Written Answers of 1 February 1996

ENVIRONMENT

  Housing Need
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of the(a) organisations, (b) individuals and (c) charities that responded to the "Access to Local Government and Housing Association Tenancies" consultation paper published in January 1994 were in favour of the proposals (i) that someone should not be found to be in need of assistance where there is alternative accommodation available, (ii) that the duty of a local authority towards someone needing assistance should be to secure accommodation for a limited period

  and

  (iii) that the private rental sector be used to accommodate more homeless households. [12139]

  Mr. Clappison
  Nearly 80 per cent. of the 10,000 responses to the consultation paper were from members of the public. A further 10 per cent. were from local charities, churches and other voluntary groups. The next two largest groups of respondents were local housing authorities, 3 per cent., and housing associations, 2 per cent.

  Only one in five responses commented on any specific proposal in the consultation paper. The majority of respondents expressed opinions about the supposed effects of the proposals as a whole on households accepted as homeless under the new duty. Fewer than 5 per cent. commented on the proposal that households should be ineligible for assistance if there is alternative accommodation available. Our analysis of the responses did not yield quantitative data for (ii) and (iii).

  Tenants (Drug Dealing)
  Mr. Elletson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about powers available to local authorities to remove tenants convicted of drug dealing. [12564]

  Mr. Clappison
  Local authorities have powers under section 84 of the Housing Act 1985, and ground 2 of schedule 2 to that Act, to evict tenants who have been convicted of using their homes for illegal purposes, such as drug dealing.

  Negative Equity
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households in each region are currently in negative equity. [12568]

  Mr. Clappison
  Estimates of negative equity are sensitive to underlying assumptions made, such as changes in house prices. Using the Department's house price index, adjusted for the mix of different dwelling 840
  types, it is estimated that the total number of households in negative equity in each English region in the third quarter of 1995 was as follows:

  Region

  Number of households

  South east

  383,000

  Greater London

  180,000

  South west

  112,000

  East Anglia

  50,000

  East Midlands

  40,000

  West Midlands

  89,000

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  47,000

  North west

  52,000

  North

  24,000

  These estimates provide only a very broad indication of the number of households in negative equity. The suitability of the assumptions used in compiling estimates of negative equity is currently under review.

  Domestic Heating
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the percentage of extra fuel which is required to heat identical houses in(a) Rochdale and (b) the north-west of England using the Building Research Establishment domestic energy model and taking Bristol as the base case. [13103]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The percentage of extra fuel required to heat a typical house with gas central heating is estimated to be as follows for each of the specified locations:

  (a) Rochdale +9 per cent. and

  (b) the North West of England: between +9 per cent. and +15 per cent. depending on precise location.

  These figures have been calculated using the Building Research Establishment domestic energy model and taking Bristol as the base case.

  Council House Rents
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to cap rebate reimbursement to local authorities which set council housing rents above the guideline figure determined by his Department. [13147]

  Mr. Clappison
  The limit on rent rebate subsidy formed part of the 1996–97 housing revenue account subsidy determination which was issued on 22 December 1995. Authorities which keep their rent increases within the guideline increase will be unaffected, as will authorities which keep their rents below the guideline rent for 1996–97.

  Cash and Running Cost Limits
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to change the 1995–96 cash limit for Ordnance Survey. [13399]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary spring supplementary estimate for Ordnance Survey, class VII, vote 7, the cash limit will be increased by a token £1,000 from £16,984,000 to
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  £16,985,00, and the net running costs limit will be decreased by £918,000 from £13,465,000 to £12,547,000, reflecting an excess of increased running costs related receipts over increased gross running costs expenditure on the vote.

  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to change his Department's cash and running cost limits for 1995–96. [13544]

  Mr. Gummer
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the following cash limit changes will be made.

  The cash limit for class VII, vote 1—housing and construction, England—covering sections B, C, D and G of that vote, will be decreased by £1,237,000 from £112,415,000 to £111,178,000. This change partially offsets the increased demand for tax relief grant which is administered by the Housing Corporation and is not cash limited.

  The DOE/HC—Housing Corporation—cash limit will be increased by £51,000 from £1,149,038,000 to £1,149,089,000 through the take-up of entitlement to end year flexibility for capital spending on the approved development programme as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 July 1995, Official Report, column 776.

  The cash limit for class VII, vote 2, RCW—regeneration and countryside and wildlife—will be increased by £581,000 from £1,520,799,000 to £1,521,380,000. The changes reflect the transfer of £833,000 from the Department of Trade and Industry to support the coalfield strategic fund for an extension to Dearne Valley college; a transfer to the Home Office of £75,000 to support three safer cities projects in Wales and a reduction of £177,000 to allow supplementary credit approvals to be issued in respect of English Partnerships from the RCW non-voted cash limit.

  The non-voted cash limit for regeneration and countryside and wildlife will be increased by £758,000 from £1,503,516,000 to £1,504,274,000. The changes reflect the transfer of £833,000 from the Department of Trade and Industry to support the coalfield strategic fund for an extension to Dearne Valley college and a transfer of £75,000 to the Home Office to support three safer cities projects in Wales.

  The cash limit for class VII, vote 3—environmental protection and water—covering sections A, B, C, D, F and G will be increased by £1,444,000. This change will cover increased grant in aid to the British Waterways Board and will be funded by take-up of part of the entitlement to capital end of year flexibility as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 July 1995, Official Report, column 776. There will be an increase of £1,640,000 in the external financing limit for the British Waterways Board, made up of £1,444,000 arising from the end of year flexibility entitlement shown above and a virement between sub-heads within the vote of £196,000.

  The cash limit for class VII, vote 4—local government and planning, England—covering sections A to F of that vote, will be reduced by £300,000 from £30,087,110,000 to £30,086,810,000. This change is to allow savings due to lower than planned activity on section D—planning and
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  minerals research—to be transferred to class VII, vote 1—housing and construction, England and Energy Efficiency Office—to partially offset the increased demand for tax relief grant.
  The DOE/LGR—local government reorganisation—cash limit will be reduced by £11,140,000 from £76,696,000 to £65,556,000. This change reflects lower than anticipated applications from local authorities for supplementary credit approvals to offset the abatement and recovery of housing revenue account subsidy in respect of Greater London Council deemed debt.

  The cash limit for class VII, vote 5—Administration—will be increased by £7,718,000 from £226,100,000 to £233,818,000. This change reflects the transfer of provision from Property Holdings to DOE of £5,481,000 for the relocation of the Department's headquarters, the take-up of £2,000,000 of end year flexibility entitlement for capital expenditure, as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 July 1995, Official Report, column 776, to cover the costs of faster than expected progress on the relocation project and various other small changes of responsibility between the Department and other parts of Government.

  Overall, the Department's gross running cost limit will be reduced by £2,339,000 from £228,854,000 to £226,515,000. This reflects the capitalisation of the costs of early retirements and transfers of responsibility to other parts of Government.

  Property Holdings' gross running cost limit will be increased by £212,000 from £19,863,000 to £20,075,000. The increase represents a transfer from DOE.

  The Office of Water Services gross running cost limit will be increased by £170,000 from £8,539,000 to £8,709,000. This will not result in an increase in the cash limit.

  All the increases will be offset either by savings, transfers from other Government Departments or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

TRANSPORT

  Coventry Air Crash
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action(a) has been or (b) will be taken against Air Algerie in respect of its not applying for permits. [12173]

  Mr. Norris
  Under the Air Navigation (No. 2) Order 1995, a permit can be issued to the operator of the aircraft or the charterer of the aircraft or to the Government of the country in which the aircraft is registered. In this particular case, responsibility for obtaining permits for the cargo charter flights operated from Coventry in December 1994 rested with the UK charterer, Phoenix Aviation. Applications were received from this company but insufficient documentation was supplied to enable a permit to be issued.

