced by the Child Support Agency from its launch until 30 September 1995 is as follows:

  1993/94: 28,240

  1994/95: 49,632

  1995/96: 25,164

  Total to date: 103,036

  You may wish to know that this information is already available in the Child Support Agency's statistical information which is placed monthly in the Library.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much money has been recovered as a result of intervention by the Child Support Agency. [2220]

  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 Ann Chant to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 29 November 1995:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about money recovered by the Child Support Agency.
  Between April 1993 and September 1995 the Agency has been involved in the payment of new maintenance arising from child support assessments of over £330 million.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the running costs of the Child Support Agency during each year since 1992–93. [2218]

  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.
  839
  Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 29 November 1995:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the running costs of the Child Support Agency during each year since 1992/93.
  From launch on 5 April 1993, the Agency's net cost of operations during 1993/94 was £139 million as published in the annual accounts on 28 November 1994. The net cost of operations during 1994/95 was £192 million as published in the annual accounts on 18 July 1995. Expenditure statements in both annual reports are prepared on an accruals basis. I hope this is helpful.

  Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims have been made in each region for industrial injuries disablement benefit for chronic bronchitis and emphysema up to 31 October; how many were(a) successful and (b) unsuccessful; and on what grounds. [3023]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is set out in the tables.

  Claims in respect of chronic bronchitis and emphysema (PD D12) between 13 September 1993 and 31 October 1995 analysed by Benefits Agency Area Directorate

  Area

  Claims received

  Successful claims1

  Claims disallowed

  Southern England

  AD1 Anglia

  27

  3

  19

  AD2 Chilterns

  22

  4

  13

  AD3 South London and West Sussex

  0

  0

  0

  AD4 West Country

  155

  6

  76

  AD5 East London and Essex

  43

  1

  4

  AD6 South East

  499

  33

  451

  Analysis of claims disallowed between 13 September 1993 and 31 October 1995 and reason for disallowance by Benefits Agency Area Directorate

  Area

  Failed 20 year rule

  Reg 22 (Up to 2 Oct 1994)1,2

  Disablement assessed at less than 14 per cent.

  PD-D12 not diagnosed(Upto 2 Oct1994)2

  Failed FEV1 test(From 3 Oct 1994)3

  Failed x-ray test(From 3 Oct 1994)3

  Southern England

  AD1

  7

  1

  0

  9

  0

  2

  AD2

  6

  0

  0

  6

  0

  1

  AD3

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  AD4

  12

  0

  0

  55

  5

  4

  AD5

  3

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  AD6

  42

  0

  0

  380

  20

  9

  AD7

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Southern England total

  70

  1

  0

  450

  26

  16

  Wales and central England

  AD1

  161

  17

  2

  4,572

  206

  178

  AD2

  33

  0

  0

  555

  3

  6

  AD3

  236

  3

  3

  2,941

  72

  59

  AD4

  696

  9

  34

  6,409

  452

  315

  AD5

  37

  1

  0

  412

  13

  13

  AD6

  19

  1

  0

  279

  3

  1

  AD7

  163

  0

  4

  1,741

  48

  32

  Wales and Central England totals

  1,345

  31

  43

  16,909

  797

  604

  840

  Claims in respect of chronic bronchitis and emphysema (PD D12) between 13 September 1993 and 31 October 1995 analysed by Benefits Agency Area Directorate

  Area

  Claims received

  Successful claims1

  Claims disallowed

  AD7 Wessex

  1

  0

  0

  South East total

  747

  47

  563

  Wales and Central England

  AD East Midlands

  6,093

  718

  5,136

  AD2 Midlands South West

  669

  56

  597

  AD3 West Mercia

  3,834

  407

  3,314

  AD4 Wales

  10,113

  1,481

  7,915

  AD5 Merseyside

  531

  49

  476

  AD6 Greater Manchester

  349

  32

  303

  AD7 Lancashire and Cumbria

  2,346

  160

  1,988

  Wales and Central England total

  23,935

  2,903

  19,729

  Scotland and Northern England

  AD1 Tyne Tees

  7,454

  634

  6,579

  AD2 South Yorkshire and Humberside

  6,891

  844

  5,827

  AD3 North and West Yorkshire

  2,909

  446

  2,277

  AD4 Glasgow and Paisley

  249

  8

  165

  AD5 North, Central and West Scotland

  1,939

  64

  1,801

  AD6 East Scotland

  2,465

  104

  2,186

  Scotland and Northern England total

  21,907

  2,100

  18,835

  Grand total

  46,589

  5,050

  39,127

  1 Successful in this context means claims that have resulted in payment of benefit.

  Not all claims will have been decided by 31 October 1995.

  841

  Analysis of claims disallowed between 13 September 1993 and 31 October 1995 and reason for disallowance by Benefits Agency Area Directorate

  Area

  Failed 20 year rule

  Reg 22 (Up to 2 Oct 1994)1,2

  Disablement assessed at less than 14 per cent.

  PD-D12 not diagnosed(Up to 2 Oct 1994)2

  Failed FEV1 test(From 3 Oct 1994)3

  Failed x-ray test(From 3 Oct 1994)3

  Scotland and Northern England

  AD1

  159

  7

  4

  6,147

  143

  119

  AD2

  192

  3

  4

  5,218

  210

  200

  AD3

  104

  10

  3

  2,012

  97

  51

  AD4

  21

  0

  0

  122

  9

  13

  AD5

  102

  0

  0

  1,654

  31

  14

  AD6

  90

  2

  0

  2,025

  25

  44

  Scotland and Northern England totals

  668

  22

  11

  17,178

  515

  441

  Grand total

  2,083

  54

  54

  34,537

  1,338

  1,061

  Notes:

  1Where chronic bronchitis and emphysema is already covered in assessment for pneumoconiosis (Regulation 22).

  2Cases failing on FEV1 test or x-ray test up to 2 October 1994.

  3Figures not collected by Area Directorate prior to 3 October 1994.

  Source:

  Benefits Agency BREM system and Central Data Unit, 100 per cent. count and subject to amendment.

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2983]

  Mr. Burt
  The Department is committed to the principles of investor in people and uses the IIP standards to underpin all personnel policies throughout the Department. Individual business units are, however, free to approach the achievement of the standard in ways which best meet their business needs. The Benefits Agency began the process of IIP accreditation as early as 1992 and 20 business units have subsequently received accreditation with a further 113 units at different stages of achievement. The Contributions Agency, War Pensions Agency and Information Technology Services Agency are at various stages of the process with a view to obtaining accreditation during 1996 and 1997. DSS headquarters aim to audit their personnel management practices against the IIP standard during 1996 and the Child Support Agency will encourage individual units to seek accreditation.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  School Budgets
  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the percentage of each shire county's education budget which is held back for central administration together with the amount of money this represents per school pupil. [2570]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The following table shows the percentage of each county's general schools budget reserved centrally in 1995–96 for management and administration, and the amount of money per pupil which this represents.842

  Local education authority

  Management and administration Per cent.

  Amount per pupil £

  Avon

  2.51

  63

  Bedfordshire

  1.62

  39

  Berkshire

  1.59

  37

  Buckinghamshire

  3.17

  77

  Cambridgeshire

  1.41

  33

  Cheshire

  1.33

  29

  Cleveland

  2.33

  54

  Cornwall

  1.23

  29

  Cumbria

  1.18

  27

  Derbyshire

  1.12

  25

  Devon

  1.41

  33

  Dorset

  2.22

  48

  Durham

  1.73

  39

  East Sussex

  1.03

  26

  Essex

  1.74

  40

  Gloucestershire

  2.23

  49

  Hampshire

  2.03

  47

  Hereford and Worcester

  1.35

  30

  Hertfordshire

  0.72

  17

  Humberside

  2.43

  57

  Isle of Wight

  1.33

  32

  Isles of Scilly

  2.22

  95

  Kent

  3.48

  81

  Lancashire

  1.50

  35

  Leicestershire

  1.86

  42

  Lincolnshire

  1.63

  39

  Norfolk

  0.76

  18

  North Yorkshire

  1.67

  37

  Northampstonshire

  1.26

  28

  Northumberland

  1.80

  41

  Nottinghamshire

  2.01

  43

  Oxfordshire

  1.11

  28

  Shropshire

  1.59

  37

  Somerset

  0.84

  18

  Staffordshire

  0.95

  20

  Suffolk

  1.17

  27

  Surrey

  2.02

  51

  Warwickshire

  1.76

  43

  West Sussex

  1.83

  42

  Wiltshire

  1.39

  31

  Notes

  1.The figures have been derived from budget statements published by local education authorities under section 42 of the Education Reform Act 1988 in respect of the financial year 1995–96.

  2.Amounts per pupil have been rounded to the nearest pound.
  843

  Nursery Voucher Scheme
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the cost of vouchers under the nursery scheme will be deducted from local authority standard spending assessments. [3375]

  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the local education authorities which are piloting the nursery voucher scheme will be subject to the standard spending assessment clawback during the period of the pilot. [3447]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  In both phase 1 and full implementation of the nursery education voucher scheme, vouchers will be funded through a combination of new money and deduction from participating local authorities' standard spending assessments. The deduction will be based on the number of four-year-olds in nursery education places in the maintained sector in a base year, taking into account termly variations in attendance.

  Table 1: Primary

  SSA per pupil (5–10)

  LEA name

  1995–96 cash amount £

  1995–96 (in 1996–97 prices)£

  1996–97 £

  Percentage change between 1992–93 and 1996–97 (cash)

  City of London

  2,901

  2,981

  2,736

  20.9

  Camden

  2,900

  2,980

  2,841

  12.6

  Greenwich

  2,711

  2,785

  2,716

  14.3

  Hackney

  3,076

  3,161

  2,991

  2.5

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  2,904

  2,984

  2,808

  8.3

  Islington

  2,888

  2,968

  2,865

  6.1

  Kensington and Chelsea

  2,852

  2,930

  2,628

  0.7

  Lambeth

  3,066

  3,151

  3,024

  2.5

  Lewisham

  2,777

  2,853

  2,803

  10.5

  Southwark

  2,947

  3,028

  2,926

  8.6

  Tower Hamlets

  3,035

  3,118

  3,052

  2.2

  Wandsworth

  2,683

  2,757

  2,654

  3.6

  Westminster

  2,750

  2,826

  2,667

  2.9

  Barking and Dagenham

  2,231

  2,293

  2,273

  9.6

  Barnet

  2,197

  2,257

  2,205

  6.5

  Bexley

  2,064

  2,121

  2,124

  11.3

  Brent

  2,500

  2,568

  2,554

  3.9

  Bromley

  2,013

  2,068

  2,074

  10.1

  Croydon

  2,243

  2,305

  2,278

  8.6

  Ealing

  2,350

  2,414

  2,378

  3.7

  Enfield

  2,234

  2,296

  2,289

  9.7

  Haringey

  2,589

  2,660

  2,632

  2.2

  Harrow

  2,147

  2,206

  2,194

  10.0

  Havering

  2,023

  2,079

  2,104

  15.1

  Hillingdon

  2,133

  2,192

  2,195

  14.1

  Hounslow

  2,260

  2,322

  2,341

  9.7

  Kingston upon Thames

  2,064

  2,121

  2,108

  10.0

  Merton

  2,184

  2,244

  2.216

  7.8

  Newham

  2,581

  2,652

  2,620

  3.6

  Redbridge

  2,164

  2,224

  2,241

  11.6

  Richmond upon Thames

  2,015

  2,071

  2,041

  5.6

  Sutton

  2,093

  2,150

  2,162

  13.7

  Waltham Forest

  2,434

  2,501

  2,484

  7.3

  Birmingham

  2,083

  2,140

  2,173

  4.8

  Coventry

  1,984

  2,038

  2,049

  8.3

  Dudley

  1,813

  1,863

  1,896

  11.5

  Sandwell

  1,986

  2,040

  2,051

  7.3

  Solihull

  1,798

  1,847

  1,872

  8.8

  844

  Local Education Authority SSASs
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the education component of standard spending assessments per pupil(a) between five and 10 years, and (b) between 11 and 15 years, expressed in cash and constant prices, in (i) 1995–96 and (ii) 1996–97, in each local education authority and on average; and what was the percentage change in each local education authority and on average between 1992–93 and the latest year for which figures are available. [3111]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The following tables set out the information requested. Some care is needed in drawing conclusions about the percentage change in funding between 1992–93 and 1996–97, since the figures take no account of local education authorities' loss of responsibility for certain functions, notably the careers service and school inspections.

  The figures for the secondary sector are also affected by the use from 1995–96 of September in place of January as the date on which pupils are counted for SSA purposes, and above all, by the relative shift in LEA expenditure from the secondary to the primary and nursery sectors, which is subsequently reflected in the SSA distribution.

