Written Answers of 1 April 1996

PRIME MINISTER

  Government Policy (South-West)
  Mr. Coe
  To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of arrangements for co-ordinating Government policy towards the south-west. [24461]

  The Prime Minister
  The Government office for the south-west already plays a valuable role in ensuring close dialogue between Government and the people, businesses and local representative bodies of the south-west. But this is the largest English region, and it has distinct identities and needs. In recognition of this, I have asked the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Urban Regeneration to act as a central co-ordinator of Government policy towards the south-west. Working with colleagues in the relevant Government Departments, my hon. Friend will take a close interest in the broad issues affecting the whole of the south-west, but will focus particularly on the concerns and interests of the peninsular counties of Devon and Cornwall.

  Ministerial Reponsibility
  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about ministerial responsibility for volunteering, the voluntary sector and charity matters. [24475]

  The Prime Minister
  In consultation with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage, I have decided that ministerial responsibility for:Government co-ordination of policy on the voluntary sector including volunteering,
  charity matters, including sponsorship of the charity commission grants to voluntary sector infra-structure bodies,
  sponsorship of the National Lottery Charities Board, the Community Development Foundation and the Volunteering Partnership,
  should be transferred as soon as the necessary financial and other arrangements can be made from my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage. I have concluded that these matters will fit more appropriately within the framework of the responsibilities of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage, who already has responsibility for other lottery distributors.

  No. 10 Downing Street (Receptions)
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Prime Minister who hosted the reception held at No. 10 Downing street on(a) 7 November 1994 and (b) Monday 6 November 1995. [23724]

  The Prime Minister
  My wife hosted a reception on 7 November 1994. There was no reception on 6 November 1995.

  EU Legislation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Prime Minister how many pieces of existing Community legislation have been repealed or amended in each of the past three years. [23698]

  The Prime Minister
  This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Much new Council and Commission legislation supersedes, repeals or amends existing legislation.

  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Prime Minister which Ministers have hosted non-official party receptions of functions in No. 10 Downing street since July 1993. [23605]

  The Prime Minister
  The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has hosted three receptions since July 1993.

  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list all the functions for industrialists held at No. 10 Downing street which were attended by the chairman of the Conservation party since November 1990. [23777]

  The Prime Minister
  As far as I am aware, none.

  Iraq
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he will bring forward to the international community to address health problems among the population of Iraq. [23757]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 29 March 1996]: United Nations Security Council resolution 986 is designed to bring much-needed relief to the people of Iraq by permitting the sale of oil to purchase more humanitarian supplies. Iraq has so far refused to implement the resolution. We, and a number of other countries, already give substantial support to humanitarian projects in Iraq, many of which specifically address health needs. Food and medical supplies are not subject to United Nations sanction.

  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Minister if he will make it his policy to compensate fully any person who has contracted CJD from beef since 1989. [23602]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 29 March 1996]: Any claim for compensation would be considered within the framework of the Government's legal obligations.

TREASURY

  Capital Projects (Voluntary Contributions)
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to make voluntary contributions to capital projects tax deductible. [21879]

  Mr. Jack
  Voluntary contributions to capital projects will commonly be tax deductible under the present system. For instance, a person who, for the purposes of his or his tenant's trade, contributes towards another's capital expenditure can generally claim capital allowances on that contribution. And businesses can have a deduction in calculating business profits for tax purposes for
  3
  contributions to a capital project if the expenditure is revenue in nature and incurred wholly and exclusively for business purposes.

  Contracts
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidelines are currently in force in his Department and its executive agencies relating to competitive tendering and the use of single negotiated tenders; on what grounds single negotiated tenders can be used; and what procedures are in place within his Department to ensure that the use of single negotiated tenders in competitive tendering processes is justified in all cases. [22860]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  It is Treasury policy that all contracts to be placed by the Department with a potential value of over £10,000 should be the subject of a competitive under tender. The Government's public purchasing policy consolidated guidelines require goods and services to be acquired by competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary, such as(a) the requirement cannot be sufficiently defined so that normal tendering procedures cannot be adopted; (b) there are insufficient firms in the market capable or willing to bid; (c) intellectual property rights restrict the options available; or (d) extreme urgency, where for example public safety is at risk. All competitive tenders are processed by the Department's purchasing unit. Cases for single tendering are put to the unit where they are evaluated on an individual basis, following the guidelines.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded by his Department and executive agencies on the basis of single negotiated contracts in each of the last three years; if he will list the companies involved and the value of the contract in each case; what percentage this represented of contracts awarded by his Department and its agencies after competitive tendering; and, in each case, why the contracts were awarded on the basis of a single negotiated tender. [22872]

  Mrs. Knight
  It is Treasury policy that all purchases made by the Department should be subject to competition. Each exception is treated on its merits. Individual contracts would each need to be checked to determine the overall number in this category, the value of each such contract and the reason why it was awarded on a single course basis. This information could be made available only at disproportionate cost.

  Manufacturing Exports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures for United Kingdom exports of manufactures in the form of the first three lines of the table in page 31 of the March OECD main economic indicators. [22959]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The best available estimates of values of UK exports of manufactures in US dollars at 1991 prices can be made from information available from the CSO database which may be accessed by the House of Commons Library.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost of answering parliamentary questions in each parliamentary Session since 1989–90. [22902]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The estimated cost of answering questions to Treasury Ministers is given in the list:

  1989–90: £219,000

  1990–91: £164.000

  1991–92: £104,000

  1992–93: £342,000

  1993–94: £208,000

  1994–95: £256,000.

  These figures are based on service-wide average costs and assume that half the questions tabled for oral answer were in fact answered in writing.

  EDS Software
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what out-sourcing contracts his agencies have with the EDS software computer system; what is the current cost; when the contract ends; what are the penalties involved should he seek early termination of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [23740]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  None of these agencies holds out-sourcing contracts with the EDS software computer system.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the terms of contract the Inland Revenue has with the EDS computer system; and if he will make a statement. [23718]

  Mr. Jack
  I am unable, on the ground of commercial confidentiality, to give any details of specific provisions contained with the contract between Inland Revenue and EDS.

  Season Tickets (Taxation)
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the amount of revenue which the Treasury accrued in the financial year 1994–95 from the taxation of staff perquisites in relation to bus and rail season tickets. [23711]

  Mr. Jack
  Employees are generally liable to income tax on vouchers provided for free or cheap travel. Where the employee takes a cheap or interest-free loan from the employer to purchase a season ticket, no tax is chargeable if the total balance outstanding does not exceed £5,000 at any time in the year of assessment in question.

  Estimates of the revenue raised from the taxation of these vouchers and loans are not available.

  Earnings Statistics
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the change in real take-home pay for (i) a one-earner couple with two children and (ii) a single person on(a) 75 per cent., (b) 100 per cent. and (c) 150 per cent. of average male earnings, in pounds per week at 1995–96 prices, to the nearest 5p in the years 1990–91 to 1991–92 and 1992–93 to 1993–94. [22388]
  5
  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 25 March 1996]: The information requested is contained in the table.

  Change in real take-home pay (£s per week to the nearest Sp 1995–96 prices)

  Percentage of male average earnings

  75 per cent.

  100 per cent.

  150 per cent.

  1990–91 to 1991–921

  One-earner couple with 2 children2

  5.95

  7.40

  9.10

  Single

  5.40

  6.80

  9.10

  1992–93 to 1993–942

  One-earner couple with 2 children2

  3.35

  4.30

  6.20

  Single

  3.10

  4.05

  3.30

  1Two child benefit regimes were in operation during 1991–92—one covering April 1991 to September 1991 and one from October 1991 to March 1992. The year average of the two regimes is used in this calculation.

  2Child benefit is treated as a negative income tax.

  Tax Reliefs
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the annual expected cost to the Exchequer of the tax reliefs on(a) personal equity plans, (b) tax-exempt special savings accounts and (c) national savings products, in (i) 1995–96 and (ii) 1996–97. [22776]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 26 March 1996]: The latest estimates are in the table.

  Estimated total cost of tax relief

  1995–961 2 £million

  1996–971 2 3 £ million

  PEPs4

  450

  650

  TESSAs

  450

  350

  National Savings Products5

  350

  350

  1Provisional

  2These figures are tentative and subject to a wide margin of error. They have been rounded to the nearest £25 million.

  3The cost will fall in 1996–97 due to the reduction in the basic rate of income tax on savings from 25 per cent. to 20 per cent. and follow-up accounts starting with only the capital (but none of the interest or bonuses) from the first TESSA.

  4Including the CGT cost of capital gains within Personal Equity plans.

  5Cost of exemption of interest on National Savings Certificates including index-linked Certificates, and first £70 of National Savings bank ordinary account interest.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the revenue which would be raised by introducing a new upper rate of income tax of(a) 45 per cent. and (b) 50 per cent. for marginal incomes above (1) £75,000 per annum, (2) £80,000 per annum, (3) £100,000 per annum and (4) £1,000,000 per annum; and if he will estimate, in each case, the number of individuals whose post-tax incomes would be affected. [22687]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 26 March 1996]: Estimated full-year yields at 1996–97 income levels are given in the table. The estimates do not take account of any behavioural effects which might result from the
  6
  introduction of such changes. It is not possible to provide a reliable estimate of the effect of introducing the higher tax rates for taxable incomes over £1,000,000.

  Lower limit of taxable income

  Full year revenue yield at 1996–97 income levels Upper rate1

  Number of taxpayers affected

  £

  45 per cent. £ billion

  50 per cent. £ billion

  Thousands

  75,000

  0.8

  1.5

  190

  80,000

  0.7

  1.4

  170

  100,000

  0.6

  1.1

  110

  1The figures include consequential effects on the yield of capital gains tax.

  Tax-free Lump Sums on Retirement
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the revenue consequence of restricting the tax-free lump sum on retirement to £75,000. [22689]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 26 March 1996]: I regret that the information required to provide such an estimate is not available because detailed figures on tax free payments are not required for tax administration. The current level of the earnings cap is £78,600 and from 6 April 1996 it will rise to £82,200, giving a maximum lump sum of £123,300.

  Orders
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23316]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 29 March 1996]: None.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Defence Exports
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to establish a launch aid scheme for defence export products. [23685]

  Mr. Eggar
  None. The promotion of defence export product is primarily a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence. The statutory basis for launch aid is the Civil Aviation Act 1982.

  Aerospace Technology
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what additional support has been given to the Society of British Aerospace Companies' competitiveness challenge since the 1995 report from the technology foresight panel. [23691]

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department has fully supported and the Society of British Aerospace Companies' competitiveness challenge to increase the aerospace industries' competitiveness.

  In addition to the £86,000 given to the competitiveness challenge, prior to the publication of the technology foresight panel's report in 1995, DTI has provided further

  7
  direct financial assistance to the programme of £165,000 as well as a full-time DTI member of staff, seconded to the SBAC.

  DTI has also provided £50,000 to the competitiveness challenge-related supply chain relationships in aerospace initiative.

  Ms Squire
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what additional support has been given to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's innovative manufacturing initiative since the 1995 report from the technology foresight panel. [23690]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The EPSRC's allocation for 1996–97 is £375.95 million. None of this has been specifically allocated by Government to the innovative manufacturing initiative and it is for EPSRC to decide how much to spend on it.

  UK Space Agency
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to create a UK space agency with a dedicated space budget. [23687]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The UK's expenditure on civil space programmes, totalling some £180 million a year, is co-ordinated by the British national space centre, which comprises eight Government Departments, agencies and research councils.

  British Coal
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether permission was(a) sought from the guarantor and (b) given by the guarantor for British Coal's action in appropriating the assets of the industrial death and retirement fund. [23515]

  Mr. Page
  This is a matter for the British Coal Corporation. I understand, however, that the industrial death and retirement scheme—it was not a fund—had no guarantor. British Coal retains the liability to meet all entitlements under the scheme, and informed my Department of its plans before the scheme closed in January 1995.

  Life Assurance (Orphan Assets)
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received regarding his Department's policy on the disposal of orphan assets held by the life assurance industry: and if he will make a statement. [23995]

  Mr. Nelson
  My Department's general approach to this question was set out by my hon. Friend the then Minister for Corporate Affairs on 24 February 1995,Official Report, columns 362–63, in the context of an announcement by the United Friendly Insurance Co. about attribution of its estate. Since then, a number of life offices have announced that they are entering discussions with my Department over the attribution of their long-term funds. In addition, the Department has received representations from some 20 interested parties.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the value of orphan assets currently held by the life assurance industry. [23996]
  8
  Mr. Nelson
  A precise figure is not available. Any estimate is subject to a wide margin of error because of the differences in the circumstances of individual companies. In aggregate, the unattributed assets of long-term funds of proprietary life offices are likely to be of the order of £20 billion to £25 billion. I expect much of this to remain undistributed within the funds for the foreseeable future.

  British Business (Cuba and United States)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action the British Government intend to take to ensure that British businesses are not adversely affected by the United States Cuba Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act. [23077]

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 27 March 1996]: The key provisions of this legislation are titles III and IV. Title III introduces a private right of action in the US courts for US nationals against non-US persons allegedly trafficking in property expropriated from US nationals in Cuba. Title IV excludes from the US any alien, including company officials and controlling shareholders, allegedly trafficking in confiscated property, a claim to which is owned by a US national.

  The impact of the legislation on British business will depend on the way in which it is implemented by the US Administration and the US courts. The UK, the EU and other Governments have made a number of representations to the US authorities on the matter and the Government are considering what further action might be appropriate.

  Loan Guarantee Scheme
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of the loan guaranteed by his Department to Porthocurno Management Co. Ltd. under the loan guarantee scheme in 1994 and the value of the guarantee that was assessed when the company was dissolved. [22569]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 25 March 1996]: This information is commercially confidential between the Department and the lender.

  I can confirm the Department has paid a demand under the guarantee to the sum of £70,601.16.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  EDS Software
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what out-sourcing contracts his agencies have with the EDS software computer system; what is the current cost; when the contract ends; what are the penalties involved should he seek early termination of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [23726]

  Mr. Hanley
  The executive agencies of this Department have no contracts for software computer systems with EDS.

  New York Assembly Bill
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made by United Kingdom diplomats in the United States of America on the New York Assembly Bill, Ref. A6510/S4880, amending the education law in relation to instruction on genocide and mass starvation in Ireland from 1845 to 1850; and if he will make a statement. [23222]

  Mr. Rifkind
  None. The consulate-general in New York, who is monitoring the legislation closely, believes that this Bill is unlikely to pass into law.

  BBC World Service
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the estimated audience for BBC World Service English language broadcasts in each of the 10 countries with most listeners; and from which 10 countries the most audience letters are annually received with the numbers involved. [23224]

  Mr. Hanley
  The estimated audiences for BBC World Service English language broadcasts are as follows:

  Top 10 countries (excluding UK)

  Country

  Audience (millions)

  Nigeria

  7.5

  India

  5.5

  USA

  3.5

  Australia

  1.9

  Ghana

  1.1

  Ethiopia

  0.9

  Kenya

  0.9

  Bangladesh

  0.8

  Germany

  0.7

  Uganda

  0.7

  Total

  23.5

  The UK domestic audience is estimated at 1.3 million.

  The highest numbers of letters in 1995 were received from the following countries:

  Country

  Letters

  India

  172,000

  Burma

  78,700

  Nigeria

  32,400

  Indonesia

  29,000

  China

  25,800

  Pakistan

  19,000

  Sri Lanka

  10,800

  Algeria

  10,400

  Egypt

  9,800

  Somalia1

  3,500

  1A further 4,000+ letters originated in Somalia but were posted via other countries, assisted by the Red Cross.

  The World Service received 13,400 letters from the UK in 1995.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what would be the annual cost and the estimated savings involved in rebroadcasting BBC Home Service programmes on to the 10
  current schedule of the World Service or the proposed World Service news and current affairs channel; and if he will make a statement. [23225]

  Mr. Hanley
  Programme content is a matter for the BBC World Service. English language programmes are prepared for a global audience. Most listeners have English as a second language. Many have no first-hand knowledge of the UK. BBC Home Service programmes are meant for a UK audience, but the World Service uses them when appropriate.

  The BBC has made no estimate of the cost of rebroadcasting domestic material since most of it is unsuitable for its global audience.

  WEU (Irish Republic)
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what commitments the Irish Republic was required to make in relation to territorial claims on fellow members of the Western European Union when it applied for observer status of that organisation; and if he will make a statement of the compatibility of such claims with the WEU's European defence policy. [23226]

  Mr. Rifkind
  The Rome declaration of 20 November 1992 on WEU observers, which recorded the invitation to the Republic of Ireland to become an observer, does not incorporate any such commitments. We do not regard the Irish constitutional position as incompatible with observer status in WEU.

  Refugees (Croatia)
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to ensure the safe return of the refugee followers of Fikret Abdic from Kolaric in Croatia to their homes in Velika Kladusa; and what instructions have been given to United Kingdom forces in Bihac in respect of this matter. [23223]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  All but 5,900 followers of Fikret Abdic have returned to Bosnia. The rest remain in the Kuplensko refugee camp in Croatia. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Croatian authorities have decided to close the camp. Those who do not wish to return to Bosnia will be moved further away from the border until permanent arrangements for their future are worked out.

  There are no British units based in Bihac.

  Appeals Mechanisms
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many appeals mechanisms, as laid out in section 6 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, he expects to establish by the end of 1996; how many staff each appeals system will employ; and what their estimated annual running costs will be. [23613]

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  St. Helena
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which commercial bank applied for a banking licence on St. Helena prior to 1996; for what reasons it was not granted; and if he will make a statement. [23625]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  The Bank of Nova Scotia applied for a banking licence in 1994, but subsequently withdrew its application.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the average gross annual income on the island of St. Helena of each quartile of those employed in(a) the private sector and (b) the public sector. [23626]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  Information in the form requested cannot be extracted from the statistical data.

ENVIRONMENT

  Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for England and for each English local authority for the latest year for which figures are available(a) the number of contracts put out to competitive tender, (b) the number and percentage of those bids which were won by in-house teams, (c) the number and percentage of those bids won by other local authority-managed teams and (d) the number and percentage of those bids won by private companies; and what was the political control of each authority in the relevant year. [23380]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  This information is not held centrally. The Local Government Management Board publishes survey reports of its CCT information service which give information about eight areas of activity covered by the Local Government Act 1988. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

  Policy Planning Guidance
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the date he originally announced for the publication of the revised guidance PPG6; and when he now expects the guidance to be published. [23669]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  No date has been announced for the publication of the revised PPG6, but I expect to be in a position to publish in May.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received asking for publication of the revised PPG6. [23670]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  We have received no representations, but we have had a number of inquiries about the publication date.