  In light of the fact that flights operated without the necessary permits, the Department in conjunction with the Civil Aviation Authority conducted an investigation into the circumstances of the flights to determine whether

  843
  there should be any prosecution action. However, Phoenix Aviation were placed in liquidation before any charges could be laid.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he proposes to modify the flight permit scheme to ensure compliance in accordance with recommendations of the air accident investigation branch's accident report on the Air Algerie Boeing 737 accident at Coventry in December 1994. [12174]

  Mr. Norris
  My noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping announced on 10 January that the Department had amended its procedures for the approval of wet leased aircraft—aircraft leased with crew—in accordance with the recommendation made by the air accident investigation branch. These amended procedures will require the provision of a statement from the applicant airline as to which airline's operations and flight manuals will be applicable to the proposed flight. This change will clarify responsibilities as regards future applications involving the use of wet leased aircraft.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he will be taking as a result of the recent report into the Coventry air crash in December 1994. [12956]

  Mr. Norris
  My noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping announced on 10 January that the Department had reviewed its permit procedures as recommended by air accident investigation branch and taken action to amend the procedures for the approval of the operation of wet leased aircraft—aircraft leased with crew—by foreign aircraft. These amended procedures require the provision of a statement from the applicant airline as to which airline operations and flight manuals will be applicable for the proposed flight. This change will clarify permit responsibilities as regards future applications involving the use of wet leased aircraft.

  Newbury Bypass
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is the present total estimated cost for the construction of the Newbury bypass; [12733]

  (2) when he expects the Highways Agency to publish details of the cost-benefit analysis carried out in respect of the Newbury bypass; [12747]

  (3) what actions the Highways Agency has taken to ensure that security personnel employed by contractors clearing the route of the Newbury bypass have adequate training. [12746]

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

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Cynog Dafis, dated 1 February 1995:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent questions about the Newbury Bypass.
  Reliance Security Services, the security firm employed on the Newbury Bypass scheme, are employed directly by the site clearance contractor. It is a requirement of the Highways Agency that all sub-contracted security companies are members of the British Security Industry Association and that they conform to British Standard 7499 covering static guards and mobile patrols.
  844
  The cost benefit analysis for the scheme was presented to the Public Inquiries held in 1988. That analysis showed the scheme to be very good value for money, that is still the case. The total estimated cost of the scheme is £101 million, excluding VAT.

  Public Service Vehicle Drivers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many public service vehicle drivers' licences have been(a) applied for, (b) issued, (c) objected to by (i) the police, (ii) the public and (iii) others, (d) issued and (e) withdrawn by the authorities in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on trends. [12870]

  Mr. Norris
  In the year from 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1995 the total number of vocational drivers licences issued was 167,650 of which we estimate 33,530 were public service vehicle drivers' licences. This figure includes provisional licences, renewals and replacements as well as new licences. During the same period, 59 licence applications were refused, 24 licences were suspended and 108 licences were revoked by traffic commissioners on grounds of the applicant's conduct record. There is no right of objection to the issue of driver licences but all relevant representations are considered by the traffic commissioners.

  There is no consistent trend over the last four years.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further measures he proposes to take to prevent assaults on children by public service vehicle drivers. [12875]

  Mr. Norris
  The traffic commissioners for each area take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that drivers whose conduct suggests they are unsuitable cannot be bus drivers. The primary responsibility for the safety of children in their charge rests with the schools and local education authorities.

  Bus Company Mergers
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received regarding Pendle borough council's decision to sell its 50 per cent. stake in Burnley and Pendle Transport. [12836]

  Mr. Norris
  Burnley borough council wrote to the Department last October. The hon. Members for Burnley and for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) spoke during the Adjournment debate on this subject on 13 December, and a number of questions has been answered from those hon. Members. Otherwise I have received no representations on this matter.

  Passengers (Buses and Coaches)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the present policy regarding standing passengers on(a) buses and (b) coaches; what assessment he has made of the benefits of renewing this policy; and if he will make a statement. [12838]

  Mr. Norris
  The carriage of standing passengers in both buses and coaches is strictly controlled by the Public Service Vehicles (Carrying Capacity) Regulations 1984. Both seating and standing capacities must be marked clearly on the vehicle. Vehicles intended to carry more than eight standing passengers must meet minimum
  845
  requirements for both standing space and headroom. Sufficient hand grips must be fitted for each standing passenger.

  We are currently consulting on a draft code of practice on the operation of one-man operated buses, which includes the measures for standing passengers. I shall be considering the safety of standing passengers, along with the other provisions of the code, in the light of that consultation.

  Rail Maintenance Contracts
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment is made by Railtrack of the financial soundness of a contractor before a maintenance contract is let. [12850]

  Mr. Watts
  I understand that, before Railtrack lets a maintenance contract, all prospective bidders who have expressed an interest are required to go through a pre-qualification process, including an assessment of their financial stability and robustness as well as their competence to do the work and their track record.

  Cash and Running Cost Limits
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to change his Department's cash limits and running cost limits; and what proposals there are to change the cash limit of the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and the Office of the Rail Regulator for 1995–96. [13611]

  Sir George Young
  (i) The cash limit for class VI, vote 2—administration and transport services—is reduced by £2,388,000 from £177,405,000 to £175,017,000. The reduction is made up of transfers to class VI, vote 3, £1,700,000, vote 7, £601,000, and the Department of the Environment, class VII, vote 5, £87,000.

  (ii) The cash limit for class VI, vote 3—transport industries—is increased by £1,700,000 from £8,000,000 to £9,700,000. The increase is wholly made up of transfers from class VI, vote 2.

  (iii) The cash limit for class VI, vote 4—Vehicle and Driver Licensing Agency—is reduced by £3,000,000 from £176,549,000 to £173,549,000. The reduction is wholly derived from transfers to class VI, vote 7.

  (iv) The cash limit for class VI, vote 5—roads and local transport—is reduced by £2,150,000 from £514,765,000 to £512,615,000. The reduction is wholly made up of transfers to class VI, vote 3.

  (v) The cash limit for class VI, vote 6—other transport agencies—is increased by £275,000 from £81,816,000 to £82,091,000. The whole of the increase comprises a transfer of funds from the Ministry of Defence, class 1, vote 1, to the Coastguard agency for stationing a search and rescue helicopter at Portland.

  (vi) The cash limit for class VI, vote 7—passenger rail services—is increased. by £98,878,000 from £1,620,604,000 to £1,719,482,000. £75,000,000 is funded from non-voted provision for the railways. The remainder comprises £20,277,000 as a claim on the reserve and a transfer of funds from class VI, votes 2 and 4—£3,601,000. The additional provision is required for consultancies and restructuring proposals.
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  (vii) The Department of Transport local authority capital cash limit has been increased by £3,796,000 from £353,906,000 to £357,702,000. This completes take up of capital end year flexibility entitlement as announced by the Chief Secretary on 13 July 1995, Official Report, columns 776–82.

  (viii) The Department of Transport running costs limit has been reduced by £1,579,000 from £413,464,000 to £411,885,000 and the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising running costs limit has been increased by £1,492,000 from £4,672,000 to £6,164,000. The changes in the Department of Transport running costs limit reflect salary payments for staff transferring to the Central Transport Group, £87,000 from the Department of Environment and restructuring and relocation costs, £1,492,000 for the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising.

  The overall increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Central Rail Users Consultative Committee
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce the appointment of the new chairman of the Central rail users consultative committee. [13610]

  Mr. Watts
  I have today announced the appointment of Mr. David Bertram as the new chairman of the committee.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his oral answer of 15 January,Official Report, columns 391–92, and the letter from Dr. Jim Swire, spokesman of UK Family-Flight 103, dated 22 January, what considerations led him to conclude that a fatal accident inquiry was a suitable substitute for a public inquiry into the destruction of PA103. [13001]

  Mr. Norris
  The fatal accident inquiry was a detailed examination of the circumstances of the deaths. It was held entirely in public.

