Written Answers of 13 December 1996

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Maize
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what actions he is taking to ensure that genetically modified maize is not marketed in the United Kingdom without the express authority of the Committee on Novel Foods and Processes. [8879]

  Mrs. Browning
  Decisions on marketing of genetically modified organisms are taken on an EU-wide basis. The advice of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes was taken into account in formulating the United Kingdom position on genetically modified maize and has been passed on to the EU Scientific Committee for Food which is currently advising the Commission on this matter.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures the Government are taking to ensure that genetically modified maize is not mixed with normal maize gluten feed; and if he will make a statement. [8880]

  Mrs. Browning
  Importers and distributors of maize and maize products have been informed that it is currently illegal to market unprocessed genetically modified maize in the United Kingdom.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Employment Schemes
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people after leaving (1) national training awards, (2) new workers scheme, (3) North Norfolk Action, (4) other education initiative, (5) old job training scheme, (6) open learning credit, (7) other occupational training, (8) open tech learning, (9) one-to-one, (10) placing, assessment and counselling teams, (11) placing and advisory service, (12) Professional and Executive Recruitment, (13) promotion of tourism scheme, (14) Prince's Youth Business trust, (15) Remploy, (16) Skill Choice, (17) sheltered-supported employment, (18) Small Firms Advisory Service, (19) small firms employment subsidy, (20) small firms information service, (21) small firms loan guarantee scheme, (22) small firms service, (23) single regeneration budget, (24) special schemes for disabled, (25) Skills Training agency, (26) special temporary employment programme, (27) short-time working compensation scheme and (28) training access points,(a) went into employment and (b) went on to further schemes, including those who left before completion of the scheme, in each year of each scheme's operation; and
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  what type and level of qualification each leaver obtained for each year of the scheme's operation up to the latest available year for which data are available. [8741]

  Mr. Paice
  The information requested can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

  Voluntary-aided Schools
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she will announce allocations of credit approvals to local education authorities and capital grant to the governors of voluntary-aided schools. [9401]

  Mrs. Gillan
  Details will be placed in the Library on Monday 16 December.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Westminster Hall (Official Functions)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee how many official functions were held in Westminster Hall during the past year; at what cost; and if he will make a statement on their purpose. [8845]

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  Two official events have been held in Westminster Hall this year. The President of the Republic of South Africa addressed Members of both Houses of Parliament on Thursday 11 July and the Lord Chancellor's annual breakfast, following the judges' service in Westminster Abbey, was held on Tuesday 1 October. The cost to the House of Commons works services vote of the event on 11 July was £48,000.

TRANSPORT

  Road Signs
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to commence the upgrading of the primary route road signs within the M25; and what projections he has made as to the cost of the programme. [8419]

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

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 13 December 1996:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your question on what estimate he has made of the percentage of road signs which need replacement or repair on the United Kingdom primary route network.
  The Highways Agency is responsible for the trunk road network in England. We do not have an estimate at any one time of the number of signs needing repair or replacement for the reasons explained below.
  Under the requirements of our Code of Practice for Routine Maintenance our maintenance agents (currently over 80 in number) carry out regular inspections of the highway infrastructure including signing and record defects. These defects will be assessed and a prioritised programme of treatments developed. The agents will attempt to coordinate the programme of treatments for small items such as road signs with other works to secure economies of scale and reduce disruption on the network.

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  From these investigations our agents will produce a rolling programme of works contracts in the form of both maintenance and improvements to effect any necessary restoration of sign quality. On a network of some 6,500 miles these programmes will be updated very regularly. I can say that our budget over the last 5 years for all road sign and road marking maintenance, but not improvement, has varied between about £10m and £16m per year.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the condition of road signs in the United Kingdom for which his Department has responsibility; [8417]

  (2) what representations he has received in the last year on poor and inadequate road signing in the United Kingdom for which his Department has responsibility. [8421]

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

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 13 December 1996:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your questions on the condition of road signs on trunk roads in England and representations received in the last year on poor and inadequate road signing.
  Signs on the Trunk Road network in England are provided to high standards set out in our Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and proactively maintained to similarly high levels defined in our Code of Practice for Routine Maintenance. In general the condition of our signs is good, they play a full part in the delivery of a safe and efficient network. Safety is always the Agency's foremost consideration and even though funds are limited our maintenance and improvement programmes afford safety measures the highest priority.
  Representations about the condition or adequacy of signs may be made to the Agency or directly to our maintenance agents. These are varied and cover both general and local issues. The total number of representations to the Agency this year on all signing matters is approaching some 200, but the number cannot be confirmed precisely at short notice. All of them are investigated promptly and acted upon as necessary. Issues shown to relate to safety are given immediate attention, other longer term measures are prioritised according to wider programme and funding considerations.

  Public Transport
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what notification he receives on the progress of co-ordination provided for in section 88 of the Transport Act 1985. [8803]

  Mr. Watts
  None. The exercise by local authorities of their duties under section 88 of the Transport Act 1985 is not subject to a requirement to report to my Department.

  Local Roads and Transport (Capital Allocation)
  Mr. Bernard Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce the allocation of capital resources for expenditure on local roads and transport in England for 1997–98. [9469]

  Sir George Young
  A total of £746 million will be allocated to local highway authorities and passenger transport authorities for capital expenditure on their transport infrastructure in 1997–98. This is in addition to the sums provided for transport schemes that are successful in the capital challenge competition.

  Full details of the allocations will be placed in the Library of the House on Monday 16 December.

  Vehicle Inspectorate
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library copies of the report produced as part of the prior options review of the Vehicle Inspectorate, evaluating its performance since its establishment as an executive agency, and copies of the revised framework document. [9431]

  Mr. Bowis
  I have arranged for copies of these documents to be placed in the Library.

ENVIRONMENT

  Oil Pollution
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library copies of the documents submitted to, and discussed by, the Paris Commission on oil pollution discharges from drilling production and storage offshore oil platforms since its establishment; and if he will make a statement on United Kingdom compliance with its agreements on oil pollution. [8355]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Paris Commission has been in existence for 18 years and in that period has considered a very large volume of papers on the subject of the offshore oil and gas industry. It would cost an unreasonable amount to identify and copy them all. I am placing in the Library a copy of the section on "Oil" of the "Paris Commission Procedures and Decisions Handbook," as amended up to 1994, together with copies of subsequent relevant decisions: this describes the work of the commission in this area.

  As far as I am aware, the United Kingdom is in compliance with its international obligations on oil pollution.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he received a copy of the 1994 United Kingdom radioactive waste inventory from Nirex; and what assessment his Department has made of the environmental matters contained in the inventory. [8687]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Department of the Environment commissions the United Kingdom radioactive waste inventory, jointly with Nirex, to support the development of radioactive waste management policies.

  Hillingdon Unitary Development Plan
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has received from Hillingdon borough council to his objections to the council's proposed changes to the Hillingdon borough draft unitary development plan. [8898]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  I understand from Hillingdon council that it will not pursue its proposals for the Sidmouth drive recreation ground, Ruislip, but that it is still considering the other representations that it has received. Hillingdon is arranging a local inquiry to hear objections to the new issues raised by the proposed modifications, including objections to the housing proposals.

  Housing Registration
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the model registration scheme referred to in section 65 of the Housing Act 1996. [9194]

  Mr. Clappison
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the member for Scarborough (Mr. Sykes) on 26 November,Official Report, column 147.

  Challenge Funding
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce the winners of the pilot scheme for challenge funding of local authority capital expenditure. [9585]

  Mr. Gummer
  Of 326 bids submitted earlier this year, 189 bids involving 217 authorities have been selected for support. The challenge fund of £600 million will bring in £1,200 million from other sources, including almost £700 million from the private sector, to spend on local authorities' highest priority capital projects.

  Details of individual successful bids will be placed in the Library of the House on Monday 16 December and my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Urban Regeneration will also be writing to all hon. Members in England.

  Mr. Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made with the single regeneration budget challenge fund; when the outcome of round 3 will be announced; and if he will make a statement. [9586]

  Mr. Gummer
  The single regeneration budget challenge fund has been a great success and is a tribute to the enthusiasm and commitment of the local partnerships which have put forward bids and are running schemes. For the third round, there has been an even higher standard of bids than previously in both the quality of the proposals submitted and how they are presented. This is reflected in a success rate of nearly 60 per cent. for those submitting final bids. In particular, about a quarter of recommended bids have come from previously unsuccessful partnerships.

  Taken together, schemes supported by the three rounds of the challenge fund will transform hundreds of localities for the better, and substantially improve the quality of life for local communities. Projected results for the lifetime of the 550 schemes supported by rounds 1 to 3 include more than 650,000 jobs created or safeguarded, more than 500,000 people trained and obtaining qualifications, more than 90,000 business starts, more than 250,000 dwellings built or improved and more than 40,000 voluntary groups supported.

  The challenge fund has continued to encourage local partnerships. I am particularly pleased that the voluntary sector and local communities are increasingly involved in challenge fund schemes. This is partly a result of efforts by Government offices for the regions, strengthening the national bidding guidance and the dissemination of information through organisations such as the Community Development Foundation, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and the Commission for Racial Equality.
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  The challenge fund aims to make public and private resources work together more effectively to support local strategies for regeneration. Regeneration needs to address local needs and opportunities across the board. I have therefore been impressed by the way in which bidders have linked their bids to other regeneration activity, notably that supported by training and enterprise councils, European structural funds, the national lottery and regeneration programmes such as English Partnerships and urban development corporations. Bidders have also taken account of the Government's competitiveness and sustainability agendas and local strategies, including those relating to housing and health.

  It is important that challenge fund schemes deliver the results and benefits which they have promised to local people. For that reason, we shall continue to place a strong emphasis on the effective management and monitoring of schemes, introducing improvements where necessary.

  There will be a fourth round of the SRB challenge fund in 1997–98 along the same lines as earlier rounds, with guidance to bidders issued in the new year.

  Analysis of round 3

  For the third round, there were marginally fewer final bids compared with round 2–310 as against 329—but marginally more successful bids—182 as against 172.

  The cost to the SRB of the 182 recommended bids is currently estimated at £44.8 million in year 1, 1997–98, and over the lifetime of bids, that is up to seven years, would amount to £897 million overall. These figures are provisional and are subject to detailed confirmation following further discussions between GORs and successful bidders.

  There is a good spread of successful bids across the SRB objectives, with most bids having multiple objectives. It is noteworthy that over 90 per cent. of the bids are focused on employment and education objectives, over 70 per cent. of the bids have economic development as an objective, 53 per cent. of bids include elements focused specifically on ethnic minority communities, nearly 50 per cent. of bids have housing as an objective and 65 per cent. of bids have crime prevention and community safety as an objective.

  The attraction of private investment is an important objective of most SRB challenge fund schemes. As with earlier rounds, successful round 3 bids stand to attract about £2.50 in private investment for every £1 in challenge fund support.