  845

  Table 1: Primary

  SSA per pupil (5–10)

  LEA name

  1995–96 cash amount£

  1995–96 (in 1996–97 prices)£

  1996–97 £

  Percentage change between 1992–93 and 1996–97 (cash)

  Walsall

  1,894

  1,946

  1,992

  9.8

  Wolverhampton

  1,995

  2,049

  2,081

  3.9

  Knowsley

  2,186

  2,246

  2,231

  8.8

  Liverpool

  2,110

  2,168

  2,203

  6.9

  St. Helens

  1,845

  1,895

  1,945

  12.5

  Sefton

  1,875

  1,926

  1,955

  10.6

  Wirral

  1,948

  2,002

  2,024

  8.3

  Bolton

  1,866

  1,918

  1,959

  7.9

  Bury

  1,813

  1,863

  1,909

  13.5

  Manchester

  2,258

  2,320

  2,320

  7.9

  Oldham

  1,919

  1,972

  2,008

  7.0

  Rochdale

  1,932

  1,986

  2,017

  11.8

  Salford

  1,975

  2,029

  2,047

  10.5

  Stockport

  1,775

  1,824

  1,863

  11.7

  Tameside

  1,831

  1,881

  1,908

  7.2

  Trafford

  1,830

  1,881

  1,905

  9.2

  Wigan

  1,809

  1,859

  1,905

  12.9

  Barnsley

  1,869

  1,921

  1,955

  10.8

  Doncaster

  1,934

  1,987

  2,039

  9.6

  Rotherham

  1,871

  1,923

  1,978

  10.1

  Sheffield

  1,922

  1,974

  1,996

  10.0

  Bradford

  1,986

  2,041

  2,070

  5.0

  Calderdale

  1,896

  1,948

  1,986

  9.8

  Kirklees

  1,900

  1,953

  1,972

  6.4

  Leeds

  1,864

  1,915

  1,947

  7.4

  Wakefield

  1,825

  1,876

  1,910

  8.4

  Gateshead

  1,937

  1,990

  2,006

  9.7

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  2,045

  2,102

  2,104

  10.3

  North Tyneside

  1,845

  1,896

  1,946

  8.3

  South Tyneside

  1,932

  1,985

  2,012

  9.6

  Sunderland

  1,919

  1,971

  2,001

  10.9

  Isles of Scilly

  3,347

  3,439

  3,574

  13.3

  Avon

  1,838

  1,888

  n/a

  n/a

  Bedfordshire

  1,995

  2,050

  2,057

  8.5

  Berkshire

  1,988

  2,043

  2,047

  10.3

  Buckinghamshire

  1,966

  2,020

  2,021

  10.7

  Cambridgeshire

  1,876

  1,928

  1,962

  11.2

  Cheshire

  1,817

  1,867

  1,903

  11.8

  Cleveland

  1,940

  1,993

  n/a

  n/a

  Cornwall

  1,893

  1,946

  1,984

  10.3

  Cumbria

  1,856

  1,907

  1,957

  11.0

  Derbyshire

  1,812

  1,862

  1,911

  12.1

  Devon

  1,879

  1,931

  1,958

  11.1

  Dorset

  1,833

  1,883

  1,910

  11.4

  Durham

  1,884

  1,936

  1,983

  11.0

  East Sussex

  2,000

  2,055

  2,043

  11.9

  Essex

  1,989

  2,043

  2,055

  13.2

  Gloucestershire

  1,836

  1,887

  1,912

  10.4

  Hampshire

  1,930

  1,983

  1,989

  11.2

  Hereford and Worcester

  1,827

  1,877

  1,914

  11.8

  Hertfordshire

  2,010

  2,065

  2,074

  12.6

  Humberside

  1,891

  1,943

  n/a

  n/a

  Isle of Wight Council

  2,016

  2,072

  2,070

  10.4

  Kent

  1,968

  2,023

  2,032

  12.5

  Lancashire

  1,877

  1,929

  1,964

  8.8

  Leicestershire

  1,864

  1,915

  1,954

  9.5

  Lincolnshire

  1,873

  1,924

  1,969

  8.8

  Norfolk

  1,881

  1,932

  1,971

  10.2

  North Yorkshire 1

  1,827

  1,878

  n/a

  n/a

  Northamptonshire

  1,836

  1,887

  1,927

  9.5

  Northumberland

  1,825

  1,875

  1,935

  11.1

  Nottinghamshire

  1,883

  1,934

  1,973

  8.3

  Oxfordshire

  1,933

  1,987

  1,985

  10.4

  Shropshire

  1,862

  1,914

  1,952

  10.1

  Somerset

  1,846

  1,897

  1,933

  10.8

  Staffordshire

  1,805

  1,855

  1,894

  11.1

  Suffolk

  1,820

  1,870

  1,901

  10.1

  Surrey

  1,998

  2,053

  2,040

  11.6

  846

  847

  Table 1: Primary

  SSA per pupil (5–10)

  LEA name

  1995–96 cash amount £

  1995–96 (in 1996–97 prices)£

  1996–97 £

  Percentage change between 1992–93 and 1996–97 (cash)

  Warwickshire

  1,822

  1,872

  1,906

  10.6

  West Sussex

  1,932

  1,985

  1,987

  12.5

  Wiltshire

  1,835

  1,885

  1,921

  9.8

  Bath and North-east Somerset

  n/a

  n/a

  1,881

  n/a

  City of Bristol

  n/a

  n/a

  2,011

  n/a

  North Somerset

  n/a

  n/a

  1,863

  n/a

  South Gloucestershire

  n/a

  n/a

  1,834

  n/a

  Hartlepool

  n/a

  n/a

  2,010

  n/a

  Middlesbrough

  n/a

  n/a

  2,109

  n/a

  Redcar and Cleveland

  n/a

  n/a

  2,042

  n/a

  Stockton on Tees

  n/a

  n/a

  1,981

  n/a

  City of Kingston upon Hull

  n/a

  n/a

  2,080

  n/a

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  n/a

  n/a

  1,890

  n/a

  North-east Lincolnshire

  n/a

  n/a

  1,982

  n/a

  North Lincolnshire

  n/a

  n/a

  1,965

  n/a

  North Yorkshire 2

  n/a

  n/a

  1,940

  n/a

  York

  n/a

  n/a

  1,888

  n/a

  England

  1,981

  2,036

  2,053

  9.7

  Notes:

  1.The LEA that ceases to exist on 1 April 1996 as a result of Local Government Reorganisation.

  2.The LEA that will exist on 1 April 1996 as a result of Local Government Reorganisation.

  Table 2: Secondary

  SSA per pupil (11–15)

  LEA name

  1995–96 cash amount£

  1995–96 (in 1996–97 prices)£

  1996–97£

  Percentage change between 1992–93 and 1996–97 (cash)

  City of London

  9,055

  9,304

  8,717

  163.7

  Camden

  3,648

  3,748

  3,599

  -2.6

  Greenwich

  3,589

  3,688

  3,623

  4.1

  Hackney

  4,359

  4,479

  4,210

  -1.7

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  3,777

  3,881

  3,703

  -2.6

  Islington

  3,963

  4,072

  3,891

  -1.8

  Kensington and Chelsea

  4,071

  4,183

  3,608

  -5.7

  Lambeth

  4,463

  4,585

  4,433

  2.4

  Lewisham

  3,778

  3,882

  3,771

  1.4

  Southwark

  4,090

  4,203

  3,945

  -0.2

  Tower Hamlets

  4,034

  4,145

  4,053

  -7.6

  Wandsworth

  3,617

  3,716

  3,554

  -5.4

  Westminster

  3,637

  3,737

  3,473

  -8.7

  Barking and Dagenham

  2,951

  3,032

  3,059

  0.8

  Barnet

  2,883

  2,962

  2,900

  -4.2

  Bexley

  2,734

  2,810

  2,832

  1.6

  Brent

  3,448

  3,543

  3,511

  -2.6

  Bromley

  2,678

  2,752

  2,746

  -0.2

  Croydon

  3,050

  3,134

  3,092

  0.8

  Ealing

  3,224

  3,313

  3,249

  -3.3

  Enfield

  2,941

  3,021

  3,036

  -0.6

  Haringey

  3,583

  3,681

  3,603

  -4.6

  Harrow

  2,898

  2,978

  2,953

  1.3

  Havering

  2,686

  2,760

  2,818

  5.6

  Hillingdon

  2,838

  2,916

  2,931

  4.3

  Hounslow

  2,959

  3,041

  3,074

  -1.5

  Kingston upon Thames

  2,720

  2,794

  2,789

  -0.4

  Merton

  2,904

  2,984

  2,950

  -1.9

  Newham

  3,439

  3,533

  3,492

  -5.9

  Redbridge

  2,884

  2,963

  2,972

  1.2

  Richmond upon Thames

  2,635

  2,707

  2,662

  -5.7

  Sutton

  2,722

  2,797

  2,831

  1.9

  Waltham Forest

  3,261

  3,350

  3,350

  -1.3

  Birmingham

  2,794

  2,871

  2,909

  -4.2

  Coventry

  2,648

  2,721

  2,733

  -1.3

  Dudley

  2,408

  2,474

  2,527

  1.7

  848

  849

  Table 2: Secondary

  SSA per pupil (11–15)

  LEA name

  1995–96 cash amount £

  1995–96 (in 1996–97 prices)£

  1996–97 £

  Percentage change between 1992–93 and 1996–97 (cash)

  Sandwell

  2,642

  2,714

  2,736

  -2.2

  Solihull

  2,376

  2,442

  2,470

  -1.8

  Walsall

  2,501

  2.570

  2,636

  -0.6

  Wolverhampton

  2,691

  2,765

  2,809

  -4.2

  Knowsley

  2,986

  3,068

  3,058

  1.8

  Liverpool

  2,821

  2,898

  2,926

  -3.1

  St. Helens

  2,467

  2,534

  2,610

  3.3

  Sefton

  2,492

  2,560

  2,592

  0.3

  Wirral

  2,606

  2,678

  2,692

  -1.6

  Bolton

  2,488

  2,556

  2,605

  -1.9

  Bury

  2,405

  2,471

  2,518

  2.5

  Manchester

  3,072

  3,156

  3,143

  -0.3

  Oldham

  2,530

  2,600

  2,648

  -3.6

  Rochdale

  2,608

  2,688

  2,713

  2.8

  Salford

  2,652

  2,725

  2,749

  1.4

  Stockport

  2,374

  2,439

  2,484

  1.9

  Tameside

  2,428

  2,495

  2,532

  -2.7

  Trafford

  2,420

  2,487

  2,519

  -1.2

  Wigan

  2,391

  2,457

  2,525

  2.5

  Barnsley

  2,489

  2,557

  2,619

  1.5

  Doncaster

  2,572

  2,643

  2,721

  0.0

  Rotherham

  2,462

  2,529

  2,610

  -0.6

  Sheffield

  2,565

  2,636

  2,681

  1.0

  Bradford

  2,679

  2,752

  2,779

  -3.7

  Calderdale

  2,527

  2,597

  2,651

  0.3

  Kirklees

  2,539

  2,609

  2,639

  -2.6

  Leeds

  2,480

  2,548

  2,599

  -2.0

  Wakefield

  2,421

  2,487

  2,537

  -1.4

  Gateshead

  2,601

  2,673

  2,692

  0.7

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  2,717

  2,792

  2,794

  0.1

  North Tyneside

  2,483

  2,551

  2,622

  -0.3

  South Tyneside

  2,562

  2,633

  2,682

  -0.1

  Sunderland

  2,549

  2,620

  2,675

  1.3

  Isles of Scilly

  4,381

  4,502

  4,796

  4.2

  Avon

  2,460

  2,528

  n/a

  n/a

  Bedfordshire

  2,664

  2,737

  2,751

  -0.7

  Berkshire

  2,664

  2,737

  2,735

  -0.9

  Buckinghamshire

  2,630

  2,702

  2,716

  1.9

  Cambridgeshire

  2,508

  2,577

  2,616

  1.6

  Cheshire

  2,408

  2,475

  2,530

  1.7

  Cleveland

  2,589

  2,660

  n/a

  n/a

  Cornwall

  2,522

  2,591

  2,646

  0.7

  Cumbria

  2,470

  2,538

  2,600

  1.0

  Derbyshire

  2,415

  2,481

  2,557

  2.7

  Devon

  2,506

  2,575

  2,611

  1.5

  Dorset

  2,440

  2,507

  2,538

  1.4

  Durham

  2,512

  2,581

  2,651

  1.5

  East Sussex

  2,672

  2,746

  2,730

  2.4

  Essex

  2,647

  2,720

  2,751

  3.8

  Gloucestershire

  2,435

  2,502

  2,544

  0.6

  Hampshire

  2,575

  2,645

  2,659

  1.8

  Herefordshire and Worcester

  2,439

  2,506

  2,558

  2.3

  Hertfordshire

  2,663

  2,736

  2,756

  2.5

  Humberside

  2,509

  2,577

  n/a

  n/a

  Isle of Wight Council

  2,696

  2,770

  2,757

  0.7

  Kent

  2,620

  2,692

  2,715

  2.9

  Lancashire

  2,502

  2,570

  2,617

  -0.8

  Leicestershire

  2,483

  2,551

  2,605

  -0.1

  Lincolnshire

  2,483

  2,551

  2,632

  -0.4

  Norfolk

  2,508

  2,577

  2,631

  0.8

  North Yorkshire 1

  2,422

  2,489

  n/a

  n/a

  Northamptonshire

  2,448

  2,515

  2,570

  0.0

  Northumberland

  2.421

  2,488

  2,583

  1.5

  Nottinghamshire

  2,506

  2,575

  2,632

  -1.1

  Oxfordshire

  2,575

  2,645

  2,627

  0.1

  Shropshire

  2,479

  2,547

  2,598

  0.3

  Somerset

  2,489

  2,558

  2,582

  1.4

  Staffordshire

  2,398

  2,463

  2,522

  1.3

  850

  851

  Table 2: Secondary

  SSA per pupil (11–15)

  LEA name

  1995–96 cash amount £

  1995–96 (in 1996–97 prices)£

  1996–97 £

  Percentage change between 1992–93 and 1996–97 (cash)

  Suffolk

  2,422

  2,488

  2,540

  0.8

  Surrey

  2,679

  2,753

  2,724

  2.1

  Warwickshire

  2,433

  2,500

  2,545

  1.1

  West Sussex

  2,571

  2,641

  2,649

  2.7

  Wiltshire

  2,451

  2,519

  2,563

  0.3

  Bath and North-east Somerset

  n/a

  n/a

  2,464

  n/a

  City of Bristol

  n/a

  n/a

  2,759

  n/a

  North Somerset

  n/a

  n/a

  2,464

  n/a

  South Gloucestershire

  n/a

  n/a

  2,445

  n/a

  Hartlepool

  n/a

  n/a

  2,675

  n/a

  Middlesbrough

  n/a

  n/a

  2,860

  n/a

  Redcar and Cleveland

  n/a

  n/a

  2,700

  n/a

  Stockton on Tees

  n/a

  n/a

  2,624

  n/a

  City of Kingston upon Hull

  n/a

  n/a

  2,791

  n/a

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  n/a

  n/a

  2,518

  n/a

  North-east Lincolnshire

  n/a

  n/a

  2,640

  n/a

  North Lincolnshire

  n/a

  n/a

  2,597

  n/a

  North Yorkshire 2

  n/a

  n/a

  2,562

  n/a

  York

  n/a

  n/a

  2,534

  n/a

  England

  2,630

  2,702

  2,729

  0.2

  Notes:

  1.The LEA that ceases to exist on 1 April 1996 as a result of Local Government Reorganisation.