  Central Railway plc
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in respect of how many of the applications rules under the Transport and Works Act 1992 Central Railway plc has applied for waivers or conditional waivers; and what estimate he has made of the effect on the quality and quantity of information provided in support of the Central Railway application under the Act if the waiver were granted. [12573]

  Mr. Watts
  Central Railway plc has withdrawn all its waivers' applications. I understand that it intends to submit fresh applications in a modified form. As stated in my reply to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Mr. Chidgey) on 31 January, copies of any future waiver requests in respect of the Central Railway project will be placed in the Library of the House. In deciding whether to grant any waivers, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will have regard to the effect on the quality and quantity of information which would be provided in support of Central Railway's application.

DEFENCE

  Bosnia
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the pontoon bridge established by the implementation force—IFOR—across the River Sava from Croatia into north-eastern Bosnia is available for use by non-governmental organisation aid traffic. [12199]

  Mr. Soames
  We understand that the bridges established across the Sava river into the US divisional area of IFOR are available for use by NGO convoys, although priority is given to IFOR traffic.

  Officer Training Recruits
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of recruits accepted for direct entry to officer training come from(a) public and (b) private sector education. [12182]

  Mr. Soames
  The percentage of recruits accepted for direct officer training in each of the three services which came from the public and private education sectors in 1994–95, the latest period for which figures are available, is shown in the table.

  Service

  Private sector Per cent.

  Public sector Per cent.

  Royal Navy

  29

  71

  Army

  50

  47

  Royal Air Force

  26

  74

  In addition, 3 per cent. of the total direct entrant officer recruits to the Army came from overseas.

  Belize
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military aid the United Kingdom gives to Belize; and what treaty arrangements it has with the Government of Belize. [12254]

  Mr. Soames
  Belize is an independent country within the Commonwealth. Since 1 January 1994, Belize has had responsibility for its own defence. We have, however, assured the Government of Belize of our readiness to take part in consultations leading to an appropriate response should the security of Belize be threatened in the future.

  We have made it clear that we shall continue our programme of assistance for the development of the Belize defence force to sustain and improve the force's capability through the provision of loan service personnel, equipment, training and advice. In addition, Belize continues to receive substantial amounts of British aid.

  Lethal Weapons (Northern Ireland)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the value of lethal weapons that have been lost, stolen or unaccounted for in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; and what were the main weapons involved. [12577]
  848
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The number of weapons lost or stolen in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years is as follows:

  1991: Nil

  1992: Nil

  1993: 2 x SA 80

  1 x pistol

  1994: 4 x pistols

  1995: Nil

  The aggregate value is estimated at approximately £3,300.

  Over the period, some seven additional weapons were lost or stolen and subsequently recovered. No weapons were otherwise unaccounted for.

  Gulf War Medal with Bar
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed services personnel were awarded the Gulf war medal with bar. [13014]

  Mr. Soames
  Based on the latest figures available at 31 December 1995, 58,546 Gulf war medals have been issued to armed forces personnel. Of these, 66 service personnel were awarded the medal with clasp "2 Aug 1990" for their service with the Kuwait liaison team in Kuwait on 2 August 1990. A further 46,120 service personnel were awarded the medal with clasp "16 Jan–28 Feb 1991" for service in the Kuwait theatre of operations.

  Cash and Operating Cost Limits
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on changes to the class I cash limits and operating costs limit for 1995–96. [13549]

  Mr. Soames
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the spring supplementary estimates, the following changes will be made:

  Class I cash limits

  £000

  Vote

  Current cash limit

  Change

  Revised cash limit

  1

  10,796,956

  +199,050

  10,996,006

  2

  4,957,988

  -200,000

  4,757,988

  3

  5,965,325

  +6,310

  5,971,635

  These changes increase the block defence cash limit by £5,360,000 from £21,720,269,000 to £21,725,629,000. It reflects the net effect of transfers between the Ministry of Defence and other Government Departments.

  The Ministry of Defence operating costs limit will also be increased by £5,360,000 from £16,767,218,000 to £16,772,578,000 to reflect the net effect of transfers between the Ministry of Defence and other Government Departments.

  Gulf War Syndrome
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now commission an independent inquiry into the incidence of birth deformities among children of Gulf war veterans; and if he will make a statement. [13007]
  849
  Mr. Soames
  I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 30 January 1996,Official Report, columns 607–8.

  Royal Flight
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flights by No. 32 the Royal Squadron have been charged to the privy purse in the current financial year to date; what sum has been so charged; on what basis the charge is calculated; what is the charge per(a) hour and (b) mile; and what was the cost of the flight from Norwich to Zurich on 2 January. [13008]

  Mr. Soames
  In the current financial year to date, members of the royal family have undertaken eight private flights in aircraft of No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron, for which the MOD has charged the relevant households £9,544.67

  The basis of the charge is the marginal cost of operating the aircraft for the particular flight—fuel consumption, for example. The rates for each of the aircraft types are as follows:
  1 April 1995–30 September 1995

  BAe 146: £1,870 per hour

  HS 125: £630 per hour

  Wessex: £1,325 per hour

  1 October 1995 onwards

  BAe: £1,780 per hour

  HS 125: £665 per hour

  Wessex: £1,460 per hour

  As the costs of flying are a function of time rather than distance, charges are calculated on a cost per hour basis, not cost per mile. We do not maintain records of, or utilise, cost per mile figures as they would not represent a useful basis for cost calculation or comparison purposes.

  My Department will levy a charge of £1,584 for the flight from RAF Mildenhall to Zurich on 2 January: of this sum, £1,232 will be a charge to the royal household, and £352 a charge to the Metropolitan police for the two personal protection officers accompanying the party. My recent answer to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 23 January 1996, Official Report, column 136, did not make the distinction between these two elements of the cost to be reimbursed to my Department.

  Language Training
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving military personnel have received advanced language training within the responsibility of his Department in each of the last 10 years; and if he will indicate the figures for each language taught. [12817]

  Mr. Soames
  The information requested for the last 10 years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The figures provided are for the financial years 1993–94, 1994–95 and the programmed figures for 1995–96. They relate to advanced—previously linguist—and interpreter level courses delivered by the 850
  Defence school of languages at Beaconsfield, Salmond house training centre in Germany as well as individual external language training.

  a. Defence School of Languages

  RUSSIAN

  FY 1995–96: 29

  FY 1994–95: 29

  FY 1993–94: 34

  ARABIC

  FY 1995–96: 27

  FY 1994–95: 32

  FY 1993–94: 18

  b. Salmond House Training Centre

  GERMAN

  FY 1995–96: 21

  FY 1994–95: 19

  FY 1993–94: 13

  c. Individual Language Training

  FY 1995–96: 74

  FY 1994–95: 81

  FY 1993–94: 48

  Training was carried out in the following languages: Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese—Mandarin—Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Flemish, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Nepali, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Slovak, Turkish and Ukranian.

  Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current salary of the chief executive of the Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation at Gosport; and what it will be from 1 April. [12525]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: The current salary of chief executive is that of a Royal Navy captain in the range £47,000 to £57,700.

  The Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation defence agency's triennial review has now been completed and has confirmed that the NARO should continue as a defence agency for a further term of three years with effect from 1 April 1996. The evaluation study into the performance of the agency during its first three years—a copy of the executive summary of which has been placed in the Library of the House—reported that the agency was competently meeting its objectives and satisfying its customers but would benefit from the introduction of best management practices from the private sector. A new chief executive will, accordingly, be recruited through open competition to take up appointment in April 1996, or as soon thereafter as possible. He/she will be required to introduce a challenging programme of efficiencies within NARO and to explore the scope for greater private sector involvement in helicopter repair. The details of this new post, including remuneration, have yet to be finalised.