  Effective involvement of a range of key partners is at the heart of the challenge fund approach. There is private sector involvement in 83 per cent. of recommended bids, with local authority and training and enterprise council involvement at 91 per cent. and 81 per cent. respectively. Voluntary sector involvement in bids has continued to increase: it now stands at 59 per cent. There has also been a very large increase in the number of bids that include promotion of initiatives of benefit to ethnic minorities as an explicit objective, up to 53 per cent. from 37 per cent. in the second round. In addition, given the location of bids, ethnic minorities will benefit from a much higher proportion of bids even though they are not specifically intended as the beneficiaries.
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  Most bids are concentrated on small areas, with 59 per cent. covering areas with a population under 25,000. This is slightly up on the first two rounds of the challenge fund, and chimes with the advice given in the bidding guidance to concentrate resources in order to make a significant impact. About 5 per cent. of bids are region-wide.

  Details of the 182 individual bids which have been successful in round 3 will be placed in the Library of the House on Monday 16 December and my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Urban Regeneration will also be writing to all hon. Members in England.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Women
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to measure and evaluate the effects of his Department's policies on women. [5476]

  Mr. Bates
  In July of this year, the model guidance on policy appraisal for equal treatment was revised and circulated at Cabinet level for Departments to adapt to their own circumstances. The guidance has been circulated to all senior officials in my Department with a view to incorporating it in the policy development process.

DEFENCE

  Overseas Training Deployments
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for Royal Air Force deployments to Yuma Marine Corps air station, Arizona. [8596]

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 12 March 1996,Official Report, column 509.

  Air Training Corps
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria in respect of (i) numbers of actively attending (ii) personnel and (iii) other factors must be met by(a) the Air Training Corps and (b) the Army Cadet Force in order to qualify for capital grants to maintain and improve facilities. [8086]

  Mr. Soames
  In order to qualify for capital grants to maintain and improve facilities, cadet force units must be viable, or in the case of new detachments or in certain other cases, be expected to become viable. A viable unit would normally have between 25 and 30 cadets attending, but in rural communities where no other youth activity exists a figure of approximately 12 is acceptable. Each unit must have at least one qualified adult instructor, and must have an adult female on the staff if female cadets are enrolled. The expenditure would be approved only if it would result in the accommodation occupied being suitable for training—with all the necessary facilities,370
  such as classrooms, toilets and secure storage—accessible to cadets, and complaint with the requirements of both health and safety and fire prevention regulations.

  Danish Tour Guide (killing)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what compensation has been paid by Her Majesty's Government to the family of the murdered Danish tour guide in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement. [8716]

  Mr. Soames
  Issues of individual privacy arise in this tragic case, but people have the same compensation rights against the Ministry of Defence as they have against any other employer or organisation.

  Boarding School Allowance
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the total number of(a) officer ranked personnel and (b) other ranked personnel currently serving in Her Majesty's armed forces whose children benefit from the service children's boarding school allowance. [8946]

  Mr. Soames
  The total average number of officers whose children benefited from boarding school allowance in the academic year 1995–96 was 4,340; the number of other ranks for the same period was 2,525. Detailed statistics for the current term can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Income Support
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the additional administrative cost if all retirement pensioners eligible for income support in 1995–96 had successfully claimed it. [8249]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information requested is not available. The additional administrative cost of processing and maintaining income support claims, had all pensioners chosen to take up their entitlement in 1994–95, is estimated to lie between £29 million and £39 million.

  War Disablement Pensions
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the respects in which the new medical information advanced as the basis for the change in the rules governing war disablement pension in respect of deafness differs from that set out in the sensorineural hearing loss medical appendix, paragraph 12.2, issued by the Department of Social Security; and when that appendix was first issued. [8948]

  Mr. Heald
  Medical appendices summarise the consensus of current medical opinion on the particular topic. They emphasise the aetiology of the condition. That on sensorineural hearing loss, issued in 1993, to which the question refers, describes the various causes of that condition, including noise. Paragraph 12.2 refers to the process by which noise damages hearing. It states that once exposure to excessive loss has ceased, the hearing loss resulting from that noise exposure does not of itself worsen.
  371
  The appendix does not, however, deal with the effect of a noise-induced hearing loss on any subsequent hearing loss, which is the subject of the recent development in understanding. It was previously thought that an existing service-related noise-induced hearing loss could intensify the effect of a subsequent hearing loss due to other causes, such as aging. Authoritative medical opinion is now that such interaction does not occur, and that the effect of a service-related noise-induced hearing loss is at its greatest at release from service.

  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many war disablement pensioners have had their entitlement in respect of deafness (i) reduced and (ii) ended to date; and what estimate he has made of the number whose entitlement will be(a) reduced and (b) ended in (1) 1996–97 and (2) 1997–98 in consequence of the rate changes announced on 5 December. [9032]

  Mr. Heald
  No war pensioner has had, or will have, his pension reduced or ended as a result of the change in medical opinion announced on 5 December 1996.

  Maladministration
  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on arrangements which have been made to allow the consideration of financial redress where maladministration has occurred. [9584]

  Mr Roger Evans
  The Department of Social Security is committed to making its services more responsive to the needs of its customers, operating to set standards and offering redress where appropriate. Since 1977 the Department has operated arrangements whereby financial redress can be made to a customer who has experienced a pecuniary loss through maladministration. 'These arrangements have been periodically updated to reflect the changes to both the structure of the benefit administration and the expectations of the public. A major revision of the arrangements has recently been completed which has embraced the principles contained in Office of Public Service guidance to Departments and agencies and which responds to concerns raised by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.

  The revised arrangements provide the basis for a consistent approach to complaints across agencies. The guidance adopts a more sympathetic attitude to cases where official error has occurred but no financial loss has been experienced and ensures more equitable treatment in the consideration of compensation payments when moneys properly due have been delayed. The arrangements continue to strive to make allowances for the differing circumstances of each case.

  The arrangements will take effect from 1 January 1997. A copy of "Financial Redress for Maladministration," which provides detailed guidance, has been placed in the Library.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current level of arrears in maintenance payments remaining to be collected by the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement. [7909]
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  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter front Ann Chant to Mr. Elfyn Llwyd, dated 12 December 1996:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency arrears.
  The amount of Full Maintenance Assessment arrears remaining to be collected by the Child Support Agency at 30 November 1996 was 433,774,491. Of this amount, approximately £262 million is the subject of agreed arrangements for repayment by instalments, which are closely monitored. The Agency is making every effort through the full range of powers available to it to secure payment of the balance.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the accuracy rate of the assessments made by the Child Support Agency in 1994; and what is the latest available figure. [7908]

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

  Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Elfyn Llwyd, dated 12 December 1996:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency accuracy rates.
  The accuracy of assessments has been the subject of a Secretary of State target since 1995/96 only; exact information for 1994 is not therefore available. Estimates suggest however, that the Agency's accuracy rate at that time was around 50%.
  For the current year, the target is to achieve a continuing improvement so that in at least 85% of cases checked in March 1997, the assessment value will be for the correct amount to the last penny. In October 1996 the accuracy rate was 77%, and the Agency remains on course to meet the target.
  I hope this is helpful.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Compensation Awards
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average time currently taken by courts to collect and pay compensation awards to those victims who have been awarded them; and what proposals he has to review current procedures. [8881]

  Mr. Streeter
  Information concerning compensation awards is not collected separately. The average time taken by magistrates courts to collect all money due to the court, including fines, fees, costs, compensation awards and contributions to legal aid, at the end of 1995 was 236 days.

  My Department chairs an inter-agency working group which was set up May 1995 to identify urgently ways of improving the enforcement of financial penalties including fines, compensation orders and confiscation orders. The group issued good practice guidance on enforcement procedures to the courts in July this year. The group is continuing its work and further guidance will be issued where appropriate.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Embassies and Consulates (Opening Hours)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are currently the average hours of opening of embassies and consulates in(a) Europe and (b) other countries. [9034]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  The opening hours for British embassies and consulates in Europe and in other countries are based on local practice.

  Normally this would mean at least seven hours on a full working day. Consular offices are normally open to the public for at least five hours on full working days but shorter hours may be implemented where the overall consular workload makes this appropriate.

  Consular staff are on call world wide 24 hours a day to help British nationals in distress.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what hours the British consulate in Berlin is(a) open and (b) open to receive calls from British businesses. [9035]

  Dr. Fox
  The opening hours of the British embassy office in Berlin are 8.30 to 17.00 local with a lunch break between 12.30 and 13.30. The embassy office switchboard is manned continually during open hours.

  The consular section of the British embassy office in Berlin is open to the public from 9.00 to 12.00 and 14.00 to 16.00. Consular staff are on call 24 hours a day to help British nationals in distress.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs during which hours of the day United Kingdom overseas embassies and consulates are open for telephone inquiries from United Kingdom businesses. [8950]

  Dr. Fox
  British embassies and consulates are usually open for telephone inquiries seven hours a day. Details for individual posts can be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 0171 270 1500.

  Consular staff are on call world wide 24 hours a day to help British nationals in distress.

  Germany (Departmental Costs)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the annual cost of his Department's presence in Germany in each of the last three years. [9033]

  Mr. Hanley
  The annual cash operating cost of the missions in Germany was as follows:

  Financial year

  £

  1993–94

  19,480,357

  1994–95

  20,637,195

  1995–96

  21,722,071

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the annual cost to his Department of the running of the consulate in Berlin. [8951]
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  Mr. Hanley
  The cash operating cost of the British embassy office in Berlin for 1995–96 was £3,780,937.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present staff establishment of the British consulate in Berlin. [8952]

  Mr. Hanley
  UK-based staff figures are staff numbers from the authorised establishment but locally engaged staff are calculated in man years.

  There are currently 21 UK-based staff working at the British embassy office in Berlin. These are supported by 41.20 man years of locally engaged staff—this figure includes locally engaged staff at the ambassador's residence.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the cost to his Department of all United Kingdom consulates in Germany. [8953]

  Mr. Hanley
  The cash operating cost of our missions in Germany for 1995–96 was as follows:

  £

  British Embassy, Bonn

  8,744,134

  Embassy Office, Berlin

  3,780,937

  Consulate-General, Dusseldorf

  4,073,785

  Consulate-General, Frankfurt

  1,656,779

  Consulate-General, Hamburg

  1,390,261

  British Trade Office, Leipzig

  38,327

  Consulate-General, Munich

  1,586,127

  Consulate-General, Stuttgart

  451,721

  Total

  21,722,071

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Museum Inventories
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps are being taken to check the stock in the collections held by(a) the British museum, (b) the Victoria and Albert museum and (c) the national museums in Scotland and Wales against their inventories; and when these checks were last made.[8200]

  Mr. Sproat
  The national museums and galleries are accountable for the security of their collections. Under the financial memoranda, the British museum has to keep detailed inventory and stock records. It carries out regular stock-takes of the items in its collections and, as part of this, it is common practice for museum staff to make daily checks of exhibits. Similar arrangements apply to the national museums and galleries of Scotland and the national museums and galleries of Wales.

  Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
  Miss Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the future of Crystal Palace national sports centre. [8332]

  Mr. Sproat
  The future of the facilities at Crystal Palace national sports centre are, in the first instance, a matter for Bromley borough council and the Sports Council. In taking forward the initiatives in "Sport:
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  Raising the Game", it will be necessary, however, to consider the future of the national sports centres currently operated by the Sports Council to see how the objectives of the sports policy statement can best be achieved within the resources and opportunities available.