  Butchers (Rate Reduction)
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if a reduction in uniform business rate will be made for butchers with stocks of unsold beef. [23768]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  I have no plans to make such a reduction.

  Water Industry
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will issue his consultation paper on proposals for promoting greater competition in the water industry.[24287]

  Mr. Gummer
  I have today issued a consultation paper on extending competition and customer choice in water and sewerage services.

  Competition is the best guarantee for consumers that they receive value for money, better services and lower prices. The Government are looking to increase progressively competition in the water industry within a strong regulatory framework designed to ensure effective protection and enhancement of water quality and the environment. The proposals in this consultation document, "Water—Increasing Customer Choice", mark an important step in this process.

  In summary, the proposals which have been developed in consultation with the Director General of Water Services, would:
  Introduce scope for water suppliers to compete for customers through the shared use of water mains. This "common carriage" arrangement would involve the use of an existing supplier's pipework by other suppliers in order to provide individual customers with a choice of supplier. "Common carriage" opportunities would allow any existing water undertaker or new supplier to compete for "large users" with a view to extending competition to other customers in the future.
  Introduced safeguards to ensure that standards of water quality and reliability of supply are maintained and to enable the Director of Water Services to protect customers of the existing water undertakers.
  Introduce similar "common carriage" provisions in the sewerage industry.
  Extend the existing scope for "inset appointments" which allow a new water or waste water undertaker to be appointed to supply an area within an existing undertaker's area of appointment. Proposed changes would allow such appointment to be for limited periods only and increase the number of opportunities for their use.
  Remove the existing restrictions on cross-border supply to enable a water undertaker to supply water for non-domestic purposes to customers in the area of another licensed undertaker.
  Remove the water undertaker's monopoly on making connections to the water main.

  The Director General of Water Services intends to issue a further consultation paper on the regulation of common carriage agreements.

  Competition provides opportunities for customers to choose the combination of price and service which best meets their particular needs. Where such choice does not already exist, competition offers operators the opportunity to provide it where they believe it would be profitable to do so.

  Copies of this consultation paper, on which comments are requested by 1 July 1996, have been placed in the Library.

  Abattoir Waste
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what regulations exist to control disposal of waste from abattoirs(a) in water catchment areas, (b) in areas used for grazing and (c) adjacent to public rights of way; [23214]
  13
  (2) if the spreading of blood and gut contents on land will be brought within waste management regulations. [23237]

  Mr. Clappison
  The disposal of substances discarded as waste by abattoirs is controlled under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. These controls also apply to such wastes which are recycled by spreading on land for the benefit of agriculture. The objective of these controls is to ensure that waste is disposed of, or recycled, without endangering human health or harming the environment. The Environment Agency is responsible from 1 April 1996 for the administration and enforcement of the waste management licensing system.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies have been carried out into potential human health risks associated with the distribution of abattoir waste(a) in water catchment areas, (b) in areas used for grazing and (c) adjacent to public rights of way. [23215]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Department, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the national Rivers Authority, is funding research to provide guidance on the landspreading of industrial wastes, including abattoir waste. A prime objective of the research is to provide technical, scientific and practical guidance on the spreading of industrial wastes on land in a manner that protects human health and the environment as required by article 4 of the waste framework directive 91/156/EEC.

  The results of the research will be published by the Environment Agency.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what level of advice he receives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food relating to the disposal of abattoir waste(a) in water catchment areas, (b) in areas used for grazing and (c) adjacent to public rights of way. [23216]

  Mr. Clappison
  The code of good agricultural practice for the protection of water, jointly prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Welsh Office Agriculture Department, provides guidance on the application of wastes from animal processing to all types of agricultural land.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what monitoring takes places of the effectiveness of the code of good practice for the protection of water following the disposal of abattoir waste in water catchment areas. [23220]

  Mr. Clappison
  The spreading of waste on land for the benefit of agriculture or ecological improvement is a recovery operation for the purposes of the amended EC framework directive on waste; and is controlled under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. The objective of these controls is to ensure that waste is recovered without endangering human health or harming the environment.

  It is an offence under section 33 of the 1990 Act to carry out this operation without a waste management licence or contrary to the conditions of a licence or a licence exemption. The administration and enforcement of
  14
  the licensing system are the responsibility of waste regulation authorities whose functions are transferred to the Environment Agency with effect from 1 April 1996.

  The National Rivers Authority also has statutory duties and powers to protect the aquatic environment from pollution and the authority is required to monitor water quality and investigate pollution incidents. The authority's functions are also transferred to the Environment Agency with effect from 1 April 1996.

  Any pollution incidents that result from abattoir waste being spread in contravention of these controls will be taken into account when the "Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water" is reviewed.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the oral answer of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the hon. Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) on 26 February,Official Report, column 576, if he will list those statutory instruments and Acts of Parliament which have been gold plated in the past five years; and what steps he is taking to amend or repeal each piece of gold plating on existing legislation.[23637]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Government's policy is not to add unnecessary burdens when implementing EC directives. Departments take every opportunity to review existing legislation in the light of this. Officials are currently working on revised guidance to enable Ministers to see where implementing legislation goes beyond the underlying EC directive.

  Appeals Mechanisms
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals mechanisms, as laid out in section 6 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, he expects to establish by the end of 1996; how many staff each appeals system will employ; and what their estimated annual running costs will be. [23615]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  Shopping Centres
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what powers are available to local authorities to enable them to maintain the competitiveness of town and city shopping centres against out-of-town shopping centres; and if he will make a statement. [24020]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Local authorities can help by ensuring that the services for which they are responsible are delivered as effectively and efficiently as possible. This includes providing a clear planning framework and local plan that properly reflects the principles set out in PPG6—retailing and town centres—and PPG13—transport.

  Environment Agency
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he has taken in respect of potential conflicts of interests for members of the board
  15
  of the Environment Agency who are professionally engaged in industries that must be licensed by the agency with particular reference to the chairman of Ready Mixed Concrete. [23775]

  Mr. Clappison
  The statutory requirements in respect of agency board members' interests are set out in schedule 1 to the Environment Act 1995. Agency board members were required by their terms of appointment to abide by the Department's general guidance on the declaration and registration of interests—both financial and non-financial—until the agency had drawn up and issued its own guidance. The agency is required to draw up a code of practice for its board members, based on the Government's general code of best practice for board members of public bodies, for approval by the Department. This will incorporate guidance on the declaration and registration of interests.

  Hazardous Waste
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further action is needed to implement Council directive 91/689/EEC as amended by 94/31/EC, the hazardous waste directive. [24369]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Special Waste Regulations 1996 were laid before Parliament today and will come into force on 1 September 1996 and implement Council directive No. 91/689/EEC on hazardous waste as amended by Council directive 94/31/EC. These regulations replace the Control of Pollution (Special Waste) Regulations 1980.

  The main provisions of the 1996 regulations are to:
  introduce new criteria for determining whether or not waste is special;
  require pre-notification of movements to the Environment Agency by consignment note;
  provide better descriptions of wastes and their associated hazards by means of a revised design for the consignment note;
  simplify arrangements for repetitive movements and collection rounds;
  ban mixing by carriers and consignees of categories of special wastes, and of special with non-special wastes, unless for safe disposal;
  require periodic inspections by regulators of special waste producers; and
  introduce fees for many consignments of special wastes.

  The new regulations contain a number of deregulatory initiatives, designed to make the system easier to operate, while ensuring that special waste is soundly managed, and safely reaches appropriate facilities. Provisions include specific criteria for determining whether or not waste is special, to keep to a minimum the number of wastes which will be subject to these regulations, consistent with the overall aim of securing adequate levels of environmental protection.

  These regulations also introduce fees, in line with the "polluter pays" principle, and to recover the costs incurred by the environment agencies for ensuring compliance with the regulations. A fee of £15 will be payable for most consignments. Consignments of automotive lead-acid batteries will attract a fee of £10 because they will be subject to lower levels of regulation.
  16
  Public consultation was carried out in March 1995 on the proposed regulations and accompanying guidance. The regulations have been modified to reflect the concerns and interests of industry, regulators and the public in response to those consultations. The Government are satisfied that these regulations will continue to ensure the environmentally sound management of special waste movements within Great Britain.

  Waste Disposal Inquiry (Kent)
  Dame Peggy Fenner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the report from the inspector involved in the public inquiry on Kent county council's waste disposal plan to be available. [23430]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  [holding answer 29 March 1996]: The inspector's report on objections to the Kent waste local plan is expected to be issued to Kent county council in April 1996. It will be for the council to decide when to publish the report. I have asked the Planning Inspectorate's chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from D. E. John to Dame Peggy Fenner, dated 28 March 1996:
  The Secretary of State for the Environment has asked me to reply to your question about the Inspector's report on objections to the Kent Waste Local Plan.
  The report is expected to be issued to Kent County Council in April 1996. It will be for the Council to decide when to publish it.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Early-day Motions
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what is the total annual cost to public funds of early-day motions. [23643]

  Mr. Newton
  Her Majesty's Stationery Office estimates that the total cost to public funds of producing EDMs in the Official Report, for the Session 1994–95, was £1,868,000.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what is the average number of signatures added to early-day motions per week. [23642]

  Mr. Newton
  The parliamentary on-line information service database records that, from 15 November 1995 until 26 March 1996, 28,842 signatures were added to EDMs over 77 sitting days, averaging 374.57 per day.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  HMSO
  Mr. Derek Foster
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what outstanding loans HMSO has; and from what source these loans come; [23251]

  (2) what plans there are to extend or replace the HMSO service level agreement that is held with the Ministry of Defence; [23255]

  (3) what service level agreements HMSO holds with other Government Departments; and which of these are due to expire during 1996; [23253]
  17
  (4) on what date the HMSO 1996 accounts are expected to be published. [23256]

  (5) what is the value of goods and services supplied by HMSO under the Ministry of Defence service level agreement. [23254]

  Mr. Freeman
  As these are purely operational matters, I have asked the chief executive of HMSO to reply directly to the right hon. Member.

  Letter from Mike Lynn to Mr. Derek Foster, dated 28 March 1996:
  I have been asked by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to reply to your Parliamentary Questions Nos 140, 141, 142, 145 and 146. The information is as follows:
  140. As at 26 March 1996, HMSO had one outstanding loan of £12m, advanced from the National Loans Fund.
  141. New service agreements were signed with the MOD on 13 March 1996, for both office supplies and print. These agreements will run for two years.
  145. HMSO normally publishes its Trading Fund Accounts at the end of April. Subject to audit, we expect to do the same this year.
  146. In 1995, £25m of office stationery products and £11m of print were supplied to the MOD.
  142. HMSO currently holds the following major service level agreements with other Government departments:

  Customer

  HMSO Business

  Expiry date

  Passport Agency

  Security Print

  1999

  Benefits Agency

  Security Print

  1998

  OPCS

  Security Print

  1997

  Vehicle Inspectorate

  Security Print

  1999

  National Savings

  Security Print

  2000

  DSS

  Print and Logistics

  1997

  IR

  Print and Logistics

  1997

  UKPA

  Print and Logistics

  1996

  F&CO

  Print and Logistics

  1996

  DNS

  London Print

  1998

  MOD

  Norwich Print

  1998

  MOD

  Office Supplies

  1998

  DSS

  Office Supplies

  1996

  IR

  Office Supplies

  1998

  Home Office

  Office Supplies

  1997

  C&E

  Office Supplies

  1997

  LCD

  Office Supplies

  1996

  Emp. & Ed

  Office Supplies

  1997

  Environment

  Office Supplies

  1997

  Scottish Office

  Scotland

  1997

  GPS/NI

  Northern Ireland

  1997

  DENI

  Northern Ireland

  1996

  IR

  Business Systems

  1997

  DSS

  Business Systems

  1996

  DVLA

  Business Systems

  1997

  Mr. Foster
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the House will be given full details of the information memorandum related to the proposed sale of HMSO. [23257]

  Mr. Freeman
  The information memorandum is a commercially sensitive document to which access is carefully controlled in order to protect HMSO's business and the interests of the Government in the sale process. I do not intend therefore to make the information memorandum generally available. However, in accordance with the undertaking which I gave to the 18
  Finance and Services Select Committee when I appeared before it on 21 November 1995, I shall provide the information memorandum to the Committee Clerk.

  Mr. Foster
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what leasehold and freehold properties are to be included with the proposed sale of HMSO. [23252]

  Mr. Freeman
  The intention is that all freehold and leasehold properties occupied by HMSO at the time of the sale, with the exception of suite B, St. Clement's house, should be included with the proposed sale.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 26 February,Official Report, column 328, what was the cost of printing and distribution for the two booklets "Getting a Good Deal in Europe" and "Checking the Cost of Regulation"; and when he intends to distribute the remaining copies of these publications.[23640]

  Mr. Freeman
  The cost of printing the two booklets was:

  £

  "Getting a good deal in Europe … Deregulatory Principles in Practice"

  8,062

  "Checking the Cost of Regulation: A Guide to Compliance Cost Assessment"

  8,666

  The costs of distribution are not separately identified.

  Current stocks are intended to last the lifetime of the booklets and are made freely available to officials throughout Government and to others with an interest as and when they are needed. I have also sent copies of the compliance cost assessment booklet to my ministerial counterparts in other member states.

  Appeals Mechanisms
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many appeals mechanisms, as laid out in section 6 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, he expects to establish by the end of 1996; how many staff each appeals system will employ; and what their estimated annual running costs will be. [23614]

  Mr. Freeman
  As I made clear in my response to my hon. friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Mr. Deva) on 11 March,Official Report, columns 464–65, consultation on a draft statutory instrument setting out provisions for the model appeals mechanism is currently in progress. Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the Library and I have asked for replies by 11 May this year.

  Under section 6 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act, there will be only one model mechanism. This model will be considered for all appeals against enforcement action in appropriate legislation.

  Property Advisers to the Civil Estate
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what targets he has set for Property Advisers to the Civil Estate on its creation as an executive agency in his Department. [24354]
  19
  Mr. Freeman
  PACE has today been established as an executive agency in the Office of Public Service. Its main aims are to enable Departments to achieve best overall value for money in the management of their property assets, by providing advisory and co-ordination services, and to carry out residual functions of disposing of inherited vacant property and collecting opportunity cost rents. I have set performance targets for its first year 1996–97:

  (i) to identify savings from proposals to be agreed with Departments for the co-ordination of property activities on the civil estate which in total should exceed the agency's related running costs;

  (ii) to recover 100 per cent. of the costs of providing intelligent client services;

  (iii) to contain expenditure on vacant properties within an annual net provision of £110 million;

  (iv) to recover 100 per cent. of opportunity cost rents due;

  (v) to recover 100 per cent. of the costs of the Whitehall district heating system.

  I have today placed copies of the agency's framework document in the Library of the House.

  Chessington Computer Centre
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what key targets have been set for the Chessington Computer Centre trading fund for the current financial year.[24353]

  Mr. Freeman
  My primary objective for Chessington Computer Centre is to implement its privatisation this summer. However, until that is achieved, Chessington will be managed with the following key targets for 1996–97:

  (1) to achieve an operating surplus of £223,000;

  (2) to increase pay clerk productivity by 7 per cent. over 1995–96 performance;

  (3) to increase use of the on-line data capture system (SPIRE) to 60 per cent. for a new major customer;

  (4) to maintain the minimum on-line service availability at 98.5 per cent.

  Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made with the establishment of the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency as a next steps executive agency. [24355]

  Mr. Freeman
  I am pleased to announce that I have today established the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency as a next steps executive agency. The arrangements for CCTA are fully described in its framework document, copies of which will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  The purpose of CCTA is to improve the delivery of public services by developing, maintaining and making available, expertise about information technology which public sector organisations will draw on in order to operate more effectively and efficiently.

  I have set CCTA the following targets for 1996–97:
  to break even on a accruals basis after taking into account payments from the Office of Public Service in relation to transitional costs and the provision of "common good" services, and to operate within PES and supply estimates provision;
  20
  to secure and provide procurement services and best practice consultancy to the value of at least £6.2 million on a full cost recovery basis;
  to secure and provide telecommunications services to the value of £11.6 million;
  to establish, validate and to have approved ready for implementation for 1997–98 quantified performance measures for the financial, quality of service, customer satisfaction and efficiency aspects of the agency's performance.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Consultative Group for Kenya
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the Paris meeting of the consultative group for Kenya. [23151]

  Mr. Hanley
  The consultative group for Kenya met at the invitation of the World bank in Paris on 21 to 22 March. Donors welcomed recent positive developments in Kenya's economic policies and the publication of a new policy framework paper, while underlining the importance of a range of good governance issues. The UK announced the immediate release of £5.1 million of programme aid, to support civil service reforms. A copy of the World bank's press statement has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

  St. Helena
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the St. Helena tourism bureau commenced operations; what is its annual budget; and how many(a) local and (b) non-island staff it employs. [23624]

  Mr. Hanley
  No tourism bureau exists on St. Helena. A consultancy visit in the near future arranged by the World Tourism Organisation, under United Nations Development Programme auspices, will help advise the St. Helena Government on future arrangements for tourism development.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many copies of "Investing in St. Helena" were printed on behalf of the St. Helena development agency; at what total production cost; how and where they were distributed; and if he will make a statement.[23801]

  Mr. Hanley
  Some 1,000 copies of the booklet were produced at a total production cost of £2,891. Copies were sent to UK chambers of commerce; South Africa chambers of commerce; individuals and companies that had previously expressed an interest in investment in St. Helena; and to the UK representative of St. Helena.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of the people of the British Isles were capable of qualifying for legal aid in 1966; what is the latest corresponding figure; and if he will make a statement. [21927]
  21
  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The Department has no estimates of eligibility for 1966. The Department's estimate of the proportion of households in England and Wales currently eligible for civil legal aid is 48 per cent.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent representations he has received about legal aid in civil cases. [21929]

  Mr. Evans
  I have received many representations recently on legal aid in civil cases.

  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many applications for legal aid over £10,000 have been awarded by the Legal Aid Board during the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [21932]

  Mr. Evans
  Information prior to 1993–94 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The number of civil legal aid certificates where the Legal Aid Board paid gross costs in excess of £10,000 for the following years was as follows:

  1993–94: 5,437

  1994–95: 7,346.

  In addition, the Legal Aid Board paid gross costs of over £10,000 for criminal legal aid in the magistrates courts as follows.

  1993–94: 356

  1994–95: 389.