  A revised framework document is in preparation and will be completed once the new chief executive is in post and the necessary delegation have been approved. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House at that time.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Belize
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the value of British aid to Belize over the last five years. [12097]

  Mr. Hanley
  Aid to Belize over the last five years for which records are available, has been

  1990–91: £6.016 million

  1991–92; £3.674 million

  1992–93: £4.498 million

  1993–94: £5.966 million

  1994–95: £16.618 million

  The increase in aid provided in 1994–95 is due primarily to the disbursement of a CDC loan of £10.4 million to the Belize Electric Co. Ltd. for a hydro-electric power facility on the Macal river.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list current aid and preferential trade arrangements with Belize. [12093]

  Mr. Hanley
  Belize receives concessional aid from Britain and the European Union under the Lomé convention. Other donors include Taiwan and Kuwait. Belize is also a borrowing member of the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and Caribbean Development Bank. Preferential trade arrangements include the European Community's generalised system of preferences and, under the terms of the Lomé convention, tariff-free access to Community markets for industrial products, and preferential access for a wide range of agricultural goods.

  Joint Funding Scheme
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy in respect of the recommendation in the Overseas Development Administration's fundamental expenditure review on agencies receiving £750,000 or more per year from the joint funding scheme; what considerations led the Overseas Development Administration to select the threshold figure; and what considerations were given to lower thresholds. [12242]

  Mr. Hanley
  The figure of £750,000 was selected after considering a range of options. No particular significance attaches to the figure: it simply produced a limited number of non-governmental organisations who had been major recipients of joint funding scheme funds over a sustained period and with whom we intend to begin exploring the possibilities of moving to block grant arrangements.

  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if money disbursed via the joint funding scheme will, following the Overseas Development Administration's fundamental expenditure review, be limited to countries within the Overseas Development Administration's new focus. [12255]

  Mr. Hanley
  We do not anticipate any significant change in the geographical cover of the joint funding scheme as a result of the fundamental expenditure review.

  Police Officers (Training)
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will name the Nigerian police officers who have undergone study tours in the United Kingdom since 1985, in each case indicating the officer's rank and the date of(a) commencement and (b) completion of the training. [12566]

  Mr. Hanley
  There have been seven study tours, that is sponsored visits as opposed to classroom training, all in 1992. There are no records prior to 1990. The details are as follows:

  Name

  Rank

  Duration of visit

  Mr. S. Adeoye

  Assistant

  27 November 1992–

  Commissioner of

  8 December 1992

  Police

  Mr. E. B. Edemeka

  Deputy

  27 November 1992–

  Superintendent of

  8 December 1992

  Police

  Mr. O. J. Ekama

  Deputy

  27 November 1992–

  Commissioner

  8 December 1992

  Mr. D. K. Isiofia

  Assistant

  27 November 1992–

  Superintendent of

  8 December 1992

  Police

  Mr. E. J. James

  Deputy

  27 November 1992–

  Superintendent of

  8 December 1992

  Police

  Mr. Z. Muazu

  Assistant

  27 November 1992–

  Superintendent of

  8 December 1992

  Police

  Mr. M. C. Okoye

  Assistant

  27 November 1992–

  Superintendent of

  8 December 1992

  Police

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will name the Nigerian police officers who have been trained in Britain since 1985, giving each officer's rank and date of(a) commencement and (b) completion of the training. [12565]

  Mr. Hanley
  Twenty-one Nigerian police officers have received ODA funded training in the United Kingdom since 1990. There are no records prior to this date. The further details requested have been placed in the Libraries of the house.

  Details of ODA funded training provided in the United Kingdom for Nigerian police officers between 1990–91 and 1994–95

  Name

  Rank

  Duration of training

  Mr. B. Madake

  Deputy

  26 October 1990–

  Superintendent

  2 December 1990

  Mr. B. D. Odigie

  Deputy

  29 October 1990–

  Superintendent

  2 December 1990

  Mr. Salami

  Chief Superintendent

  26 September 1991–

  8 November 1991

  Mr. Adeoye

  Chief Superintendent

  26 September 1991–

  15 December 1991

  Mr. N. L. Hussein

  Superintendent

  2 November 1992–

  11 December 1992

  Mr. B. Benjamin

  Assistant

  15 July 1993–

  Superintendent

  27 July 1993

  Mr. T. Chenbap

  Assistant

  15 July 1993–

  Superintendent

  27 July 1993

  Ms H. Ugochukwi

  Assistant

  15 July 1993–

  Superintendent

  27 July 1993

  Mr. S. Gambo

  Assistant

  15 July 1993–

  Superintendent

  27 July 1993

  853

  Details of ODA funded training provided in the United Kingdom for Nigerian police officers between 1990–91 and 1994–95

  Name

  Rnak

  Duration of training

  Mr. K. Gwarzo

  Assistant

  15 July 1993–

  Superintendent

  27 July 1993

  Mr. L. Oki

  Assistant

  15 July 1993–

  Superintendent

  27 July 1993

  Mr. U. Ntenborg

  Assistant

  15 July 1993–

  Superintendent

  27 July 1993

  Mr. A. Yahaya

  Assistant

  15 July 1993–

  Superintendent

  27 July 1993

  Mr. P. Ukoyono

  Assistant

  15 July 1993–

  Superintendent

  27 July 1993

  Mr. P. Ebo

  Assistant

  5 June 1994–

  Commissioner

  2 July 1994

  Mr. S. F. Abdullahi

  Deputy

  5 June 1994–

  Superintendent

  2 July 1994

  Mr. M. Isa-Adejo

  Detective

  5 June 1994–

  2 July 1994

  Mr. M. Yakubu

  Detective

  5 June 1994–

  2 July 1994

  Mr. Onyeguiri

  Deputy

  5 June 1994–

  Superintendent

  2 July 1994

  Mr. A. Dikko

  Deputy

  5 June 1994–

  Superintendent

  2 July 1994

  Mr. O. J. Ekama

  Deputy

  26 March 1995–

  Commissioner

  2 April 1995

  External Finance Limit (Commonwealth Development Corporation)
  Sir David Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what external finance limit has been set for the current financial year for the Commonwealth Development Corporation. [13718]

  Mr. Hanley
  The external finance limit for the CDC for 1995–96 is being increased by £10,000,000, from £19,000,000 to £29,000,000. The limit takes account of an increase to the provision for CDC in class II, vote 5 provision for which is made in the spring supplementary estimate. This increase is being met by transfer of resources within the vote and does not add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Cash and Running Cost Limits
  Sir David Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes have been made in the 1995–96 cash and running cost limits for expenditure by the Overseas Development Administration. [13719]

  Mr. Hanley
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit on the external assistance vote, class II, vote 5, will be increased by £10,390,000 from £1,764,277,000 to £1,774,667,000 and the ODA running cost limit will be increased by £400,000 from £73,993;000 to £74,393,000. The increase is in respect of: a balance of underspending against European Community budgetary aid for central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in 1993 and overspending for developing countries in 1994; an increase of £400,000 for ODA running costs in respect of a partial take up of end of year flexibility entitlements announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 July 1995,Official Report, columns 776–82; an increase of £78,000 for expected costs for the Crown Agents privatisation programme; and an inward PES
  854
  transfer of £300,000 from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office diplomatic wing in respect of the know-how fund. The increase will be offset by a transfer and a claim on the reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Deep-sea Fish
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of action needed to implement the recommendations of Dr. Martin Angel of Southampton's report on "Deep-Sea Fish and their Habits". [11740]

  Mr. Hanley
  In 1990, the ODA commissioned a series of papers, by Dr. Martin Angel and other specialists in aquatic biodiversity, to inform the preparation of an ODA biodiversity strategy. In 1995, ODA commissioned these authors to update their papers. The report was presented to countries at the second conference of the parties to the biodiversity convention last year to help stimulate debate. The findings of Dr. Angel's report will inform ODA's future programme but as the report goes wider than ODA's responsibilities, the ODA will be consulting other Government Departments on its follow-up.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Civil Servants (Directorships)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those civil servants in his Department who hold non-executive directorships in private companies, indicating in each case the civil service post held and the name of the company. [10923]

  Mr. Hanley
  Any staff holding non-executive or other directorships are required to make a declaration if they come into contact in an official capacity with a business concern in which they have an interest, or if the business concern has concluded or may conclude a contract with a Government Department.