  2.The LEA that will exist on 1 April 1996 as a result of Local Government Reorganisation.

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps her Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if she will make a statement. [2974]

  Mr. Paice
  The former Department of Employment and the former Department of Education were committed to becoming investors in people. The Department for Education and Employment is determined to achieve that status. An action plan is in preparation building on the work undertaken by the former Departments. No target date has yet been set.

  Training
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what amount was spent on training by her Department per unemployed person for each year since 1989–90 in(a) cash terms and (b) real terms. [2969]

  Mr. Paice
  The information requested is as follows:

  Year

  Amount £

  Real Terms1£

  1985–86

  140

  220

  1986–87

  180

  280

  1987–88

  220

  320

  1988–89

  480

  660

  1989–90

  980

  1,260

  1990–91

  950

  1,130

  1991–92

  560

  630

  1992–93

  430

  460

  1993–94

  500

  520

  1994–95

  610

  630

  1 1995–96 prices

  852
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what changes will be made to the funding system for youth training and modern apprenticeships in 1996–97; and what plans she has to publish the results of the recent consultation on future funding arrangements. [3908]

  Mr. Paice
  No major changes are planned to the funding system for youth training and modern apprenticeships in 1996–97. A summary of the responses to the consultation document on future funding arrangements for youth training and modern apprenticeships was published on 24 November. Copies have been placed in the Library today.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 27 November,Official Report, column 445, if she will list for, respectively (a) Manchester grammar school (b) Manchester high school for girls and (c) William Hulme's grammar school, Manchester, how much has been spent by the Government on the assisted places scheme in total, (i) up to but not including the latest year and (ii) in the latest available year; and what additional money will be made available in the planned expansion of the scheme. [3269]

  Mrs. Gillan
  Information is readily available only for the last five years. The amounts spent on assisted places at each of the three Manchester schools cited for the academic years 1990–91 to 1994–95, and estimates for the latest academic year 1995–96, are given in the following table. Provision for the academic year 1996–97, when the scheme's expansion is planned to begin, and for succeeding years will be announced in due course.
  853

  Assisted Places Scheme

  Academic year

  Mancheste Gramma School £000s

  Mancheste High School £000s

  William Hulme's Grammar School £000s

  1990–91 to 1994–95

  3,459

  2,173

  3,059

  1995–961

  816

  566

  746

  1Estimated

WALES

  Student Hardship Funds
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many students made applications for hardship funds in(a) 1993 and (b) 1994; and if he will make a statement. [2658]

  Mr. Richards
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 29 November 1995,Official Report, column 755.

  Small Firms
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy concerning small firms; and if he will make a statement. [2665]

  Mr. Richards
  The second competitiveness White Paper called "Forging Ahead", published in May 1995, outlined a programme of measures to assist the growth and competitiveness of the small firms sector.

  The Welsh Office works with local authorities, training and enterprise councils, the development agencies and local enterprise agencies in providing a range of services for small businesses in Wales. We have established eight business development consortia—business connect—to streamline the assistance available and to make it easily accessible through a single low-cost, all-Wales telephone number. This service will be operational from 15 January 1996.

  New dwellings completed

  Numbers

  Local authority

  1992 Housing association

  All tenures1

  Local authority

  1993 Housing association

  All tenures1

  Local authority

  1994 Housing association

  All tenures1

  Aberconwy

  0

  43

  226

  0

  82

  182

  20

  72

  304

  Alyn and Deeside

  22

  104

  283

  0

  50

  148

  16

  23

  167

  Arfon

  20

  13

  108

  0

  74

  214

  0

  79

  143

  Blaenau Gwent

  0

  104

  237

  0

  0

  67

  0

  25

  101

  Brecknock

  0

  43

  121

  0

  21

  80

  0

  71

  139

  Cardiff

  6

  496

  1.188

  0

  420

  934

  0

  385

  1,258

  Carmarthen

  0

  37

  207

  0

  45

  265

  0

  24

  234

  Ceredigion

  0

  0

  277

  0

  0

  315

  0

  12

  230

  Colwyn

  0

  93

  337

  0

  12

  161

  0

  36

  308

  Cynon Valley

  0

  66

  198

  0

  66

  237

  0

  36

  177

  Delyn

  0

  127

  389

  0

  131

  298

  0

  46

  235

  Dinefwr

  0

  60

  267

  6

  107

  227

  0

  7

  105

  Dwyfor

  0

  39

  73

  3

  49

  84

  0

  17

  63

  Glyndwr

  0

  30

  168

  0

  22

  148

  0

  25

  78

  Islwyn

  0

  50

  110

  0

  54

  94

  0

  0

  51

  Llanelli

  0

  0

  117

  31

  0

  197

  45

  6

  232

  Lliw Valley

  0

  97

  144

  0

  22

  94

  0

  72

  120

  854

  Non-departmental Public Bodies
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the powers transferred from non-departmental public bodies to local government in each of the last three years. [2916]

  Mr. Hague
  In October 1994, the responsibility for operating mid-Wales development grant; development of rural initiative, venture and enterprise (DRIVE) grant; rural (buildings) conversion grant and community enterprise grant was transferred to local authorities. In addition, from 1 April 1995 local authorities were given direct control of funds for social and economic development, previously provided in the form of grant assistance by the Development Board for Rural Wales under section 4.1.(d)(i) and (ii) of the Development of Rural Wales Act 1976.

  Surplus Explosives (Disposal)
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what records his Department holds regarding surplus stocks of conventional explosives brought from RAF Great Orton to Royal Ordnance establishments in Wales for disposal between 1946 to 1948; what current environmental monitoring is conducted by his Department on these disposal sites; and if he will list the locations of all land and off-shore sites in and around Wales used for such disposal. [3100]

  Mr. Hague
  The Welsh Office has no records or responsibilities in this area.

  New Dwellings
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each district council area the number of houses built(a) by district councils, (b) by housing associations, (c) by other public bodies and (d) in total for each of the last three available years. [1852]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The available information is given in the following table. Only one dwelling classified as "other public bodies" was built in the period: this has been included with the local authority number for Rhondda for 1992.
  855

  New dwellings completed

  Numbers

  Local authority

  1992 Housing association

  All tenures1

  Local authority

  1993 Housing association

  All tenures1

  Local authority

  1994 Housing association

  All tenures1

  Meirionnydd

  0

  21

  79

  0

  27

  59

  0

  32

  115

  Merthyr Tydfil

  0

  40

  157

  0

  30

  116

  0

  51

  142

  Monmouth

  0

  105

  354

  0

  124

  543

  0

  39

  456

  Montgomeryshire2

  0

  49

  273

  0

  130

  291

  0

  203

  328

  Neath

  0

  82

  298

  5

  0

  177

  0

  71

  214

  Newport

  0

  59

  289

  6

  67

  269

  108

  10

  320

  Ogwr

  13

  60

  476

  0

  268

  513

  0

  234

  706

  Port Talbot

  0

  72

  179

  0

  43

  193

  0

  60

  132

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  8

  0

  175

  14

  66

  163

  12

  72

  266

  Radnor

  28

  10

  111

  0

  63

  175

  6

  38

  157

  Rhondda3

  1

  106

  185

  0

  58

  159

  0

  79

  139

  Rhuddlan

  20

  16

  118

  25

  24

  110

  0

  108

  204

  Rhymney Valley

  0

  1

  304

  0

  87

  198

  0

  38

  120

  South

  0

  14

  280

  0

  22

  153

  0

  95

  347

  Pembrokeshire

  Swansea

  0

  76

  326

  58

  347

  709

  20

  369

  678

  Taff-Ely

  0

  100

  388

  0

  31

  401

  0

  82

  499

  Torfaen

  0

  56

  230

  0

  222

  439

  0

  105

  263

  Vale of Glamorgan

  16

  94

  395

  24

  32

  420

  0

  41

  358

  Wrexham Maelor

  0

  97

  479

  0

  56

  399

  0

  200

  524

  Ynys Mon

  0

  0

  103

  0

  1

  58

  0

  0

  56

  Source:

  Local Authority Returns.

  Notes:

  1 Includes completions in the Private sector.

  2 Montgomeryshire includes new town completions.

  3 The local authority figure for 1992 includes one Government Department completion.

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2987]

  Mr. Hague
  The Welsh Office has been working towards the investor in people standard since December 1992. Following a period of assessment and planning, an action plan was submitted to investors in people UK in April 1995. The Department will seek accreditation when the action plan has been implemented.

  Inspector Days (Allocation)
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many inspector days allotted to Welsh primary schools in the academic year 1994–95 involved(a) inspectors who had teaching experience in primary schools and (b) inspectors who had teaching experience in secondary schools; and what was the total number of inspector days allotted. [3110]

  Mr. Richards
  Operational issues relating to school inspections are a matter for Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools in Wales. I have passed this inquiry to him: he will respond to the hon. Member in due course.

  Urban Development Programmes
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what dates urban development programmes prepared by the Welsh Development Agency were submitted to 856
  (a) the European Commission and (b) the single programme document monitoring committees for industrial south Wales and rural Wales. [3385]

  Mr. Hague
  The Welsh Development Agency's urban development programmes are not submitted to either the European Commission or the single programme document monitoring committees for industrial south Wales and rural Wales.

  Freight Terminals
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency in respect of the European freight multi-modal development for south Wales; when he anticipates approving the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [3387]

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Sweeney) on 8 November,Official Report, columns 923–24.

  Police Authority Funding
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are his proposals for police authority revenue spending in 1996–97. [3912]

  Mr. Hague
  I propose to make £331.4 million available from total standard spending in Wales to fund police services in 1996–97. This sum comprises £165.2 million in cash-limited police grant to be paid by the Home Secretary and £166.3 million in standard spending
  857
  assessments. It represents an overall increase of £15.7 million, or 5 per cent. on 1995–96. The sums for each police authority are set out in the following table:

  £ million

  Police grant

  Standard spending assessment

  Total

  Dyfed Powys

  24.2

  24.3

  48.5

  Gwent

  31.3

  31.4

  62.7

  North Wales

  34.6

  34.7

  69.3

  South Wales

  75.1

  75.8

  150.9

  These figures include a transfer of around £10.5 million for the transfer of responsibility for policing the Rhymney valley area from south Wales to Gwent police authority.

  The Welsh Office is today writing to each of the police authorities in Wales to consult them on their provisional standard spending assessments for 1996–97. This figure may alter slightly if the balance of the police funding formula as between English and Welsh police authorities changes as a result of consultation.

  It is essential that police authorities budget wisely and do not impose an unreasonable burden on council taxpayers. I therefore propose provisional capping principles to inform their budget decisions. Police authorities would not be capped if their budget requirements for 1996–97 were:
  less than 12.5 per cent above the sum of the authority's standard spending assessment and police grant; and
  did not exceed their 1995–96 base budget by more than the greater of the sum of the increases in their standard spending assessment and police grant of 3.5 per cent.

  I will make my final decisions on capping principles in the light of budgets set by police authorities.

  I am still considering my capping proposals for the new unitary authorities in Wales. I propose to announce provisional capping principles and standard spending assessments for these authorities in mid-December.

  Copies of the consultation letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what level of support for Welsh local authority revenue spending he proposes to provide through aggregate external finance for 1996–97. [3913]

  Mr. Hague
  On 28 November,Official Report, column 600, I announced that I propose to set total standard spending in Wales for 1996–97 at £2,867.3 million; and central Government support for that level of spending through aggregate external fiance at £2,517.4 million.

  Within aggregate external finance, I propose to make available £1,792 million in revenue support grant; £459 million in distributable non-domestic rates; £237.4 million in specific grants; and £29 million to damp council tax increases arising from the disaggregation of the county and district councils' 1995–96 standard spending assessments and budgets to unitary authorities. The threshold for damping wiH be set at 0 per cent.
  858
  My Department has today written to the Welsh local authority associations to consult them on my proposals for revenue support grant in 1996–97.