  The Legal Aid Board is not responsible for payment of legal aid bills for work done in the higher criminal courts. Those bills are paid directly by the Lord Chancellor's Department and it is estimated that in 1993–94 and 1994–95, the Department paid gross costs of over £10,000 for criminal legal aid in the higher courts as follows:

  1993–94: 3,125

  1994–95: 3,500.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the operations of the Legal Aid Board. [21935]

  Mr. Evans
  The day-to-day operations of the Legal Aid Board are a matter for its chief executive. The board's annual report, which sets out its performance, is available in the House Library.

  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the(a) gross cost and (b) net cost of the legal aid fund in (i) 1979, (ii) 1989 and (iii) the last year for which figures are available. [23161]

  Mr. Evans
  The gross and net costs of the legal aid fund in 1979–80, 1989–90 and 1994–95, being the latest year for which figures are available are:

  £ million

  Gross cost

  Net cost

  1979–80

  124

  98

  1989–90

  716

  565

  1994–95

  1,598

  1,299

  Judicial Vacancies
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of judicial vacancies were advertised in 1995. [21928]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Over half the appointments to the full-time professional judiciary in 1995 were made following either advertisement or notice to eligible candidates where eligibility is restricted. The equivalent figure for the part-time professional judiciary was about 20 per cent.

  Magistrates Courts
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent representations he has received on the working of the magistrates courts. [21930]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  I receive frequent representations on the working of the magistrates courts.

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what advice he has given to judges in respect of dealing with cases in which a public interest immunity certificate relating to the suppression of evidence has been issued. [21931]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  None. Decisions on such claims are matters solely for the courts.

  Family Law Bill
  Sir Michael Neubert
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what have been the principal issues which were raised in representations to him about the Family Law Bill during March. [21933]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  I received representations on the Family Law Bill on a number of issues during March. The principal issues were: reconciliation and support for marriage, the use of allegations of fault, the professional competence of mediators, the influence of conduct on financial settlements and the timing of finance and property orders.

  Advice and Representations to HM the Queen
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are his responsibilities in respect of(a) giving advice and (b) making representations to Her Majesty the Queen in her private capacity. [21934]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 March 1996,Official Report, column 73.

  Community Care Policy
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what information his Department collates on judicial reviews of community care policy. [24155]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.
  23
  Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 1 April 1996:
  The Parliamentary Secretary to the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to the above question about judicial reviews of community care policy.
  Statistics on judicial review relate only to the total number of cases. No separate information is collated on judicial review of community care policy.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Sickness Rates
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of regional variations in sickness rates(a) in the civil service, (b) elsewhere in the public sector and (c) in other employment. [22377]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The following table gives an assessment of regional variations in sickness rates in the civil service. The Department has not made an assessment of sickness rates for elsewhere in the public sector or in other employment.

  Sickness Absence in the Civil Service 1994: CS Occupational Health and Safety Agency Report

  Average working days absence per staff-year by region.

  Region

  Unadjusted

  Adjusted

  1993

  1994

  1993

  1994

  North West

  11.8

  11.2

  10.5

  10.6

  Scotland

  11.7

  10.1

  10.9

  10.0

  Wales

  11.2

  10.0

  9.4

  9.3

  North East

  11.2

  9.7

  9.9

  8.9

  West Midlands

  9.4

  8.9

  8.6

  8.5

  Northern Ireland

  9.2

  9.4

  8.5

  8.4

  South East

  8.9

  8.1

  8.7

  8.3

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  9.3

  8.3

  8.6

  8.1

  East Midlands

  9.2

  8.5

  8.3

  8.0

  South West

  8.3

  7.5

  7.9

  7.4

  East Anglia

  8.5

  7.6

  7.9

  7.3

  Civil Service average

  10.1

  8.9

  —

  —

  Having adjusted for the factors affecting sickness absence which have been considered earlier in this Report (age, gender and grade level), there remain substantial differences between regions. The North West has the highest rate of absence of all Regions, followed by Scotland and Wales. East Anglia and the South West were clearly the regions of lowest absence.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much money has been made available for each year since 1990 for information technology initiatives(a) for initial teacher training and (b) in schools; and if she will make a statement.[22556]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Department has given a central lead to the development of information technology in schools since the early 1980s. It is not possible to isolate the initial teacher training element.

  The main source of the Department's financial support is provided through the grants for education support and training programme. The specific GEST
  24
  allocations for IT in schools in the five years from 1990–91 to 1994–95 were: £19.8 million, £30.4 million, £30 million, £30 million, and £21.9 million.

  In 1995–96 and 1996–97 support for IT in schools continues to be available through the school effectiveness GEST programme. Eligible expenditure, which attracts grant at the rate of 60 per cent., includes IT equipment, upgrades and software, the installation of networking, the cost of teacher training provision and the employment of IT advisory teachers.

  Over the period from 1990–91 to 1995–96, the Department has also separately made available funding in excess of £22 million to pilot new technologies; to stimulate software development focused on the needs of the national curriculum; to provide additional funding to equip many schools with multimedia technologies, and to support the development of the effective use of IT in individual curriculum subjects, the primary phase and with children with special educational needs.

  In addition, the Department has made an annual grant available, in the region of £5 million per annum, to support the work of the National Council for Educational Technology to help schools use IT effectively for curriculum and administrative purposes.

  Community Self-build Schemes
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in what circumstances unemployed benefit recipients who are engaged in community self-build housing schemes from October 1996, will be required to limit their self-build participation to(a) 21 hours and (b) 16 hours in a week; and if the figures will be the same for (i) those carrying out self-build work on a voluntary basis, (ii) self-builders participating in training and enterprise council-funded training programmes and (iii) those participating in European social fund-funded programmes. [23058]

  Mr. Forth
  The Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 1996 make no special provisions for people who participate in self-build housing schemes. To be entitled to JSA all jobseekers must be available for and actively seeking employment, and not in remunerative work for 16 hours or more per week as defined in the JSA regulations. The current approach in income support that those involved in self-build schemes will not usually be treated as engaged in remunerative work will be carried forward into JSA. Each claim from a jobseeker who participates in a self-build scheme will be considered on the individual facts of the case.

  Further and Higher Education
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the number of students in further and higher education in the United Kingdom; and what is the current ratio of school leavers to the number entering higher education. [23249]

  Mr. Forth
  The numbers of enrolments in further—excluding adult education centres—and higher education in the UK in 1994–95 are provisionally estimated to be 2,573,000 and 1,701,000, respectively.
  25
  Information on the numbers of school leavers who entered higher education directly is not readily available. In some cases, progression to HE will be direct from further education or tertiary college, and some students will enter after a year abroad or other sabbatical. The available information on entrants to HE by age is given in the following table:

  Age1

  Number of entrants2 to HE in UKs in 1994–95 (000)

  18 years and under

  154

  19 years

  87

  20 years and over

  561

  All ages

  802

  1Age at 31 August.

  2 Provisional. Includes Open university.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to the oral answer of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the hon. Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) on 26 February,Official Report, column 576, if she will list those statutory instruments and Acts of Parliament which have been gold plated in the past five years; and what steps she is taking to amend or repeal each piece of gold plating on existing legislation. [23634]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Government's policy is not to add unnecessary burden when implementing EC directives. Departments take every opportunity to review existing legislation in the light of this. Officials are currently working on revised guidance to enable Ministers to see where implementing legislation goes beyond the underlying EC directive.

  Appeals Mechanisms
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many appeals mechanisms, as laid out in section 6 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, she expects to establish by the end of 1996; how many staff each appeals system will employ; and what their estimated annual running costs will be. [23617]

  Mr. Forth
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  Pupil Exclusions
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the number of temporary exclusions from schools in each year since 1979. [24026]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the number of permanent school exclusions for each year since 1979. [24024]

  Mr. Squire
  The Department is this year collecting, for the first time, systematic data on permanent exclusions from all maintained schools, through the annual schools 26
  census return issued in January. Comprehensive data on permanent exclusions in the school year 1994–95 will thus be available in the autumn.

  Prior to this, information was collected on an ad hoc basis. Data on permanent exclusions from maintained schools in England were assembled by the Department over a two year period, starting with the summer term 1990, under the national exclusions reporting system. Some 2,910 permanent exclusions were reported in the first year and 3,833 in the second.

  A survey conducted by Christ Church college, Canterbury on behalf of the Department and published in July last year, showed that there were 10,624 permanent exclusions in the school year 1993–94 in the 101 local education authorities in England which responded to the researchers' questionnaire out of a total of 109 LEAs. It also showed there were 4,550 permanent exclusions in the autumn term 1994 in 101 LEAs.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children in care of the local authority have been excluded from school in each year since 1979. [24025]

  Mr. Squire
  This information is not available centrally.

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the current benefit sanction on claimants failing to attend 1-2-1 interviews; and what sanctions will apply under the jobseeker's allowance. [24152]

  Mr. Forth
  Under current legislation any jobseeker who fails to attend 1-2-1 interviews when required will be disallowed benefit until such time as he does attend. Under jobseeeker's allowance any jobseeker who fails to attend a 1-2-1 interview without good cause will face a fixed period sanction of two weeks' loss of JSA. If he has received an earlier sanction within the previous 12 months, the fixed period may be four weeks' loss of JSA. Depending on the circumstances of the jobseeker, he may be able to receive hardship payments of JSA during the period of sanction.

  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if regulation 9 of the Job Seeker's Allowance Regulations 1996 will allow claimants who satisfy all other availability conditions to restrict their availability for employment during the first six months of a claim. [24156]

  Mr. Forth
  Jobseekers may place restrictions on the nature of the employment for which they are available, the terms or conditions of employment, including the rate of remuneration, and the locality in which they are looking for employment provided that they can show that they have reasonable prospects of securing employment despite those restrictions. Regulation 9 imposes a six-month limit on any restriction to do with the rate of remuneration. There is no limit to other areas of restriction, although an adjudication officer may take into account the length of time a jobseeker has been unemployed when determining whether a jobseeker continues to retain reasonable propects of securing employment with the restrictions he has imposed.
  27
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the new 13-week qualifying period for employment on trial of claimants of JSA will take into account any period of unemployment preceding 7 October 1996. [24154]

  Mr. Forth
  Yes. Jobseekers can take advantage of employment on trial if they have been unemployed for a continuous period of 13 weeks falling before the start of the job. Jobseekers will not have to have been in receipt of benefit during this period in order to qualify. The reduction in the qualifying period to 13 weeks represents a significant improvement in the provision enabling more people to try out an unfamiliar job without fear of losing benefit later if they decide to give up the job.

  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in what order the jobsearcher's plan and jobseeker's agreement will be completed by claimants of JSA; what additional forms will have to be completed by those entitled to income related JSA and passported benefits; and at what intervals the jobseeker's agreement will be reviewed by Employment Service staff. [24153]

  Mr. Forth
  New claimants to jobseeker's allowance will be asked to complete a "helping you back to work" form—formerly referred to as the jobsearch plan form-to help them prepare for an interview to agree a jobseeker's agreement. The jobseeker's agreement may be reviewed at each fortnightly attendance and advisory interview, and will be varied as necessary.

  Jobseekers who claim income-based JSA and wish to claim housing benefit and council tax benefit will also be required to compete forms NHBI (HB) and NHBI (CBT), as they are currently required to do, in addition to the JSA claim form. Existing arrangements for claiming benefits from other Departments will be carried forward into JSA.

  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proposals he has for Employment Service staff to take adjudication decisions on benefit sanctions against claimants of JSA. [24149]

  Mr. Forth
  All labour market adjudication decisions in JSA, including those where a benefit sanction is appropriate, will be taken by adjudication officers employed by the Employment Service. Adjudication officers act independently of the Secretary of State.

  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment at what intervals claimants of JSA will have to attend compulsory advisory interviews; and if the existing pattern of compulsory six-monthly restart interviews will be maintained. [24151]

  Mr. Forth
  Jobseekers will have to attend advisory interviews when they make a new claim, when they have been unemployed for 13 weeks, or earlier if that has been agreed with the jobseeker, and when they have been unemployed for six months—the existing pattern of six-monthly restart interviews will be maintained.

  Jobseekers will also have a short review when they attend the jobcentre every fortnight. If, as a result of those reviews, it is decided that a more in-depth advisory
  28
  interview is appropriate, one will be arranged. Failure to attend any interview as required may lead to the loss of JSA.

  This pattern of interviews will, of course, be reviewed from time to time in the light of changing circumstances.

  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proposals he has to enable all unemployed people on Government employment and training programmes to count participation in these towards the three-month qualification period for undertaking part-time education as specified in regulation 11 of Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations. [24147]

  Mr. Forth
  Jobseekers who claim jobseeker's allowance will be able to study part time so long as they remain available for and actively seeking employment.

  There will be an additional concession for certain jobseekers, where no aspect of their study will be taken into account when deciding whether they are available for work if they are willing and able to rearrange their course to take a job within the hours that they have agreed in their jobseeker's agreement they will be available for work. Those who have been in receipt of JSA or certain other benefits for broadly three months or more in the last six will qualify for this concession. Such people may also have been participating in Government programmes. Attendance for an appropriate period on a Government employment and training programme aimed primarily at 16 and 17-year-olds will also qualify a jobseeker for this concession.

  Part-time Study
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in which areas and when the new approaches on part-time study arrangements will be piloted; and what particular aspects will be covered. [24148]

  Mr. Forth
  Once jobseeker's allowance has been established, we shall decide whether to pilot different arrangements for jobseekers who wish to study while claiming JSA.

  Humanities Courses
  Mr. Walden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the proportion of males to females on humanities courses in British higher education. [24016]

  Mr. Forth
  The proportion of all female enrolments on humanities courses in UK higher education in 1994–95 was 52.2 per cent.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 26 March,Official Report, column 485, about grant-maintained schools, what is or will be the cost for each case listed; what is the cost in total; and if she will make a statement. [23903]

  Mrs. Gillan
  The following amounts of annual maintenance grant paid to grant-maintained schools in 1995–96 have not been recouped from the local education authority named:
  29

  £

  Alder Coppice primary school, Dudley

  24,005

  The Arnewood school, Hampshire

  195,687

  Bourne Abbey primary school, Lincolnshire

  39,412

  The Burgate school, Hampshire

  117,765

  Chellaston school, Derbyshire

  150,765

  Costessey high school, Norfolk

  63,579

  The Ellowes Hall school, Dudley

  29,512

  The Greensward school, Essex

  233,206

  Greenwood Dale school, Nottinghamshire

  82,596

  Heanor Gate school, Derbyshire

  71,711

  Holy Trinity CE primary school, Kent

  19,688

  Katherine's primary school, Essex

  28,449

  Merrill college, Debyshire

  71,776

  Ringwood comprehensive school, Hampshire

  141,142

  St. Anselm's college and Upton Hall convent school, Wirral (in total)

  1,043,581

  St. Peter and St. Paul RC high school, Lincolnshire

  29,528

  Sheringham high school, Norfolk

  45,035

  Wold Newton primary school, Humberside

  20,194

  Woodnewton Way infant school, Northamptonshire

  40,894

  Amounts of non-recoupable annual maintenance grant for 1995–96 have not been finalised in respect of Appleby primary school, Cumbria, and Eaglesfield Paddle CE primary school, Cumbria.

  Job Clubs
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what are the forecast savings to the Employment Service of closing down the afternoon session of the Liverpool and Wirral executive job club; [24144]

  (2) when the Liverpool and Wirral executive job club opened. [24145]

  Mr. Forth
  Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Mike Fogden to Mr. Frank Field, dated 1 April 1996:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your two written questions concerning the forecast saving to the Employment Service (ES) by the closure of the afternoon session of the Liverpool and Wirral Executive Jobclub, and the date the Jobclub opened. I am responding to both questions in this reply.
  The ES continually monitors its network of programme providers to ensure the quality of provision, and that this network offers adequate coverage for its clients.
  With the continuing fall in eligible clients numbers throughout the Wirral and the region as a whole the ES has to ensure that its providers of services offer value for money.
  Forecasts of savings to the ES of the closure of any programme sites are not made. This is in part due to the financial system of payment agreed with the provider at the contracting stage. I can say that the total Jobclub budget allocation for the Wirral ES District for the 1995/96 financial year is £383,102.
  30
  Where a decision is made to close a particular programme site, every effort is made to find alternative programme provision, where possible, for the remaining clients.
  Wirral Executive Jobclub opened in October 1994 with both morning and afternoon sessions and it is planned to close the afternoon session from the 1 June. However the morning Jobclub session will remain open, thus maintaining an Executive Jobclub within the area.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what measures her Department is taking to fulfil its obligations to the unemployed as outlined in the jobseeker's charter in the Liverpool and Wirral area; [24143]

  (2) if she will make a statement on the minimum number of hours a job club should be open under the jobseeker's charter. [24142]

  Mr. Forth
  Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Mike Fogden to Mr. Frank Field, dated 1 April 1996:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your two written questions concerning the minimum number of hours a Jobclub is required to remain open, and what steps the ES is taking to ensure its obligations are met under the Jobseeker's Charter in the Liverpool and Wirral area.
  As both questions relate to the Jobseekers Charter I am responding to both questions in this reply.
  The Jobseeker's Charter sets out obligations both of the Employment Service (ES) to deliver services, and of its clients. It informs jobseekers about the standards of service they can expect when visiting or calling ES offices or using its services, the help we provide, and what we expect from our clients. It is a valuable medium to demonstrate to jobseekers and others that we as an organisation are committed to looking at the services we provide, and that we actively seek to improve our standards, where possible. As part of this process, complaints about our services and suggestions for improving them are encouraged and welcomed.
  As well as recording suggestions and complaints, the ES currently monitors performance on a quarterly basis against five standards of service set out in its Jobseeker's Charter. These are:
  Telephone answering times (within 30 seconds);
  Waiting times (Clients to be seen within 10 minutes);
  Answering correspondence (replies to written correspondence within 5 working days);
  Currency of vacancies (during a sample week);
  Speed and accuracy of payments;
  There are no separate set of standards for ES programmes or the providers who run them. However, programme providers are obliged to accept the standards set out in the Jobseeker's Charter, and are monitored locally to see that the standards are adhered to and that the achievement of standards are publicised locally.
  Jobclubs are normally open for 12 hours per week, although they do not form part of the Jobseeker's Charter standards. However, these hours can be modified according to local circumstances and through the contractual agreement the ES has with the Jobclub provider.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Teachers' Superannuation Scheme
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the future administration of the teachers' superannuation scheme in England and Wales. [24471]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has decided to let a seven-year contract for the administration of teachers' pensions in England and Wales to Capita Managed Services Ltd. This will give savings to the taxpayer of about £20 million over the life of the contract.

  We have consistently said that we will let a contract to the private sector only if it can be proved that it will give better value for money than keeping the administration of the teachers' superannuation scheme in the public sector. Capita Managed Services is committed to providing the high standards of service and performance that we have demanded, and has a record of doing so in other contracts. Capita will take over the administration of teachers' pensions on 1 October 1996.