  Any such declarations are carefully considered and the papers kept on the individual's personnel file. We are unable to provide a list without incurring disproportionate cost.

  I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given in another place on 22 January by the Minister for Overseas Development, Official Report, House of Lords, column 51.

  Antigua and Barbuda
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the authorities of(a) Antigua and (b) Barbuda to prohibit the right of public access to beaches on these islands. [12876]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  None.

  Departmental Entertainment Costs
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the cost to his Department in each of the last five financial
  855
  years and this year to date of the entertainment of foreign dignitaries. [12880]

  Mr. Hanley
  Expenditure on official entertainment by the FCO—diplomatic and aid wings—for the years requested was as follows:

  1990–91: £5,178,849

  1991–92: £5,700,606

  1992–93: £6,946,298

  1993–94: £7,488,121

  1994–95: £7,680,934

  1995–96: £8,213,136 (projected)

  This expenditure has been incurred both in the UK and at 222 posts worldwide in the pursuit of the foreign policy and trade promotion objectives of Her Majesty's Government. Information about expenditure on particular categories of guest is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  EU General Affairs Council
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EU General Affairs Council held on 29 to 30 January. [13110]

  Mr. David Davis
  The A points listed in document 4564/96—which will be deposited in the Library of the House as soon as it is available—were adopted, except for items 2 and 26 which were withdrawn by the presidency.

  The Council took note of the European Parliament resolutions in Docs. 12131/95 and 12945/95, PE-RE 83 and 89. Copies of these documents will be deposited in the Library of the House as soon as they are available.

  The Council held an open, televised debate on the Italian presidency's programme.

  The Council discussed former Yugoslavia. It heard reports from Carl Bildt and the EU's administrator in Mostar, Mr. Koschnick. The Council decided to postpone the question of recognition of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It asked the commission to produce a paper on policy towards the region by March.

  The Commission outlined their ideas for a possible new agreement with Albania. They will produce draft negotiating directives no later than the Foreign Affairs Council on 25 and 26 March.

  The Presidency and the Commission gave a brief situation report on the follow up to the Barcelona conference on Mediterranean. The Council also discussed the MEDA regulation on assistance to the Mediterranean. This was remitted to the Committee of Permanent Representatives for further work.

  The head of the EU election unit monitoring the Palestinian elections, Carl Lidbom, briefed the Council, which adopted conclusions on EU/Palestinian relations.

  The Council discussed the Asia-Europe meeting on 1 and 2 March in Bangkok.

  The Council adopted conclusions on a proposed trade agreement with South Africa. These note the Commission's commitment to produce studies to enable approval of a mandate at the 26 and 27 February Foreign Affairs Council, with a view to concluding by June.
  856
  The presidency noted the latest applications for membership of the EU received in December and January from Lithuania, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia and agreed to invite the Commission to begin work on the options.

  The Council adopted conclusions on the appointment of an EU special envoy to the great lakes region of Africa.

  The Council agreed a declaration condemning the 27 January coup d' état in Niger. Ministers also discussed the situation in East Timor and Cyprus.

  On 30 January, there were Association Councils with Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. The troika also had a political dialogue meeting with Albania.

  No votes were taken at this Council.

  Mr. Niaz Ahmed
  Mr. Madden
  .To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when he expects a decision to be taken on an application made to the United Kingdom post in Islamabad by Mr. Niaz Ahmed, Ref: Imm/C8853, to join his wife and daughters in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement; [12953]

  (2) when he expects to make a recommendation to the United Kingdom post in Islamabad regarding the application by Mr. Niaz Ahmed, Ref: Imm/C8853, to join his wife and daughters in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [12954]

  Mr. Hanley
  I have asked the high commission at Islamabad for details and will arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit as soon as possible.

  Cash and Running Cost Limits
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further changes he proposes to make in his Department's diplomatic wing cash limits and running cost limits for 1995–96. [13452]

  Mr. Hanley
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the following changes will be made.

  The cash limit for class II, vote 1—overseas representation—will be increased by £4,379,000 from £709,165,000 to £713,544,000. The increase is the net effect of take-up of capital end year flexibility entitlement of £14,614,000 less a transfer to class II, vote 2-other external relations—of £10,211,000 and a transfer of £24,000 to the Home Office. The gross running costs limit on class II, vote 1 has been reduced by £10,235,000 from £522,799,00 to £512,564,000 due to the transfers to the Home Office and class II, vote 2 as described.

  The cash limit for class II, vote 2—other external relations—will be increased by £176,809,000 from £291,633,000 to £468,442,000. Parliamentary authority will be sought for additional expenditure in respect of certain international organisations and contributions to peacekeeping operations. The increase will be met partly by increased appropriations in aid, partly from a claim on the reserve and partly by offsets from other sections of votes 1 and 2.
  857
  The cash limit for class II, vote 3—BBC World Service—will be increased by £3,015,000 from £175,039,000 to £178,054,000. Parliamentary authority will be sought in order to take up an increased capital provision under the end year flexibility scheme. The increase will be met from the reserve.

  The cash limit for class II, vote 4—the British Council—will be increased by £4,245,000 from £98,496,000 to £102,741,000 in respect of adverse overseas price movements; to take account of approved end year flexibility and a public expenditure survey transfer from the Welsh Office. Aside from the latter, the increase will be met from the reserve.

  All the increases in provision will be offset by appropriations in aid or charged to the reserve, and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of expenditure on all forms of hospitality and entertainment by(a) hid Department, (b) his Department's agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies, for (i) 1979–80, (ii) 1989–90, (iii) 1991–92, (iv) 1993–94, (v) 1994–95, (vi) 1995–96 and (vii) 1996–97. [11438]

  Mr. Hanley
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: The available information requested is as follows. Expenditure on all forms of hospitality and entertainment by the FCO—diplomatic and aid wings:

  1991–92: £5,700,606

  1993–94: £7,488,121

  1994–95: £7,680,934

  1995–96: £8,213,136 (projected)

  Figures for earlier years could be made available only at disproportionate cost. Planned expenditure in 1996–97 is approximately £7.5 million.

  Expenditure on hospitality and entertainment by the ODA's agency, the Natural Resources Institute:

  1991–92: £4,813

  1993–94: £4,952

  1994–95: £2,566

  1995–96: £5,000 (projected)

  Figures for earlier years could be made available only at disproportionate cost. The NRI is expected to be privatised in 1996–97.

  Expenditure on hospitality and entertainment by the FCO's only agency, Wilton Park:

  1994–95: £455

  1995–96: £1,000 (projected)

  Figures for earlier years could be made available only at disproportionate cost.

  Based on available information, expenditure by the FCO's non-departmental public bodies was as follows:

  British-Russia Centre

  1989–90: £3,000

  1991–92: £3,356

  1993–94: £2,199

  858

  1994–95: £2,362

  1995–96: £2,500 (projected)

  1996–97: £2,600 (estimate)

  British Association for Central and Eastern Europe
  Expenditure not recorded separately (estimated £1,000 per annum).

  British Council

  1989–90: £882,000

  1991–92: £1,087,000

  1993–94: £1,068,000

  1994–95: £1,288,000

  These figures include some programme expenditure. Owing to the British Council's
  accounting structure, meaningful estimates for 1995–96 and 1996–97 are not
  available.