  Copies of the consultation letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Prisoner Transfers
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons convicted of crimes connected with(a) republican and (b) loyalist violence have been transferred to prisons in Northern Ireland from (i) Great Britain and (ii) the Republic of Ireland; how many have been transferred from prisons in Northern Ireland to prisons in (i) Great Britain and (ii) the Republic of Ireland since 1 September 1994; and on what dates the transfers took place. [2373]

  Sir John Wheeler
  Responsibility for this subject has been delegated to the Northern Ireland Prison Service under its chief executive, Mr. Alan Shannon. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from A. D. Shannon to Mr. William Ross, dated 30 November 1995:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to this Parliamentary Question.
  Since 1 September 1994 14 persons convicted of crimes connected with Republican violence have been transferred to prisons in Northern Ireland from Great Britain. In 9 cases the transfer was permanent and in 5 cases it was temporary. No person convicted of crimes connected with Loyalist violence has requested transfer. No persons convicted of Republican or Loyalist violence have been transferred from Northern Ireland to Great Britain or the Republic of Ireland.

  Drug Misuse
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to publish the policy statement produced by the Northern Ireland committee on drug misuse; and what proposals are planned based on that policy. [2137]

  Sir John Wheeler
  Arrangements are in hand for publication of the policy statement of the Northern Ireland committee on drug misuse before Christmas. I have established a new top level central co-ordinating group for action against drugs, of which I am chairman. The group comprises senior representatives from Northern Ireland Government Departments, the medical profession and the Royal Ulster Constabulary. It will ensure that each Government Department in Northern Ireland is playing its full part to combat the drugs problem and that their action plans are driven forward in a co-ordinated manner and build the recommendations of the policy statement.

  Prisoners (Early Release)
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions since 1 September 1994 representations have been made to Her Majesty's Government for the early release of convicts serving sentences in(a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain for crimes related to (i) republican violence and (ii) loyalist violence (1) by Ministers of the Government
  859
  of the Irish Republic directly, (2) via the Maryfield secretariat, (3) by the SDLP or (4) by Sinn Fein; and what representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government regarding the early release of loyalist convicts held in prisons in the Irish Republic for such crimes. [2371]

  Sir John Wheeler
  It is not possible to provide an answer in the form requested and I can answer only for representations received by or on behalf of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Prison issues have been discussed at each meeting of the inter-governmental conference, of which there have been five since 1 September 1994. No representations have been received from the Irish side of the Anglo-Irish secretariat. Representations have been made on three occasions by members of the SDLP with regard to particular cases concerning those convicted of crimes of republican and loyalist violence. No representations have been made by Sinn Fein.

  Her Majesty's Government have made no representations to the Irish Government on the subject of the early release of prisoners.

  Mr. Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons convicted of crimes connected with(a) republican and (b) loyalist violence have been given early release or have had their remission extended in the period from 1 September 1994 to the latest available date. [2374]

  Sir John Wheeler
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Northern Ireland Prison Service under its chief executive, Mr. Alan Shannon. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from A. D. Shannon to Mr. William Ross dated 28 November 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question regarding the number of persons convicted of crimes connected with Republican and Loyalist violence who have been given early release or had their remission extended.
  Since 17 November 85 releases have taken place under the terms of the Northern Ireland (Remission of Sentences) Act 1995. However, although the Northern Ireland Prison Service holds information regarding the parliamentary affiliation of individual offenders, the nature of the original offence could only be identified at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people convicted of crimes related to(a) republican and (b) loyalist violence have been given early release from prisons in the Republic of Ireland since 1 September 1994; and how many persons convicted of each such category of crimes are still serving sentences in the Irish Republic. [2372]

  Sir John Wheeler
  As this is a matter for the Government of the Republic of Ireland I am unable to supply the answer.

  Executive Agencies (Overseas Travel)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each of his executive agencies for the last financial year in respect of overseas travel by staff of the agency(a) the cost, (b) the countries visited and (c) the posts held by the staff involved. [2361]
  860
  Sir John Wheeler
  Overseas travel by staff in executive agencies during 1994–95 was as follows:

  1994–95 Overseas travel

  Agency

  (a) Cost £

  (b) Countries visited

  (c) Posts held by staff involved

  Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland

  15,000

  Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, USA, Netherlands

  Chief Executive, Deputy Director, Head of Computer System, Senior Mapping and Charting Officer, Computer Systems

  Valuation and Lands Agency

  1,483

  Netherlands

  Senior Valuation Assistant, 5 Valuation Assistants

  Social Security Agency

  5,503

  Germany and USA

  Director of Local Operations, Director of Central Operations, Unit Manager of Paid Order Unit

  Training and Employment Agency

  46,537

  Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Singapore and USA

  Chief Executive, 2 Senior Instructional Officers, 2 Higher Instructional Officers, Training Services Manager,3 Grade 5s, 4 Gradew 7s, 3 Deputy Principals, Staff Officer, Development Manager

  Pigs
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pigs were slaughtered in each pig factory in Northern Ireland; for each factory how many were imported in each week from the period beginning 3 September until the latest available date; and what were the equivalent figures for the same period last year. [2370]

  Mr. Ancram
  I am unable to provide the information requested as it is not appropriate to disclose information on the performance of individual pig slaughterhouses.

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when they started the process, when they expect to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2981]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The Northern Ireland civil service has been committed to the achievement of IIP status since 1992.

  Individual Departments and agencies in the Northern Ireland civil service have developed their own strategies and timetables for pushing this initiative forward and plans are at an advanced stage to make formal commitments to achieving the IIP standard. To date, the

  861
  Training and Employment Agency and the internal audit group of the Department of Health and Social Services have achieved investor in people status.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he plans to make a further allocation of funds to the discretionary social fund budget in the current financial year. [3773]

  Mr. Moss
  I am very pleased to announce that the Northern Ireland social fund discretionary budget for 1995–96 will be increased by a total of £1.5 million as a result of better than expected loan recoveries by the Social Security Agency. This will increase the original allocation to a total of £33.34 million.

  This increase in the social fund budget will ensure that more people receive help and that the fund continues to play an important role in targeting resources on those most in need.

  Details of the revised budget have been placed in the Library.

  Chief Electoral Officer (Report)
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the report of the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland for 1994–95. [3774]

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  The Chief Electoral Officer's report was laid before the House yesterday. Copies are available from the Library.

HEALTH

  Medical Devices
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health with what frequency the premises of manufacturers of medical devices are visited and inspected by the Medical Services Agency. [2392]

  Mr. Horam
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Medical Devices Agency under its chief executive Mr. Alan Kent. I have asked him to reply to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Alan Kent to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 30 November 1995:
  I am writing to you in response to your Parliamentary Question about the frequency at which the premises of manufacturers of medical devices are visited and inspected by the Medical Devices Agency.
  Manufacturers of medical devices applying for inclusion in the Register of Approved Manufacturers are assessed before registration. The aim is to carry out further assessments every 3 years when the company seeks re-registration. Additional special audits or visits may be conducted when there is reason to suspect that the company no longer satisfies the registration requirements.
  New Statutory requirements, harmonised within the European Union through Directives, are replacing progressively the voluntary Manufacturer Registration Scheme (MRS). Since 1 January 1995 some manufacturers have chosen to use independent certification bodies, that is Notified Bodies, to assess their quality assurance systems and confirm they are complying with the requirement of the Directives. Through mutual recognition agreements, MDA has been able to use Notified Body
  862
  assessments as a basis of registration to the MRS. The Manufacturer Registration Scheme will be discontinued in mid-1998 when the regulations supporting the Directives are fully implemented.
  I hope the above is helpful.

  Prescription List
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will put the Smith and Nephew four layer bandage for leg ulcers on the prescription list. [2682]

  Mr. Malone
  No. This method of treatment may already be provided cost effectively to patients in clinics and at home through the community health services.

  Anabolic Steroids
  Mr. Tom Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has as to the number of fatalities caused by the abuse of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. [2503]

  Mr. Bowis
  The number of deaths involving anabolic steroids and stimulants was 22 in 1992, the latest year for which figures are available.

  NHS Administrative Costs
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the administrative costs of NHS as a percentage of the total NHS budget in each year since 1989. [3120]

  Mr. Malone
  The information is shown in the table. Changes over the roles and responsibilities of family practitioner committees, family health services authorities, district health authorities, and regional health authorities, and the transfer of functions to national health service trusts, mean that the figures are not strictly comparable.

  Adminstration costs as a percentage of total revenue expenditure for the NHS in England

  Administration expenditure £000

  Total revenue expenditure £000

  Percentage of revenue expenditure on administration

  1989–90

  730,500

  18,275.603

  4.0

  1990–91

  929,947

  20,161,643

  4.6

  1991–92

  846,467

  23,292,462

  3.6

  1992–93

  962,862

  27,468,802

  3.5

  1993–94

  1,136,415

  28,927,234

  3.9

  1994–95

  1,180,479

  29,457,618

  4.0

  Sources:

  1. The annual accounts of district and regional health authorities and the special health authorities of the London postgraduate teaching hospitals.

  2. The annual accounts of family practitioner committees, 1989–90.

  3. The annual accouns of family health services authorities, 1990–91 to 1994–95.

  4. The annual accounts of the Prescription Pricing Authority.

  5. The annual accounts of the Dental Practice Board.

  Notes:

  1. The figures for 1994–95 are provisional.

  2. RHA and DHA costs are those reported in the accounts as "Authority administration and purchasing expenses". This includes capital charges after 1991–92. FPC/FHSA administration costs are those reported in the annual accounts as revenue administration costs and represent that part of total expenditure which is not medical, dental, ophthalmic or pharmaceutical.
  863

  Norplant
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if Hoechst Roussel Ltd. sought to make it a condition of its licence to supply Norplant in the United Kingdom that its use be restricted to specially trained and experienced doctors. [3127]

  Mr. Malone
  Applications from companies for licences are confidential under section 18 of the Medicines Act.

  Training of doctors in the use of a device such as a Norplant implant is a matter for the professional bodies, in this case the Royal Colleges of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and of General Practitioners.

  The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has recently introduced a scheme for recognition of training in the insertion and removal of Norplant and this includes the company training scheme. The product information is therefore being changed to add to the recommendation that Norplant is inserted and removed by a trained health professional.

  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to revoke the licence granted to Hoechst Roussel Ltd. to supply Norplant in the United Kingdom. [3126]

  Mr. Malone
  The licensing authority has no such plans. Like all hormonal contraceptives, Norplant has hormone-related side effects, which may lead to a need to discontinue this method of contraception. The product literature informs doctors and patients of these known side effects.

  Factor 8
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will provide extra funds to all hospital trusts to cover the extra cost of recombinant factor 8 products, incurred as a result of the imposition of value added tax on these products. [3134]

  (2) what measure he is taking to ensure that hospital trusts buy and continue to buy the new recombinant factor 8 products in the wake of the imposition of value added tax on these products. [3131]

  Mr. Horam
  It is for clinicians to decide what products are used in the light of available resources and the needs of individual patients. Factor 8 derived from human plasma is used for the majority of patients and is exempt from value added tax.

  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations has he made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding his decision to impose value added tax on recombinant factor 8 products. [3132]

  Mr. Horam
  The question of whether value added tax is chargeable on factor 8 products turns on whether they are derived from human blood. My Department has provided technical advice to HM Customs and Excise on that issue.

  Hormone Replacement Therapy
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to remove the requirement of a separate prescription charge for each drug contained in HRT preparations; and if he will make a statement. [2862]
  864
  Mr. Malone
  None.

  The regulations require a charge to be paid for each quantity of a drug supplied. This includes each quantity of medicine in duopacks such as HRT which are packed in this way for the convenience of the patient and for the manufacturer.

  Maternity Services, East London
  Mr. Timms
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost per delivery of the maternity services in the City and east London district at(a) Homerton hospital, (b) Newham general hospital and (c) Royal hospitals trust. [2863]

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available centrally.

  Access Committee for England
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the level of funding the Access Committee for England has received from his Department for each year since 1989 in 1995 prices. [2914]

  Mr. Bowis
  The Access Committee for England has received the following levels of grant under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968, at 1995 prices, since 1989.

  1989–90:£119,159

  1990–91:£149,670

  1991–92:£155,277

  1992–93:£172,252

  1993–94:£156,832

  1994–95:£134,875

  Accident and Emergency Trauma and Orthopaedic Service, Leeds
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he has made to the review of accident and emergency trauma and orthopaedic service in Leeds. [3123]

  Mr. Horam
  This review of services was undertaken by independent experts commissioned by the Leeds review task force. I understand a draft report prepared by the task force will be circulated widely for comment in the near future.

  Doctors Recruitment
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received alleging difficulty in recruiting and retaining general practitioners to(a) general practices and (b) hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [3141]

  Mr. Malone
  We have received representations through informal discussions with the profession and the national health service on pockets of difficulty within general practice and on particular difficulties in filling some hospital specialty posts. We are addressing these through improved work force planning.
  865

  NHS Organ Donor Register
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further plans he has to advertise the existence of the national organ donor scheme. [3133]

  Mr. Horam
  Since we launched the national health service organ donor register in October 1994 over 2¼million people have applied to join, of which some 800,000 had joined when applying for a driving licence or registering with a general practitioner. We have been monitoring the effectiveness of the different ways used to encourage people to join and plan further publicity initiatives for early in the new year.