  Capita has declared its intention to maintain the administration of the TSS in Darlington. It is committed to a business growth strategy on the Darlington site. This commitment to Darlington, together with the transfer of the staff of the Teachers' Pensions Agency under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 offers the staff of the agency good prospects for the future.

  The contract with Capita will concern only the administration of the TSS. The scheme itself will stay in the public sector, on its current statutory basis, and teachers' pensions will not be affected in any way. My right hon. Friend will remain responsible to Parliament for the scheme. Officials in the Department for Education and Employment will be responsible for advising Ministers on policy on teachers' pensions.

  Research
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what additional support has been given to research within higher education institutions in the areas of sensor, data fusion and data processing technology since the 1995 report from the technology foresight panel. [23692]

  Mr. Forth
  Higher Education Funding Council for England funding for research is not earmarked but distributed as part of block grant which higher education institutions allocate at their discretion. It is for institutions themselves to decide what additional support to give to research in sensor, data fusion and data processing technology in the light of technology foresight findings.

TRANSPORT

  New Roads
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new road are planned to be constructed using the design, build, finance and operate initiative under contracts(a) already let, (b) due to be let in 1996 and (c) forecast to be let by 2000. [19687]
  32
  Mr. Watts
  I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 1 April 1996:
  I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Transport to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about how many miles of new road are planned to be constructed under the design, build, finance and operate initiative under contracts (a) already let, (b) due to be let in 1996 and (c) forecast to be let by 2000.
  Forty nine miles have already been let, thirty five miles are due to be let in 1996 and; the forecast for the year 2000 is sixty six miles.

  United Kingdom Fleet (British Ratings)
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial aid has been given to the United Kingdom fleet to encourage the employment of British ratings. [21748]

  Mr. Norris
  Government assistance for training—GAFT—is paid in respect both of ratings and cadets under 18 on approved training courses. GAFT s total budget, including youth training funding, is £3.4 million a year.

  The crew relief costs scheme makes grants towards the cost of flying British seafarers to and from distant ports. The scheme, which applies equally to British ratings and officers, has a budget of £2 million a year.

  More generally, Government policies are designed to improve the competitive position of British shipping, providing career opportunities for British ratings and officers.

  Rail Safety
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures exist for staff of contractors to Railtrack to be designated as safety critical, as defined by the Hidden recommendations. [23117]

  Mr. Watts
  Sir Anthony Hidden QC, in his report on the investigation of the Clapham junction collision, made no recommendation defining safety critical staff.

  The Railways (Safety Critical Work) Regulations 1994 place duties on employers relating to "safety critical work", which is defined as certain work which could affect the health and safety of persons on a transport system.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what basis compensation is paid to train operators for delays in safety certification of locomotives and rolling stock. [23115]

  Mr. Watts
  It is for the train operating companies to demonstrate to Railtrack that they are in compliance with railway group standards. Compensation is not an issue.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps Railtrack and the Health and Safety Executive are taking to ensure that infrastructure maintenance staff are not working on a series of contracts concurrently for different infrastructure owners for which the aggregate time worked exceeds the maximum number of permitted hours or days as stipulated by Sir Anthony Hidden QC in his report and inquiry into the Clapham rail disaster; [23121]
  33
  (2) what procedures exist to ensure that contractors of Railtrack comply with the Hidden recommendations on maximum working hours for safety critical staff; [23120]

  Mr. Watts
  Sir Anthony Hidden QC, in his report on the investigation of the Clapham junction collision, made no recommendations as to the maximum number of permitted hours or days to be worked by infrastructure maintenance staff.

  In the Railways (Safety Critical Work) Regulations 1994, a duty is placed upon employers to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable that no employee undertakes safety critical work for such number of hours as would be liable to cause fatigue which could endanger safety. This duty applies to the employer irrespective of the location of the work undertaken. Railtrack's railway safety case states that particular attention will be given to monitoring the safety performance of contractors including compliance with relevant standards of legislation.

  The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate enforces the regulations by checking employer's safety management systems and records, in the course of certain inspections and accident investigations, and by investigating complaints of excessive hours by employees.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what targets he has set Railtrack for giving safety approval to train operators; and what sanctions are available in the event of unreasonable delay. [23116]

  Mr. Watts
  No targets have been set for Railtrack.

  As regards railway safety gases, a train operator may submit a safety case, or revision, for acceptance to the Secretary of State if Railtrack either refuses to accept it or fails to accept it within a reasonable time.

  As regards safety cases for rolling stock, defined procedures exist for new or revised railway group standards. Where proposals have been rejected, appeals can be made to the Rail Regulator, who will consult the Health and Safety Executive in reaching his decision.

  Under Railtrack's network licence, the primary safety purpose of the railway group standards code is subject to the need to promote business planning, efficiency, economy and competition, and the need to impose the minimum restrictions which are consistent with safe operation.

  Travelcards
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take action to ensure that the agreement reached by the London Committee on Accessible Transport, representing London boroughs and the relevant transport providers, for a seven-year contract for providing senior citizens travelcards in Greater London is approved by the British Railways Board.[23406]

  Mr. Norris
  This is a matter for the British Railways Board. The board has decided that it would be inappropriate for the board to commit, as yet unknown, private sector franchise operators to a seven-year concessionary fares scheme in London. A 12-month agreement, as suggested by the board, will ensure the continuation of this popular concessionary scheme on the 34
  same terms as before and allow franchise operators to take part in discussions about the arrangements for a long-term scheme.

  Four-wheel Drive Vehicles
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce legislation banning the use of four-wheel drive vehicles on green roads; and if he will make a statement.[23542]

  Mr. Steven Norris
  The Government announced in the rural White Paper, Cm 3016, that, while they were not yet convinced of the case for general legislation to restrict the use of byways by motorised vehicles, they would discuss the situation with interested parties. I hope to issue a consultation document, jointly with the Department of the Environment, in late spring or early summer.

  Hydrographic Surveys (Welsh Estuaries)
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that sand banks or barriers in the estuaries of Wales are recharted following the grounding of the Sea Empress. [23802]

  Mr. Norris
  My Department keeps the need for hydrographic surveys under review through the Marine Safety Agency's advisory committee on shipping hydrography, which comprises representatives of the shipping industry, the General Lighthouse Authorities, the port associations, and professional hydrographers from the Royal Navy. We will consider the need for any surveys or recharting off the coast of Wales if the marine accidents investigation branch investigation into the Sea Empress recommends that we should do so.

  Hop-on Hop-off Buses
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects a fiche d'impact on the EC bus and coach directive to be produced; and what other EU countries have hop-on hop-off buses in commission in their capital cities. [23604]

  Mr. Norris
  We are currently awaiting a proposal for the EC bus and coach directive, along with the fiche d'impact from the Commission, but the timing of this is not known.

  We are not aware of any other EU countries which operate open platform buses in their capital cities.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) deaths, (b) serious injuries and (c) minor injuries have resulted from passengers falling from open-platform double-decker buses in each of the last 10 years; how many complaints he has received in the last 10 years of the dangers of hop-on hop-off buses; and if he will make a statement. [23606]

  Mr. Norris
  The data available from the Department's Vehicle Inspectorate indicate that the number of fatalities arising from people falling from open platform double-decker buses for each of the 10 years from 1985 to 1994 were 2, 1, 1, 2, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1 respectively. Information collated by London Transport for 1995 is one fatality, 17 serious and 382 slight injuries. Corresponding information on serious and slight injuries for previous years is not available.
  35
  The Department receives representations on a variety of bus issues but the dangers of open platform buses have not featured highly in these.

  Driving Licences
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many EU member states have invoked grandfather rights when implementing the second EC directive on driving licences 91/439/EEC; and if he will make a statement on his reasons for not doing so. [23699]

  Mr. Norris
  According to our current information, no member states have perpetuated or are proposing to perpetuate, "grandfather rights" in respect of eyesight requirements for lorry and bus drivers, but we are seeking detailed updated information from the relevant national authorities. The reason for proposing to discontinue grandfather rights is the need to ensure the highest sensible standards of road safety in the United Kingdom.

  M1-A1
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to award the design, build, finance and operate scheme for the Ml-Al link; and if he will make a statement. [23607]

  Mr. Watts
  The design, build, finance and operate—DBFO—contract for the M1-A1 Yorkshire link project was awarded to Yorkshire Link Ltd. on 26 March 1996.

  This is the largest and most complex DBFO the Department has awarded to date. This new motorway will take away from congested routes through Leeds and will improve access to industrial areas in the south-east of the city. Moreover, there is expected to be major reduction in road traffic accidents—more than 150 accidents a year should be prevented over the next 30 years.

  The Department is making excellent progress with DBFO, with contracts now awarded for each of the first four DBFO projects first announced back in August 1994. This success shows the DBFO offers advantages to the construction industry, the road user and the taxpayer.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the oral answer of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the hon. Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) on 26 February,Official Report, column 576, if he will list those statutory instruments and Acts of Parliament which have been gold plated in the past five years; and what steps he is taking to amend or repeal each piece of gold plating on existing legislation. [23632]

  Mr. Watts
  The Government's policy is not to add unnecessary burdens when implementing EC directives. Departments take every opportunity to review existing legislation in the light of this. Officials are currently working on revised guidance to enable Ministers to see where implementing legislation goes beyond the underlying EC directive.

  Appeals Mechanisms
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many appeals mechanisms, as laid out in section 6 of 36
  the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, he expects to establish by the end of 1996; how many staff each appeals system will employ; and what their estimated annual running costs will be. [23620]

  Mr. Watts
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

SCOTLAND

  Public Bodies
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list each executive non-departmental public body which will become operational in Scotland on 1 April; and if he will make a statement. [23795]

  Mr. Kynoch
  The information is as follows:

  Scottish Children's Reporter Administration

  Scottish Environment Protection Agency

  Scottish Water and Sewerage Customers Council.

  The Scottish Environment Protection Agency replaced the seven existing river purification boards, each of which is an executive NDPB. As from today, 1 April, the number of executive NDPBs operational in Scotland is 40, as compared with 60 in 1979.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each of the non-departmental bodies for which he is responsible(a) the number of board members, (b) the number of allowances being paid, (c) the total cost of these allowances, (d) the cost per board member and (e) the numbers of administrative and executive staff earning in excess of £42,000. [23974]

  Mr. Kynoch
  The information requested in(a) to (d) is available in, or can be derived from, the Scottish Office section for the annual Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies". The information at (e) is not held centrally.

  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which(a) the Government are required to consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) the Government are required to publish their response to advice supplied by them. [21863]

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 21 March 1996]: The information requested is:

  (a) Scottish Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council

  Building Standards Advisory Committee

  Police Advisory Board for Scotland

  General Teaching Council for Scotland.

  (b) General Teaching Council for Scotland.

  Appeals Mechanisms
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many appeals mechanisms, as laid out in section 6 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, he expects to establish by the end of 1996; how many staff each appeals system will employ; and what their estimated annual running costs will be. [23622]

  Mr. Kynoch
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

DEFENCE

  Ministry of Defence Police
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about defence agency status for the Ministry of Defence police. [24413]

  Mr. Soames
  The Ministry of Defence police is to be established as an agency of the Ministry of Defence on 1 April 1996.

  The MDP is a fully constituted police force acting under the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987. The headquarters and police and guard service training schools are at Wethersfield in the county of Essex. Detachments are employed throughout the United Kingdom, based primarily at Ministry of Defence establishments.

  The MDP provides a civil policing service where required throughout the Ministry of Defence. It also provides a security service, including armed guarding at important defence installations. Its activities cover the protection of life, prevention of crime, detection of offenders, and the maintenance of order on, or in connection with, defence property and personnel. In its policing role it operates entirely independently of political or departmental influence in the maintenance and operation of the law.

  As the first chief executive, the chief constable, Mr. W. E. E. Boreham OBE, will be offered new opportunities to build on the current organisation's professional expertise and high performance standards. Through the greater delegations and authority afforded by agency status, the chief constable will actively seek to improve the efficiency and value for money of his police force.

  The chief constable has been set the following key targets for the first year of operation:

  (1) By 1 April 1997 to have identified and implemented agreed performance measures of force activity.

  (2) To improve significantly upon the baseline achieved in the first customer satisfaction survey.

  (3) By 1 October 1996 to make proposals for funding arrangements for national, additional, or cross top-level budget boundary commitments.

  (4) By 1 July 1996 to complete the evaluation of the effectiveness of the new force structure introduced from 1 April 1995.

  (5) To achieve efficiency savings prescribed within the departmental management and efficiency plans.

  (6) To develop efficiency measurement systems in order to provide a coherent efficiency plan incorporating a detailed competing for quality programme and be innovative in the identification of opportunities afforded by co-operation with industry.

  Milestones:

  (a) To set up agreed mechanisms for medium to long-term manpower planning.

  (b) To implement the information systems strategy to time, quality and specification.

  The owner of the Ministry of Defence Police agency will be the second permanent under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Defence.
  38
  The chief constable will produce an annual report which, for financial year 1997–98, will contain accruals-based accounts. These will be presented to Parliament. I have also arranged for copies of the agency's framework document to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Trident
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money to date has been committed by his Department to the purchase of Trident D5 missiles from the United States of America. [23609]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  My Department has, to date, committed £853 million, at outturn prices, toward the purchase of Trident D5 missiles from the United States of America.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the in-service dates of the Trident submarines. [23610]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  HMS Vanguard entered service in December 1994 and HMS Victorious in December 1995. Vigilant will enter service in 1998 and Vengeance around the turn of the century.

  Government Contracts (Review Report)
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the report by the review board for Government contracts on its 1996 general review of the profit formula for non-competitive Government contracts. [24470]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The Government have accepted the overall target rate of return on capital employed as recommended by the review board in its report. The new rate will be 19.3 per cent. compared with the current rate of 18.5 per cent., both on the basis of historic costs. It will be effective from 1 April this year. The report has been printed and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Unoccupied Dwellings
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many dwellings are(a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Hertfordshire; [23900]

  (2) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Surrey; [23899]

  (3) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in East Sussex; [23897]

  (4) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Greater London; [23893]

  (5) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in the Isle of Man; [23901]

  (6) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Gwent; [23860]
  39
  (7) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Powys; [23865]

  (8) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Gwynedd; [23869]

  (9) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Durham; [23873]

  (10) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Merseyside; [23877]

  (11) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Staffordshire; [23881]

  (12) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Norfolk; [23885]

  (13) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Gloucestershire; [23889]

  (14) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Dorset; [23895]

  (15) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Central Scotland; [23852]

  (16) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in the Highlands; [23854]

  (17) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Fife; [23856]

  (18) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Galloway; [23858]

  (19) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Buckinghamshire; [23891]

  (20) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Mid Glamorgan; [23863]

  (21) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Clywd; [23867]

  (22) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Tyne and Wear; [23871]

  (23) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Lancashire; [23875]

  (24) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Nottinghamshire; [23879]

  (25) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Leicestershire; [23883]
  40
  (26) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Northamptonshire; [23887]

  (27) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in West Sussex; [23898]

  (28) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Somerset; [23894]

  (29) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Hereford and Worcester; [23902]

  (30) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in the Borders; [23859]

  (31) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in South Glamorgan; [23861]

  (32) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Dyfed; [23866]

  (33) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Northumberland; [23870]

  (34) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in North Yorkshire; [23874]

  (35) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in South Yorkshire; [23878]

  (36) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Shropshire; [23882]

  (37) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Suffolk; [23886]

  (38) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Warwickshire; [23890]

  (39) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire; [23896]

  (40) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Strathclyde; [23851]

  (41) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Tayside; [23853]

  (42) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Grampian; [23855]

  (43) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Lothian; [23857]
  41
  (44) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Oxfordshire; [23888]

  (45) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Berkshire; [23892]

  (46) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in West Glamorgan; [23864]

  (47) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in West Yorkshire; [23868]

  (48) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Cumbria; [23872]

  (49) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Humberside; [23876]

  (50) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in Lincolnshire; [23880]

  (51) how many dwellings are (a) owned by his Department and (b) currently unoccupied in each parliamentary constituency in the West Midlands. [23884]

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

  Pembroke Dock (Staff)
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many of the posts transferred to Pembroke Dock are currently filled by staff living in the(a) Devonport and (b) Clyde areas; [23597]

  (2) how many posts will be (a) transferred to Pembroke Dock, (b) transferred to Pembroke Dock, (b) transferred from Pembroke Dock and (c) made redundant at Pembroke Dock following his announcement on the market testing of ports and mooring work within his Department; and if he will list the Departments in which they will be employed;0[23599]

  (3) how many individuals are currently based at Pembroke Dock onshore or aboard vessels; and what grades they are and on which divisions of his Department they were employed prior to the announcement of the outcome of market testing in his Department; [23596]

  (4) how many mobile grades will be transferred to Pembroke Dock following his announcement on the market testing of the mooring and ports divisions of his Department. [23598]

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 29 March 1996]: The current bearing for Pembroke Dock is 73 posts, broken down as follows:

  Ports undertaking

  Number

  MSO 2 D

  1

  MSO 2 E

  1

  MSO 3 D

  1

  MSO 3 E

  1

  42

  Ports undertaking

  Number

  Bosun in charge

  1

  Mechanician in charge

  2

  Leading seaman

  1

  Chief catering rating

  1

  Able seaman (cook)

  2

  Engineroom rating

  4

  Able seaman

  6

  Total

  21

  MSO = Marine services officer

  SOG = Stores officer grade

  P and GS = Process and general supervisory.

  Moorings work

  Number

  MSO 1 E

  1

  MSO 2 E

  1

  MSO 3 D

  1

  MSO 3 E

  1

  SOGC

  1

  Executive officer

  2

  P and GSD

  1

  Administrative officer

  2

  Administrative assistant

  2

  Fitter (L)

  2

  Fitter (M)

  2

  Rigger

  2

  Shipwright

  4

  Welder

  2

  Crane driver (Bd14)

  2

  Storekeeper

  3

  Mobile crane driver

  1

  Rigger trainee (Bd10)

  1

  Shotblaster

  1

  HGV driver

  1

  Stores assistant (Bd6)

  2

  Forklift truck driver

  1

  Rigger trainee

  1

  Craft auxiliary A

  7

  Slinger

  2

  Burner

  1

  General hand (Bd2)

  5

  Total

  52

  MSO = Marine services officer

  SOG = Stores officer grade

  P and GS = Process and general supervisory.

  The 21 posts in the ports undertaking will transfer to Devonport. Of the 52 posts on moorings work, 17 will become surplus to requirements.