  Christmas Expenditure
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much her Department plans to spend on celebrating Christmas and the new year. [7573]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 6 December 1996]: My Department estimates that it will spend approximately £1,850 on celebrating Christmas and the new year. This includes the cost of Christmas cards, the provision of a Christmas tree and a contribution for official guests at the Department's party.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many of the individuals appointed by his Department to public positions in the last year were first identified by the public appointments unit. [8541]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 10 December 1996]: Guidance issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments requires that candidates for public appointment are selected from a wide field identified through advertising, executive search, consultation with interested bodies and through the public appointments unit as appropriate.

  Over the past year the Department of National Heritage has used all these methods and in addition has set up a central appointments unit to maintain a departmental register of those interested in public office.

  The Department of National Heritage does not retain records to enable us to identify which of the appointments made over the past year were candidates first identified by the PAU. However, of the 144 people appointed to this Department's sponsored bodies over the past year, 22 were registered with the PAU.

  Football Trust Grants
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the safeguards that will be put in place to ensure that local association football clubs will continue to receive grants from the Football Trust; and what alternative funds will be provided from the national lottery. [8312]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 11 December 1996]: The Football trust receives revenue from the spot the ball competition, the home nation football associations and the FA Premier league to help football clubs at all levels. The distribution of grants from these sources is a matter for the Football trust. This money is entirely separate from the pool betting duty concession afforded to the trust to find safety-related works in line with Lord Justice Taylor's report into the Hillsborough disaster for clubs in the FA Premier league, the Football league and the Scottish Football league.
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  The national lottery has become a major new source of assistance to football at the grass roots and community level—240 football-related projects have received funding of £22 million, making football one of the main beneficiaries of the lottery.

  BBC Licence Fee
  Mr. Renton
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she expects to make an announcement regarding the increase in the BBC licence fee. [8318]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 11 December 1996]: My right hon. Friend hopes to announce later this month what the television licence fees will be from 1 April next year.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Timms
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to her answer of 21 November,Official Report, column 647, what is the current total of future spending commitments arising under the private finance initiative as a percentage of the Department's discretionary expenditure. [8739]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 12 December 1996]: The Department of National Heritage has no future spending commitments arising from the private finance initiative. Indeed, deals signed to date have generated an annual net positive revenue stream of £0.645 million. The Department's discretionary expenditure is £850 million, so this represents an annual income of 0.08 per cent.

TREASURY

  Taxation and Expenditure
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the change in general taxation necessary to fund current levels of public spending, with current borrowing, if the United Kingdom economy had grown since 1979 at the rate established between the end of 1973 and the second quarter of 1979. [7388]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The United Kingdom's real gross domestic product grew at an average annual rate of 1.64 per cent. between the third quarter of 1973 and the second quarter of 1979. Since the third quarter of 1979 the annual rate of real GDP growth has averaged 1.9 per cent.

  If real GDP had grown since the third quarter of 1979 at an annual rate of 1.64 per cent., other things being equal, the combined impact on tax receipts and spending would raise borrowing by approximately 3½ per cent. of GDP. Therefore, to keep borrowing unchanged, taxation would have to rise by up to 3½ per cent. of GDP. However, there is great uncertainty over estimates of this kind.

  Income Tax
  Sir Terence Higgins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those countries which do not have an income tax. [8027]
  377
  Mr. Jack
  The information requested is as follows:

  Countries with no personal income tax

  Andorra

  Bahamas

  Brunei

  Bahrain

  Kuwait

  Maldives

  Monaco

  Naura

  Oman

  Qatar

  United Arab Emirates

  Vanuatu.

  Countries with limited personal income tax

  Antigua [no income tax is levied on residents]

  St Kitts and Nevis [no income tax is levied on residents]

  Saudi Arabia [income tax is not levied on employment income]

  Seychelles [income tax is not levied on employment income]

  Korea, north [income tax is levied only on foreign nationals].

  Note:
  The Government of Grenada proposed to abolish personal income tax with effect from 1 April 1996. This has, however, not yet been implemented.

  Dependent territories with no personal income tax

  Anguilla [UK]

  Ascension [UK]

  Bermuda [UK]

  British Indian Ocean Territory

  Cayman Islands [UK]

  Norfolk Island [AUS]

  Pitcairn Islands [UK]

  Sark [UK]

  Tokelau [NZ]

  Tristan da Cunha [UK]

  Turks and Caicos Islands [UK]

  Wallis and Futuna [FR].

  Administration Costs
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown by civil Department of gross running costs, indicating(a) current expenditure on running costs and (b) running costs as a percentage of each Department's total expenditure. [8272]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [holding answer 9 December 1996]: Running costs provision by departmental grouping for 1990–91 to 1998–99 is shown in table 3.7 of "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 1996–97, Cm 3201. Table 2.2 details all expenditure within the control total

  The 1979 public sector

  The public sector

  The public sector excluding industries now privatised

  Publicly sponsored capital

  1979

  35.7

  1979–80

  35.4

  21.6

  21.6

  1980

  33.4

  1980–81

  32.1

  19.4

  19.4

  1981

  26.7

  1981–82

  27.2

  15.3

  15.3

  1982

  26.5

  1982–83

  29.5

  17.1

  17.1

  1983

  29.5

  1983–84

  31.0

  18.7

  18.7

  1984

  29.2

  1984–85

  28.9

  19.2

  19.2

  378
  for each departmental grouping. More detailed information can be found in individual departmental reports, Cm 3202–20.

  "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 1997–98" and 1997 departmental reports, due to be published in March 1997, will contain updated information.

  Housebuilding
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the costs for(a) employers and (b) employees in terms of (i) taxes and (ii) administrative and payroll costs, in the housebuilding sector of the ending of the self-employed status of construction operativesfor Inland Revenue purposes. [8321]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 12 December 1996]: Self-employed status has not been ended for construction or building workers. As in all industries, whether someone is employed or self-employed depends on the terms and conditions of the engagement. Contractors will continue to be free to take on workers as self-employed where the terms and conditions of the engagement reflect genuine self-employment.

  Mr. Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for how many years construction operatives in the house building sector have been considered to be self-employed for taxation purposes; when, by whom and for what reasons the decision was taken to change that status; and if he will make a statement. [8322]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 12 December 1996]: Whether someone is employed or self-employed depends on the terms and conditions of their engagement. This has always been a matter of general law and applies in the same way to the construction industry as it does to all other industries. The primary responsibility for deciding employment status rests with contractors who engage workers. Construction industry representatives expressed concern about the difficulties sometimes met in establishing the employment status of those working in that industry and the implications of this for tax and national insurance. They asked for help with employment status in the industry. In response, the Inland Revenue and Department of Social Security published leaflet IR48, 'Are Your Workers Employed or Self-employed?2 This gives guidance to contractors to help them with the question of whether their workers are employed or self-employed.

  Public Sector
  Mr. Timms
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the figures upon which each line in chart 1 on page 100 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report" is based. [7222]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [holding answer 2 December 1996]: The figures requested are as follows;
  379

  The 1979 public sector

  The public sector

  The public sector excluding industries now privatised

  Publicly sponsored capital

  1985

  29.8

  1985–86

  25.4

  17.7

  17.7

  1986

  28.4

  1986–87

  23.0

  16.1

  16.1

  1987

  27.9

  1987–88

  21.5

  15.8

  15.8

  1988

  28.7

  1988–89

  20.0

  14.3

  14.3

  1989

  34.0

  1989–90

  26.0

  20.7

  20.7

  1990

  36.7

  1990–91

  24.6

  20.8

  20.8

  1991

  36.6

  1991–92

  24.1

  22.7

  22.7

  1992

  36.2

  1992–93

  25.2

  23.8

  23.8

  1993

  36.3

  1993–94

  22.3

  21.4

  21.5

  1994

  36.5

  1994–95

  22.2

  21.4

  21.6

  1995

  37.0

  1995–96

  21.3

  20.6

  21.0

  1996

  —

  1996–97

  19.2

  19.2

  20.3

  1997

  —

  1997–98

  17.2

  17.2

  19.6

  1998

  —

  1998–99

  16.7

  16.7

  20.2

  1999

  —

  1999–00

  16.3

  16.3

  20.3

  Correspondence
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to reply to the letters dated 9 August, 12 September and 24 October from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Dr. S. Ala-ut Dun. [7287]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 3 December 1996]: I sent a reply on 11 December 1996.

  £ million

  England

  Wales

  Scotland

  Northern Ireland

  Nominal

  Real1

  Nominal

  Real1

  Nominal

  Real1

  Nominal

  Real1

  1979–80

  663

  1,701

  18

  46

  20

  51

  0

  0

  1980–81

  965

  2,093

  25

  54

  39

  85

  0

  0

  1981–82

  1,615

  3,193

  97

  192

  90

  178

  0

  0

  1982–83

  2,239

  4,133

  126

  233

  142

  262

  1

  1

  1983–84

  1,834

  3,235

  123

  217

  162

  286

  1

  2

  1984–85

  1,789

  3,005

  128

  215

  179

  301

  0

  1

  1985–86

  1,867

  2,973

  92

  146

  168

  267

  0

  1

  1986–87

  2,972

  4,593

  101

  156

  186

  287

  1

  1

  1987–88

  3,818

  5,603

  125

  183

  261

  383

  1

  1

  1988–89

  5,418

  7,452

  223

  307

  368

  506

  1

  1

  1989–90

  5,078

  6,528

  241

  310

  438

  563

  1

  1

  1990–91

  3,257

  3,878

  123

  146

  431

  513

  1

  1

  1991–92

  2,290

  2,562

  86

  96

  421

  471

  2

  3

  1992–93

  2,107

  2,262

  77

  83

  423

  454

  5

  5

  1993–94

  3,502

  3,654

  154

  161

  442

  461

  6

  6

  1994–95

  2,438

  2,500

  95

  97

  507

  520

  7

  7

  1995–96

  2,026

  2,026

  114

  114

  463

  463

  8

  8

  1 Real terms figures in 1995–96 prices, the latest completed financial year.

WALES

  Children in Care
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the average annual cost of taking a child into local authority care. [8352]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The costs of taking a child into care will include a number of elements, not all of which are necessarily classified in the same way by different local authorities. The average costs for placements may be estimated by taking expenditure throughout the year reported by local authorities and dividing by the average number of children looked after in these placements at the start and end of the year. The latest available average costs calculated on this basis are £6,500 for foster placements and £19,800 for residential and other community placements.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were local authority capital receipts in each year from 1979–80 to 1995–96 in(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland both in (i) nominal terms and (ii) 1996–97 prices. [7823]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [holding answer 6 December 1996]: The data requested are given in the table:

  Small Rural Schemes
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he plans to announce his decision on the arrangements for the transfer of funding for small rural schemes from the Welsh Development Agency to local authorities. [9464]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  My right hon. Friend announced in March as part of the Rural White Paper, "A Working Countryside for Wales," the Government's intention to transfer funding for small rural schemes from the Welsh Development Agency to local authorities. In September we issued a consultation paper on the proposed arrangements; we received 17 responses, most of which welcomed the proposal.

  I have considered the various points made during consultation and decided that £5.4 million will be allocated to the eligible local authorities in 1997–98.
  381
  Those authorities are: Isle of Anglesey county council; Carmarthenshire county council; Conwy county borough council; Denbighshire county council; Gwynedd county council; and Pembrokeshire county council.