  Efficiency Scrutiny
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the work on efficiency scrutiny he announced on 11 October; who is conducting the efficiency scrutiny; and what are its terms of reference. [3340]

  Mr. Horam
  My right hon. the Secretary of State has asked Mr. Jim Hammond, chief executive of East Gloucestershire national health service trust, to lead the efficiency scrutiny into the burdens of paperwork in NHS trusts and health authorities. The terms of reference for the team are:

  a. to identify achievable reductions in the administrative burden associated with the work of NHS trusts and health authorities and recommend action which will eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, consistent with the objective of improving the efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness of patient services;

  b. to examine the traffic in guidance and information that flows between the Department of Health—including the NHS Executive and regional health authorities—and trusts and health authorities, and make recommendations that will reduce the burden on the NHS while retaining the information necessary for the effective management of the service.

  The team will report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, and the Prime Minister's efficiency adviser, Sir Peter Levene, before the end of March 1996 with recommendations for implementation within two years.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the services of(a) chiropodists, (b) dieticians, (c) medical laboratory scientists, (d) occupational therapists, (e) orthoptrists, (f) physiotherapists, (g)radiographers and (h)speech therapists are categorised as clinical services for the purposes of the private finance initiative in the NHS. [3341]

  Mr. Horam
  There is no requirement upon national health service trusts to include these services as part of the testing of private finance options. But these are matters for local determination and cannot be decided without the support of local clinicians.
  866
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service trusts in England are developing plans to use the PFI to care for acutely mentally ill patients. [3220]

  Mr. Horam
  To ensure that national health service capital projects meet NHS needs as cost effectively as possible, the option of using private finance, under this Government's private finance initiative, must be considered for every potential capital project. Formulation of plans for projects to meet local needs is the responsibility of NHS trusts and health authorities. The information requested is not available centrally.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the principal differences between the private finance initiative schemes which may be developed with public finance if no suitable private capital can be raised and those which may be developed only if private capital can be raised; and if he will make a statement. [3476]

  Mr. Horam
  To ensure that national health service capital projects meet NHS needs as cost-effectively as possible, the option of using private finance, under this Government's private finance initiative, must be considered for every potential capital project. In the event that private capital is unobtainable for a particular scheme, public capital funding will be considered.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the nature, value and location of all private finance initiative projects in the NHS with a project value of £1 million or more which have been approved to date. [3475]

  Mr. Horam
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville) gave the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 6 November at columns 622–23.

  One further project with a capital value greater than £1 million has been approved:

  £ million

  Anglia and Oxford Region, South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust

  New hospital developments at High Wycombe and Amersham

  35

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the level and percentage of trust income in each region received from non-national health service sources in each year since 1991–92. [3258]

  Mr. Horam
  The information for 1994–95 is shown in the table. Information from previous years is not available centrally.
  867

  Non-national health service income for trusts in England by region—1994–95

  £000

  Non-NHS income

  Total income

  Percentage of total income from non—NHS sources

  Northern and Yorkshire

  161,439

  2,890,531

  5.6

  Trent

  101,214

  1,972,187

  5.1

  Anglian and Oxford

  134,998

  2,039,415

  6.6

  North Thames

  415,104

  3,512,907

  11.8

  South Thames

  218,884

  2,974,716

  7.4

  South and West

  181,283

  2,725,080

  6.7

  West Midlands

  112,680

  1,935,391

  5.8

  North-west

  145,952

  3,010,741

  4.9

  Source:

  The annual financial returns of NHS trusts.

  Notes:The figures are provisional

  Birth Certificates
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he proposes to bring forward legislation to implement the restrictions on access to birth certificates outlined in the White Paper, Cm 939, "Registration: Proposals for Change. [3428]

  Mr. Horam
  This proposal was part of a wide package of reforms to the system for registering births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales. The Government remain committed to introducing the necessary legislation to implement these reforms as soon as a suitable opportunity occurs.

  Hospital and Community Health Services
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will announce the 1996–97 hospital and community health services revenue allocations for the new health authorities. [3479]

  Mr. Dorrell
  Actual allocations cannot be made until the new health authorities come into existence on 1 April 1996. For planning purposes general allocations based largely on 1 April 1995 boundaries are given in the table.

  1996–97 Planned General Allocations

  £000

  Avon

  337,304

  Barking and Havering

  171,182

  Barnet

  143,641

  Barnsley

  100,028

  Bedfordshire

  202,770

  Berkshire

  277,247

  Bexley and Greenwich

  205,751

  Birmingham

  462,072

  Bradford

  209,879

  Brent and Harrow

  216,882

  Bromley

  122,748

  Buckinghamshire

  239,990

  Bury and Rochdale

  168,041

  Calderdale and Kirklees

  249,711

  Cambridge and Huntingdon

  156,965

  Camden and Islington

  233,218

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  207,826

  County Durham

  270,191

  Coventry

  130,087

  Croydon

  137,654

  Doncaster

  126,568

  Dorset

  303,240

  868

  1996–97 Planned General Allocations

  £000

  Dudley

  122,509

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  323,042

  East and North Hertfordshire

  191,435

  East Kent

  265,644

  East Lancashire

  227,473

  East London and the City

  337,546

  East Norfolk

  247,968

  East Riding

  220,686

  East Surrey

  166,567

  East Sussex

  339,567

  Enfield and Haringey

  227,820

  Gateshead and South Tyneside

  170,615

  Gloucestershire

  225,907

  Herefordshire

  66,306

  Hillingdon

  106,373

  Isle of Wight

  62,393

  Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

  188,705

  Kingston and Richmond

  140,930

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  390,098

  Leeds

  310,704

  Leicestershire

  345,957

  Lincolnshire

  256,550

  Liverpool

  229,833

  Manchester

  231,624

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  293,838

  Morecambe Bay

  138,684

  Newcastle and North Tyneside

  227,875

  North and East Devon

  203,643

  North and Mid Hampshire

  220,406

  North Cheshire

  144,428

  North Cumbria

  132,664

  North Derbyshire

  155,004

  North Essex

  334,368

  North Nottinghamshire

  159,622

  North Staffordshire

  202,485

  North-west Anglia

  163,117

  North-west Lancashire

  214,847

  North Yorkshire

  291,886

  Northamptonshire

  230,680

  Northumberland

  129,161

  Nottingham

  262,200

  Oxfordshire

  213,607

  Portsmouth and South-east Hampshire

  221,919

  Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  213,535

  Rotherham

  108,909

  Salford and Trafford

  202,844

  Sandwell

  133,326

  Sefton

  131,981

  Sheffield

  247,740

  Shropshire

  162,556

  Solihull

  76,909

  Somerset

  174,035

  South and West Devon

  259,464

  South Cheshire

  248,878

  South Derbyshire

  226,186

  South Essex

  273,693

  South Humber

  151,864

  South Lancashire

  126,771

  South Staffordshire

  220,006

  Southampton and South-west Hampshire

  192,698

  St. Helens and Knowsley

  146,504

  Stockport

  113,796

  Suffolk

  258,491

  Sunderland

  134,128

  Tees

  244,373

  Wakefield

  140,480

  Walsall

  109,564

  Warwickshire

  201,221

  West Hertfordshire

  208,469

  West Kent

  369,257

  West Pennine

  205,342

  West Surrey

  256,275

  West Sussex

  309,922

  869

  1996–97 Planned General Allocations

  £000

  Wigan and Bolton

  249,232

  Wiltshire

  306,714

  Wirral

  154,813

  Wolverhampton

  107,187

  Worcestershire

  208,121

  England

  20,884,969

  Community Care
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he proposes to announce the allocations of community care special transitional grant to each social services authority in England for 1996–97. [3482]

  Mr. Dorrell
  I am today publishing indicative allocations showing each English social services authority's share of the special transitional grant for community care in 1996–97. The STG for 1996–97 will be £418 million, bringing to over £2.25 billion the total additional resources provided to local authorities for their new community care responsibilities. As last year, the whole of the STG will be distributed on the basis of personal social services standard spending assessments. Authorities have until 12 January 1996 to make representations about their proposed allocations. A copy of the circular is being placed in the Library.

  Personal Social Services
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specific grants and capital resources he is making available to local authorities for personal social services for 1996–97. [3480]

  Mr. Dorrell
  Specific grants will again be available in 1996–97 as follows:

  £ million

  Mental illness services

  58.3

  HIV and AIDS services

  13.7

  Services for alcohol and drugs misusers

  2.5

  Guardians ad litem and reporting officers

  6.3

  Social services training

  35.5

  Each grant will continue to support a maximum of 70 per cent. of total expenditure.

  The mental illness grant is planned to increase by a further £9 million in 1997–98. The grant will be targeted on people with severe mental illness.

  The capital grant for secure accommodation for young people will be £27.2 million in 1996–97.

  Annual capital guidelines of £96.6 million will be notified to local authorities. Supplementary credit approvals will again be available for mental illness services—£11.6 million—and AIDS and HIV services— £3.1 million. The credit approval for information technology has been phased out.

  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for health what resources are being provided through the standard spending assessment for social services for 1996–97. [3481]
  870
  Mr. Dorrell
  A total of £6911.6 million will be distributed by the personal social services standard spending assessment in 1996–97, compared with £6212.7 million in 1995–96. Total standard spending on social services, including specific and special grants, will be £7446.5 million in 1996–97, compared with £6965.9 million in 1995–96; an increase of 6.9 per cent.

  GP Numbers
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of general practitioners in(a) 1990 and (b) 1994. [3755]

  Mr. Malone
  The information is shown in the list.

  1 October 1990: 25,622

  1 October 1994: 26,567

  The data relate to unrestricted principals in England.

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2977]

  Mr. Horam
  The Department is taking forward work aimed at seeking accreditation as an investor in people by October 1996; the formal commitment was made in December 1994.

  Hospitals (Smoking)
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is his policy on the provision of smoking rooms for the use of patients, staff and visitors within NHS hospitals; [2966]

  (2) how many employees of the Rotherham hospital trust signed a petition seeking the provision of a smoking room at Rotherham district general hospital; and what account he took of the petition before he wrote to the hon. Member for Wentworth recently on this subject; [2970]

  (3) under what regulation Rotherham general hospital has barred a person from smoking in his own motor vehicle in the car park at the hospital; and what guidance he has issued on that matter; [3021]

  (4) what advice was sought from the South Yorkshire fire service in regard to the prohibition of smoking by the Rotherham hospital trust; [2961]

  (5) what considerations underlay (a) his approval of the ban on smoking at Rotherham district general hospital and (b) his Department's letter to the hon. Member for Wentworth in respect of the provision of smoking rooms in hospitals. [3024]

  Mr. Horam
  The Department of Health issued guidance in 1992 (HSG(92)14), copies of which are available in the Library, to all national health service authorities and trusts, in line with the "Health of the Nation" White Paper, requesting that they implement policies to enable the national health service to become smoke free. Whilst the guidance sets out the basic requirements, detailed implementation is the responsibility of individual authorities and trusts. It is
  871
  therefore for local managers and clinicians to decide whether they feel it necessary or practicable to set aside smoking rooms for staff and patients.

  Information on an individual national health service trust's implementation of these policies is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. A. Baker, chairman of Rotherham General Hospitals national health service trust, for details of the trust's policy.

  Bed Availability
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 27 November, concerning criteria for determining the number of beds per unit of population provided by district health services, what is the basis of his determination of the allocation of(a) revenue and (b) capital expenditure derived from public or private funds. [3355]

  Mr. Horam
  Allocation of hospital and community health services revenue to health authorities is determined by a national weighted capitation formula. Its aim is to enable health authorities to purchase similar levels of health services for resident populations in similar need.

  A proportion of publicly provided capital is allocated to trusts to provide for the maintenance of their existing estate and routine replacement of equipment. Proposals for new capital schemes have to be supported by a business case which must demonstrate that private finance has been fully considered. Where private finance is not best value for money public funds can be made available.

  Mental Health Act 1983
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were detained under the provisions of(a) the Mental Health Act 1983 and (b) other acts in (i) NHS hospitals, (ii) private and (iii) private nursing homes in each of the last five years. [3344]

  Mr. Bowis
  Information available centrally is on the number of admissions under the Mental Health Act 1983 to national health service hospitals and private hospitals and private nursing homes and is published in the statistical bulletin "In-Patients Formally Detained in Hospitals Under the Mental Health Act 1983 and other Legislation, England: 1987–88 to 1992–93", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Market Testing
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the service areas that have been or are planned to be market-tested. [3346]

  Mr. Horam
  A list of services where one or more trusts have either completed a market test or plan to market test is as follows.