  Commonwealth Institute

  Expenditure not recorded separately (estimated £5,000 per annum).

  Great Britain-China Centre

  1989–90: £569

  1991–92: £406

  1993–94: £140

  1994–95: £369

  1995–96: £190 (projected)

  1996–97: £250 (estimate)

  Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission

  1979–80: £2,350

  1989–90: £4,847

  1991–92: £7,199

  1993–94: £7,885

  1994–95: £6,711

  1995–96: £8,950 (projected)

  1996–97: £9,500 (estimate)

  Westminster Foundation for Democracy

  Nil

  Figures for other years could be made available only at disproportionate cost.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Public Interest Immunity
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Attorney-General (1) what account he has taken of the case of Hehir, 1982, in advising Ministers and others on the freedom to waive necessary claims to public interest immunity; [12435]

  (2) what account he has taken of the rules put forward on public interest immunity duties in the case of Makanjuola v. Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. [12436]

  The Attorney-General
  Advice to the Crown on public interest immunity takes account of all relevant case law, which includes Hehir and Makanjuola and, since 1994, the House of Lords decision in ex parte Wiley.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. French
  To ask the Attorney-General what changes he proposes for the Crown Prosecution Service's cash and running costs limits for 1995–96. [13344]
  859
  The Attorney-General
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class IX, vote 4 will be increased by £1,500,000 from £229,754,000 to £231,254,000. The increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  The running costs limit of class IX, vote 4 will be reduced by £1,200,000 from £225,754,000 to £224,554,000. The reduction will fund an increase in capital provision and, with the increase mentioned earlier, will fund the accelerated implementation of team working and the CPS's SCOPE—standard case operations system—computer system.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Cash and Running Cost Limits
  Mr. Thomason
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on cash and running cost limits for the Northern Ireland Office, Northern Ireland departmental services, the independent living fund and certain national agricultural schemes for 1995–96. [13453]

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  Subject to parliament approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, it is proposed that the cash limit for class XVI vote I—the Northern Ireland Office—will be increased by £15,650,000 from £888,655,000 to £904,305,000. This reflects the take-up of end year flexibility on capital and departmental running costs, and the additional expenditure on compensation and the opening of border roads.

  The cash limit which covers most Northern Ireland departmental services will be increased by £97,622,000 from £3,936,723,000 to £4,034,345,000. This increase reflects the take-up of end year flexibility on capital, departmental running costs and health, the EU peace and reconciliation programme expenditure and other technical changes.

  The cash limit for the independent living fund—Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services vote 5—had been reduced by £1,125,000 reflecting lower than expected demands on the fund. This amount will be transferred to class XIII, vote 3.

  The cash limit covering national agriculture capital grant schemes and certain assistance for production, marketing and processing and the fishing industry will increase by £1,120,000 from £6,882,000 to £8,002,000 as a result of the take-up of entitlement to end year flexibility on capital—£670,000—and a transfer from Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food of £450,000 in respect of the scheme to decommission nephrops vessels in Northern Ireland.

  The combined gross running cost for the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments will be increased by £29,782,000 from £789,017,000 to £818,799,000. This reflects the take-up of £29,877,000 of end year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 July 1995, Official Report, columns 776–82, a net transfer of £95,000 to the Department of Social Security in respect of work by the staff resources unit and adjustments to agency services.
  860
  Of the revised gross running cost provision, £175,149,000 is for the Northern Ireland office and £643,650,000 is for Northern Ireland Departments.

  The increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Health Service Planning
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what studies his Department has undertaken into work force planning in the last five years. [8333]

  Mr. Moss
  [holding answer 10 January 1996]: The following studies have been carried out by the Department of Health and Social Services over the last five years:

  (a) 1992 Nursing establishment and skill mix in Northern Ireland, "Making the best use of Resources in Northern Ireland".

  (b) 1995 Nursing establishment and skill mix in Northern Ireland, "Mental Health Nursing Resources".

  (c) 1995 Nursing establishment and skill mix in Northern Ireland, "Learning Disability Nursing Resources".

  (d) 1993 report of the task force on nursing manpower.

TREASURY

  Incomes
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the gross net income of a married man with two children under 11 years of age, earning a national average wage and paying non-contracted-out national insurance contributions, in each year since 1966; what was the annual percentage increase in the retail prices index; what was his net real income at 1995 prices; and what was the percentage increase in his net real income compared to(a) 12 months previously and (b) to the level in 1966. [9318]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The available information is contained in the table.

  Real take-home pay

  Net income1 2£ per week

  RPI3

  Real take-home pay2 4£per week

  1973–74

  34.90

  24.45

  215.71

  1978–79

  73.45

  51.10

  217.18

  1979–80

  88.60

  59.20

  226.13

  1980–81

  104.02

  68.80

  228.46

  1981–82

  113.06

  76.80

  222.44

  1982–83

  121.46

  82.20

  223.26

  1983–84

  132.61

  86.00

  233.00

  1984–85

  144.31

  90.40

  241.21

  1985–86

  154.81

  95.70

  244.44

  1986–87

  167.14

  98.80

  255.52

  1987–88

  183.71

  102.70

  270.29

  1988–89

  203.34

  108.90

  282.14

  1989–90

  221.73

  117.40

  285.43

  1990–91

  242.53

  128.70

  284.74

  1991–92

  260.83

  134.90

  292.14

  1992–93

  277.47

  139.10

  301.40

  861

  Real take-home pay

  Net income1 2£ per week

  RPI3

  Real take-home pay2 4£per week

  1993–94

  286.26

  141.50

  305.68

  1994–95

  288.99

  145.40

  300.32

  1995–96

  296.78

  151.10

  296.78

  1996–97

  312.24

  154.50

  305.37

  1 Net income is earnings income less income tax and national insurance contributions plus child benefit.

  2 For a one-earner couple on average male earnings, paying non-contracted-out national insurance contributions, with two children under eleven years of age.

  3January 1987 = 100.

  4In 1995–96 prices.

  Taxation (Costs)
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the costs of collection of(a) income tax, (b) corporation tax and (c) capital gains tax in each year since 1974; what were the reasons for changes in costs between years; and in which areas of Government increased administrative costs were attributable to the complexity of legislation. [11135]

  Mr. Jack
  The following table shows the costs of collection in current prices and the costs expressed as a percentage of the yield for 1982–83 onwards. Figures for earlier years are not readily available.

  £ million

  Income tax cost

  Corporation tax cost

  Capital gains tax cost

  1982–83

  650

  60

  15

  1983–84

  676

  63

  15

  1984–85

  730

  60

  14

  1985–86

  805

  62

  15

  1986–87

  883

  71

  18

  1987–88

  932

  85

  25

  1988–89

  973

  91

  27

  1989–90

  1,068

  101

  32

  1990–91

  1,203

  125

  39

  1991–92

  1,248

  152

  43

  1992–93

  1,366

  149

  38

  1993–94

  1,427

  156

  42

  1994–95

  1,353

  149

  33

  Changes in costs reflect changes in prices, in the overall burden of work and in efficiency.

  It would not be practical to attempt to list every area of government where increased administration costs were attributable to the complexity of legislation, but civil service running costs are falling in real terms and are planned to fall by 15 per cent. between 1993–94 and 1998–99.

  Unemployment
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the costs to the Exchequer of unemployment in(a) 1979 and (b) the last year for which figures are available. [12688]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Gross benefit payments to the unemployed in 1979–80 and 1994–95, at 1994–95 prices, are estimated to have been £3.4 billion and £9.1 billion respectively.

  Disabled People (VAT)
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the direction issued by Customs and Excise regarding the payment by registered disabled individuals of VAT on computers and printers specially adapted for them for home use. [12868]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Eccles (Miss Lestor) on 24 January 1996,Official Report, columns 228–29.