  I have also decided that for 1997–98 the agency will retain £1.4 million of the £6.8 million being transferred in order to meet commitments to the Welsh national botanical gardens and to continue to support the Leader and Interreg II European programme groups. As the agency's commitments start to unwind from the end of 1997–98, an increasing amount will be available to local authorities.

  In order to claim the funds, each local authority will need to develop an appropriate scheme which embodies the challenge principle, encourages the levering-in of private sector money and supports local partnerships in local communities.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Mineshafts
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he plans to respond to the Trade and Industry Committee's seventh report, Session 1995–96, on former mineshafts, HC 495; and if he will make a statement. [8942]

  Mr. Page
  The Committee published the Government's response as an appendix to its second special report on 30 October.

  Clean Coal Technology
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for East Antrim (Mr. Beggs) of 4 December,Official Report, column 1035, if he will list the 43 companies referred to and the projects in which they have taken part. [8530]

  Mr. Page
  The following tables set out the 43 companies that have a significant involvement in the clean coal technology programme and the projects in which they have taken part.

  Notes:

  (a) For ease of reference the projects are grouped under sub-programme technical areas as follows:

  0. Collaborative agreements

  1. Coal Exploration and Extraction

  2. Coal Preparation

  3. Coal Handling and Supply

  4. Coal Combustion in Conventional Utility Power Generation

  5. Advanced Power Generation

  6. Other Coal Conversion and Utilisation Processes

  7. Technology Transfer and Commercialisation

  (b) The list of projects does not include those undertaken directly with universities or where the Department is participating directly in collaborative agreements with overseas organisations. In the latter case UK industry is actively involved in the agreements advising on the work programmes and evaluation of results. These agreements include the International Energy Agency's IEA clean coal centre and coal combustion sciences agreements.

  382

  Table 1: Companies with significant involvement in the DTI Clean Coal Programme Projects

  Company

  Company reference number

  ABB Kent Taylor

  1

  AEA Technology plc

  2

  Aero and Industrial Technology Ltd.

  3

  Ashwell Engineering

  4

  Blue Circle Industries

  5

  BMP Countrywide

  6

  Bridgewater Paper Company

  7

  British Coal Corporation

  8

  British Gas plc

  9

  British Steel plc

  10

  CCI International

  11

  CINAR Ltd.

  12

  Coalite Products Ltd.

  13

  Computational Dynamics Ltd.

  14

  CRE Group Ltd.

  15

  Diamond Power Speciality Ltd.

  16

  EB Holmes Agro-Industrial Consultancy

  17

  European Gas Turbines Ltd.

  18

  Evergreen Resources (UK) Ltd.

  19

  FCT International Ltd.

  20

  FLUENT Europe Ltd.

  21

  Frankland Consultants Ltd.

  22

  GEC Alsthom Ltd.

  23

  Health, Safety and Engineering Consultants Ltd.

  24

  Hick Hargreaves

  25

  Hillfarm Coal Company

  26

  Hydra Tools International plc

  27

  International Combustion Ltd.

  28

  International Mining Consultants Ltd.

  29

  Lodge Sturtevant Ltd.

  30

  Merchants Ltd.

  31

  Mitsui Babcock Energy Ltd.

  32

  National Power plc

  33

  Optimat Ltd.

  34

  Particle Consultants

  35

  PowerGen plc

  36

  RJB Mining plc

  37

  Rock Mechanics Technology Ltd.

  38

  Rolls Royce IRD Ltd.

  39

  Scottish Power plc

  40

  Senior Thermal Engineering Ltd.

  41

  Severn Sciences Ltd.

  42

  WS Atkins Ltd.

  43

  Table 2: DTI Clean Coal Programme Projects active since January 1993

  Technical area

  Project number

  Title

  Companies involved

  0

  l5

  BCURA Joint Funding Agreement

  36, 37, 41

  0

  18

  IEA Coal Combustion Programme Participation

  2

  0

  38

  EPSRC Joint Funded Research

  19, 25, 26, 30, 33, 36

  1

  36

  Control of High Stress & Weak Strata Conditions in Underground Coal Mines

  8, 37, 38

  1

  37

  Enhancement of In-Seam Seismic Exploration Techniques

  8, 29, 37

  1

  75

  Improved Drainage of Methane Gas

  8, 29, 37

  1

  102

  Remote Spectroscopy for On-Line Monitoring

  8

  1

  103

  Methane from Rapidly Advancing Drivages

  8, 29, 37

  1

  104

  Methane from Abandoned Mines

  8, 29, 37

  1

  108

  Coal Fuel Cycle Study

  2

  1

  127

  Technical Measures to Control Diesel Exhaust Particulate Emissions in Coal Mines

  8, 24

  1

  132

  Mine Climate Control Options in Underground Working Zones

  37

  383

  Table 2: DTI Clean Coal Programme Projects active since January 1993

  Technical area

  Project number

  Title

  Companies involved

  1

  186

  Control of High Stress and Weak Strata Conditions in Underground Coal Mines—Phase 2

  8, 37, 38

  1

  196

  Hard Head Continuous Miner— Phased Water Cutting System

  27, 37

  2

  74

  Commercial Scale Three-Product LARCODEMS Separator

  8

  2

  139

  Maintaining the CRE Coal Bank

  15

  2

  150

  Dry Beneficiation of Coal

  22

  2

  151

  Chlorine Reduction in UK Coals

  15

  2

  215

  Fine Coal De-Watering Centrifuge

  37

  2

  216

  Cyclone For Dry Fines Processing

  37

  3

  24

  On-Line Moisture Monitoring of Coal on Conveyors

  8

  3

  57

  Characterisation of Particle Behaviour in Coal Utilisation Systems

  8

  3

  131

  Monitoring and Management of Handlability of Power Station Coals

  10, 33, 37

  3

  179

  Pulverised Fuel Flow Meters

  1, 40

  3

  209

  On-Line Measurementt of PF Flow/Quality and Carbon in Ash— its present technology status and future development

  20, 28, 36

  4

  14

  Collaborative Research to Minimise the Effect of High Temperature Coal Ash Deposition in Pulverised Coal-fired Boilers

  8, 16, 32, 33, 36

  4

  22

  Thermal NOx Formation in Flames

  2, 9

  4

  31

  Mathematical Modelling of Power Station Boilers

  2, 33, 36

  4

  33

  Multi-Dimensional Imaging Diagnostics for Combustion (MIDCOM II)

  2

  4

  55

  Size Distribution & Maceral Association of Coal Mineral Matter. Effect on Combustion Performance

  8

  4

  69

  NOx Reduction by Furnace Air Staging and Reburning

  32

  4

  76

  Sulphur Dioxide Reduction by Optimised Dry Sorbent Injection

  32

  4

  77

  Fundamentals of Pulverised Coal Heterogeneity

  33

  4

  78

  Wire-Mesh Based Standard Test to Characterise Coal

  32, 33

  4

  106

  Absorbents for Dry Lime Desulphurisation

  32

  4

  115

  Application of Image Analysis Techniques for Characterisation of Coal Burn-Out Propensity

  36

  4

  116

  An Intelligent NOx Control System

  36

  4

  117

  Flat Flame Burner Studies on Coal Nitrogen Release—A scoping Study

  8

  4

  120

  PMRTA Investigation into the Non-Additive Swelling Behaviour of Blends

  8, 15

  4

  124

  Reduced Kinetic Schemes for Modelling NO Formation and its Detection using Laser Induced Fluorescence

  2

  4

  125

  Coal Reactivity and Emissions Reduction in Pulverised Coal Combustion

  15

  4

  126

  Effect of Coal Quality on In-Furnace NOx

  32

  4

  143

  Investigation of Advanced Low NOx Burners with Integrated Reburn

  32

  4

  161

  1995 Engineering foundation Conference on Ash Deposition

  36

  4

  163

  The Effects of Coal Quality on NOx Emissions and Carbon Burn-out in Pulverised Coal-fired Utility Boilers

  2, 9, 12, 14, 15, 21, 28, 32, 33, 36

  4

  192

  Co-Firing of Natural Gas with Pulverised Coal

  28

  4

  198

  Coal-over-Coal Reburn Testing, Modelling and Plant Feasibility

  32

  4

  199

  Development of Coal-over-Coal Reburn

  32, 26

  384

  Table 2: DTI Clean Coal Programme Projects active since January 1993

  Technical area

  Project number

  Title

  Companies involved

  4

  200

  Practical Improvements in Power Plant Efficiency Through Materials Engineering

  32

  4

  201

  The Fate of Trace Elements in PF Combustion Systems

  15, 36

  4

  222

  Requirements for Materials R&D for Coal-Based Power Plant—Into the 21st Century

  8, 18, 32, 39

  4

  223

  Improvement of Combustion Efficiency in Low-NOx Combustion Systems

  32

  4

  225

  Behaviour of Coal Blends in Power Station Boilers

  32

  5

  6

  IEA HTHP Filer Programme

  8, 9, 36

  5

  11

  Grimethorpe Topping Cycle Project

  8, 18, 36

  5

  50

  Advanced Gas Cleaning

  8, 15

  5

  56

  Coal Characterisation at High Heating Rates

  8

  5

  79

  Advanced Compressor Applicable to Gas Turbines

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  80

  Environmental Optimisation of the Topping Cycle

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  81

  Hot Gas Desulphurisation for Advanced Power Generation

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  82

  Co-Gasification of Coal/Sewage Sludge and Gas Turbine Development

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  83

  Life Evaluation of Generic Filter Types

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  84

  Hot Gas Cleaning Development for Intermediate Temperature Application to Gasification Combined Cycle Processes

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  85

  Cleaning Behaviour of Filters for Gasification Combined Cycle Power Systems

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  86

  Materials for Gasifier Hot Gas Path Components in Advanced Combined Cycle Power Plants

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  87

  Erosion/Corrosion of Advanced Materials for Coal-fired Combined Cycle Power Generation

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  88

  Predication of Gasifier Performance

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  89

  Removal of NH3 in Coal Gasification Systems

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  90

  JOULE I Clean Coal Gasification Systems

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  91

  Low NOx Gas Turbine Combustor Development

  3, 8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  92

  Gas Utilisation Developments

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  93

  Sorbent Behaviour in the Topping Cycle

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  94

  Pressurised Solids Transport

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  95

  Pressurised Gasification Studies

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  96

  Disposal of CFBC Ash from the Topping Cycle

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  97

  Gasifier Process Specifications

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  98

  Fuel Behaviour in the Topping Cycle

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  99

  Advanced Power Generation Cycle Assessment

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  100

  Cycle Control Studies

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  101

  CFBC Issues

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  107

  Cold Modelling of a Demonstration-Scale Gasifier

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  110

  Cold Model Studies to Specify the Gasifier Base Design for the PIP

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  111

  The Effect of Base Geometry on Gasifier Performance

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  121

  Dust Characterisation for Hot Gas Filters

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  122

  Advanced Methods for Control of Fuel Nitrogen-NOx Emissions in Pressurised Combustion of Coal

  385

  Table 2: DTI Clean Coal Programme Projects active since January 1993

  Technical area

  Project number

  Title

  Companies involved

  Derived Fuel Gas8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  123

  Integrated Hot Gas Fuel Cleaning for Advanced Gasification Combined-Cycle Processes