  MARKET TESTING: RANGE OF SERVICES

  MAIN SERVICES HEADINGS

  Administration, Information and Financial

  Building and Engineering Services

  Building and Equipment/System Maintenance

  Hotel and Non Clinical Support

  Clinical and Clinical Support

  872

  Training

  GROUPS OF SERVICES UNDER EACH MAIN SERVICE HEADING

  Administration, Information and Financial

  Advertising and Recruitment

  Agency Staffing

  Audit

  Banking

  Clerical and Secretarial

  Computing

  Consultants

  Financial

  Human Resources

  Insurance

  Legal

  Management Services

  Micro-filming

  Building and Engineering

  Building and Engineering

  Design

  Electrical

  Energy Management

  Estates Management

  Repairs and maintenance

  Fire Systems

  Flooring

  Lighting

  Gas Supply

  Glazing

  Painting

  Water Services

  Building and Equipment/Systems Maintenance

  Building

  Building and Engineering

  Estates

  Equipment/Systems

  Hotel and Non-Clinical Support

  Accommodation

  Car Parks

  Catering

  Courier

  Creche

  Domestic

  Environmental Health Management

  General Patient Services

  Facilities Management

  Gardening

  Pest Control

  Hotel Services

  Laundry/Linen

  Supplies

  Pottering

  Security

  Waste Disposal

  Switchboard/Reception

  Transport

  Clinical and Clinical Support

  Anaesthetics

  Bio-Engineering

  873

  Chiropody

  Clinical Coding

  Continuing Care-Elderly

  CSSD1

  Dental

  Clinical Genetics

  HSDU1

  Haematology

  Infection Control

  IVF Services1

  Lithotripsy

  Medical Physics

  Mobility Provision

  Medical Photography

  Nuclear Medicine

  Ophthalmology

  Magnetic Resonance Imaging

  Occupational Therapy

  Occupational Health

  Orthotics

  Pathology

  Oxygen Therapy Units

  Prosthetics

  Patient Appliance

  Pharmacy

  Physiotherapy

  Termination of Pregnancy

  Radiology

  Speech Therapy

  Perfusionists

  Training

  Education

  Fire

  Staff

  1. There is no standard definition of services or list of services within the NHS and those listed above relate to Provider Units' interpretation.2. Service headings such as "Hotel Services" and "Facilities Management" include a wide and varying range of individual services e.g. catering, portering, security car parking. Again there is no set pattern of which service make up Hotel Services etc., but relates to individual Provider Units' interpretation.1 CSSD = Central Sterile Supply Department, HSDU = Hospital Sterilizing and Disinfecting Unit, IVF = In-Vitro Fertilisation.

  NHS Finance
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what(a) surpluses and (b) deficits were recorded by each different health authority by region, in each of the last three years. [2951]

  Mr. Horam
  [holding answer 28 November J 995]:The information requested from the annual accounts, for the last three years will be placed in the Library.
  874

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Invoices
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the average length of time it takes for his Department to pay invoices. [938]

  Mr. Boswell
  [holding answer 22 November 1995]:In common with most organisations, MAFF, including the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Veterinary Laboratory Agency, agrees payment terms with its suppliers in advance of orders being placed. The accounts payable system is designed to make payments only when they are due, in accordance with those terms. Thus, the average length of time it takes to pay an invoice is dependent on prior agreement with suppliers. Data emerging from the payments system indicate that 85.41 per cent. of all payments made by MAFF during the first quarter of 1995–96 were paid by the due date.

  The chief executives of the Pesticides Safety Directorate, Meat Hygiene Service, Central Science Laboratory and ADAS will reply directly to the hon. Member.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many (i) orders and (ii) firms are represented by the 10.5 per cent. of invoices not paid by his Department within 30 days or in accordance with contractual agreements in 1994–95; and how many of those are related to firms with fewer than 500 employees. [914]

  Mr. Boswell
  [holding answer 22 November 1995]:The information requested is not available. During 1994–95, MAFF was in the process of installing a new computerised payments system and, as a result, consistent statistically valid data on prompt payment performance could not be collected. Currently, MAFF, including the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the Veterinary Laboratory Agency and ADAS, does not identify separately payment performance data relating to firms with fewer than 500 employees, although this possibility is one of a number of enhancements to the systems now under consideration.

  The chief executives of the Meat Hygiene Service, the Central Science Laboratory and the Pesticides Safety Directorate will reply directly to the hon. Member.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how his Department publicises payment practices other than as percentages of invoices paid late. [952]

  Mr. Boswell
  [holding answer 22 November 1995]:With effect from the 1995 report published in March 1995, Cm 2803, MAFF's, including the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Veterinary Laboratory Agency, payment practices, including its prompt payment objectives, are published in its departmental annual report. Now that the new computerised payments system is operational, future annual reports will include data on prompt payment performance.

  The chief executives of the Pesticides Safety Directorate, the Meat Hygiene Service, the Central Science Laboratory and ADAS will reply directly to the hon. Member.
  875
  Letter from G. K. Bruce to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 22 November 1995:
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has asked me to reply, in respect of the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), to your questions about payment of invoices.
  I would refer you to the answer I gave on 3 November to your earlier questions on this subject (Official Report, Cols. 507–508 refer). In line with Government policy and normal terms of trade, PSD operates a prompt payment policy and aims to settle invoices within 30 days of receipt. Our records show that so far during 1995/96 98% of valid invoices have been paid within this timescale. We publicised our payment policy in our 1994/95 Annual Report and Accounts and our payment performance will be included in future Annual Reports.

  Letter from Phillip Needham to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 30 November 1995:
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply directly to you concerning your Parliamentary Question (PQ 29) in which you asked the average length of time it takes for this Agency to pay invoices. [938]
  In line with good commercial practice, ADAS agrees payment terms with its suppliers in advance of orders being placed. Our payment system is designed to make payments only when they are due, in accordance with those terms. The average length of time it takes to pay an invoice is currently 32 days.

  Letter from Phillip Needham to Mrs Barbara Roche, dated 30 November 1995:
  The Minister of Agriculture has asked me to reply directly to you concerning your Parliamentary Question (PQ 32) in which you asked how this Agency publicises payment practices. [952]
  The terms of payment are reproduced on the back of the purchase order which is sent to the supplier. Additionally, our payment policy appears on page four of the ADAS Annual Report and Accounts 1994/95.

  Letter from Johnston McNeill to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 30 November 1995:
  As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service, I have been asked to respond to your questions regarding payment of invoices in respect of this Agency. As I stated in my letter to you of 3 November 1995 (Official Report column 507), the MHS is keen to pay invoices for all its suppliers on time. In particular, payment to vets that we contract much of our work to, many of which are small practices, have all been paid within agreed timescales since 1 April this year when this Agency was launched. These payments account for 78% of the value of our supplier invoices. [938], [914+952]
  As we were only launched in April this year, your supplementary question to those I answered in my earlier letter, regarding the number of orders and firms affected by non-payment within 30 days, is not applicable to this Agency.
  Concerning your final question about publication of payment practices, the Meat Hygiene Service intends to include this information in its first and subsequent set of annual accounts, when these are published after our first year of operation.

  Letter from Professor P. I. Stanley to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 30 November 1995:
  You asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food three separate questions relating to the payment of invoices. The Central Science Laboratory (CSL) became a MAFF executive agency in April 1992 and the Minister has asked me to reply to you in respect of the Agency as these are operational matters for which I am responsible.
  Firstly, our most recent data shows that the average length of time taken by the Agency to pay invoices, from the date of the invoice to the date of payment, is 23 days.
  876
  Secondly, in 1994–95 some 10% of CSL invoices were not paid within 30 days of the invoice date. This represented approximately i) 1,000 orders and ii) 300 firms. I am unable to confirm the number relating to firms with fewer than 500 employees as this information is not available.
  Finally, it is my intention in future to publicise the Agency's payment practices in our Annual Report and Accounts.

  Intervention Stores (Beef)
  Mr. Martin Redmond
  To ask the Minster of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by location, the current cost of the stock of beef held in intervention stores; and what the figure was(a) 12 months and (b) 24 months ago. [2321]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Since the question concerns matters which are direct responsibility of the chief executive of the Intervention Board Executive Agency. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member.

  Letter from George Trevelyan to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 November 1995:
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your written Parliamentary Question (64) tabled for answer on 27 November 1995. [2321]
  "To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list by location, the current cost of stock of beef held in intervention stores; and what the figure was (a) 12 months and (b) 24 months ago."
  Member States are required annually to submit to the Commission a Stock Account showing the value of beef stocks held in intervention stores as at 30 September. The information set out in the attached table lists the locations of stores that held stocks of beef for the years in question. A breakdown of the costs of stocks by location is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost because the book value of the stock at any particular time is assigned under EC accounting conventions to the stockholding at a national level. The value of the stocks held in the UK on 30 September in each year was:

  1993: £87,575,989

  1994: £31,473,031

  19951: £6,003,333

  1 provisional.

  I am sending a copy of this letter, together with a copy of the table to the House of Commons Library and the Public Information Office.

  Intervention stores holding beef stocks Stores containing intervention beef stocks at 30 September identified *

  Location of cold stores

  1993

  1994

  1995

  North of England and Scotland

  Inverness

  *

  *

  *

  Dundee

  *

  *

  *

  Edinburgh

  *

  *

  *

  Gateshead

  *

  *

  —

  Glasgow

  *

  *

  *

  Glenrothes

  *

  *

  *

  Bellshill

  *

  *

  *

  Aberdeen

  *

  *

  *

  Midlands

  Grimsby (x3)

  *

  *

  —

  Marston

  *

  *

  —

  Hull (x2)

  *

  *

  *

  Liverpool (x3)

  *

  *

  *

  Salford

  *

  *

  —

  St. Helens

  *

  *

  —

  Leeds(x3)

  *

  *

  *

  Fleetwood

  *

  *

  —

  Preston

  *

  *

  —

  877

  Intervention stores holding beef stocks Stores containing intervention beef stocks at 30 September identified *

  Location of cold stores

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Doncaster

  —

  *

  *

  Pontefract

  *

  —

  —

  Blackburn

  *

  *

  —

  Tamworth

  *

  *

  *

  Eccleshall

  *

  *

  —

  Cannock

  *

  *

  —

  Manchester

  *

  —

  —

  Retford

  *

  *

  —

  Sheffield

  *

  *

  —

  Shrewsbury

  *

  *

  —

  Marston

  *

  *

  —

  Scunthorpe

  *

  *

  *

  Oswestry

  *

  —

  —

  Nottingham

  *

  *

  —

  East and South-east

  Lowestoft

  *

  *

  *

  Southall

  *

  —

  —

  Spalding

  *

  *

  —

  Lympne

  *

  *

  —

  Hornsey

  *

  *

  *

  Gillingham

  *

  *

  —

  Kings Lynn (x2)

  *

  *

  *

  Peterborough

  *

  *

  *

  Stratford

  *

  *

  —

  Wisbech

  *

  *

  *

  Dagenham

  *

  *

  —

  March

  *

  *

  —

  Bury St. Edmunds

  *

  *

  —

  Leicester

  *

  —

  —

  Luton

  *

  —

  —

  Thetford

  *

  *

  —

  Wigston

  *

  —

  —

  Paddock Wood

  *

  *

  —

  Sevenoaks

  *

  —

  —

  South-west and Wales

  Walsall

  *

  *

  —

  Cornwall

  *

  *

  —

  Willand

  *

  *

  *

  Sherbourne

  *

  *

  —

  Brierly Hill

  *

  *

  —

  Avonmouth

  *

  —

  —

  Cardiff

  *

  *

  —

  Eastleigh

  *

  —

  —

  Exeter

  *

  *

  *

  Newport

  *

  *

  *

  Plymouth

  *

  *

  —

  Swansea

  *

  *

  *

  Taunton

  *

  *

  —

  Tewkesbury

  *

  —

  —

  Northern Ireland

  Banbridge

  *

  *

  *

  Belfast (x3)

  *

  *

  *

  Ballymena

  *

  *

  *

  Lurgan

  *

  *

  *

  Portadown (x2)

  *

  *

  *

  Lisburn (x2)

  *

  *

  *

  Dungannon

  *

  *

  *

  Antrim

  *

  *

  *

  Newtonabbey

  *

  *

  *

  Larne

  *

  *

  *

  Omagh

  *

  *

  *

  Coleraine

  *

  *

  *

  Source:Intervention Board IMD-B November 1995.
  878

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures are being taken by his Ministry to prevent the falsification by farmers of documentation regarding BSE infected cattle. [2669]

  Mrs. Browning
  The Ministry requires that ear tag numbers of all cattle being moved to a market, or presented for slaughter, and which are accompanied by farmers' declarations, are checked by an official veterinary surgeon against the Ministry's central record of BSE cases. Enforcement as regards false documentation is a matter for local authorities, but prosecution is actively encouraged by the Ministry.

  Official veterinary surgeons have also been asked to be alert for any indication of possible fraud, such as the replacement of ear tags, and to inform a divisional veterinary manager of the State Veterinary Service of any suspicion they have so that the circumstances can be investigated.

  Baby Milk Formula
  Mr. Chris Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the reports received from the inquiry panel established by the local authority co-ordinating body on trading standards to investigate alleged infringements of the Baby Milk Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations 1995; what steps he will take to establish uniformity in the enforcement approach; and if he will make a statement. [2530]

  Mrs. Browning
  No such inquiry panel exists. The Department of Health, in consultation with representatives of health professions, voluntary groups, baby milk manufacturers and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, is drawing up guidelines, as required by the regulations, on the donation of informational and educational materials produced by infant formula manufacturers and retailers. The guidance notes will shortly be circulated to interested parties for comment. In addition, LACOTS is preparing guidance on the implementation and interpretation of the regulations.

  The two documents will assist enforcement officers in local authorities to achieve a uniform approach in the enforcement of the regulations.

TRANSPORT

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2985]

  Mr. Norris
  The Department of Transport is committed to taking forward investor in people progressively.

  The Department's executive agencies are progressively implementing investor in people at a pace relating to their own circumstance.
  879
  Three pilot schemes have been developed in the central transport unit. Of these the marine accident investigation branch has submitted its investors in people portfolio to Hants training and enterprise council.