  It is estimated that nine posts will be created at Pembroke Dock to undertake new tasks associated with the moorings operation. These posts will be eligible to be filled by mobile grade staff from Pembroke Dock, Clyde, Devonport, Portsmouth and Bath who have the requisite skills. An additional seven specialist posts may transfer to Pembroke Dock subject to further consideration.

  At present there are 90 afloat posts, as detailed in the following table, for the large mooring vessels currently operating out of Devonport and Clyde. The future requirement is estimated as in the region of 48 posts. These vessels will be administered from Pembroke Dock, as will a number of smaller vessels stationed at Devonport and Portsmouth.

  43

  Number

  MSO 2 D

  3

  MSO 2 E

  4

  MSO 3 D

  9

  MSO 3 E

  9

  Bosun

  4

  Chief catering rating

  4

  Radio operator

  2

  Leading seaman

  3

  Leading engineroom rating

  12

  Able seaman (Sp)

  9

  Engineroom rating

  2

  Able seaman

  29

  Total

  90

  Departmental Staff (Ethnic Minorities)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's failure in 1994–95 to achieve its target for staff who are from ethnic minorities; and for what reasons this target has been reduced for 1995–96. [23264]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  [holding answer 28 March 1996]: The Department's 1994–95 target for civilian staff from ethnic minority backgrounds was set at 1.9 per cent. A percentage of 1.6 per cent. was achieved and our 1995–96 target is to maintain this level. The target of 1.9 per cent. was set against high levels of recruitment in the early 1990s. Given lower levels of recruitment, reductions in staff numbers and relocations from London, maintenance of existing levels of ethnic minority representation is a more realistic expectation.

  Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defences
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what improvements he has made to Britain's nuclear, biological and chemical defences in the last five years. [23258]

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 28 March 1996]: We have made a range of improvements to our nuclear biological and chemical defence in recent years, mainly as a result of lessons learnt during the Gulf war. These include: the development of a tri-service policy for our NBCD requirements in the post-cold war environment; an extensive research and equipment programme; and revised training programmes. A Territorial Army NBCD regiment is being formed which will combine new equipment and training and dedicated manpower in a single deployable unit.

  Women Executives
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the reasons for his Department's failure in 1994–95 to achieve its target of total staff who are women at higher executive officer level; for what reasons the target has been reduced; and if he will make a statement. [23262]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  [holding answer 28 March 1996]: The Department's 1994–95 target for women at HEO level and above was set at 13.6 per cent. A percentage of 13.3 per cent. was achieved, matching the achievement in 1993–94. In retrospect, the target for 1994–95 was too optimistic, given the extent of organisational change at the
  44
  time. More realistic target setting, taking better account of major reorganisations and redeployments, overall reductions in staff numbers and promotion trends, caused the target to be set at 13.4 per cent for 1995–96.

HEALTH

  Yorkshire Regional Health Authority
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he will now take to recover irregular payments in the cases detailed by the inquiry into the former Yorkshire regional health authority. [22737]

  Mr. Malone
  The successor authority is taking appropriate recovery action in the light of legal advice.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out the advice which he has given to the Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority about ensuring that the authority receives a fair share of any development gain in the sale of the former Yorkshire regional health authority headquarters at Harrogate; and if he will make a statement. [23608]

  Mr. Malone
  The sale of the headquarters of the former Yorkshire regional health authority was an integral part of the process of securing more appropriate and cost-effective accommodation for the NHS executive Northern and Yorkshire regional office. This will result in significant savings for reinvestment in patient care in the region.

  The offer to purchase the former headquarters building was made at a fixed price, in excess of the district valuer's valuation of the property. While there is no prospect of increasing receipts beyond this point, any alternative arrangements would have incorporated a lower guaranteed minimum sale price, and hence a risk of realising less than the present arrangement. Expert advice, based on the office market in Harrogate and the property itself, has confirmed that the authority obtained best value for money at lower risk through the fixed price arrangement.

  NHS Authorities (Payments)
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on irregular, unauthorised and illegal payments to health service bodies. [22746]

  Mr. Malone
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has received no reports of health service bodies receiving such payments.

  NHS Consultants
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are given to NHS trusts regarding the employment of management consultants for the training of their staff. [22540]

  Mr. Horam
  No guidelines relate specifically to the use of management consultants for training. However, in October 1994, the national health service executive issued guidance to the NHS on the use of consultants for all purposes; this includes those employed for all purposes;
  45
  this includes those employed for training purposes. A copy of the guidance, "The Procurement and Management of Consultants within the NHS", is available in the Library.

  Comptroller and Auditor General Report
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will break down the figure of £41.8 million in paragraph 40 of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General in the "NHS (England) Summarised Accounts 1994–95" to show the amount of money paid in each financial year between April 1990 and March 1995 by each family health services association to fund the employment of staff of types covered by the High Court judgment of March 1995, mentioned in paragraph 39 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report "NHS (England) Summarised Accounts 1994–95." [22990]

  Mr. Malone
  The information will be placed in the Library.

  Anti-smoking Publications
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many Government-funded publications produced by(a) the Health Education Authority and (b) other bodies, that warn of the dangers of smoking or that encourage smokers to quit, have been translated into other languages; [23236]

  (2) if he will list each anti-smoking publication publicly funded in the last five years with (a) its circulation, (b) its principal messages, (c) its target audience and (d) the languages it has been translated into and how many copies made per language. [23166]

  Mr. Horam
  The available information will be placed in the Library.

  Organophosphate Information Network
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions his Department has had with the organophosphate information network; and if he will make a statement. [23176]

  Mr. Horam
  There have been no recent approaches to the Department from the network.

  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he was first advised of a possible new strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; and if he was informed of any change in the assessment of health risks associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, arising out of this discovery. [23171]

  Mr. Horam
  My right hon. Friend was informed of a previously unrecognised form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease on 8 March 1996. The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee advised him on 20 March that, if the existing and newly recommended control measures were carried out, the risk to humans from eating beef was now likely to be extremely small.
  46
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many confirmed cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease have been notified for people aged(a) under 20 years, (b) 20 to 30 years, (c) 31 to 40 years, (d) 41 to 50 years, (e) 51 to 60 years and (f) 60 years and over; and how many were (i) male and (ii) female in each year for which records are available. [23218]

  Mr. Horam
  Information showing the number of definite and probable cases of CJD by the age groups requested and by sex for the period 1970 to 1984—England and Wales—and 1985 to March 1996—United Kingdom—will be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which organisations will receive funding for the proposed additional research into CJD; and if he will make a statement; [24021]

  (2) if future CJD research funded out of the NHS research budget will include transmission studies; and if he will make a statement. [24022]

  Mr. Horam
  As announced by my right hon. Friend to the House on 25 March,Official Report, columns 710–12, we have in preparation a directed programme of research in the BSE-CJD sector involving the Department of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Medical Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Council. The programme will include strain typing and transmission studies. Further details, including the organisations involved, will be announced as soon as possible.

  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will investigate the possibility of CJD carriers passing on the disease as blood donors; and if he will make a statement. [24092]

  Mr. Horam
  The safety of blood is kept under regular review by the expert Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation. There is no evidence of any risk of transmission of CJD through blood or blood products. However, as a precautionary measure, individuals with central nervous system diseases or risk factors for CJD, including a family history, are excluded from giving blood.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money his Department spent on research into CJD in each of the last five financial years. [24023]

  Mr. Horam
  The information requested is as follows:

  1991–92: £181,000

  1992–93: £148,000

  1993–94: £225,000

  1994–95: £387,000

  1995–96: £502,000.

  This includes the costs of the national Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance unit in Edinburgh.

  Total Government spending on bovine spongiform encephalopathy and CJD research is about £million this year, and, as my right hon. Friend announced on 20 March, Official Report, columns 375-86, the Department is making an additional £4.5 million available for further research.

  NHS Patients
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were admitted in the past year to NHS(a) intensive care and (b) other beds from independent sector (i) acute hospitals or clinics and (ii) long-stay hospitals or homes. [23298]

  Mr. Horam
  The information which is available centrally is the estimated number of admissions to NHS hospitals in England from non-NHS hospitals, nursing homes, health care or residential institutions. In 1993–94, the latest year for which data are available, there were estimated to be 28,940 such admissions.

  Organophosphate Poisoning
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken by his Department to educate doctors about organophosphate poisoning; and if he will make a statement. [23177]

  Mr. Horam
  Medical education is principally a matter for the medical profession. However, the Department is drawing the attention of the profession to the concerns over training of doctors in the recognition of organophosphate poisoning.

  The Department has published a book, "Pesticide Poisoning Notes for the Guidance of Medical Practitioners", which was sent to all general practitioners. A revised and enlarged edition is about to be published. It gives guidance on the clinical symptoms, first aid treatment, indications for referral to hospital, hospital management, and sources of further advice relevant to poisoning by pesticides and related veterinary medicines including those containing organophosphates. In addition, the chief medical officer wrote in 1991 and 1993 to all doctors in England to alert them to the possibility of exposure to pesticides and certain veterinary medicines and to remind them of the reporting schemes for cases of suspected poisoning. They were further reminded that advice on poisoning was available from the employment medical advisory service and the Department of Health book "Pesticide poisoning notes for the guidance of medical practitioners". Also, an article in the October 1995 edition of the chief medical officer's update which is sent to all doctors dealt with the problems related to the use of organophosphate sheep dips.

  Doctors (Educational Exchanges)
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors from outside the European Economic Area visited the United Kingdom in each of the last five years as part of educational exchanges with British GPs. [23394]

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available centrally.

  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding the difficulties experienced by British GPs arranging educational exchanges with GPs from outside the European Economic Area. [23395]

  Mr. Malone
  Representations have been received from the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice 48
  the General Medical Services Committee of the British Medical Association, "Doctor" magazine and a number of individual GPs.

  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent the proposal for a special licence for international exchanges that would permit a doctor from abroad to practice in the United Kingdom for a specific period, at a specific location, under the supervision of a named mentor, is compatible with a single standard of entry into general practice in the United Kingdom. [23396]

  Mr. Malone
  The standard of experience which a doctor requires for entry to general practice is set for the United Kingdom by the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice, which is the UK's competent authority in this area. Either a doctor meets this standard, and may practise in the UK, or he does not, and may not practise. We do not propose to introduce a special licence to allow doctors who do not meet the joint committee's standards to work in general practice.

  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he has taken to facilitate exchanges between British GPs and those from outside the European Economic Area. [23397]

  Mr. Malone
  Nothing in United Kingdom legislation prevents such exchanges taking place. We encourage exchanges between United Kingdom general practitioners and general practitioners from other countries. The incoming doctor must meet the standard for working in general practice in the United Kingdom which is set by the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice.

  Water Tower Mental Hospitals
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list(a) the location, by health authority, of the water tower mental hospitals in England which are still open, (b) their planned date of closure and (c) the number of patients in each at the latest available date. [23546]

  Mr. Bowis
  Information is available on the closure of large mental illness hospitals in the report "Survey of English Mental Hospitals March 1994—Monitoring the Closure of the Water Towers", copies of which are available in the Library. The available information on the number of patients cared for in each of the hospitals named in table 2 of the report is given in the table. The continuing monitoring of the closure programme has been taken forward by the regional offices of the national health service executive.

  NHS Hospitals in table 2 of the Survey of English Mental Illness Hospitals March 1994 Monitoring the closure of the "Water Towers": Numbers of In-patients at 31 March 1994

  Hospital

  In-patients all ages

  Barnsley Hall

  57

  Clifton

  100

  Coney Hill

  168

  Hollymoor

  185

  Mapperley

  195

  St. Francis, Nottingham

  38

  St. George's, Stafford

  147

  49

  NHS Hospitals in table 2 of the Survey of English Mental Illness Hospitals March 1994 Monitoring the closure of the "Water Towers": Numbers of In-patients at 31 March 1994

  Hospital

  In-patients all ages

  St. Crispin

  121

  Scalebor Park

  35

  Central

  95

  Claybury

  361

  Countess of Chester

  179

  Hill End

  153

  Maidstone

  115

  Netherne

  57

  Princess Royal

  154

  Roundway

  99

  St. George's (Morpeth)

  312

  St. Mary's (Northumberland)

  247

  St. Matthew's

  157

  Stanley Royd

  277

  Tone Vale

  117

  Tooting Bec

  96

  Whittingham

  153

  St. Nicholas' (Newcastle)

  214

  Brookwood

  311

  Carlton Hayes

  249

  Littlemore

  172

  Middlewood

  116

  Napsbury

  419

  Shenley

  424

  The Royal London Hospital (St. Clements)

  99

  Warlingham Park

  143

  All Saints

  261

  Parkside

  249

  Knowle

  184

  Fair Mile

  212

  De la Pole

  246

  Fairfield

  415

  Fulbourn

  301

  Goodmayes

  401

  High Royds

  346

  Horton

  329

  Lancaster Moor and Ridge Lea

  314

  Park Prewett

  245

  Runwell

  320

  Severalls

  218

  St. Edward's

  254

  St. Lawrence's

  206

  Warley

  534

  Winterton

  375

  Bexley

  241

  Cherry Knowle

  320

  Garlands

  182

  Rauceby

  173

  Towers

  163

  Winwick

  398

  Graylingwell

  249

  St. Andrew's (Norwich)

  168

  Springfield

  429

  St. James'

  204

  St. Luke's

  140

  St. Clement's (Ipswich)

  190

  Stone House

  98

  Wonford House

  116

  Highcroft

  132

  West Park

  358

  Barrow

  212

  Bootham Park

  107

  Ealing

  327

  Hellesdon

  258

  Henderson

  24

  Kingsway

  285

  Lynfield Mount

  119

  Maudsley

  217

  Old Manor

  145

  Prestwich

  337

  50

  NHS Hospitals in table 2 of the Survey of English Mental Illness Hospitals March 1994 Monitoring the closure of the "Water Towers": Numbers of In-patients at 31 March 1994

  Hospital

  In-patients all ages

  Royal Shrewsbury (Shelton)

  197

  St. Martin's

  120

  Sundridge

  48

  The Bethlem Royal

  180

  Warneford

  70

  Universities (Health Services Management)
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what(a) courses have been attended at the health services management unit of the university of Nottingham and (b) other resources of the unit have been used by (i) NHS management trainees and (ii) existing NHS staff; [23675]

  (2) what (a) courses have been attended at the health services management unit of the university of Manchester and (b) other resources of the unit have been used by (i) NHS management trainees and (ii) existing NHS staff; [23679]

  (3) which (a) courses have been attended at the health policy unit of the university of London and (b) other resources of the unit have been used by (i) NHS management trainees and (ii) existing NHS staff; [23671]

  (4) what (a) courses have been attended at the health services management centre of the university of Birmingham and (b) other resources of the centre have been used by (i) NHS management trainees and (ii) existing NHS staff; [23677]

  (5) what (a) courses have been attended at the health policy and practice unit of the university of East Anglia and (b) other resources of the unit have been used by (i) NHS management trainees and(ii) existing NHS staff. [23673]

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many contracts have been awarded to the health services management unit of the university of Nottingham since 1994 by(a) his Department, (b) the NHS executive, (c) the Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority, (d) the former Yorkshire RHA and (e) the Trent RHA; for what purposes these contracts were awarded; if they were awarded by competitive tender; and what was the value of each of these contracts. [23676]

  (2) how many contracts have been awarded to the health services management unit of the university of Manchester since 1994 by (a) his Department, (b) the NHS executive, (c) the Northern and Yorkshire regional helath authority, (d) the former Yorkshire RHA, and (e) the Trent RHA; for what purposes these contracts were awarded; if they were awarded by competitive tender; and what was the value of each of these contracts; [23680]

  (3) how many contracts have been awarded to the health policy unit of the university of London since 1994 by (a) his department, (b) the NHS executive, (c) the Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority, (d) the

  51
  former Yorkshire regional health authority and (e) the Trent regional health authority; for what purposes these contracts were awarded; if they were awarded by competitive tender; and what was the value of each of these contracts; [23672]

  (4) how many contracts have been awarded to the health services management centre of the university of Birmingham since 1994 by (a) his Department, (b) the NHS executive, (c) the Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority, (d) the former Yorkshire RHA and (e) the Trent RHA; for what purposes these contracts were awarded; if they were awarded by competitive tender; and what was the value of each of these contracts; [23678]

  (5) how many contracts have been awarded to the health policy and practice unit of the university of East Anglia since 1994 by (a) his Department, (b) the NHS executive, (c) the Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority, (d) the former Yorkshire RHA and (e) the Trent RHA; for what purposes these contracts were awarded; if they were awarded by competitive tender; and what was the value of each of these contracts. [23674]

  Mr. Horam
  The information is not available centrally.

  GP Purchasing
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has given to health authorities in respect of the funding of a GP commission. [23421]

  Mr. Malone
  EL(94)79 sets out Government policy on involving general practitioners in purchasing. HSG(96)14 sets out details of management allowances for fundholding practices. Other arrangements are for local agreement. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.

  Public Health Management (Salaries)
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of state for Health what was the salary of the(a) chief medical officer, (b) deputy chief medical officer and (c) regional directors of public health in each of the last two years; and if he will indicate the planned salaries for the next two years. [23423]

  Mr. Horam
  Details of individual civil servants' salaries are not made public. The chief medical officer is a grade 1A civil servant. In 1994–95 the salary of that grade was £87,435, in 1995–96 it is in the range of £90,000 to £94,999. There are two deputy chief medical officer posts in the Department. The pay range for those posts was £69,990 to £79,396 in 1994–95, and £67,500 to £ 98,000 in 1995–96. Regional directors of public health were paid on a scale from £59,715 to £63,375 in 199495, and £61,205 to £65,160 in 1995–96. Like all national health service consultants, regional directors of public health are eligible for distinction awards for meritorious service in the NHS, which were worth between £2,098 and £49,820 per annum in 1995–96, depending on the level of award. Regional directors of public health joined the Department of Health on 1 April. All salary increases in the Department are now determined by performance, so future salaries for all the grades mentioned will depend on the achievement of objectives.

  Hospital Readmissions
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the quarterly monitoring of mental health information by the NHS executive in the coming year will include readmission rates for individual patients. [23550]

  Mr. Bowis
  No. The national health service executive will be collecting information on the total number of patients aged 16 to 64, who are readmitted as an emergency within 90 days of discharge to the care of a psychiatric specialist; and the total number of patients aged 16 to 64 who have been discharged in the previous 90 days from the care of a psychiatric specialist.