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  129

  Hot Fuel Gas Dedusting Downstream of Sorbent-Based Gas Cleaning Processes

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  130

  Gasifier Control for Clean Power Systems

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  133

  Model Predictions for a Prototype Integrated Plant and Utility Systems

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  134

  Alternative Gasifier Study

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  135

  Effects of Contaminants on Materials Performance in Industrial Gas Turbines for Advanced Combined-Cycle Power Plants8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  136

  PowerGen Contributions to Development of the ABGC Prototype Plant Design Specification

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  137

  Dynamic Modelling of the ABGC Prototype Integrated Plant

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  141

  Characterisation of a Gas Turbine Combustor Prototype Design for ABGC Plant

  3, 8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  142

  Design of a Gas Turbine Combustion System to the ABGC Pilot Integrated Plant

  3, 8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  147

  Hot Gas Particulate Clean-Up: Current Technological and Commercial Status

  35

  5

  149

  Integration Study for APG Cycles using Coal Gasification & Coal Hydrogenation with Solid Oxide & Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells

  9

  5

  152

  Initial Engineering of the PIP into the Host Site

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  153

  Systems Development of the PIP— Phase 1

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  158

  The Optimisation of the Sulphide to Sulphate Conversion in the CFBC

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  162

  Char Combustion Test for Development of ABGC PIP

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  164

  Systems Development of the ABGC PIP—Phase II

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  165

  Compilation and Issue of an Interim Report on the Air Blown Gasification Cycle for the Prototype Integrated Plant

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  166

  Controlling the Emissions of NH3 from the British Coal Air Blown Gasifier

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  168

  Hot Gas Cleaning Specification Guidelines

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  170

  Advanced Gas Turbine Compressor Project—Phase 2

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  175

  Development of Improved Stable Catalysts and Trace Element Capture for Hot Gas Cleaning

  8, 15, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  176

  The Role of Mineral Matter in Gasification and Combustion Reactivity of Coal Blends

  15

  5

  180

  Alternative Sulphur Retention Scheme for the ABGC

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  181

  Air Versus Oxygen Blown Gasification

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  185

  The Control of Sulphur and Heavy Metal Species in Coal Gasification Combined Cycle Power Plant

  8, 15

  5

  187

  Synergistic Effects and Heavy Metal Partitioning in Co-gasification

  8, 15

  5

  190

  Engineering and Costing of a PIP into a Host Site and Greenfield Base Option

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  194

  Publicity Material for Advanced Power Technologies

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  5

  218

  Materials Performance Review of the ABGC Pilot Integrated Plant

  8, 18, 23, 32, 36

  6

  29

  Coal Liquefaction Project Phase IV(b)

  8

  386

  Table 2: DTI Clean Coal Programme Projects active since January 1993

  Technical area

  Project number

  Title

  Companies involved

  6

  34

  Industrial Low NOx Axial Swirl Coal Burner

  32

  6

  47

  Emissions of Environmental Concern for Coal Utilisation

  8, 15

  6

  49

  Utilisation and Publication of Emission Monitoring Database

  8, 15

  6

  58

  On-Line Condition Monitoring in Coal Utilisation

  8

  6

  70

  Predictive Indices for Coal Performance

  8, 15, 33

  6

  71

  Improved Characterisation of Coals for Carbonisation

  8, 10, 15

  6

  72

  Combustion Behaviour under Blast Furnace Conditions

  8, 10, 15

  6

  73

  Control of NOx Emissions from Stoker-fired Boilers

  32

  6

  105

  Optimised Control of Coal-fired Boilers

  15

  6

  113

  Development of Improved Techniques for Assessing Pressures Produced by Coals During Carbonisation

  10

  6

  114

  Influence of Coal Properties on Combustion Behaviour Under Blast Furnace Conditions—ECSC Steel Executive

  8, 10, 15

  6

  116

  Coal Use in the UK Cement Industry—A scooping Study to Assess R&D Requirements

  5, 43

  6

  119

  Study into Toxic Organic Compounds from Combustion

  8, 15

  6

  140

  Techniques for Monitoring the Consistency of Bed-blended Feedstocks

  10

  6

  146

  Low Cost Pollution Abatement for Industrial Coal-fired Plant

  4, 7, 8, 15, 42

  6

  160

  Utilisation of Ash from Industrial Boilers

  7, 11, 15

  6

  174

  Enhanced Use of Low Cost Materials in Cooking Blends by Briquetting

  10, 15

  6

  202

  Upgrading of Coal Ashes and Desulphurisation Residues to High Value Products

  32,34

  7

  193

  Scooping Study for the Transfer of Technologies in Domestic and Semi-industrial Coal-Use Markets

  4, 15

  7

  197

  Tianjin Smokeless Coal Project

  13, 31

  7

  212

  Export Directory of UK Clean Coal Technologies

  6

  7

  217

  Technology Status Report on Co-Utilisation of Coal and Biomass/Waste

  15

  7

  219

  Monitoring Aid Agencies Activities in Renewable Energy and Clean Coal Technology

  17

  7

  220

  UK input to ETDE International Database

  2

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of inward investment in each year since 1985 was due to the acquisition, takeover or merger of a United Kingdom company by an overseas investor. [9078]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  The information is as follows. Source: United Kingdom Balance of payments, "the Pink Book" 1990, 1994, 1996.

  Year

  Per cent. acquisitions in inward investment

  1985

  15.0

  1986

  23.2

  387

  Year

  Per cent. acquisitions in inward investment

  1987

  31.7

  1988

  26.2

  1989

  31.7

  1990

  53.8

  1991

  52.8

  1992

  68.3

  1993

  51.6

  1994

  43.4

  1995

  60.1

  Although the percentage fluctuates from year to year, reflecting the economic cycle, the flow of total inward investment in 1995 is four and a half times that of 1985; the latest OECD figures show that in 1994 the UK had one third of all inward investment in the EU.

  Crown Post Office, Dennistoun
  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade for how long the Crown post office in Annfield place, Dennistoun, has operated. [8072]

  Mr. Page
  I understand from the Post Office that a post office has operated in Annfield place since 1 April 1936.

  Mr. Martin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the turnover for(a) 1993–94, (b) 1994–95 and (c) 1995–96 at the Crown post office in Annfield place, Dennistoun. [8070]

  Mr. Page
  Turnover figures for individual post offices are commercially confidential.

  Mr. Martin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many customers used the Crown post office in Annfield place, Dennistoun in(a) 1993–94, (b) 1994–95 and (c) 1995–96. [8071]

  Mr. Page
  I understand from the Post Office that the weekly average number of customers at Duke Street post office has been

  1994: 7,920

  1995: 7,423

  1996: 7,018.

  Mr. Martin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the Crown post office at Annfield place, Dennistoun, is wholly owned by Post Office Counters Ltd. [8103]

  Mr. Page
  I understand from the post office that Duke Street post office at Annfield place is wholly owned and operated by Post Office Counters Ltd.

  Dounreay
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received in the last year concerning environmental risks posed by the management and disposal of radioactive waste at Dounreay. [8676]

  Mr. Page
  In the last year my Department has received about 150 letters expressing concern about environmental issues at Dounreay.
  388
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what safety and environmental audits of radioactive waste management at the Dounreay nuclear plant have been carried out. [8675]

  Mr. Page
  The safety and environmental impact of radioactive waste management at Dounreay is subject to continuous review by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. With respect to audits conducted by the independent regulators, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, I refer to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 13 November,Official Report, column 229–30.

  Oil Pollution
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many oil exploration and drilling installations and platforms operating under licence in each offshore block have deposited oil spill contingency plans with his Department; and if he will place a sample contingency plan in the Library. [8363]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 10 December 1996]: My Department currently has 77 oil spill contingency plans from operators of offshore installations. Although this number may seem small when compared to the number of offshore installations operating on the United Kingdom continental shelf, some plans cover more than one installation. It is a requirement of the development approval that an acceptable oil spill contingency plan is in place before an installation can produce oil.

  As each plan relates to the specific circumstances it is to address it is difficult to identify a representative "sample" plan. However, I will place in the Library of the House, a copy of the oil spill contingency plan from BP Operating Company Limited on the Foinaven field development with its consent.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the impact on the marine environment of oil spills and discharges from offshore oil platforms since the publication of the Royal Commission on environmental pollution's eighth report on oil pollution of the sea, Cmnd. 8358. [8360]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 10 December 1996]: My Department has a research and development budget which it uses, in conjunction with other Government Department's and the oil and gas industry, for environmental projects. The most recently completed project was a study into the effects of drill cuttings piles, a copy of which I will place in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many reports of oil discharges from licensed offshore platforms were made in each year since 1979 to Her Majesty's Government, by the appointed offshore installations manager. [8356]

  Mr. Page
  Figures relating to the number of oil discharges from offshore installations reported to my
  389
  Department from a variety of sources, are published annually in the "Energy Report", copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

  My Department maintains a record of the reports from installations which reported an oil spill, but this report need not be made by the appointed offshore installation manager. The records do not always record the status of the reporter.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many prosecutions for the discharge of environmentally hazardous toxic substances under health and safety at work legislation have been brought against operators of offshore installations on the United Kingdom continental shelf since 1990. [8361]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 10 December 1996]: My Department is not responsible for the prosecution of offences under health and safety at work legislation.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many vessels are currently on standby to respond to oil spill incidents from our near offshore oil platforms in(a) the North sea, (b) the north Atlantic and (c) Cardigan bay; and what was the cost of maintaining these vessels in each of the last three years. [8362]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 10 December 1996]: There are currently six dedicated oil recovery vessels which are employed to respond to oil spill incidents from or near offshore oil platforms on the UKCS. Four vessels are dedicated on field in sensitive areas—Cardigan bay and the Moray firth—and two are roving vessels which routinely patrol the UKCS. In addition, many of the installation standby vessels are equipped to respond to small spills.

  Costs are attributable to industry and are therefore not readily available.

  Nuclear Plants
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has received from British Energy relating to plans to construct new nuclear plants in(a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales after 2006. [8673]

  Mr. Page
  None. Any applications that come forward for new stations over 50 MW would require consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and, as with other forms of generation, the applications for consent would be considered on their individual merits.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what his policy towards the future of the nuclear industry and the construction of new nuclear power stations in(a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales.[8462]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 11 December 1996]: Nuclear power has to compete with other forms of generation in the electricity market to meet the needs of its customers at commercial prices. Any proposals by British
  390
  Energy for new nuclear power stations will therefore be a matter for the company and its shareholders. Such proposals, if over 50 MW in capacity, will also require consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act and, as with other forms of generation, the applications for consent will be considered on their individual merits. Applications in Scotland would be considered by the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  Radiological Testing
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to establish an inquiry into the scope and consequences of Her Majesty's Government's programme of radiological testing conducted by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority since 1957. [6791]

  Mr. Page
  None. I am satisfied that the level of radiation received by the volunteers involved in the programme of radiological research conducted by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority was negligible in relation to the average exposure to natural background radiation.

HEALTH

  Consultants
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much the NHS has spent on the services of Andersen Consulting in the last five years; and on what main tasks the consultants were employed; [6548]

  (2) how much the NHS has spent on the services of KPMG in the last five years; and on what main tasks the consultants were employed. [6547]

  Mr. Horam
  The information requested is not collected centrally.