  Oil Tankers
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many oil tankers over(a) 10,000 tonne net registered tonnage, (b) 20,000 tonne net registered tonnage, (c) 50,000 tonne NRT and (d) 100,000 tonne NRT visited British ports in 1993 and 1994; and how many were fitted with double hulls. [2852]

  Mr. Norris
  The information is as follows:

  Gross registered tonnage

  1993

  1994

  Over 10,000

  4,341

  4,412

  Over 20,000

  2,435

  2,513

  Over 50,000

  1,221

  1,284

  Over 100,000

  140

  133

  Figures for net registered tonnage—NRT—and the number of double hull oil tankers are not available. As the regulations requiring new oil tankers to be fitted with double hulls, or similar structures, have only recently been introduced, the majority of existing oil tankers have single hulls.

  Airports
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those airports that are equipped with distance measuring equipment in England and Wales. [2853]

  Mr. Norris
  The following aerodromes in England and Wales are equipped with distance measuring equipment

  Barrow/Walney Island

  Biggin Hill

  Birmingham

  Blackbushe

  Blackpool

  Bournemouth

  Bristol

  Cambridge

  Cardiff

  Carlisle

  Clacton

  East Midlands

  Exeter

  Fairoaks

  Filton

  Gamston/Retford

  Gloucestershire

  Hawarden

  Humberside

  Leeds Bradford

  Liverpool

  London City

  London Gatwick

  London Heathrow

  London Luton

  London Stansted

  880

  Lydd

  Manchester

  Newcastle

  Norwich

  Oxford (Kidlington)

  Plymouth

  Shoreham

  Southampton

  Southend

  Swansea

  Teesside

  Warton

  Welshpool

  Woodford

  Yeovil (Westland)

  Source:Communications (COM) section of UK Air Pilot, published by the Civil Aviation Authority.

  National Express
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much National Express was sold for on privatisation; and what is its current stock market value. [3252]

  Mr. Norris
  The net proceeds to the National Bus Company from the sale of its subsidiary, National Express, in 1988 was £10.1 million. My Department does not hold details of its current stock market value but the present National Express Group bears no resemblance to the original company sold by NBC.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the chairman of British Bus concerning the payment of sums of money as gifts to the former chairman of National Express. [3336]

  Mr. Norris
  None. Any financial transactions between business partners of companies in the private sector are matters for them.

  Vehicle Emissions
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints about vehicles emitting excessive exhaust fumes have been referred to the Vehicles Inspectorate in each of the last five years. [3471]

  Mr. Norris
  I have asked the chief executive of the Vehicle Inspectorate executive agency to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Ron Oliver to Mr. David Chidgey, dated 30 November 1995:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the number of complaints about vehicles emitting excessive exhaust fumes referred to the Vehicle Inspectorate in each of the last 5 years.
  We cannot quantify the total number of complaints received on smoke emissions; many complaints made are on an ad hoc basis and do not exclusively deal with excessive exhaust fumes. However, since 1991 the Vehicle Inspectorate has run a system where members of the public can ring the "Smoky Vehicle Hotline" and report commercial vehicles seen producing excessive amounts of exhaust smoke.
  The total number of reports received via the Hotline for the past 5 years were:

  881

  1991/92: 1,483

  1992/93: 2,481

  1993/94: 2,887

  1994/95: 8,113

  April to October 1995: 11,861

  Light Rail Funding
  Sir Tom Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the Manchester passenger transport authority's strategic development plan; if he will make a statement on the future of light rail funding; and what assessment he has made of the benefits which would arise from extending Metrolink. [3374]

  Mr. Norris
  I refer to the replies I gave on Friday 24 November to the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Bradley) and the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris),Official Report columns 349–50.

  Vehicle Pollution
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to require local authorities to carry out spot checks for polluting vehicles. [3466]

  Mr. Norris
  We are currently consulting interested parties on how best to implement in practice enabling regulations which could be made under the provisions of section 87 of the Environment Act 1995 to permit local authorities, with police support, to carry out emissions checks on vehicles using the road.

  Channel Tunnel Freight
  Mr. Chris Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate(a) the volume of goods currently being shipped by security approved freight forwarders by rail through the channel tunnel per week and (b) the volume being shipped by road and ferry because of the restrictions imposed by the Channel Tunnel (Security) Order 1994; and if he will make a statement. [2684]

  Mr. Watts
  The average number of containers from security approved channel tunnel freight forwarders carried through the channel tunnel for the month of October 1995 was over 260 per week.

  Decisions on the means of transport are commercial ones for the shipper concerned.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Child Refugees
  Sir Michael Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the projected number of child refugees entering the United Kingdom during 1995; and if he will make a statement. [1370]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  It is estimated that some 600 unaccompanied children will claim asylum in the United Kingdom in 1995.
  882

  Private Prisons
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions he has given to private prisons regarding H.O. Reg. 20/1989. [1371]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Prison Department circular instruction 20/89 was superseded by the Prison Service policy on caring for the suicidal as set out in instruction to governors 1/94. Contractors responsible for privately managed prisons are expected to have arrangements which are consistent with this policy.

  Probation Service
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to restructure the probation service. [1372]

  Mr. Sackville
  To reinforce court and public confidence in the probation service's work, my right hon. and learned Friend has this year published both revised national standards for community sentences, and the Green Paper, "Strengthening Punishment in the Community", aimed at restructuring community punishment. In addition, my right hon. and learned Friend has recently announced new arrangements reforming the qualifying training and recruitment of probation officers.

  Law and Order, Lichfield
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to visit Lichfield to discuss law and order; and if he will make a statement. [1374]

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no immediate plans to visit Lichfield. We should congratulate Staffordshire police force on the 13 per cent. reduction in burglary and the 7 per cent. reduction in vehicle crime recorded by them in the 12 months to June 1995.

  Prisoners (Drugs)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what percentage of British prisons illegal drugs have been detected in the last year. [1376]

  Mrs. Widdecombe
  Illegal drugs have been detected in all but two Prison Service establishments in England and Wales during the period 1 November 1994 to 31 October 1995.

  This means that drugs have been detected in 98.5 per cent. of establishments.

  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his latest estimate of the number of prisoners using drugs. [1375]

  Miss Widdecombe
  It is too early in the implementation of mandatory drug testing to be able to give an accurate assessment of the number of prisoners misusing drugs.

  Figures from the eight first phase sites show 36 per cent. confirmed positive drug tests, but this cannot be extrapolated to the total population.
  883

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Timms
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account he takes of the likely safety of asylum applicants if returned to Sri Lanka when deciding such applications; and if he will make a statement. [1377]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  All applications for asylum, regardless of nationality, are carefully considered in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 United Nations convention relating to the status of refugees. Each case is assessed on its merits taking account of all the circumstances, including conditions in the country of origin.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of in-country applications for asylum are made within(a) one week of the applicant entering the country, (b) two to three weeks of entering the country, (c) three to four weeks of entering the country, (d) two to six months of entering the country and (e) more than six months of entering the country; and if he will make a statement. [2348]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  [holding answer 29 November 1995]:Information regarding the length of time between arrival date and application date, for those who enter the United Kingdom as visitors but subsequently claim asylum, is given in the table.

  Average time taken1 to apply for asylum by persons granted leave to enter the United Kingdom as visitors, January to September 1995

  Period of time between arrival and application

  Percentage

  0 to 2 weeks

  27

  2 to 4 weeks

  10

  1 to 2 months

  10

  2 to 6 months

  27

  over 6 months

  26

  Total

  100

  1 Estimated.

  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of applicants for asylum(a) excluding and (b) including dependants, for each calendar month from January 1990, with totals for each year. [3227]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  Annual figures for the number of asylum applications both excluding and including dependants for the years 1984 to 1994 are given in table 1.2 of Home Office statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom" issue 15/95, a copy of which can be found in the Library. Table 2.3 of this publication gives monthly figures for the number of principal applications in 1994 and the first quarter of 1995. Equivalent information for 1991 to 1993 is given in issues 12/92, 19/93 and 17/94 of the same publication which can also be found in the Library. Monthly application figures for years prior to 1991, and monthly application figures including dependants, are not available.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of persons who applied for political asylum who(a) were not admitted, (b) were admitted on a temporary basis, (c) had their applications refused, and (d) had their applications accepted, in each year between 1988 and 1994. [3142]
  884
  Mr. Kirkhope
  [holding answer 28 November 1995]:Information is given in table 1.1 of the Home Office statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1994", issue 15/95 on applications for asylum, split by those on arrival at a United Kingdom port of entry and those who applied "in country" after having been admitted to the United Kingdom for some reason under immigration rules, and on the number of decisions made on asylum applications, split by type of decision. A copy of this publication is available in the Library.

  Those applying for asylum on arrival at a United Kingdom port maybe granted temporary admission pending the outcome of their application or, depending on the individual circumstances of the case, detained. Separate information on this is not available.

  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for political asylum are currently undecided. [1365]

  Miss Widdecombe
  As at 31 October this year, there were 66,665 applications for asylum in the United Kingdom outstanding.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are currently being held in prisons; and at what annual cost to public funds. [2497]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  As at 21 November 1995, a total of 776 persons who had at some stage sought asylum were detained. Of these, 378 were detained in Prison Service establishments, including 253 at locations used almost exclusively for housing asylum detainees. These figures include people awaiting removal following refusal of their applications as well as those whose applications were under consideration or subject to appeal.

  The Prison Service does not separate out costs according to the category of inmate but in 1993–94, the latest period for which published figures are available, the net operating cost per prisoner place in local prisons and remand centres was £21,400.

  Prison Places
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has of the number of available places in British prisons; and if he will make a statement. [1378]

  Miss Widdecombe
  On Monday 20 November 1995, the certified normal accommodation available for use in prison establishments in England and Wales was 51,185 places.

  Police
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had from the Association of Chief Police Officers on the likely impact of the Budget on the service it delivers. [1379]

  Mr. Maclean
  None. Detailed proposals for police funding in England and Wales in 1996–97 will be announced later today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
  885
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase police strength in the next year; and if he will make a statement. [1360]

  Mr. Howard
  My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister has pledged additional funding to enable chief constables in England and Wales to recruit an extra 5,000 officers over the next three years. The details of police funding proposals for 1996–97 will be announced later today.

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are currently on the beat in the metropolis; at what cost to public funds; what were the figures in May 1979 in real terms; and if he will make a statement. [1380]

  Mr. Maclean
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that, at the end of July 1995, there were 12,055 police officers on patrol in the Metropolitan police district—6,002 of these were assigned to foot patrol duties. The cost of this function is £502,482,000 per annum—£246,216,000 for foot patrol officers.

  Comparable figures are not available for 1979.

  Under-age Gambling
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of under-16-year-olds who regularly play fruit machines; and if he will make a statement. [1969]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  Statistics on the use of gaming machines are not available.

  We have not carried out recent research on the subject but we understand that an independent survey of school children was carried out this summer drawn from 12 schools in the east, north-east and south-west of England. Out of 1,665 pupils aged 12 to 15, 10 per cent. said that they played fruit machines at least once a week.

  Prison Accommodation, Wales
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions during 1995 each of the prisons at(a) Cardiff, (b) Swansea and (c) Usk have exceeded the certified normal accommodation; and if he will make a statement. [2167]

  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 Alan Walker to Mr. Elfyn Llwyd, dated 30 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of occasions during 1995 each of the prisons at (a) Cardiff, (b) Swansea and (c) Usk have exceeded the certified normal accommodation.
  Cardiff and Swansea prisons have had populations in excess of certified normal accommodation available for use throughout 1995. The latest monthly information available shows that Usk prison had a population in excess of the certified normal accommodation available for use at the end of each of the last 8 months (March to October).
  886
  Population pressures in South Wales will be eased considerably when new accommodation comes into use at Cardiff in May/June 1996 (204 places) and at Swansea in August 1996 (103 places). A new prison at Bridgend is planned to come into use in 1997–98 and will provide about 600 new places.

  Remand Prisoners
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions remand prisoners committed by courts in Wales have been held in prisons outside Wales for each of the last three full years for which figures are available and for 1995 to the latest available date; and what percentage this figure constitutes of the total number of remand prisoners committed by the same courts. [2168]

  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 Alan Walker to Mr. Elfyn Llwyd, dated 30 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, on how many occasions remand prisoners committed by courts in Wales have been held in prisons outside Wales for each of the last three full years for which figures are available and for 1995 to the latest available date; and what percentage this figure constitutes of the total number of remand prisoners committed by the same courts.
  The available information relates to the number of remand prisoners who were first received into a Prison Service establishment in England from a court in Wales and is given in the attached table. The number of occasions when remand prisoners committed by courts in Wales, who were first held in a Welsh prison and subsequently transferred on remand to a prison in England, is not available.

  Receptions of remand prisoners first received into a Prison Service establishment in England from a court in Wales, 1992-October 1995

  Year

  Remanded into custody by a Welsh court but first received into an English prison1 2

  Percentage of all persons remanded into custody by a Welsh court who were first received into a prison in England

  1992

  590

  25

  1993

  874

  25

  1994

  991

  26

  1995 (January-October)

  821

  25

  1 Provisional figures.

  2 First received as untried and convicted unsentenced prisoners who were not previously held as untried.

  Fire Authorities
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he has received from HM chief inspector of fire services on the effects of the 1995 financial settlement for fire authorities on fire brigade response times. [1373]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  In general, brigades remain able to meet the nationally recommended minimum standards of fire cover—which include the response times that fire brigades are expected to maintain. Her Majesty's inspectors of fire services draw attention to any
  887
  exceptions in the course of their annual inspection of brigades. It is for the fire authority concerned to take the appropriate action in any such case.