  Special Dividends
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates his Department has made of the cost to the Exchequer from the tax loophole involved in the use of special dividends in takeover bids. [12539]

  Mr. Jack
  The payment of a special dividend does not involve a tax loophole. A special dividend carries a tax credit in the same way as an ordinary dividend. This mitigates the double tax charge on distributed profits since tax is payable by the company on the profits out of which the dividend is paid.

  Cash and Running Cost Limits
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed in the cash limit and running cost limit for 1995–96 for the Inland Revenue. [13547]

  Mr. Jack
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XVII, vote 4 will be increased by £25,000,000 from £1,630,358,000 to £1,655,358,000 and the running costs limit will be increased by £10,000,000 from £1,662,705,000 to £1,672,705,000. Within the cash limit increase is included the take up of £10,000,000 running costs end-year flexibility entitlement announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 July 1995,Official Report, columns 776–82. A further £1,330,000 is required in respect of a shortfall in law costs receipts. The balance of £13,670,000 is required to cover reduced receipts because of lower than expected charges to the Department of Social Security and the Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) for the cost of collecting of national insurance contributions. The £13,670,000 is entirely offset by a saving to the national insurance funds out of which the charges are met.

  The increases other than that relating to the receipts from the national insurance funds will be charged to the reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Mr. Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed in the cash limit and running cost limit for 1995–96 for HM Customs and Excise. [13548]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary' supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XVII, vote 3, will be increased by £8,824,000 from £850,237,000 to £859,061,000 and the running cost limit for Customs and Excise by £7,955,000 from £741,377,000 to £749,332,000.
  863
  The increase in the running cost limit arises from the take up of £7,955,000 of the end-year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 July 1995, Official Report, columns 776–82. The adjustment to the cash limit also reflects an increase to provide £869,000 capital provision transferred from Property Holdings. The increase, other than the capital transfer which is offset by a saving to class VII, vote 8 will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Pensioner Incomes
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total income from all sources of all pensioners expressed as a percentage of(a) gross domestic product and (b) the total personal incomes of the population as a whole in each year since 1979. [10999]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 23 January 1996]: Available information is given in the table. The figures are influenced both by changes in the number of pensioners and by changes in their average incomes over time. Average pensioner incomes have increased by 50 per cent., in real terms, since 1979.

  Total pensioner income1 from all sources as percentage of:

  (a) GDP2

  (b) total personal income3

  1979

  7.8

  9.4

  1981

  8.7

  10.0

  1987

  9.3

  11.1

  1988

  9.2

  10.9

  1989

  8.9

  10.3

  1990

  9.0

  10.0

  1990–914

  9.5

  10.6

  1992

  10.2

  11.1

  1993

  9.9

  10.9

  Source:

  1DSS Pensioner Income Series a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. This excludes pensioners not living in private households—those living in nursing or residential care homes, for example. It is largely based on information contained in the Family Expenditure Survey and is subject to sampling variability.

  Notes:

  2 At market prices.

  3 Personal income before tax.

  4 Combined 1990 and 1991 calendar years.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of expenditure on all forms of hospitality and entertainment by(a) his Department, (b) his Department's agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies, for (i) 1979–80, (ii) 1989–90, (iii) 1991–92, (iv) 1993–94, (v) 1994–95, (vi) 1995–96 and (vii) 1996–97. [11448]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: Expenditure on hospitality and entertainment by Her Majesty's Treasury and agencies responsible to the Chancellor of the Exchequer is included in the published running costs.
  864
  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the expenditure of his Department, his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies on all forms of overseas travel, overseas accommodation and other associated expenses for(a) 1979–80, (b) 1989–90, (c) 1991–92, (d) 1993–94, (e) 1994–95, (f) 1995–96, and (g) 1996–97. [11451]

  Mrs. Knight
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: Expenditure on overseas travel and subsistence by Her Majesty's Treasury and agencies responsible to the Chancellor of the Exchequer is included in the running costs published for the Department and each agency.

PRIME MINISTER

  Antigua and Barbuda
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the authorities of(a) Antigua and (b) Barbuda to prohibit the right of public access to beaches on these islands. [12877]

  The Prime Minister
  None.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 9 January,Official Report, column 16, to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow (Dr. Godman) if he will place in the Library the evidence which he claims supports the charges against two accused Libyans in respect of the destruction of Pan Am 103 in 1988. [11739]

  The Prime Minister
  No. Details of the evidence cannot be released as this would prejudice the outcome of a trial.

  Engagements
  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 1 February. [11620]

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 1 February. [11621]

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

  St. David's Day
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister what considerations underlie his Department's decision not to declare St. Davids day a bank holiday in Wales. [12576]

  The Prime Minister
  Successive Governments have kept the pattern of bank holidays in the United Kingdom under review. The introduction of any additional bank holiday must take account of the potential costs and disruption to industry. To declare St. David's day a bank
  865
  holiday in Wales would create cost and disruption to businesses both in Wales and elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

  Mitchell Report
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Prime Minister when a copy of his statement on the Mitchell report was communicated to the Irish Taoiseach; at what time it was(a) sent and (b) received; and what response he received from the Irish Government before to his statement to the House on 24 January. [13083]

  The Prime Minister
  A copy of the text of my statement was faxed to the Taoiseach's office at about 2 o'clock on 24 January. No response from the Irish Government reached me before I made my statement to the House.

  Departmental Costs
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the annual telephone costs to(a) his Department,(b) his Department's agencies and (c) his Department's non-departmental public bodies staff for each of the years (i) 1979–80, (ii) 1989–90, (iii) 1991–92, (iv) 1993–94, (v) 1994–95, (vi) 1995–96 and (vii) 1996–97; and if internal telephone directories are available to staff in all areas of (a) to (c). [11366]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 25 January 1996]: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service, will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Privatised Utilities (Employees)
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many people were employed by(a) British Gas, (b) British Telecom, (c) Central Electricity Generating Board, (d) East Midlands electricity board, (e) Eastern electricity board, (f) London electricity board, (g) Manweb, (h) Midlands electricity board, (i) Northern electricity board, (j) Norweb, (k) Seeboard, (l) South Wales electricity board, (m) South Western electricity board, (n) Southern electricity board, (o) Yorkshire electricity board, (p) Anglian water authority, (q) Welsh water authority, (r) Northumbrian water authority, (s) North West water authority, (t) Severn Trent water authority, (u) Southern water authority, (v) South West water authority, (w) Thames water authority, (x) Wessex water authority, and (y) Yorkshire water authority, in the final year before each was privatised; [12189]

  (2) what was the total amount of remuneration paid to people serving on the boards of (a) British Gas, (b) British Telecom, (c) Central Electricity Generating Board, (d) East Midlands electricity board, (e) Eastern electricity board, (f) London electricity board, (g) Manweb, (h) Midlands electricity board, (i) Northern electricity board, (j) Norweb, (k) Seeboard, (l) South Wales electricity board, (m) South Western electricity board, (n) Southern electricity board and (o) Yorkshire electricity board in the final years before each was privatised. [12187]
  866
  Mr. Page
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply of 30 January 1996,Official Report, column 656.

  Nuclear Levy
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much money at 1995 prices raised by the nuclear levy will be refunded to the Exchequer as a result of the proposed privatisation. [12476]

  Mr. Eggar
  No levy money will be refunded to the Exchequer as a result of the proposed privatisation.