  NHS Management (Salaries)
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Rother Valley of 25 March,Official Report, column 427, if he will list all cases in which remuneration has not been paid directly to chairmen of national health service bodies. [23720]

  Mr. Malone
  It is for individual national health service bodies to ensure that remuneration of chairmen and non-executives is paid direct, and in accordance with Inland Revenue requirements. We are not aware of any cases where this does not happen.

  Paracetamol
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he will take to prevent deaths of young people arising from the use of paracetamol. [23422]

  Mr. Malone
  No immediate measures additional to those already in place are proposed. Paracetamol is an effective pain killer which is safe at the dosage recommended on the labelling. The Medicines Control Agency carefully evaluates all new information on the safety of paracetamol, particularly in relation to the controls on its availability.

  Cancer (Vaccinations)
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list vaccinations currently available on the NHS assessed by his Department as helping to prevent cancer. [23424]

  Mr. Horam
  In protecting people from acquiring hepatitis B infection, hepatitis B vaccine will also serve to prevent that proportion of cases of hepatocellular carcinoma—primary liver cancer—that is associated with the long-term carriage of hepatitis B virus.

  Mental Health
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer on 12 March,Official Report, column 587, if the 68 health authorities whose plans anticipate the development of comprehensive mental health services before the end of 1996–97 included in those plans the provision of 24-hour nurse care for those residents needing it, within that time scale; and if he will list those authorities which all achieved adequate 24-hour nursed care provision for their residents before the end of 1996–97 and those that will not. [23545]
  53
  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not yet available. Progress on the plans will be assessed at the end of 1996–97.

  Care in the Community
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has received from the chief medical officer on the full implementation of the care programme approach for patients with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia discharged from hospital since 1992–93 or expected to be discharged. [24010]

  Mr. Bowis
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly receives advice from the chief medical officer or from other medical advisors on his behalf. Information on the implementation of the care programme approach does not, however, differentiate between patients with schizophrenia and other severely mentally ill patients.

  Committee on Safety of Medicines
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for the calendar year 1995, for each member of the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the number of meetings at which they were present and the number of meetings from which they were absent. [22085]

  Mr. Malone
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 28 March,Official Report, column 748.

  Mr. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 11 December 1995,Official Report, columns 520-–21, what steps he took to establish that no member of the Committee on Safety of Medicines received the papers dispatched on 11 October after 10.30 am on 12 October 1995. [22086]

  Mr. Malone
  Delivery times are guaranteed by the courier service used. No member complained that the papers were not received on time.

  Mr. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answers of 11 December 1995,Official Report, column 521, and 14 December 1995, Official Report, column 811, on what basis expenditure on travel and subsistence during the period 1990 to 1995 was made; and if the expenditure was approved by the National Audit Office. [22088]

  Mr. Malone
  The expenditure on travel and subsistence was incurred in the performance of the normal duties of the committees.

  The expenditure referred to in the reply I gave the hon. Member on 11 December 1995, columns 521–22, has been included in the accounts of the Medicines Control Agency, which since 1 April 1992 have been subject to audit by the National Audit Office.

  Mr. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 11 December 1995,Official Report, column 523, what limitations section 4(2) of the Medicines Act 1968 imposes on the scope of activity and advice of committees, set up under section 4 of the Act. [22089]

  Mr. Malone
  Section 4(2) of the Medicines Act 1968 provides that committees may be established under 54
  section 4(1) of that Act for any purpose, or combination of purposes, connected with the execution of that Act or the exercise of any power conferred by it, either generally or in relation to any particular class of substances or articles to which any provision of that Act is applicable. The implication is that such committees cannot be established for other purposes and that their activities and advice may not relate to other purposes.

  Mr. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 14 December 1995,Official Report, column 811, to the hon. Member for Gordon Mr. Bruce), what factors justify the appointment of members of the Committees on Safety of Medicines or other section 4 committees for a period in excess of the prescribed maximum of six years.[22090]

  Mr. Malone
  Members are normally appointed for a three-year period and may be reappointed for further terms of office. Members are appointed and reappointed for their individual expertise in the fields of medicine, pharmacy or science. Their specialist knowledge and judgment contribute to the advice given by the committee to the Licensing Authority.

  Mr. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 14 December 1995,Official Report, column 810, to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce), what quality assurance proceedings relating to pharmacovigilance are in place in the Medicines Control Agency. [22091]

  Mr. Malone
  The Medicines Control Agency's performance in pharmacovigilance is measured against a number of high-level targets, set to protect pubic health in the field of medical products. These are published in the agency's business plan and its accomplishments against them in its annual report, copies of which are available in the Library. The agency has in place a large number of rigorous standard operating procedures relating to its many pharmacovigilance functions in order to ensure that good pharmacovigilance practice is carried out. Assessment reports on important safety issues relating to licensed medicines are subject to peer review both with the agency and by independent experts on the relevant advisory committees.

  All agency procedures are subject to audit by the National Audit Office and internal Department of Health auditors.

  Oral Contraceptives
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answers of 11 December 1995,Official Report, columns 520–21, and 8 February 1995, Official Report, column 344, what factors prevented consideration of the safety issues relating to combined oral contraceptives containing desogestrel or gestodene by the pharmacovigilance subcommittee at its meetings on 5 September or 3 October. [22087]

  Mr. Malone
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 19 December 1995,Official Report, column 1151.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies have been undertaken to establish whether potentially BSE contaminated material can enter human blood systems via tooth cavities when children are losing their milk teeth. [23219]

  Mr. Horam
  None. The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee has considered this issue and accepts that this could be a route of BSE infection, if this occurs, as could dental disease in adults.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral answer of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the hon. Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) on 26 January,Official Report, column 576, if he will list those statutory instruments and Acts of Parliament which have been gold plated in the past five years; and what steps he is taking to amend or repeal each piece of gold plating on existing legislation. [23633]

  Mr. Horam
  The Government's policy is not to add unnecessary burdens when implementing EC directives. Departments take every opportunity to review existing legislation in the light of this. Officials are currently working on revised guidance to enable Ministers to see where implementing legislation goes beyond the underlying EC directive.

  Appeals Mechanisms
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many appeals mechanisms, as laid out in section 6 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, he expects to establish by the end of 1996; how many staff each appeals system will employ; and what their estimated annual running costs will be. [23619]

  Mr. Horam
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave him today.

  National Blood Authority
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed at the National Blood Authority headquarters at 1 March 1996; and what was the total budgetary allowance for operating the National Blood Authority headquarters for 1996–97. [23433]

  Mr. Horam
  Some 24 staff were employed at the National Blood Authority headquarters at 1 March 1996. The National Blood Authority's estimates for 1996–97 include some £1.8 million for the costs of its headquarters. This includes costs such as rental, administrative and equipment costs, as well as staff salaries.

  Incontinence
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to promote continence care and services, and if he will make a statement; [23456]
  56
  (2) what guidance he has issued to health authorities on the provision of incontinence services; [23458]

  (3) if he will draw up and publish national criteria for the provision of incontinence services through a Department of Health guideline; [23459]

  (4) what measures he has taken to monitor incontinence services provided by health authorities. [23462]

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Sir J. Hannam) on 27 February,Official Report, columns 463–64.

  We have issued the following guidance to the NHS:
  An Agenda for Action on Continence Services (Department of Health) issued in 1991;
  The Role of the Continence Adviser in England and Wales (Social Policy Research Unit, University of York) issued in 1994;
  Incontinence (Patient Perception Leaflet—NHS Executive) issued in 1994;
  Incontinence—Causes, Management and Provision of Services (Royal College of Physicians) issued on 28 March 1996;
  Commissioning Comprehensive Continence Services—Guidance for Purchasers (The Continence Foundation) issued on 28 March 1996.

  Copies of these publications will be placed in the Library.

  Work is continuing on a nursing-led clinical guideline on the management of incontinence.

  The organisation of continence services locally and the manner in which they are delivered are matters for district health authorities and hospital and community trusts.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the long-term saving in residential care costs from providing support services in their own homes to patients who suffer from incontinence. [23457]

  Mr. Bowis
  We have made no such estimate.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the amount spent on incontinence products by each health authority in each of the last five years; [24083]

  (2) what was the amount spent on incontinence products for residents of private nursing homes who have been placed there by the health authority, by authority, in each of the last five years. [24084]

  Mr. Bowis
  The information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are currently affected by incontinence in the United Kingdom. [24085]

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not available centrally.

  NHS Food Costs
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the amount spent per patient on food by NHS hospitals and trusts in each year since 1979. [24028]

  Mr. Horam
  This information is not available centrally.

  Renal Dialysis
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will publish estimates which have been provided to him of the numbers of people per million of population who need renal dialysis treatment for each regional health authority area for each year since 1986; [24088]

  (2) if he will publish the estimates which have been provided to him of the numbers of people per million of population who have received renal dialysis treatment for each regional health authority area for each year since 1986; [24089]

  (3) when he intends to publish the renal service review report. [24087]

  Mr. Horam
  We are still considering the best way to take forward the report of the renal review, and intend to issue guidance on purchasing renal services to health authorities in due course. This would include information on the numbers of people who received renal dialysis in each region. Information on the numbers of people who need renal dialysis is not available centrally; however, guidance has been issued to health authorities on how to carry out a needs assessment of their populations for renal disease.

  Cancer Research
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into links between the operations of Menwith Hill station in North Yorkshire and local incidence of cancer. [23776]

  Mr. Horam
  The Department has neither commissioned nor evaluated any research specifically into the local incidence of cancer near Menwith Hill station. However, I understand that the North Yorkshire health authority is aware of speculative suggestions of a raised incidence of cancer in the area, is currently examining relevant health statistics that are routinely maintained for the area, and is in contact with local community representatives.

  Tobacco
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ban the import of tobacco on Health grounds. [23990]

  Mr. Horam
  No. While determined to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use, we believe that the provision of all relevant information on the dangers of smoking allows people to make their own decision.

  Children in Care
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in the care of the local authority have taken up a training place from age 16 years in each of the last five years. [24027]

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not available centrally.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Rendering Industry
  Mr. Merchant
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what financial support will be provided to the rendering industry and knackers yards in the financial year 1996–97. [24467]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Rendering plants and associated trades are vital service industries, without which UK animal production cannot take place. In the absence of these industries, it is likely that animal waste would be unlawfully buried or dumped, leading to unacceptable health and environmental risks.

  In view both of the ban on the use of mammalian meat-and-bone meal in feed for all farm animals and of current market conditions, it is proposed to provide temporary financial assistance to rendering plants of up to £118 million in the financial year 1996– 97. My officials are preparing detailed proposals on the operation of this support.

  Parliamentary approval to this new service will be sought in a supplementary estimate for class III, vote 2 (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: operational expenditure, agencies and departmental administration). Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £40 million will be met by repayable advances from the contingencies fund.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Channel Islands
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what rights United Kingdom citizens have to live and work in Jersey; [22711]

  (2) if citizens of the Channel Islands have the right to live and work anywhere within the European Union. [22710]

  Mr. Sackville
  Channel Islanders benefit from European Union provisions relating to the free movement of persons or services only if they have close ties with the United Kingdom— for example, if they, a parent or grandparent were born, adopted, naturalised or registered in the United Kingdom—or they have been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom for a period of five years. The traditional right of abode in the United Kingdom for Channel islanders is, however, unaffected by these provisions.

  There are no restrictions on British citizens travelling to Jersey, which, together with Guernsey, the Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom forms part of the common travel area.

  However, in view of the serious shortage of dwelling space on the island, there are restrictions under Jersey law on the acquisition of dwelling accommodation, whether by purchase or by lease.

  KGB Agent
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to identify the KGB agent codenamed Iogann. [23049]
  59
  Mr. Howard
  It is long-standing Government policy not to comment on operational matters relating to security and intelligence.

  Artyom M. Tarasov
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the antecedents of Artyom M. Tarasov, born in Moscow on 4 July 1950. [23050]

  Mr. Howard
  No.

  Contracts
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded by his Department and its executive agencies on the basis of single negotiated contracts in each of the last three years; if he will list the companies involved and the value of the contract in each case; what percentage this represented of contracts awarded by his Department and its agencies after competitive tendering; and, in each case, why the contracts were awarded on the basis of a single negotiated tender. [22875]

  Mr. Howard
  The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines are currently in force in his Department and its executive agencies relating to competitive tendering and the use of single negotiated tenders; on what grounds single negotiated tenders can be used; and what procedures are in place within his Department to ensure that the use of single negotiated tenders in competitive tendering processes is justified in all cases. [22859]

  Mr. Howard
  Detailed Home Office guidance on competitive tendering procedures has been very widely circulated in the Home Office and its agencies. This incorporates the Government's public purchasing policy consolidated guidelines requiring goods and services to be obtained by competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary. In addition, the European Community procurement directives and World Trade Organisation Government procurement agreement require most contracts above specified thresholds to be awarded following competition, subject to certain specified exceptions. The central unit on procurement's guidance note No. 40 has also been circulated within the Home Office and provides an overview of best practice in competitive tendering.

  Except for very low-value items, all proposals to buy goods and services by single tender are required to be refer to a specialist procurement unit within the Home. Office. Single tender will be approved only in exceptional circumstances; for example, when for reasons of security, or compatibility with existing equipment or the protection of intellectual property rights, goods or services may be provided by only one supplier.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases of detained asylum seekers since 4 July 1995 there was a dispute as to the individual's true age; and in how many of these cases a special adjudicator's assessment of the age of the person concerned supported(a) the immigration service opinion or (b) the age claimed by the individual concerned. [23511]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examining individual local case files.

  EDS Software
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what outsourcing contracts his agencies have with the EDS software computer system; what is the current cost; when the contract ends; what are the penalties involved should we seek early termination of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [23737]

  Mr. Howard
  My agencies do not have any outsourcing contracts with the EDS software computer system.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what savings to date have been made by his Department as a result of outsourcing arrangements made with the EDS computer system; what assessment he has made of the equivalent costs for carrying out this work in house; and if he will make a statement. [24229]

  Mr. Howard
  My Department does not have any outsourcing contracts with the EDS software computer system.

  Police Information Technology
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on future arrangements for the delivery of police information technology. [24468]

  Mr. Howard
  With the agreement of the police service and police authorities the Government have decided to establish a new body—the Police Information Technology Organisation —to deliver information technology more efficiently and effectively to the police service in England, Wales and Scotland. PITO will initially be set up on a non-statutory basis, as part of the Home Office, with effect from 1 April. The new organisation will take over many of the functions and staff of the former police department science and technology group.

  PITO will be responsible for promoting the delivery of national police information technology services, such as the police national computer and the police national network, and taking forward the national strategy for police information systems by co-ordinating the development of local information technology systems where common standards and systems are needed.

  PITO will operate on a partnership basis between the Home and Scottish Offices, chief offices and police authorities. To reflect this tripartite approach, a council will be appointed to advise me and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland on the discharge of PITO' s functions.
  61
  It is proposed to place PITO on a statutory footing as soon as the Government's legislative programme allows. Following legislation, the advisory council will be replaced by an executive board responsible for the strategic management of the organisation.

  Director General of the Prison Service
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce the appointment of the Director General of the Prison Service; and if he will make a statement. [24469]

  Mr. Howard
  With the approval of the Prime Minister, I have today appointed Richard Tilt as Director General of the Prison Service.

  I also propose to establish a Prison Service Advisory Board to advise me on the performance and plans of the Prison Service, including the key performance indicators, and on policy matters relating to the Prison Service. The advisory board will have a part-time non-executive chairman and the other members will include the director general, other senior Home Office and Prison Service officials and other non-executives.
  62
  I have concluded that the terms of the framework document which established the Prison Service as an executive agency of the Home Office in 1993 would benefit from some clarification. I propose to ask the advisory board further to consider the need for such clarification and to make recommendations.

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a list of all overseas visits made by all Ministers of his Department since 1990, including(a) details of the places visited and brief reasons for the visit, (b) details of the size, composition and cost to public funds of the delegation and (c) the names of non-ministerial members of each delegation and the capacity in which each was present. [17482]

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 1 March 1996]: I have placed a note in the Library setting out the readily available information on ministerial visits sought by the hon. Member. The list of visits includes the details requested for the period since 1 January 1995. The details requested for the period prior to that date are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what co-operative arrangements are in place between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to prevent the importing of bovine spongiform encephalopathy into the United Kingdom; and what measures are taken to prevent its importation from the Republic of Ireland. [22937]

  Mr. Ancram
  Officials from the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland regularly meet counterparts from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the Republic of Ireland to discuss all aspects of animal health and there is local co-operation with official veterinarians on both sides of the border. EU legislation requires all bovine animals imported from another member state, including the Republic of Ireland, to be accompanied by documentation and their importation to be notified in advance. Department of Agriculture veterinarians carry out random checks on such animals at their point of destination, including checks for any visible signs of BSE. Veterinary staff also inspect all animals presented for slaughter at meat plants to ensure that they show no signs of BSE. Any that show such signs are slaughtered separately and their carcases incinerated.

  Mr. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cattle in Northern Ireland have contracted bovine spongiform encephalopathy in each of the past five years; and how many have died. [22940]

  Mr. Ancram
  All animals affected or suspected of being affected with BSE are slaughtered and their carcases incinerated. The number of cattle in Northern Ireland that have contracted —that is, been confirmed as having—BSE in each of the last five years is:

  March 1991—February 1992: 179

  March 1992—February 1993: 398

  March 1993—February 1994: 477

  March 1994—February 1995: 309

  March 1995—February 1996: 153.

  In some cases, affected animals die before slaughter. The number of cattle that have contracted bovine spongiform encephalopathy over the last five years and have died is:

  March 1991—February 1992: 7

  March 1992—February 1993:15

  March 1993—February 1994: 8

  March 1994—February 1995: 2

  March 1995—February 1996: 3.

  Contracts
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State For Northern how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded by his Department and its 64
  executive agencies on the basis of single negotiated contracts in each of the last three years; if he will list the companies involved and the value of the contract in each case; what percentage this represented of contracts awarded by his Department and its agencies after competitive tendering; and, in each case, why the contracts were awarded on the basis of a single negotiated tender. [22870]

  Sir John Wheeler
  Within the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidelines are currently in force in his Department and its executive agencies relating to competitive tendering and the use of single negotiated tenders; on what grounds single negotiated tenders can be used; and what procedures are in place within his Department to ensure that the use of single negotiated tenders in competitive tendering processes is justified in all cases. [22855]

  Sir John Wheeler
  In relation to competitive tendering and the use of single negotiated tenders the Northern Ireland Departments, the Northern Ireland Office and their executive agencies operate under the principles of Government accounting as set out in "Government Accounting" and "Government Accounting Northern Ireland"; the provisions of the following procurement legislation:

  The Public Supply Contracts Regulations 1995—SI 1995 No. 201

  The Public Services Contracts Regulations 1993—SI 1993 No. 3228

  The Public Works Contracts Regulations 1991—SI 1991 No. 2680;

  and the series of supplementary guidance notes on purchasing and supply procedures issued by the central unit on procurement HM Treasury.