  Investors in People
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2978]

  Mr. Howard
  The Home Office is fully committed to achieving accreditation as an investor in people. Action to this end is under way throughout the various agencies and other constituent parts of the Department, reflecting the different needs of each area and the different lengths of time each has been working towards the standard. Some parts of the Department have already reached the standard and others are expected to be ready for assessment within the next 12 months.

  Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many charges made under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 have been contested in court; how many appeals have been lodged; and what is his estimate of the total cost to public funds of the implementation of this measure. [2963]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  Detailed information is not collected centrally on numbers of persons charged for offences, nor about pleas and subsequent appeals. However, 2,811 persons were prosecuted for offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act between 1992 and 1994; in the same period 1,226 were found guilty, and a further 597 were cautioned.

  Information on the cost to the police, local authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the courts of operating the Dangerous Dogs Act is not held centrally.

  Mr. Colin Ivor Dunning
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he received the application for the case of Mr. Colin Ivor Dunning to be referred to the Court of Appeal under the provisions of section 17 of the Criminal Appeals Act 1968. [3173]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  Representations were received from Mr. Dunning's solicitors on 3 February 1994. Supplementary representations were received in May 1995.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to questions put in correspondence from the solicitors acting for Mr. Colin Ivor Dunning. [3174]

  Mr.Kirkhope
  Officials have written to the solicitors with our decisions on Mr. Dunning's case and the reasons for that decision.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to give a decision in the case of Mr. Colin Ivor Dunning. [3175]
  888
  Mr. Kirkhope
  I have written to the hon. Member with our decision today.

  Bingo
  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for deregulating the bingo industry. [1353]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  We are reviewing the present controls on bingo clubs as part of the Government's deregulation initiative.

  Asylum and Immigration
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on asylum and immigration; how many were(a) in favour and (b) opposed to further changes to existing legislation; and if he will make a statement. [1366]

  Miss Widdecombe
  In the period 1 June to 23 November 1995, we received 634 representations from hon. Members on matters which relate broadly to asylum and immigration policy, including our proposals for further legislative and other measures. It is not possible to break down this figure in the form requested.

  Migration (Former Yugoslavia)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 23 November,Official Report, column 291–92, if he will specify the immigration rules relating to private medical treatment; if he will list the applications received by his Department from the International Organisation for Migration the Child Advocacy International for children to be brought from former Yugoslavia, indicating a date and the number of children; and if he will make a statement. [3386]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  In order to qualify under the immigration rules for private medical treatment in the United Kingdom, an applicant must demonstrate that satisfactory arrangements for the treatment have been made, that there are sufficient private funds available to meet the costs of the treatment, and that he intends to leave the United Kingdom at the end of the treatment.

  The arrangements between International Organisation for Migration and Child Advocacy International concern the evacuation of nationals of Bosnia-Herzegovina, who require visas in order to travel to the United Kingdom. Visa applications must be made at a British diplomatic post abroad, which is a matter for my right hon. Friend and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

  Immigration, Asylum and Nationality (Legislation)
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the date of the first reading of each Bill introduced by Her Majesty's Government since 1979 relating to immigration, asylum, nationality or a related topic; and if he will indicate in respect of each the date of publication, and where relevant, command numbers of any Green Papers, White Papers or consultative documents relating thereto. [3343]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  The information requested is as follows:
  889

  British Nationality Act 1981

  Date for First Reading: 13 January 1981

  White Paper: July 1980, Cmnd 79871

  British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983 (introduced as a private Member's Bill)

  Date of First Reading: 4 November 1992

  British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1985

  Date of First Reading: 10 January 1985

  Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987

  Date of First Reading: 4 March 1987

  Immigration Act 1988

  Date of First Reading: 5 November 1987

  British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990

  Date of First Reading: 4 April 1990

  Asylum Bill (1992)

  Date of First Reading: 1 November 1991

  Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993

  Date of First Reading: 22 October 1992

  1This followed a Green Paper in April 1977, Cmnd 6795.

  Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries
  Mr. Merchant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Boundary Commission intends to conduct an interim review of parliamentary constituencies in England. [3943]

  Mr. Howard
  The commission has informed me that it intends to consider making a report on parliamentary constituencies in Hereford and Worcester and the west midlands, and also in Essex and the London borough of Redbridge and of Waltham Forest. The commission intends to commence forthwith an interim review of parliamentary constituencies in each of those areas.

  Police Grant
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to announce the allocations of police grant for individual police authorities in 1996–97 and the allocations of the funding for 5,000 extra officers announced by the Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement on the impact of these allocations on the overall funding of police authorities in that year. [3944]

  Mr. Howard
  I have today put a copy of my proposals for the allocation of police grant for 1996–97 in the Library. I intend to implement these proposals subject to consideration of any representations I receive about them.

  The police service has indicated its support in principle for the continued distribution of police grant in accordance with a needs-based formula, and I am therefore proposing to continue to allocate the greater part of police grant according to the police funding formula.

  I am, however, proposing a number of detailed changes to the formula in response to the representations which have been made to me about the working of the formula. The principal changes which I am proposing are:
  an increase in the share of available funding allocated by the formula's pensions indicator from 9 per cent. to 12.3 per cent.;
  a reduction in the share of available funding allocated by the formula's establishment indicator from 50 to 40 per cent.; and,
  the introduction into the formula of a sparsity indicator to allocate 0.5 per cent. of available funding.
  890
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has announced funding for 5,000 extra police officers over the public expenditure survey period and an additional £20 million of police grant has been made available in 1996–97. I am proposing to allocate the £20 million according to the daytime and resident populations of each police force area.

  I am also aware of, and share, public concern that policing levels generally should be maintained. I therefore propose to apply an additional rule to police grant allocations which would ensure that each police authority other than the Metropolitan police can receive 3 per cent. more funding in 1996–97 than it could have received in 1995–96. For the Metropolitan police, the cap on its reserves will be lifted allowing it to carry forward the substantial extra reserves it has accumulated during 1995–96.

  The 3 per cent. additional rule, and the extra freedom to carry forward reserves for the Metropolitan police, are both in addition to the £20 million which has been made available in relation to the Prime Minister's announcement concerning additional officers.

  Other police funding proposals within the local government finance system are being announced today by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales.

  The table shows by police force area the total effect of all these proposals for 1996–97. It also shows the allocations approved by Parliament for 1995–96.

  £ Million

  Police Force area

  1995–96 funding1

  1996–97 funding1

  English Shire Forces

  Avon and Somerset

  147.8

  154.5

  Bedfordshire

  55.4

  57.3

  Cambridgeshire

  62.7

  66.4

  Cheshire

  93.1

  98.4

  Cleveland

  707

  73.3

  Cumbria

  54.3

  57.1

  Derbyshire

  88.3

  92.4

  Devon and Cornwall

  146.5

  153.1

  Dorset

  62.6

  64.7

  Durham

  68.0

  71.4

  Essex

  146.7

  151.8

  Gloucestershire

  56.4

  58.5

  Hampshire

  169.1

  175.1

  Hertfordshire

  87.0

  89.9

  Humberside

  98.1

  103.1

  Kent

  158.1

  163.8

  Lancashire

  155.5

  163.2

  Leicestershire

  89.9

  94.8

  Lincolnshire

  57.1

  59.0

  Norfolk

  71.2

  75.9

  Northamptonshire

  55.8

  58.3

  North Yorkshire

  66.7

  69.7

  Nottinghamshire

  110.2

  115.2

  Staffordshire

  101.2

  108.8

  Suffolk

  58.5

  61.7

  Surrey

  85.1

  88.0

  Sussex

  145.8

  150.9

  Thames Valley

  192.8

  202.2

  Warwickshire

  47.7

  49.3

  West Mercia

  97.8

  103.4

  Wiltshire

  58.7

  60.7

  English Metropolitan Forces

  Greater Manchester

  327.1

  342.2

  891

  £ Million

  Police Force area

  1995–96 funding1

  1996–97 funding1

  Merseyside

  215.0

  221.8

  Northumbria

  179.6

  188.2

  South Yorkshire

  147.2

  154.6

  West Midlands

  329.3

  343.7

  West Yorkshire

  249.8

  260.6

  London Forces

  Metropolitan Police2

  1,628.7

  1,648.4

  City of London3

  57.3

  59.1

  English Total

  6,092.6

  6,310.5

  Welsh Forces

  Dyfed-Powys

  46.3

  48.5

  Gwent4

  60.1

  62.7

  North Wales

  66.0

  69.3

  South Wales4

  143.4

  150.9

  Welsh total

  315.8

  331.4

  Total

  6,408.4

  6,641.9

  1 Rounded to the nearest £10,000.2 Figure for the Metropolitan police does not include funding allocated to receiver under the other services block SSA for school crossing patrols, magistrates courts and the probation service.

  1 Figure for the City does not include capital and other services block SSAs which are allocated to the Common Council of the City of London as a whole in respect of all its functions.4 Figures for South Wales and Gwent police authorities have been adjusted to show what they would have received in 1995–96 had the transfer of the Rhymney valley from south Wales to Gwent, due to take effect on 1 April 1996, been effective for 1995–96. These adjustments enable valid comparisons to be made between these forces' allocations for 1995–96 and 1996–97.

  British Dependent Territory Passport Holders
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make the requirements for entry by British dependent territory passport holders from Montserrat to the United Kingdom, the same as for such people from Gibraltar and the Falklands. [3167]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  No.

  Executive Agencies (Overseas Travel)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each of his executive agencies for the last financial year in respect of overseas travel by staff of the agency(a) the cost, (b) the countries visited and (c) the posts held by the staff involved. [2363]

  Mr. Howard
  The available information is as follows:In the cases of the Prison Service and the Forensic Science Service, some of the overseas visits listed were funded by bodies other than these agencies, and for these visits, costs are not available:

  Prison Service

  cost: £62,106

  Countries visited: Albania, Belarus, Croatia, Denmark, Poland, Holland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, USA, Israel, Sweden, Russia, Romania, Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, Cambodia.
  Posts: Senior staff from Prison Service Headquarters, Area Managers, Governors and Prison Officers.
  892

  United Kingdom Passport Agency

  cost: £6,295

  Countries visited: Canada, Zimbabwe, Australia.

  Posts: Chief Executive, Director of Systems and Director of Operations.

  Fire Service College

  cost: £98,432

  Countries visited: Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Norway, West Indies, Abu Dhabi, France, Oman, Spain, USA, Hong Kong, China, Hungary, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Brunei, Malaysia, Austria, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Philippines, Taiwan, Macau.
  Posts: Chief Executive, Commandant, Dean, Sales and Marketing Director, International Sales and Marketing Manager, International Marketing Sales Executive, Teaching staff (Civil Service), Teaching staff (Fir Brigade seconded).

  Forensic Science Service

  Costs: £25,397

  Countries visited: Sweden, USA, Germany, France, Portugal, Italy, Taiwan, India, Eire, Spain, Holland, South Africa, Singapore.
  Posts: Chief Executive, Director of Operations, Director of Service Development, Drug Intelligence Unit, Research Scientists, caseworkers and team leaders.

  Doncaster Prison
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the population in Doncaster prison will reach its design maximum within the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [2398]

  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 Alan Walker to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 November 1995.
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about whether the population in Doncaster prison will reach its design maximum within the next twelve months.
  Doncaster prison has a certified normal accommodation level of 771 prisoners. This was reached within three months of it opening on 20 June 1995.

  Prison Populations
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were in prison for the latest date for which figures are available. [1359]

  Miss Widdecombe
  On Monday 20 November, a total of 52,297 prisoners were in custody in England and Wales.

  Mr Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in(a) category A and (b) each sub-category of category A are currently held in prisons in England and Wales. [2472]

  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.
  893
  Letter from Alan Walker to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 November 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of prisoners in category A and each sub-category of category A held in prisons in England and Wales.
  On 24 November 1995 there were 823 category A prisoners held in prisons in England and Wales with the following escape risk classifications:

  Classification

  Number of prisoners

  Exceptional risk

  16

  High risk

  157

  Standard risk

  650

  Sex Offences (Tourism)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what intention Her Majesty's Government have of introducing extra-territorial legislation for sex crimes against children abroad, along the lines of that introduced by other western countries. [2002]

  Mr. Maclean
  We have made clear on previous occasions—12 July,Official Report, column 600—that we do not believe that legislation which extended the jurisdiction of our courts to enable them to deal with sexual offences committed against children abroad would be an effective way to tackle the problem of sex tourism.
  894
  Accordingly, we have no plans to introduce such legislation although we continue to keep the matter under review.

  Prisoners (Home Leave Offences)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are known to have committed further offences when on home leave. [185]

  Miss Widdecome
  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 Alan Walker to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 30 November, 1995:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of prisoners known to have committed further offences when on home leave.
  Home leave as such and other temporary release schemes were replaced by a new system of release on temporary licence on 25 April this year.
  Information about the number of prisoners who commit further offences while temporarily released is not recorded centrally, because of the practical difficulty in obtaining consistent and reliable information from police forces, both in this country and abroad, in time to be recorded on a prisoner's record. Due to the length of time that some cases can take to resolve within the judicial process, it is possible that some prisoners will have been discharged from prison by the time that information on further convictions becomes available.

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