  NHS Executives
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the chairs of regional national health service executives whom he has appointed; and in each case(a) the past national health service appointments which they held, (b) the interests which they declared, (c) whether other candidates were considered before their appointment, (d) what independent panel reviewed their nominations, (e) what nomination he made to such panels and (f) what is their current term of office. [8513]

  Mr Malone
  Information about the previous appointments and declarations of interest of the regional chairmen has been placed in the Library. The following regional chairmen were previously chairmen of regional health authorities and were re-appointed as regional chairmen for two years from 1 April 1996 to March 1998:

  Northern and Yorkshire Region: Mr. John Greetham CBE

  Trent Region: Mr. Keith Ackroyd CBE

  West Midlands Region: Mr. Bryan Baker

  Anglia and Oxford Region: Sir Stuart Burgess CBE

  South Thames Region: Mr. William Wells.

  391
  The remaining regional chairmen were not previously chairmen of regional health authorities and were appointed following an appointment process that included:
  a trawl for candidates from serving chairmen and non-executive directors and from other bodies including the National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts, the Institute of Health Services Management, The Trust Federation and the Confederation of British Industry;
  Interview of shortlisted candidates by a panel comprising Mr. Alan Langlands, chief executive of the NHS executive, Sir Graham Hart, permanent secretary, Department of Health and Mr. Hector McLean as the independent member; and
  recommendations by the panel to the Secretary of State.

  The Secretary of State did not nominate any candidates. The successful candidates, who were all appointed to 31 March 1998, were:
  South and West: Miss Janet Trotter (appointed from 1 April 1996)
  North West: Professor Alasdair Breckenridge (appointed from 1 April 1996)
  North Thames: Mr. Ian Mills (appointed from 8 July 1996).

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health authorities or their successor bodies met the target listed on page 27 of the ministerial group for energy efficiency annual report 1990–91 in respect of the reduction of their fuel bills; and if he will make a statement. [8697]

  Mr. Horam
  Figures are not available centrally from which to determine whether any individual health body met the target recommended in the ministerial group for energy efficiency's annual report 1990–91. Returns at the end of the five-year period for the national health service overall indicate that energy consumption has reduced by 11.3 per cent., despite a 17.6 per cent. increase in activity between 1990–91 and 1994–95.

  Bypass Grafting (Guidelines)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if guidelines for angiography, angioplasty and coronary

  Estimated discharges and deaths from NHS hospitals by length of stay1

  Numbers

  England

  Length of slay

  1985

  1986

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  All durations

  201,100

  200,300

  192,800

  202,700

  210,800

  218,700

  219,300

  217,300

  Under 1 week

  119,400

  118,300

  39,300

  39,400

  41,600

  44,500

  46,900

  47,700

  1 week—under 1 month

  80,900

  86,500

  91,500

  96,800

  97,400

  95,000

  1 month to under 3 months

  52,100

  52,000

  46,900

  50,200

  52,800

  53,900

  53,200

  53,200

  3 months to under 6 months

  18,700

  19,100

  11,600

  12,400

  12,400

  12,300

  12,600

  12,900

  6 months to under 1 year

  5,200

  5,300

  5,100

  5,000

  4,500

  4,400

  1 year to under 5 years

  6,800

  6,900

  5,400

  5,400

  4,800

  4,100

  3,300

  3,000

  5 years and over

  4,000

  4,000

  3,400

  3,600

  2,600

  2,100

  1,300

  1,100

  1 Figures may not add due to rounding. Figures for 1985 and 1986 relate to calendar years. Data collection systems changed from April 1987 to a financial year basis: reliable data are not available for 1987–88 and 1988–89. Due to changes in data collection methods and NHS re-organisation information for 1989–90 and subsequent years may not be directly comparable with data for 1986. Similarly, data for 1991–92 and subsequent years may not be directly comparable with data for 1989–90 and 1990–91.

  392
  artery bypass grafting are to be published in Britain along the same lines as those to be published in Northern Ireland. [8909]

  Mr. Horam
  The clinical resources efficiency support team, an independent group established under the auspices of the Department of Health and Social Services in Northern Ireland, is working on draft guidelines on angiography, angioplasty and coronary artery bypass grafting which they hope to have ready in early 1997. We have no firm plans as yet to issue similar guidelines in England.

  E. coli Bacterium
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations his Department had with health authorities in Sunderland about the outbreak of E. coli bacterium in 1995; what advice was offered; and if he will make a statement. [8949]

  Mr. Horam
  None. This was a local outbreak managed by the local outbreak control team. Under the Food Safety Act 1990 code of practice No. 16, if it is decided that a complaint or problem is likely to be an isolated incident, action should remain with the local food authority. It is established practice for local authorities to inform the Public Health Laboratory Service of incidents of foodborne illness. The Public Health Laboratory Service was involved in this outbreak and gave advice on the epidemiological investigations.

  Mental Health
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients admitted to psychiatric hospitals remained there for(a) one week or less, (b) under one month, (c) under three months, (d) under six months, (e) under one year and (f) under five years for the period 1985 to 1995. [8258]

  Mr. Burns
  The duration of stay of psychiatric patients in national health service hospitals at the point when they were either discharged or died is shown for available years in the table.

SCOTLAND

  Lottery Tickets (Sales to Children)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many retailers have been prosecuted for selling(a)lottery tickets and (b) scratch cards to children in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [8203]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is not separately identifiable in the Scottish Office Home Department's classification of crimes and offences. My noble and learned friend the Lord Advocate is not aware of any such prosecutions having been brought in Scotland.

  Sea Lice
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what applications for the use of synthetic pyrethroids for the control of sea lice are currently being considered by his Department. [8179]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  None.

  Mr. Brendon Callaghan
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to review the case of Mr. Brendon Callaghan; and if he will make a statement. [8678]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Representations received by the Scottish Office to date which claim that there has been a miscarriage of justice in Mr. Callaghan's case are currently being considered. I cannot, however, give an indication of when the review will be completed as documents are still being lodged on Mr. Callaghan's behalf.

  "National Standards on Throughcare"
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now publish "National Standards on Throughcare" which was issued in draft form on 7 February 1996. [8899]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The revised "National Standards on Throughcare" will be issued in early January.

  Enterprise Companies
  Mr. Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the prior options study of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, which he announced on 7 February, will be completed; and if he will make a statement. [9465]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The prior options study, undertaken as the first stage of the five-yearly policy and financial management review of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, has now been completed.

  I have accepted the overall conclusions of the study. Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise will continue as the two national agencies responsible for safeguarding employment, enhancing skills, promoting Scotland's industrial efficiency and competitiveness, and furthering improvement of the environment. A particular strength of the current arrangements is the ability to take
  394
  an integrated approach, combining economic development, training and environmental powers in pursuit of economic growth.

  The review looked at the scope to privatise, contract out or transfer some or all of the functions of the two bodies. A key feature of the present arrangements is that Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise contract out the delivery of more than 80 per cent. of their programmes to the network of local enterprise companies. These are private companies led by local business people.

  The review found that these arrangements have been successful in giving employers ownership of the system of training and enterprise creation, by decentralising decisions and resources to local level through a system of strong, employer-led bodies, leading to better and more focused decision taking. These arrangements will continue, and the review recommends that SE and HIE should continue to look for further opportunities to contract out more of their activities.

  The review looked at the scope for rationalisation of the two bodies, but concluded that there would be nothing to be gained by a merger of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I expect that the two bodies will continue to co-operate fully, as at present, to reduce unnecessary overlap and avoid duplication of effort.

  I am grateful to all those organisations and individuals who responded to the invitation to comment which I issued at the start of this review. The second stage of the review, which will examine systems of financial management and control within the two bodies, will now get under way. Many of the comments submitted in the course of the prior options study will be relevant to the second stage.

  Copies of the report of the prior options study will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and may be obtained from the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department, Room 3-F53, Victoria quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ.

  Water and Sewerage Authority Finance
  Mr. Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will announce the external financing limits which will apply to the Scottish water and sewerage authorities in 1997–98, and the following two years. [9466]

  Mr. Kynoch
  Indicative external financing limits for the three water authorities, after reductions to take account of commutation of debt, were set last year at £163 million for 1997–98 and £157 million for 199899. In the light of the recently completed expenditure round the EFL for 1997–98 will remain at £163 million, the indicative EFL for 1998–99 will increase to £187 million and that for 1999–00 will be £223 million.

  The allocation of EFLs to each authority in 1997–88 will be: East authority £52 million, North authority £49 million, and West authority £62 million. Indicative allocations for the later years will be given to the authorities later.

  Student Grants
  Mr. Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of changes in the student support and tuition fee arrangement for Scottish domiciled students in session 1997–98. [9467]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  I am publishing today the main rates of maintenance allowance payable under the students' allowance scheme and the postgraduate students' allowance scheme, including the rates for those course which do not attract student loans, together with the rates for the various supplementary allowances payable to both undergraduate and vocational postgraduate award holders.

  The support available to undergraduate students in 1997–98 through the main rates of maintenance grant and loan, taken together, will be 2.5 per cent. higher than in 1996–97, thus maintaining its value in real terms. Postgraduate maintenance grants and supplementary allowances will be increased by a similar amount.

  Tuition fees will continue to be reimbursed to institutions through the student support system on behalf of eligible students. The undergraduate rates will be the same as in 1996–97.

  These changes are consistent with those for England and Wales announced by my right. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment. Details have been placed in the Library.

  Hunterston B and Torness Power Stations
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from British Energy concerning the extension of the operating life of the Hunterston B and Torness nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement. [8460]

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 11 December 1996]: None. The continued operation of any United Kingdom civil nuclear installations is a matter for the operator subject to the stringent safety requirements of the nuclear industry's independent regulator, the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Hong Kong and Singapore
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list the projects currently receiving overseas aid assistance in(a) Hong Kong and (b) Singapore; [8718]

  (2) how much (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral aid has been allocated to (a) Hong and Kong and (b) Singapore in each of the last three years. [8717]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  British bilateral aid to Hong Kong and Singapore, as reported in "British Aid Statistics", consists of colonial pension payments, scholarships under the Commonwealth scholarship and fellow plan and, in the case of Hong Kong up to 1994–95, assistance via the 396
  British Red Cross and Save the Children Fund for Vietnamese boat people.

  Such aid in the last three years totalled:

  £000

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  Hong Kong

  423

  372

  130

  Singapore

  233

  225

  238

  Total multilateral aid, from the European Community and United Nations, in the last three years for which figures are available was as follows:

  £000

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Hong Kong

  13,300

  12,100

  11,100

  Singapore

  700

  900

  1,200

  Of this, the estimated share attributable to the United Kingdom was:

  £000

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Hong Kong

  1,300

  300

  600

  Singapore

  —

  100

  100

HOME DEPARTMENT

  New Constituencies (Boundary Maps)
  Sir Terence Higgins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons no official maps of the boundaries of the new West Worthing and East Worthing and Shoreham constituencies are available; and when he estimates his Department will produce them. [8908]

  Mr. Sackville
  The composition of the new constituencies is set out in the Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995 and the new boundaries will come into effect at the next general election.

  The fourth periodical report of the Boundary Commission for England, published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office—now The Stationery Office—on 6 June 1995, illustrates the commission's recommended boundaries for all constituencies in England. Those recommendations were given effect, without modification, by the Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995. Maps of the constituencies of West Worthing and East Worthing and Shoreham are found at volume 4 of the commission's report, which is available from the Stationery Office and its accredited agents.