  These publications set out the grounds on which single negotiated tenders may be used and the procedures to justify their use.

  Pensioners and Disabled People
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (i) men, (ii) women and (iii) young people of each sex are(a) pensioners and (b) registered disabled in each council area in Northern Ireland; and if he will express these figures as a percentage of the total population. [21982]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The 1991 census of population provides the most recent information on the number of people of pensionable age in each district council area in Northern Ireland broken down by sex. This information is as follows.
  65

  District council

  Total Population

  Total males

  Total females

  Total Persons aged 60-65+Years

  Total males aged 65+years

  Total females aged 60+years

  Persons aged 60-65+ as percentage of total population

  Males aged 65+as Percentage of total males

  Females aged 60+as Percentage of total females

  Antrim

  44,516

  22,135

  22,381

  5,220

  1,794

  3,426

  11.73

  8.1

  15.31

  Ards

  64,764

  31,527

  33,237

  10,178

  3,437

  6,741

  15.72

  10.9

  20.28

  Armagh

  51,817

  25,741

  26,076

  7,241

  2,513

  4,728

  13.97

  9.76

  18.13

  Ballymena

  56,641

  27,830

  28,811

  8,654

  2,994

  5,660

  15.28

  10.76

  19.65

  Ballymoney

  24,198

  12,022

  12,176

  3,590

  1,274

  2,316

  14.84

  10.6

  19.02

  Banbridge

  33,482

  16,568

  16,914

  4,870

  1,722

  3,148

  14.55

  10.39

  18.61

  Belfast

  279,237

  130,820

  148,417

  52,308

  16,375

  35,933

  18.73

  12.52

  24.21

  Carrickfergus

  32,750

  15,371

  16,879

  4,620

  1,493

  3,127

  14.11

  9.41

  18.53

  Castlereagh

  60,799

  28,946

  31,853

  11,436

  3,789

  7,647

  18.81

  13.09

  24.01

  Cookstown

  31,082

  15,503

  15,579

  4,033

  1,473

  2,560

  12.98

  9.5

  16.43

  Coleraine

  50,438

  24,369

  26,069

  7,955

  2,674

  5,281

  15.77

  10.97

  20.26

  Craigavon

  74,986

  36,511

  38,475

  10,142

  3,308

  6,834

  13.53

  9.06

  17.76

  Derry

  95,371

  46,708

  48,663

  10,215

  3,222

  6,993

  10.71

  6.9

  14.37

  Down

  58,008

  28,835

  29,173

  8,402

  2,878

  5,524

  14.48

  9.98

  18.94

  Dungannon

  45,428

  22,556

  22,872

  6,204

  2,201

  4,003

  13.66

  9.76

  17.5

  Fermanagh

  54,033

  27,095

  26,938

  8,504

  3,299

  5,205

  15.74

  12.18

  19.32

  Larne

  29,419

  14,318

  15,101

  4,808

  1,590

  3,218

  16.34

  11.1

  21.31

  Limavady

  29,567

  15,042

  14,525

  3,181

  1,180

  2,001

  10.76

  7.84

  13.78

  Lisburn

  99,458

  48,653

  50,805

  12,627

  4,084

  8,543

  12.7

  8.39

  16.82

  Magherafelt

  36,293

  18,177

  18,116

  4,680

  1,770

  2,910

  12.9

  9.74

  16.06

  Moyle

  14,789

  7,355

  7,434

  2,468

  899

  1,569

  16.69

  12.22

  21.11

  Newry and Mourne

  82,943

  41,307

  41,636

  10,777

  3,768

  7,009

  12.99

  9.12

  16.83

  Newtownabbey

  74,035

  35,760

  38,275

  10,698

  3,398

  7,300

  14.45

  9.5

  19.07

  North Down

  71,832

  34,284

  37,548

  12,867

  4,149

  8,718

  17.91

  12.1

  23.22

  Omagh

  45,809

  23,022

  22,787

  6,061

  2,305

  3,756

  13.23

  10.01

  16.48

  Strabane

  36,141

  18,116

  18,025

  4,662

  1,699

  2,963

  12.9

  9.38

  16.44

  Comprehensive information on the registered disabled, as a percentage of the total population —male and female is not available at district council level. Information for Northern Ireland as a whole is as follows:

  Total registered disabled in Northern Ireland as a percentage of the total population

  Area

  Northern Ireland

  Total population1

  1,654,000

  Total males1

  809,000

  Total females1

  845,000

  Total registered disabled

  9,565

  Total male registered disabled

  6,892

  Total female registered disabled

  2,673

  Total registered disabled as a percentage of total Population

  0.58

  Male registered disabled as a percentage of total male population

  0.85

  Female registered disabled as a percentage of total female population

  0.32

  1 Government Actuary's Department Population Projections for 1996.

  Total registered disabled in Northern Ireland as a percentage of the total population

  Area

  Northern Ireland

  1Total population

  1,654,000

  1Total males

  809,000

  1Total females

  845,000

  Total young registered disabled

  134

  Young male registered disabled

  85

  Young female registered disabled

  49

  66

  Total registered disabled in Northern Ireland as a percentage of a total population

  Area

  Northern Ireland

  Total young registered disabled as a percentage of total population

  0.01

  Young male registered disabled as a percentage of total male population

  0.01

  Young female registered disabled as a percentage of total female population

  0.01

  1 Government Actuary's Department Population Projections for 1996.

  Fish Farming
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 29 January,Official Report, column 525, what assessment he has made of how many of the ponds comply with (a) the fishery protection measures of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 and (b) the provisions governing the installation of grids, grills and lattices. [21807]

  Mr. Ancram
  All the ponds have been assessed for compliance with the fishery protection measures of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966. Compliance with the requirement for the installation of grids, grills and lattices is monitored by staff of the Fisheries Conservancy Board for Northern Ireland during routine river patrols, but as this requirement applies only in situations where water is abstracted and returned to a river very few of the ponds would be subject to it. The Fisheries Conservancy Board does not require access to pond sites to undertake this monitoring nor does it have statutory responsibility for fish culture requiring such access.

  Cultural Bodies
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the(a) Irish and (b) Ulster Scots cultural bodies which received funding from the central community relations unit in 1995–96; how much funding was awarded to each body; and what assessment he has made of the equity of distribution between (a) and (b). [22412]

  Mr. Ancram
  Further to my answer of 14 March 1996,Official Report, columns 743–44, the following Irish language and Ulster Scots cultural bodies have received funding from the budget of the central community relations unit in the current financial year.

  (a) Irish language cultural bodies:

  CCRU has directly funded the following bodies:

  £

  Ultach Trust

  93,757

  Gael Linn

  43,000

  Comhaltas Uladh

  27,125

  Preas an Phobail

  25,258

  Oideas Gad Uladh

  5,000

  The cultural traditions group has funded the following groups, drawing on grant provided by CCRU:

  £

  Comhchoiste na Gaeilge Aontroim Thuaidh

  21,000

  Condradh na Gaeilge

  1,200

  Small grants of less than £1,000 were made by the cultural traditions group to:
  An Cumann Gaelach; Cairdeas na Teanga; Coiste na Bealtaine; Comhaltas an Chreagain; Culturlann Mac Adam—O Fiaich; and Radio an Iuir.

  b. Ulster Scots Cultural Groups

  The cultural traditions group made the following grants to Ulster Scots cultural groups, drawing on grant provided by CCRU:

  £

  Ulster Scots Heritage Council

  12,470

  Ulster Scots Academic Press

  1,500

  The distribution of these resources reflects the numbers of Irish language and Ulster Scots cultural groups in Northern Ireland, and the relative stage of development of the Irish language and Ulster Scots cultural movements. All applications for grant assistance are assessed on their merits.

  Beef Industry
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to promote the beef industry in Northern Ireland; what measures he will take to inform the public of the health safety of beef consumption; and if he will make a statement. [22939]
  68
  Mr. Ancram
  The recent statement made by my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Health and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food cover comprehensively the health safety of beef consumption. We continue to work to ensure that the situation of the industry in Northern Ireland and its needs are registered on all occasions.

  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in each of the past five years; and how many have died. [22938]

  Mr. Moss
  There have been three cases, all fatal, resulting in one death in each of the years 1992, 1993 and 1995.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total cost of answering parliamentary questions in each Session since 1989–90. [22904]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The NIO and Northern Ireland Departments do not calculate the data requested, and they could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Schoolteachers
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Irish schoolteacher qualifications were recognised under EU rules in 1993–94 in(a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain; how many United Kingdom schoolteacher qualifications were recognised in the Republic of Ireland; and what assessment he has made of the desirability of making a submission to the European Commission requesting enforcement proceedings in the European Court of Justice against the Republic's Irish language requirements for such recognition. [23233]

  Mr. Ancram
  Two such qualifications are recognised in Northern Ireland and in Great Britain. The number of United Kingdom qualifications recognised in the Republic of Ireland is a matter for the Irish Government. The European Court of Justice has already considered the compatibility of the requirement of linguistic knowledge with EU law.

  Wheelchairs
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure that indoor/outdoor powered wheelchairs are made freely available in Northern Ireland on the same lines as the Department of Health has announced for England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [23234]

  Mr. Moss
  [holding answer 29 March 1996): The Department of Health announcement referred only to England. In Northern Ireland the Department of Health and Social Services is currently exploring with the four health and social services boards how the wheelchair service might be improved. In this context they will be considering the provision of indoor/outdoor powered

  69
  wheelchairs for severely disabled people and the implications for Northern Ireland of the proposals for a voucher scheme.

  NHS (Residual Liabilities) Bill
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he made of the possibility of extending the NHS (Residual Liabilities) Bill to Northern Ireland; and what were the reasons for choosing the negative resolution procedure. [23230]

  Mr. Moss
  [holding answer 29 March 1996]: This is a transferred matter and it is accepted practice to amend the existing Northern Ireland legislation by means of an Order in Council rather than extension of a Bill. The negative resolution procedure was chosen to maintain the integrity of the NI statute book and because there is some urgency to ensure consistency throughout the United Kingdom.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Internet
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what information from her Department is made available over the Internet. [21907]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Department of National Heritage uses its Internet site to provide information on the work of the Department; guidance on issues such as the care, preservation and management of records; press notices through the Central Office of Information; and links to those sponsored bodies which have an Internet presence.

  National Lottery
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what research has been conducted by her Department on the effect on the finances of households of investing in the national lottery. [21908]

  Mr. Sproat
  My Department has commissioned surveys of spending on the national lottery and is also analysing other relevant surveys, such as the Central Statistical Office's family expenditure survey 1994–95. These surveys provide a breakdown of the total spending on the national lottery, which from the sales figures can be seen to be equivalent to around £2 a household a week, net of prizes.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement about the development of policy on the distribution of lottery proceeds. [24290]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I have today issued to the chairman of the lottery distributing bodies changes to policy directions I intend to make under section 26 (1) and (2) of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993.

  These changes will allow the arts councils to consider applications for revenue funding to help to develop talents, skills and creative abilities, particularly of young people; and to consider applications for lottery grants to fund access to and participation in the arts. They will allow the sports councils likewise to consider applications for revenue funding to help to develop sporting talent and skills, particularly of young people; and to consider
  70
  applications for the funding of one-off major international sporting events. Finally, they will allow the national heritage memorial fund to consider applications for grants from building preservation trusts.

  None of these directions is intended to promote awards which might substitute for existing funding through grant in aid. The Millennium Commission and the National Lottery Charities Board are already able to make revenue awards and are not affected by these proposals. My colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be writing today in similar terms to the distributing bodies for which they are responsible.

  Millennium Exhibition
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consultation she has had with east London boroughs subsequent to the announcement of the proposed site of the millennium exhibition. [21909]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Millennium Commission makes all decisions entirely independently of Government, and it is for the commission to determine the arrangements for a millennium exhibition. The commission has selected the ideas and concepts for an exhibition submitted by Imagination Group Ltd., and announced on 28 February its preference for the event to be located on the Greenwich peninsula site. It is for the commission to consult as it feels is necessary in order to determine whether to award a grant to a project.

  The commission has stated that it will need to be fully satisfied as to the firm commitment of the private sector support and viability of the whole project before a final grant decision will be taken. Work is currently in progress to develop the proposals submitted, and this work may include consultation by the commission with the bodies that it feels are appropriate before taking its decision. Although much of the current work is focusing on the development of the business plan and commitment of finance, substantial other work is also under way, including a detailed traffic impact assessment, and consultation with boroughs adjacent to Greenwich that may be affected by the exhibition will most likely be needed at the appropriate point of work in progress.

  British Tourist Authority
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the timetable for the appointment of a new chairman of the British Tourist Authority and English tourist board. [21910]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The new chairman will take up appointment after Ms Biss's term of office ends on 31 May.

  Tourism
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what analysis she has made of the latest figures on spending by tourists. [21911]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Overseas visitors to the UK spent £11.7 billion in 1995. That is an increase of 18 per cent. on 1994, and a record in real terms. The latest figure for spending by all tourists in the UK is £34 billion in 1994, equivalent to over 5 per cent. of gross domestic product.

  Arts, Sport and Heritage Funding
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on overall funding provision for(a) sport, (b) the arts and (c) heritage. [21913]

  Mr. Sproat
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesham (Mr. Arnold).

  Digital Terrestrial Television
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps she is taking to ensure that there is universal access to digital terrestrial television services.[21914]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Broadcasting Bill creates the conditions for maximising viewers' access to digital terrestrial television. Multiplex licences will be awarded to those applicants whose proposals are best calculated to promote the development of digital terrestrial broadcasting. Two of the most important criteria will be applicants' plans for maximising coverage and for encouraging the take-up of digital receivers.

  British Film Industry
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations she has received about the future of the British film industry. [21915]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I receive regular representations from members of the film industry on a wide range of film-related issues.

  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the British film industry. [21918]

  Mrs. Bottomley
  The British film industry is currently in a buoyant state and the Government are committed to boosting it further. I congratulate Emma Thompson, Nick Park, James Acheson and John Blair on their recent success in winning academy awards, and also all those who were nominated. Over the past 20 years, British talent has won around 30 per cent. of all Oscars. A number of initiatives have recently been announced which will take forward the proposals set out in the policy paper published last year. Principal among these is confirmation that the national lottery will make more than £100 million available to film-related projects over the next five years—some £19.5 million has already been allocated. We have also set up an Advisory Committee on Film Finance, which is looking at obstacles to investment in the film industry and I look forward to receiving its report in July. I have also recently announced further allocations of money to Cinema 100, which is co-ordinating the celebrations of the centenary of the cinema, to the British Film Institute and to the European Film Studio. My Department has now started a feasibility study into the viability of a west end showcase for British films and I await the outcome of that study with great interest.

  As well as these new initiatives, the Government are also, of course, committed to the continued funding of the British Film Institute, the National Film and Television School, British Screen Finance, the European Co-production Fund and the British Film Commission.

  Satellite Television
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many representations she has received during the past six months on the exclusive televising of sporting events by satellite television; and if she will make a statement. [21916]

  Mr. Sproat
  My Department has received representations from a wide range of interests, including over 250 letters from hon. Members in the last six months. My Department also held formal discussions with organisations representing consumers, broadcasters, sports bodies and regulatory authorities. Many representations were promoted by the publication of our discussion paper "Informing the Debate".

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans she has to increase the percentage of British made programmes on satellite television; and if she will make a statement. [21917]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Since 1991, there has been a steady improvement in the proportion of British-made programming on satellite channels uplinked from the United Kingdom. I am pressing channels which do not yet meet the majority proportion of European programme content required to be achieved over time by the EU broadcasting directive to agree further targets for increasing such content where practicable.

  Public Library Service
  Mr. Touhig
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the future of the public library service. [21919]

  Mr. Sproat
  As indicated in my right hon. Friend's written statement to the House on 18 December 1995, columns 852-54, I will report further on the public library service in a policy paper addressing the issues raised by the public library review. I intend to publish this paper in the near future.

  Safety at Sports Grounds
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps she is taking to review the operation of the safety at sports grounds legislation. [21920]

  Mr. Sproat
  The safety at sports grounds legislation is kept under regular review.

  Locally Funded Theatres
  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the future of locally funded theatres. [21921]

  Mr. Sproat
  Government funding in support of local theatres is channelled through the Arts Council and the regional arts boards. The funding of individual theatres is a matter for these bodies in conjunction with the local authorities and other funding partners.

  Deregulation
  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is her policy on deregulation; and if she will make a statement. [21895]
  73
  Mr. Sproat
  I am taking forward the Government's campaign against red tape in the sectors for which I am responsible. In particular, my Department aims to remove obstacles to the competitiveness of the tourism industry, which is worth over £36 billion annually to the national economy. Many deregulatory measures beneficial to tourism have already been taken. We will work with other Departments to secure further deregulatory gains for the industry.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Contracts
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which(a) NHS hospital trusts and organisations

  Year

  Agency

  Organisation

  Nature

  Number of individuals

  Value of Contract

  1992–93

  —

  None

  —

  —

  —

  1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96

  War Pensions Agency

  General Healthcare Group PLC

  Provision of audiology Services. Contract expires 31 October 1996

  Varies according to the number of War Pension Claims and appeals involing hearing loss

  Varies according to the number and War Pension type of tests required

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidelines are currently in force in his Department and its executive agencies relating to competitive tendering and the use of single negotiated tenders; on what grounds single negotiated tenders can be used; and what procedures are in place within his Department to ensure that the use of single negotiated tenders in competitive tendering processes is justified in all cases. [22851]

  Mr. Burt
  Officials in this Department follow the guidance and instructions in the departmental purchasing and supply manual and the relevant domestic and EC legislation.

  The Government's public purchasing policy consolidated guidelines require goods and services to be acquired by competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary. In addition, the EC procurement directives and World Trade Organisation Government procurement agreement require most contracts above specified thresholds to be awarded following competition, subject to certain specified exceptions. The central unit on procurement's guidance note No. 40 provides an overview of best practice in the competitive tendering process.

  Casual Workers (National Insurance)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will clarify the guidance given to those operating the national insurance contributions system, within his Department, with regard to the position of the self-employed status of casual workers in the film and television industry, with particular reference to the equivalent guidance given for taxation purposes. [20053]

  Mr. Heald
  Since 1987 the Department of Social Security and the Inland Revenue have adopted a common approach with the aim of minimising employment status differences. Where one Department has made a full 74
  and (b) private hospitals and medical organisations his Department has entered into contracts with for the purpose of testing of applicants for benefits administered by his Department in the current financial year and each of the three previous years; and if he will list the organisations involved, the nature of the contracts, the number of individuals covered by each contract, which agencies entered into these contracts and the monetary value of the contracts in each case. [22845]

  Mr. Burt
  This Department has not entered into contracts for this purpose with any NHS hospital trusts or organisations. Information about contracts with private hospitals and medical organisations is in the table.

  examination of an individual case and issued a ruling, the other Department will normally adhere to it provided the circumstances remain the same.

  General guidance on employment status is provided in a joint leaflet which applies for tax and national insurance purposes. In addition, within the film and TV industry, the Inland Revenue publishes grading lists to help employers determine which workers should be self-employed and which not. The Contributions Agency has also used these lists since 1992. These lists are reviewed annually.

  Currently, the Contributions Agency is co-operating with the Inland Revenue to provide guidance for 1996–97. The intention is to simplify the lists both Departments use by providing a combined list including all parts of the industry which cover television, film, video and radio work.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 13 March,Official Report, column 646, when he intends to establish the threshold levels for grants to local authorities in respect of costs that they face from measures to remove benefit from serious asylum seekers; and what consultations he has had with local authorities in seeking to establish the level. [22461]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 28 March,Official Report, column 717.

  Housing and Council Tax Benefit
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to redesign or modify the procedure or forms which new income support claimants are given by the Benefits Agency to claims housing and council tax benefit. [22598]
  75
  Mr. Roger Evans
  The content and design of the housing benefit and council tax benefit claim forms provided by the Benefits Agency are reviewed annually by the Department in consultation with the local authority associations and the Benefits Agency. A review is under way to identify the changes required in preparation for the implementation of jobseeker's allowance in October. Housing benefit and council tax benefit claims procedures are monitored continually.

  Pensions
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of commencing payment of a retirement pension on the day of a pensioner's 65th birthday. [18300]

  Mr. Heald
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 19 March,Official Report, column 181.

  Sir Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of pensioners who do not take up their entitlement to income support who also do not take up their entitlement to(a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit. [23967]

  Mr. Heald
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave him on 11 January,Official Report, column 325.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will assess the advantage of extending to married couples in divorce proceedings the same rules for division of pension rights as apply in the case of civil servants wishing to allocate part of their pension to their wives; and if he will list the rules applying to civil servants. [22957]

  Mr. Heald
  The provisions governing the allocation of civil service pensions are contained in section 5 of, and appendix 8 to, the rules of the principal civil service pension scheme.

  The Government have announced their commitment to the principle of pension splitting on divorce. Options for dealing with the treatment of pensions on divorce will be dealt with in the Green Paper that we intend publishing in the summer.

  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what plans he has, in what time scale, to make regulations under section 149 of the Pensions Act 1995 to extend to occupational pension schemes his proposals for contracted-out money purchase payment schemes;[23128]

  (2) by what date he will make regulations under section 149 of the Pensions Act 1995 to enable occupational pension schemes to be used for contracting out on a contracted out mixed benefits scheme. [23129]

  Mr. Heald
  We aim to lay regulations under section 149 of the Pensions Act 1995 before the summer parliamentary recess. From 6 April 1997 the intention is that newly contracted-out schemes will be able to contract out on a salary-related basis in respect of some members and a money purchase basis in respect of others. Existing contracted-out salary-related schemes will be able to change to contracted-out money purchase status without having to discharge their liabilities to provide salary-related benefits in respect of members' accrued rights. They will also be able to provide contracted-out 76
  money purchase benefits for some members and salary-related rights for others. Existing contracted-out money purchase schemes will be able to take advantage of the new flexibilities from April 1998. All these schemes will be known as contracted-out mixed benefit schemes or COMBS.

  Family Credit
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what percentage of those lone parents who were in receipt of family credit in(a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94 received family credit for (i) 26 weeks only, (ii) 52 weeks only and (iii) more than 52 weeks; [22187]

  (2) how many lone parents claimed family credit in (a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94; [22189]

  (3) how many couples claimed family credit in (a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94; [22190]

  (4) what was the total number of family credit claimants in (a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94; [22191]

  (5) of those couples in receipt of family credit in (a) 1992–93 and (b) 1993–94 what percentage received family credit for (i) 26 weeks only, (ii) 52 weeks only and (iii) more than 52 weeks. [22192]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The available information is set out in the table. To provide data on a comparable basis, it refers to recipients of family credit at the end of each financial year. This excludes awards beginning and ending during the year and therefore significantly underestimates the number and proportion of awards that last for 26 weeks only. The proportion with longer spells on family credit is thus over-estimated.

  Caseload (000)

  Percentage of Caseload With Family Credit in Payment For 26 Weeks

  Percentage of Caseload With Family Credit in Payment For 52 Weeks

  Percentage of Caseload With Family Credit in Payment For More than 52 Weeks

  1992–93

  All families

  485

  42.1

  23.2

  34.6

  All lone Parents

  280

  48.0

  21.2

  30.8

  All Couples

  204

  34.1

  25.9

  40.0

  1993–94

  All families

  536

  38.9

  21.1

  39.9

  All lone Parents

  303

  45.2

  21.0

  33.8

  All Couples

  233

  30.7

  21.3

  48.0

  Notes:

  1. Figures refer to awards in payment at the end of the financial year; and may exclude those who ceased have ceased to claim during the year.

  2. All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

  3. Percentages have been expressed to one decimal place, and therefore may not tally.

  Source:

  Family Credit Computer System: 5 per cent. sample of all awards.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what percentage of children in Scotland aged(a) under five years and (b) five to 15 years living with lone parents were in receipt of family credit in (i) 1992–93 and (ii) 1993–94. [22188]
  77
  Mr. Evans
  The available information is set out in the table:

  Child aged

  Number of children in families receiving family credit

  Number as a percentage of children in Scotland

  As at 31 March 1993

  Under five years

  11,000

  3.5

  Five to 15 years

  37,000

  5.2

  As at 31 March 1994

  Under five years

  12,000

  3.7

  Five to 15 years

  41,000

  5.7

  1. Figures refer to awards in payment at the end of the financial year and may exclude those who have ceased to claim during the year.

  2. All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

  3. Percentages have been expressed to one decimal place and therefore may not tally.

  4. The number of children has been calculated by reference to a 5 per cent. sample of the family credit computer system and the number of children in Scotland by reference to the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys mid-term estimates 1993 and 1994.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what percentage of children in Scotland aged(a) under five years and (b) five to 15 years from two-parent families were in receipt of family credit in (i) 1992–93 and (ii) 1993–94. [22193]

  Mr. Evans
  The available information is set out in the table:

  Child aged

  Number of children in families receiving family credit

  Number as a percentage of children in Scotland

  As at 31 March 1993

  Under five years

  17,000

  5.4

  Five to 15 years

  37,000

  5.2

  As at 31 March 1994

  Under five years

  18,000

  5.4

  Five to 15 years

  37,000

  5.1

  1. Figures refer to awards in payment at the end of the financial year; and may exclude those who have ceased to claim during the year.

  2. All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

  3. Percentages have been expressed to one decimal place and therefore may not tally.

  4. The number of children has been calculated by reference to a 5 per cent. sample of the family credit computer system and the number of children in Scotland by reference to the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys mid-term estimates 1993 and 1994.

  War Pensions Disregard
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what are (i) the arrangements and (ii) the formulae for compensating local authorities for the mandatory £10 disregard of(a) war disablement and (b) war widows' pensions when assessing eligibility for council tax and housing benefit; [23209]

  (2) how much his Department has paid in each of the last five years (i) in total and (ii) by local authority, to compensate local authorities for the mandatory £10 disregard of (a) war disablement and (b) war widows' pensions when assessing eligibility for council tax and housing benefit. [23210]
  78
  Mr. Heald
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 14 February,Official Report, column 654.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the oral answer of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the hon. Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) on 26 February,Official Report, column 576, if he will list those statutory instruments and Acts of Parliament which have been gold plated in the past five years; and what steps he is taking to amend or repeal each piece of gold plating on existing legislation.[23636]

  Mr. Burt
  The Government's policy is not to add unnecessary burdens when implementing EC directives. We take every opportunity to review existing legislation in the light of this. Revised guidance to enable Ministers to see where implementing legislation goes beyond the underlying EC directive is in the course of preparation.

  Appeals Mechanisms
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how may appeals mechanisms, as laid out in section 6 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, he expects to establish by the end of 1996; how many staff each appeals system will employ; and what their estimated annual running costs will be. [23616]

  Mr. Burt
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  Performing Artists (National Insurance)
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what assessment he has made of the impact on living standards of actors of the proposal to take actors out of eligibility for class 1 national insurance contributions; [24018]

  (2) what consultations he has had with (a) theatre employers, (b) television employers and (c) actors' organisations on proposals to change actors' eligibility for class 1 national insurance contributions; [24019]

  (3) if he will delay a decision on changes to eligibility rules concerning actors and class 1 national insurance contributions pending consultations with (a) theatre employers, (b) televisions employers and (c) actors' organisations. [24017]

  Mr. Heald
  In reviewing the national insurance position of actors, departmental officials have consulted the following organisations:

  The Theatres' National Committee,

  The British Broadcasting Corporation,

  The ITV Network Centre,

  The Producers' Alliance for Cinema and Television,

  The British Actors' Equity Association.

  In common with other occupations and professions, liability for the contributions paid by actors depends on the contractual nature of the engagement: that is, whether, under the law, it is employed earner's employment or self-employment. Employment status is decided without reference to any potential impact on the living standards of the individual concerned.
  79
  I am meeting representatives of Equity today, 1 April, and I am prepared to have further consultations with the industry if it seeks them.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the grounds for removing the right of performing artists to pay class 1 national insurance contributions; what external advice he took before making this decision; and what estimate he has made of the financial impact this move will have on(a) the national insurance fund and (b) the income support budget for the next five years. [23850]

  Mr. Heald
  This Department has generally regarded performers as employed earners. However, as a result of two tax cases before the special commissioners, the Inland Revenue now generally regards performers as self-employed and we are reviewing our position in the light of this change.

  In reviewing the position, departmental officials have sought views from representatives both of performers and of the broadcasting, film, theatre and video industries.

  Performing artists have no special rights to pay class 1 national insurance contributions: like other contributors, they are legally liable to pay the appropriate class of contribution depending on their employment status.

  No reliable estimate is available of the effects on public funds of any widespread shift away from the payment of class 1 contributions by performers.

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what benefit payment cards will be introduced for claimants of JSA; and what transitional arrangements will apply. [24150]

  Mr. Heald
  Jobseeker's allowance claimants will be issued with the same benefit payment card as other social security customers. Claimants of jobseeker's allowance will be paid by girocheque until they are converted to the benefit payment card which, on current planning assumptions, will commence in October 1997.

WALES

  Morriston Hospital, Swansea
  Mr. Donald Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the length of the delay in the start-up date for work on the accident and emergency department at Morriston hospital, Swansea; and to what extent this is due to the work being subject to the private finance initiative. [22963]

  Mr. Richards
  The start date for work in the accident and emergency department is dependent upon Morriston Hospital NHS trust completing its business case for a range of capital investments and securing approval from Lechyd Morgannwg health authority and the Welsh Office. Once the business case is approved, the trust will explore the opportunities for private sector investment, in line with all public sector capital developments. Any delay to the start can be quickly made up through speedy implementation of the works by a private sector partner.

  Contracts
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what guidelines are currently in force in his department and its executive agencies relating to competitive tendering and the use of single negotiated tenders; on what grounds single negotiated tenders can be used; and what procedures are in place within his Department to ensure that the use of single negotiated tenders in competitive tendering processes is justified in all cases; [22856]

  (2) how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded by his Department and its executive agencies on the basis of single negotiated contracts in each of the last three years; if he will list the companies involved and the value of the contract in each case; what percentage this represented of contracts awarded by his Department and its agencies after competitive tendering; and, in each case, why the contracts were awarded on the basis of a single negotiated tender. [22871]

  Mr. Hague
  The Government's public purchasing policy consolidated guidelines require goods and services to be acquired by competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary. In addition, the EC procurement regulations and World Trade Organisation Government procurement agreement require most contracts above specified thresholds to be awarded following competition, subject to certain specified exceptions. the Treasury's central unit on procurement's guidance note No. 40 provides an overview of best practice in the competitive tendering process.

  My Department requires senior officers to obtain written approval for single negotiated contracts valued above £1,000 from the head of finance programmes division, who is advised by the head of procurement. The Department's executive agency, Cadw, requires the agreement of its chief executive for single negotiated contracts valued above £10,000 and the agreement of the appropriate head of branch for those valued below £10,000.

  Information on the number, value and percentage of single negotiated contracts awarded, the companies involved and the reasons why such contracts were awarded is not available in the form requested, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Wetlands
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations his Department has recently received from Friends of the Earth, Cymru concerning wetland areas in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [23183]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  No such representation has been received.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the representations which he has received on the 1996–97 revenue support grant settlement. [23746]
  81
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My right hon. Friend took account of all the representations made to the Welsh Office in making decisions on the 1996–97 local government revenue settlement. The decisions were approved by the House of Commons on 8 February.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new measures he will take to tackle homelessness; and if he will make a statement. [23744]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  There is a comprehensive range of measures in Wales to tackle homelessness and encourage the provision of suitable housing, especially for those least able to help themselves.

  Our approach is working: homelessness in Wales is falling. In the nine months to 30 September 1995—latest figures available—the number of cases of homelessness accepted by Welsh local authorities fell by 13.9 per cent. compared to the same period in 1994. There was also a large reduction—44.6 per cent.—in the use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation at 30 September 1995 compared to the same point in 1994.

  Energy Conservation
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his Department's work in energy conservation. [23748]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Welsh Office's energy and environment office provides businesses and other organisations with a wide range of support services on the efficient use of energy. These comprise free on-site visits; seminars; conferences and workshops; and availability of extensive best practice material and guides. The Office also supports the development of local energy and environment business action groups. Membership gives those concerned with energy management the opportunity to learn from others and broaden their knowledge and skills.

  EDS Software
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what outsourcing contracts his agencies have with the EDS software computer system; what is the current cost; when the contract ends; what are the penalties involved should he seek early termination of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [23741]

  Mr. Hague
  My agency—Cadw—does not have any outsourcing contracts with EDS.

  Unmet Housing Need
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the backlog of unmet housing need. [23743]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Over 80 per cent. of households in Wales have expressed the wish to own their own home. Most housing needs are being met through the private market and I estimate that the completion of over 3,500 housing association homes in 1996–97 will go a considerable way towards meeting the need for subsidised housing.

  Nursery Voucher Scheme
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that the nursery voucher scheme shall not apply in Wales. [23755]

  Mr. Richards
  No. The schemes will give parents in Wales a greater choice in the type of education they want for their four-year-olds, will stimulate diversity of provision and will act as a lever to raise standards.

  Public Interest Immunity Certificates
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all those in his Department authorised to issue public interest immunity certificates; and if he will make a statement. [23820]

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

  Deregulation
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the oral answer of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the hon. Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) on 26 February,Official Report, column 576, if he will list those statutory instruments and Acts of Parliament which have been gold plated in the past five years; and what steps he is taking to amend or repeal each piece of gold plating on existing legislation. [23638]

  Mr. Hague
  None.

  Appeals Mechanisms
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many appeals mechanisms, as laid out in section 6 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, he expects to establish by the end of 1996; how many staff each appeals system will employ; and what their estimated costs will be. [23623]

  Mr. Hague
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  Cardiff Bay Barrage
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to table 3.17 of his departmental report, if he will set out the principal reasons for the difference between the target and the forecast outturn for completion of the Cardiff bay barrage construction contract at the end of the 1995–96 financial year. [23559]

  Mr. Hague
  The Cardiff Bay development corporation is reporting good progress on the barrage project. Expenditure in 1995–96 is now expected to be over £40 million, which is within 5 per cent. of the target figure set at the start of the year. I have asked the chief executive to provide the hon. Member with the principal reasons for the variations from the target figures set at the start of the year, once the final outturn figures are known. I will arrange for a copy of his response to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the reasons for the time taken to direct the Local Government Boundary Commission to review the boundary between the Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan county boroughs in the area from Coychurch to Ewenny. [24086]
  84
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The direction was issued on 6 February 1995, enabling the Local Government Boundary Commission, in preparing its initial draft proposals, to consult and take account of the views of the new unitary authorisation which were not elected until 4 May 1995.

  Israeli Counter-Terrorism Measures
  Israeli Counter-Terrorism Measures
  Firearms Control and Human Rights
  Firearms Control and Human Rights
  Mr. Issa Ahmad Hassan Qambar
  Mr. Issa Ahmad Hassan Qambar
  Crimes against Humanity: Prosecution
  Crimes against Humanity: Prosecution
  Iraqi Refugees in Saudi Arabia: Assistance
  Iraqi Refugees in Saudi Arabia: Assistance
  General Affairs Council, 25th March
  General Affairs Council, 25th March
  The South West: Government Policy
  The South West: Government Policy
  European Defence: Policy
  European Defence: Policy
  Armed Forces: Attitude Survey
  Armed Forces: Attitude Survey
  Civil Service Posts: Irish and Commonwealth Citizens
  Civil Service Posts: Irish and Commonwealth Citizens
  Water Industry: Competition
  Water Industry: Competition
  Railway Safety Inspections
  Railway Safety Inspections
  Asylum Seekers: Local Authority Costs
  Asylum Seekers: Local Authority Costs
  Single Room Households, Gloucestershire
  Single Room Households, Gloucestershire
  Hazardous Waste Directive
  Hazardous Waste Directive
  Training for Work: Allowances to Ex-Offenders
  Training for Work: Allowances to Ex-Offenders
  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in the EU
  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in the EU
  Prison Service: Appointment of Director General
  Prison Service: Appointment of Director General
  Eurostar: Passport Inspections
  Eurostar: Passport Inspections
  Foreign Nationals Settled in the UK
  Foreign Nationals Settled in the UK
  Prison Population Growth and Prison Officer Numbers
  Prison Population Growth and Prison Officer Numbers
  Child Support Agency: Ombudsman's Report
  Child Support Agency: Ombudsman's Report
  Child Support Agency: Consolatory Payment for Error
  Child Support Agency: Consolatory Payment for Error
  Child Support Agency: Complaints Service
  Child Support Agency: Complaints Service
  Unmarried Couples: Identification Criteria
  Unmarried Couples: Identification Criteria
  Public Sector Debt
  Public Sector Debt
  UK Capital Spending
  UK Capital Spending