  We have no plans for the Department to produce further maps of the new constituencies.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the procedures for interviewing, at
  397
  Home Office immigration offices, applicants for asylum who are (a) accompanied by a solicitor or adviser and (b) unaccompanied; and if he will make a statement. [8839]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  The procedures followed for asylum interviews are the same whether or not the applicant is accompanied by a representative.

  At the initial screening interview, all applicants are asked standard questions to establish their identity and method of entry to the United Kingdom. During the substantive asylum interview, the purpose of the interview is explained to the applicant, who will then be asked to confirm personal details and to give the interviewing officer as much information as possible about the basis of their claim for asylum. At the end of the interview, the applicant and interviewer will sign the interview notes as an accurate record of the interview and the applicant will be given a copy of the interview notes.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what written information his Department provides to people seeking refugee status concerning the documentation that they need to provide; and if he will make a statement. [8847]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  Asylum seekers who apply by post are sent a letter inviting them to attend a screening interview and advising them of the documentation they will be required to produce at that interview. Those asylum seekers who apply in person and who do not have the necessary documentation with them are given a copy of the standard invitation letter containing details of the documentation they will have to produce on a subsequent occasion. A new information leaflet on asylum procedures will be introduced shortly.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is given to staff working at Home Office immigration offices who deal with people seeking refugee status. [8837]

  Miss Widdecombe
  All new asylum caseworkers attend a two-week induction course which provides specialist training in asylum issues and procedures. After three months in post, staff receive training in the skills necessary to enable them to carry out interviews of asylum applicants. Refresher training, and training in new developments such as legislation, is provided from time to time as necessary.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are made by staff at Home Office immigration offices of the documentation handed in by applicants for asylum to enable mistakes to be rectified. [8836]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  It is the responsibility of the applicant to supply the correct documentation. Home Office staff are not normally in a position to identify mistakes within documents, other than checking that the document refers to the applicant and not to some other person. If a self-completion questionnaire contains obvious mistakes 398
  or discrepancies, these may be pursued with the applicant during the asylum interview.

  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have had their applications considered under the short procedure from 30 June to date; and how many of these applications were(a) granted and (b) refused, indicating which countries they were from. [7784]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 November,Official Report, column 507, how many asylum seekers have been detained at the point of entry since 1 January; and how many were subsequently held for longer than one month. [7801]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  It is estimated that 1,530 persons who had sought asylum on arrival in the United kingdom between 1 January 1996 and 5 November 1996 were placed into detention for one night, or longer, during that period.

  Further analysis of the information given in the reply of 6 November has led to a downwards revision of the figure of 642 port asylum seekers placed in detention between 1 July and 30 September 1996. It is now estimated that 520 such persons were placed into detention for one night or longer during this period.

  The breakdown of those detained during a specific time period, by length of detention, is not available.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff at Lunar house speak foreign languages; and if he will list members of staff who are able to communicate with applicants in languages other than English. [8838]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  The information requested is not readily available in the form requested and could be collected only at disproportionate cost. However, 42 staff in Lunar house are registered as qualified in at least one foreign language which they may be called upon to use in the course of their official duties. These staff receive a foreign language allowance.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the procedures when an application is made to a Home Office immigration office seeking asylum, with particular reference to the procedures followed once documents have been handed in; and how the applicant is informed of the procedures. [8846]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  Asylum applicants who submit their applications to the Home Office are required to attend a screening interview in order to establish their identity and method of entry to the United Kingdom. Their fingerprints will also be taken in accordance with the provisions of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993. Once identity has been satisfactorily established, the applicant will be issued with a standard acknowledgement letter confirming their identity as an asylum seeker. If it is not possible to conduct a substantive interview with the applicant about his claim at that time, he will be asked to
  399
  complete a questionnaire. When the questionnaire has been returned, it will be considered by the caseworker together with any other documentation submitted in support of the claim.

  Applicants are informed of the procedures by letter at each stage of their application. A new information leaflet on asylum procedures will be introduced shortly.

  Television Licences
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those committed to prison for television licence fine default in the first seven months of 1996 were women; and how many of these were mothers of children under 16 years of age. [7776]

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

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Ms Audrey Wise, dated 13 December 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, how many of those committed to prison for television licence fine default in the first seven months of 1996 were women; and how many of these were mothers of children under 16 years of age.
  Provisional information shows that for the period January to July 1996, 65 women were received into prison for defaulting on a fine after conviction for using a television without a licence. No information is available centrally on the number who were mothers of children aged under 16 years.

  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were committed to prison for television licence fine default during 1995; what was the average time served in prison; and what was the cost to the Prison Service. [7780]

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

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Ms Audrey Wise, dated 13 December 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, how many people were committed to prison for television licence fine default during 1995; what was the average time served in prison; and what was the cost to the Prison Service.
  For 1995, 728 persons (493 males and 235 females) were received into prison for defaulting on a fine after conviction for using a television without a licence. The average time served by fine defaulters is one week. Information on the number of fine defaulters received into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales, by offence group, is published in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" (table 7.2 of the 1995 edition, Cm 3355), a copy of which is available in the Library.
  Information on the cost of prisoners according to their type of offence is not collected centrally. The average weekly net operating cost of a prison place in 1995–96 was £465.

  Prisons
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison places were available at 1 November; and if he will make a statement. [7906]

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

  Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. Elfyn Llwyd, dated 13 December 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General, to reply to your recent Question about the number of prison places available at 1 November.
  On 31 October 1996, the closest date to the 1 November for which figures are available, the total In-Use Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA) was 53,500, and the total Baseline CNA was 56,835. The Operational Capacity at 31 October 1996 was 58,977, and the Population was 57,587.
  In-Use CNA represents the total number of uncrowded places estimated to be available in the estate. Baseline CNA is the total number of uncrowded places, including those which are out of use due to refurbishment. Operational Capacity is the number of prisoners the estate can hold without serious risk to good order, security and the proper running of regimes, and which allows for overcrowding.

  Police Custody (Deaths)
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training measures have been introduced by the police in England and Wales to prevent deaths in police custody. [8683]

  Mr. Maclean
  The custody officer training package, which is available to forces in England and Wales, covers all statutory duties and procedures contained within the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, and its associated codes of practice, for dealing with people taken into custody. They stipulate that a police surgeon must be called to any person who appears to be suffering from physical illness or mental disorder; is injured; fails to respond normally to questions; or otherwise appears to be in need of medical attention. In urgent cases, the person must be sent to hospital or the nearest available medical practitioner called.

  Persons in detention have to be visited every hour, and those who are drunk at least every half hour. The custody officer may remove any articles of clothing or personal effects if he considers the suspect may use them to cause harm to himself or others.

  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been(a) disciplined, (b) suspended and (c) charged with offences relating to the death of a black person in custody since 1990. [8682]

  Mr. Maclean
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many coroners' inquests into
  401
  the deaths of a black person in police custody or prison custody there were in each of the last five years; and what were the causes of death. [8680]

  Mr. Sackville
  The information regarding deaths in police custody is not held centrally. I understand that the verdicts of inquests regarding relevant deaths in prison arising since details have been collected are as follows:1994
  Three natural causes, one suicide, one inquest outstanding;
  1995
  Two natural causes, four suicides, one misadventure, one open, three inquests outstanding;
  1996 (to 11 December)
  Two natural causes, two inquests outstanding.

  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many police stations a black person has died while in custody during the last five years; [8681]

  (2) how many deaths in police custody in England and Wales of (a) black, (b) Asian and (c) Irish people there were in each of the last five years. [8679]

  Mr. Maclean
  These figures are not held centrally. In previous years, police forces have not been required to report the ethnic background of people who die in police custody. That information has been required since April 1996 and will be included in future annual published statistics.

  Police (Suicide Awareness)
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training in suicide awareness police officers receive in England and Wales. [8684]

  Mr. Maclean
  It is for individual chief officers to determine the extent to which their officers are trained to carry out their duties. The foundation course for probationer constables seeks to establish a general awareness and understanding of the mental and physical condition of people they encounter. The possibility of people in custody committing suicide is dealt with in greater depth in the custody officer training package which is available to all forces.

  Prison Health Service
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to integrate the prison health service into the national health service. [8685]

  Miss Widdecombe
  There are no current plans to integrate the health care service for prisoners with the national health service.

  We are, however, committed to improving health care for prisoners and believe that there is considerable potential for achieving better health services and better value for money by contracting with the NHS and other providers.

  CS Gas
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to authorise the use of CS gas by members of the Prison Service. [8286]
  402
  Miss Widdecombe
  There are no current proposals to authorise the Use of CS spray by members of the Prison Service.

  Prison Staff (Injuries)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison staff have been injured due to physical assault from inmates in England and Wales; how many of these cases were pursued in the courts; and how many were dealt with under prison rule 47 in each year since 1990. [8051]

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

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. John Battle, dated 13 December 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many prison staff have been injured due to physical assault from inmates in England and Wales; how many of these cases were pursued in the courts; and how many were dealt with under Prison Rule 47 in each year since 1990.
  The Prison Service expanded its Incident Reporting System to include the monitoring of injuries resulting from physical assaults by inmates from September 1995. Information prior to this date was not centrally recorded, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The number of reported injuries sustained by prison staff for each month since September 1995 is given in the attached table.
  Information concerning cases of assaults by inmates which were pursued through the courts is not collected centrally and could also only be provided at disproportionate cost.
  It is not possible to differentiate between inmates who have been dealt with under Prison Rule 47 in cases of assault on prison staff that have resulted in physical injury separately from those where no physical injury was sustained. The number of assaults on prison staff and others proven at adjudication in each year since 1990 are provided in the attached table.

  Assaults on prison staff resulting in injury

  Serious injury

  Other physical injury

  Total

  1995

  September

  11

  30

  41

  October

  13

  35

  48

  November

  5

  31

  36

  December

  11

  36

  47

  1996

  January

  13

  42

  55

  February

  7

  40

  47

  March

  3

  41

  44

  April

  5

  53

  58

  May

  3

  52

  55

  June

  7

  46

  53

  July

  2

  59

  61

  August

  5

  31

  36

  September

  3

  36

  39

  October

  1

  34

  35

  November

  4

  48

  52

  Total

  93

  614

  707

  All assaults on prison staff and others proven at adjudication

  Number

  1990

  1,884

  1991

  2,118

  1992

  2,398

  403

  All assaults on prison staff and others proven at adjudication

  Number

  1993

  2,976

  1994

  3,334

  1995

  2,990

  19961

  2,194

  Prisons
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria for placing a convicted inmate in(a) an open prison and (b) a closed prison, with particular reference to the length of sentence; and if he will make a statement. [8517]

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

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 13 December 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the criteria by which convicted prisoners are placed in closed or open prisons.
  The criteria used are set out in guidance contained in the enclosed Circular Instructions 7/1988 and 2/1991 issued by the Prison Service. Copies of these are available in the Library.

  Child Prostitution
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish a task force to make recommendations to address the problem of child prostitution. [8427]

  Mr. Maclean
  We have no plans to do so. We believe that the present law is adequate to deal with those who exploit child prostitutes.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to increase the penalties for those convicted of(a) enticing children into prostitution and (b) living off the earnings of child prostitutes; [8428]

  (2) what plans he has to increase the penalties for those convicted of living on immoral earnings. [8426]

  Mr. Maclean
  The maximum penalty for an offence of living on the earnings of prostitution, whether adult or child, is seven years' imprisonment. Two years' imprisonment is the maximum penalty for causing or encouraging prostitution of a girl under 16. There is no evidence that these maximum penalties are insufficient for the most serious cases of these offences.

  Seat Belts
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many drivers have been prosecuted for allowing a child under 14 years to travel 404
  in a vehicle without wearing a seat belt or legal restraint in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [8231]

  (2) how many drivers have been prosecuted for allowing a child under 14 years to travel in a vehicle without wearing a seat belt or legal restraint in Wales in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [8232]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 12 December 1996]: It is not possible, in the statistics held centrally, to distinguish between passengers or drivers prosecuted for not wearing seat belts, nor whether children under 14 were involved.

  The following table gives the available information. As the vast majority of seat belt offences are dealt with by the issue of a fixed penalty notice, the table includes figures for these also.

  Driving or riding in a motor vehicle while not wearing a seat belt

  England and Wales, 1991–1995

  Wales

  England and Wales

  Number of prosecutions

  Number of fixed penalties

  Number of prosecutions

  Number of fixed penalties

  1991

  498

  n/a

  12,156

  n/a

  1992

  379

  5,682

  11,258

  102,322

  1993

  337

  4,184

  9,687

  106,153

  1994

  345

  4,807

  8,715

  114,712

  1995

  334

  6,304

  8,574

  126,251

  Wolds Prison
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department ifhe will make a statement on the contract for the management of Wolds prison, indicating the original terms of the renewal of the contract for the management of the prison and the terms and completion details of any agreed renewal of the contract. [7505]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 9 December 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 13 December 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the renewal of the contract for the management of Wolds prison.
  The contract came into operation in April 1992 and, subject to satisfactory performance, is capable of renewal up to a maximum term of 14 years from that date. The initial five year term expires on 5 April 1997. In view of the Prison Service's satisfaction with the level of service provided and the result of negotiations about

  405
  terms for an extension, the contract with Group 4 Prison Services Ltd was extended on 31 October for a further 5 years from 6 April 1997.
  The price agreed is equivalent to a 7.3% reduction in the current annual cost to the Prison Service and the contract also incorporates a number of new features.
  As recommended by the Public Accounts Committee, a Performance Measurement System has been included in the contract. The system encourages an improvement in service levels throughout the next five years by providing more rigorous targets each year.
  Group 4 will incur fixed penalties if prisoners escape whilst in their custody.
  All risks relating to damage to buildings and plant at the prison (including malicious damage) will now be covered by commercial insurance taken out by Group 4 at their expense.
  Some of the existing contractual conditions have been clarified and re-drafted in light of past experience, including improvements in standard conditions achieved during negotiations for DCMF (Design, Construct, Manage and Finance) prison contracts. For example, the default procedure has been improved by greater clarity over the period available for the rectification of unsatisfactory performance.
  New and more flexible arrangements have been introduced to cope with population increases.
  Targets for regime activities have been updated including 30 hours work per convicted prisoner per week (compared with the national Prison Service target this year of 26.5 hours), whilst the daily time out of cell has been reduced from a target of 14 hours per day to 12 hours (compared with the national Prison Service target this year of "at least 60% of prisoners to be held in establishments which unlock prisoners for at least 10 hours per weekday").
  Additional costs are transferred to Group 4 and will no longer be funded from other Prison Service Budgets. These include the provision of probation services and the funding of prisoners remuneration and discharge grants.
  A copy of the Contract has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

  Table A: Immediate custodial sentences and average sentence lengths for indictable offences where there is an associated firearms offence1 by type of court, 1989 to 1995

  Magistrates courts

  Crown court

  Year

  Number

  Average sentence length (months)

  Life2

  Other

  Total

  Average sentence length (months)3

  1989

  61

  3.1

  5

  1,082

  1,087

  46.7

  1990

  36

  3.7

  4

  1,090

  1,094

  47.0

  1991

  50

  3.3

  4

  1,207

  1,211

  43.8

  1992

  48

  3.3

  5

  1,320

  1,325

  47.3

  1993

  71

  3.4

  6

  1,232

  1,238

  46.9

  1994

  93

  3.9

  3

  1,338

  1,341

  45.8

  1995

  121

  3.2

  10

  1,411

  1,421

  40.3

  1 The information tabulated is for the principal offence, where at least one of the offences dealt with at the final court appearance was for a firearms offence.

  2 Comparisons with other sources suggest that the figures for life sentences are particularly subject to under recording. For example, 123 persons were given a life sentence for homicide offences initially recorded in the years 1989 to 1995, where the method of killing was shooting.

  3 Excludes lifers.

  Crime (Guns)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many criminals who took a gun to a crime have been given a life sentence since 1989; what is the average tariff set in such cases to date; how many have been released to date; and what is the average sentence served by those who have been released to date; [7517]

  (2) how many criminals who took a gun to a crime have been given custodial sentences other than a life sentence since 1989; what is the average length of sentence given; how many have been released to date; and what is the average sentence served by those who have been released to date; [7518]

  (3) how many criminals who took a gun to a crime were given a sentence other than a custodial sentence since 1989; and how many were given each of the non-custodial sentences which have been used for such offenders. [7519]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 5 December 1996]: Information readily available centrally is given in the following tables. It relates to the type of sentence passed on the principal offence, where at least one of the offences dealt with at the final court appearance was for a firearms offence. It will thus exclude those instances where a firearm was involved and either no separate proceedings were undertaken or they were terminated early.

  It is an offence under the Firearms Acts, subject to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, to be in possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence. In the six years from 1990 to 1995, 717 people were convicted of this offence in England and Wales; 420 of them were imprisoned, with an average length of sentence of 36 months. None were sentenced to life imprisonment.

  The time served by prisoners who have been sentenced since October 1992 is determined by the sentencing structure specified by the Criminal Justice Act 1991. For those sentenced before October 1992, there were different arrangements for remission, release and parole.
  407

  Table B: Person sentenced for indictable offences, where there is an associated firearms offence1, by type of sentence or order, 1989 to 1995

  England and Wales

  Type of sentence or order

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Absolute discharge

  60

  48

  69

  67

  48

  43

  50

  Conditional discharge

  282

  298

  342

  372

  385

  449

  505

  Fine

  918

  985

  901

  792

  618

  762

  862

  Probation order

  151

  182

  187

  186

  180

  210

  245

  Supervision order

  47

  52

  41

  39

  35

  66

  72

  Community service order

  122

  154

  161

  152

  201

  260

  293

  Attendance centre order

  55

  44

  46

  32

  26

  42

  48

  Combination order

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  9

  41

  65

  104

  Fully suspended sentence

  211

  240

  241

  210

  49

  58

  81

  Immediate custody

  1,148

  1,130

  1,261

  1,373

  1,309

  1,434

  1,542

  s.53, Children and Young Persons Act 1933

  5

  5

  7

  13

  25

  41

  28

  Otherwise dealt with

  27

  27

  38

  40

  28

  39

  47

  Total sentenced

  3,026

  3,165

  3,294

  3,285

  2,945

  3,469

  3,877

  1 The information tabulated is for the principal offence, where at least one of the offences dealt with at the final court appearance was for a firearms offence.

  2 n/a=Not applicable.

  Roisin McAliskey
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in how many prisons in England and Northern Ireland Roisin McAliskey has been held on remand; and for how long in each prison; [8583]

  (2) how many (a) doctors and (b) consultants have examined Roisin McAliskey and in which (i) prisons and (ii) hospitals the examinations took place; [8563]

  (3) what medical facilities were available for pregnant women at each of the prisons where Roisin McAliskey was held. [8584]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 10 December 1996]: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 13 December 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about Ms Roisin McAliskey.
  Ms McAliskey has been held in two prisons while on remand. She was committed initially to Holloway prison on 27 November and then transferred to Belmarsh prison on 30 November before being returned to Holloway prison.
  Ms McAliskey has been seen 11 times by doctors while in Holloway and Belmarsh. On 4 December Ms McAliskey complained of stomach pains. An appointment was made for her to see a consultant obstetrician at Greenwich District hospital. She had a scan and a full examination. The obstetrician confirmed that Ms McAliskey was in good general health, that her 16 week pregnancy was progressing normally and that there was no cause for concern. As a further precaution Ms McAliskey was returned to Holloway Prison where specialist ante-natal care is more readily available, should it become necessary. Since her return to Holloway she was been visited twice by the prison gynaecologist.
  Holloway prison has a dedicated wing with specialist expertise and interest in caring for pregnant women. Admission is en a voluntary basis. Belmarsh prison has full inmate care facilities,
  408
  but no facilities specifically for pregnant women. All prisons have the back up of the National Health Service, for both in-patient and out patient facilities. In addition, consultants are contracted by the Prison Service to carry out clinics in the prisons themselves.

  Belmarsh Prison Visit
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what facilities were offered to Eamon O'Cuiv TD during his visit to Her Majesty's prison, Belmarsh on 5 December; and if he will make a statement. [8558]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 10 December 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 13 December 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the facilities offered to Mr O"Cuiv TD for his visit to Belmarsh Prison.
  Mr. O'Cuiv visited Belmarsh on 5 December where he met a group of prisoners in the Special Secure Unit, in open conditions. The visit was conducted in sight but out of hearing of prison officers.
  Mr. O'Cuiv was unable to see all the prisoners he wished to see because of his afternoon commitments In addition, one prisoner was required to attend an outside hospital appointment at short notice.

  Football (Police)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the payments made to the Metropolitan police by each of London's Premier and Football League clubs in seasons 1995–96 and 1996–97 to date. [8787]
  409
  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 12 December 1996]: I understand from the Commission of Police of the Metropolis that the payments made are as follows:

  Club

  1995–96 season £

  1996–97 season (to 30 November 1996) £

  Arsenal

  269,518.59

  61,545.93

  Barnet

  27,262.37

  12,713.89

  Brentford

  38,906.80

  19,307.69

  Charlton

  40,682.31

  4,583.68

  Chelsea

  235,945.03

  22,188.58

  Crystal Palace

  193,525.93

  13,256.97

  Fulham

  24,444.03

  5,017.30

  Leyton Orient

  35,204.81

  5,892.80

  Millwall

  128,557.85

  24,976.67

  Queens Park Rangers

  93,140.28

  8,530.03

  Tottenham Hotspur

  193,372.55

  21,245.80

  410

  Club

  1995–96 season £

  1996–97 season (to 30 November 1996) £

  West Ham United

  168,311.36

  10.00

  Wimbledon

  156,028.89

  48,743.41

  Total

  1,604,900.80

  248,002.75

  1 £35,062.61 received on 7 December 1996 (payment delayed while invoices discussed).

  During the 1995–96 football season, the Metropolitan police received £49,000 from Leyton Orient and £86,000 from Millwall in respect of outstanding invoices for previous seasons. To date this season, the Metropolitan police have received £9,000 from Leyton Orient and £8,000 from Millwall in respect of outstanding invoices for previous seasons prior to 1995–96.