  Sydney Olympics
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 24 January,Official Report, column 253, what is the make-up of the Sydney Olympics UK business task force. [12567]

  Mr. Nelson
  The membership of the Sydney Olympics UK business task force is as follows:

  Chairman

  The hon. Colin Moynihan

  Members

  Mr. Colin Adams—British Consultants Bureau

  Sir Tim Bell—Lowe Bell Communications

  Mr. G. Campkin—Confederation of British Industry

  Mr. M. Cohen—Department of Trade and Industry

  Dr. John Hooper—British Sports and Allied Industries Federation

  Mr. Harvey Lipsith—Allders

  Mr. Peter Lorschy—Australian Trade Commission

  Sir Colin Marshall—British Airways

  Mrs. Diana Morphew—Government of New South Wales

  Mr. Alan Pascoe—API Sponsorship Ltd.

  Mr. David Tate—Tate and Lyle plc

  Mr. David Todd—Corns Chambers Westgarth

  Mr. Roger Withers—Bass Leisure Machines Services Ltd.

  Polypropylene
  Mr. Stevenson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the non-cadmium substitutes available to replace cadmium pigments in polypropylene following the implementation of European Union directive 91/338/EEC. [12821]

  Mr. Page
  There are many factors to consider when choosing a pigment to colour polypropylene, including the thermal stability of the pigment during processing, the service demands of the finished article—i.e. light and weather fastness—and suitability for use in toys and food contact articles. By assessing the demands of the application, it is then possible to choose the correct pigment for the particular application.

  A wide variety of pigments can be used to colour polypropylene, varying in shade, colour, strength, physical properties and price. These include organic systems such as those based on quinacridone, diketo-pyrrolo-pyrrol, isolindolinone, quinophthalone, perylene and azo condensation products. Inorganic systems based upon nickel and chrome titanium and bismuth can also be used.

  Scott Inquiry
  Sir Peter Horden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when Sir Richard Scott's report will be published. [13612]

  Mr. Lang
  On current plans, I expect Sir Richard Scott's report to be published on 15 February.

  British Coal Land
  Dr. John Cunningham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will halt the sale of British Coal land in Copeland and inquire into the procedure followed; [13154]

  (2) if he will ensure that all relevant information is available to all potential purchasers of British Coal land before any sales are concluded; and if he will make a statement. [13156]

  (3) if he will set out the guidelines to be followed in the sale of British Coal land; [13157]

  (4) what assessment he has made of whether the method adopted to sell British Coal land in Copeland will maximise the return for the assets disposed of; and if he will make a statement. [13155]

  Mr. Page
  The management and disposal of its property is a matter for British Coal. I understand that the corporation has followed a normal commercial approach to the disposal of property in Copeland and related areas, including the provision of all relevant information to all potential purchasers; and that bids have been assessed with a view to obtaining the best terms available for the assets involved, in the light of the corporation's statutory duties.

  Saudi Arabia (Trade)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the value of United Kingdom trade with Saudi Arabia in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [12748]

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 31 January 1996]: The information is as follows:
  868

  UK visible trade with Saudi Arabia 1992–94 and January to November 1995

  £ million

  Year

  UK exports

  UK imports

  1992

  1,966

  964

  1993

  1,826

  1,275

  1994

  1,516

  740

  January to November

  1995

  1,503

  648

  Source:

  CSO Monthly Review of External Trade statistics.

  CSO Business Monitor MA20.

  The kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains the largest market for UK exporters outside the OECD countries. The decline in our exports over the last three years is mainly due to budgetary constraints in Saudi Arabia.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Conveyancing Law
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the benefits and disbenefits of extending section 123 of the Land Registration Act 1925 to conveyances which do not accompany a transfer of the beneficial interest in the land. [12212]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The recommendations for the introduction of legislation to extend the compulsory registration of title provisions of section 123 of the Land Registration Act 1925 to various categories of disposition did not include extending compulsory registration at present to conveyances which do not accompany a transfer of the beneficial interest. This was because responses to the consultation document on extending section 123, issued by the Land Registry in November 1992, received general support but included reservations about extending the section to such conveyances—paragraphs 2.5 to 2.7 of the first report of a joint working group on the implementation of the Law Commission's third and fourth reports on land registration, Law Corn. No.235, Cm 2950. Paragraph 2.6 of the first report proposed that matters—including the extension of section 123 to such conveyances—identified as having insufficient support to justify further action at present should be reviewed again after a period of five years.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Women Prisioners (Restraints)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the chair of the board of visitors of each prison in England and Wales as to the use of restraints when women inmates are taken outside prison for whatever reason. [11600]

  Miss Widdecombe
  At last September's annual conference of boards of visitors the issue of handcuffing women in sensitive situations was raised with me.

  The chairmen of the boards at Bullwood Hall and New Hall prisons wrote to my right hon. and learned Friend on 16 and 17 October 1995 respectively, about the use of restraints on women when on escort. An earlier letter of 16 June 1995, from the chairman of the board at Askham Grange prison to the then Minister of State, the right hon. Member for Stirling (Mr. Forsyth), about women prisoners generally, also raised this issue. Askham Grange board wrote again on 13 November 1995.

  When my right hon. and learned Friend and I visit prisons, we take the opportunity to speak to boards of visitors who raise a wide range of issues. None of the records of our visits indicates that the use of restraints on women prisoners outside their establishments was raised as a concern.

  Asylum and Immigration Bill
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which powers contained in the Asylum and Immigration Bill affect foreign passport holders with permanent right of United Kingdom abode; if foreign passport holders will be re-classified as immigrants; how their right to remain in the United Kingdom will be affected; and if he will make a statement. [12180]

  Miss Widdecombe
  A Commonwealth citizen with the right of abode under section 2 of the Immigration Act 1971 will be unaffected by the Bill, except to the extent that certain provisions, such as the new power of search in clause 7, are applicable to all people regardless of their status under the Act.

  The use of the term "immigrant" in clauses 8, 9, 10 and 12 of the Bill to refer to a person who, under the 1971 Act, requires leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom will not affect the immigration status of such a person. In particular, the entitlement of a person who is settled in this country to housing assistance and child benefit and their freedom to take employment will not be affected.

  Asylum Seekers
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum in the United Kingdom have been received from asylum seekers currently located in other EU countries for each year since 1990. [12607]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  An average of five asylum applications have been received from nationals of European Union countries in each year since 1990.
  870
  Information on non-EU nationals who have been located in EU countries since applying for asylum in the United Kingdom is not held centrally.

  Police Vehicles (Bull Bars)
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 24 January,Official Report, column 261, if bull bars have now been removed from Metropolitan police vehicles. [12519]

  Mr. Maclean
  As I stated in my reply to an earlier question from the hon. Member on 29 November 1995,Official Report columns 781–82, and 12 December 1995, Official Report columns 604–5, this is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. However, I understand that the Commissioner has reviewed the situation in light of the guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers and is complying with them. So far as possible, bull bars will be fitted only to vehicles for use in public disorder and where that is required in the interests of officer safety.

  Special Constables
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what benefits and payments are available to special constables. [12601]

  Mr. Maclean
  Special constables are unpaid volunteers, but they are eligible to receive a number of benefits. Under the Special Constables Regulations 1965, they may be reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses or receive payment of an allowance in lieu of reimbursement. Chief officers choosing to pay an allowance may draw on Home Office guidance about allowances in respect of footwear, tights and stockings, travel and refreshment.

  Regulations entitle specials to sick pay in respect of injury suffered—or illness contracted—while on duty, and police authorities have discretion to make ex gratia payments to specials who do not qualify for sick pay under the regulations.

  In addition, regulations give police authorities discretion to pay a small bounty to special constables who qualify under the criteria—which relate to a minimum commitment of hours in a defined six-month period.

  We set up a working group on the special constabulary last year under Home Office chairmanship. We expect it to make a number of recommendations in March about the expenses and allowances that special constables should receive.

  Firearms
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legally held firearms there are in(a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales (i) in total and (ii) of each type. [12989]

  Mr. Maclean
  At the end of 1994, the latest year for which figures are available, it is estimated that some 375,000 firearms were covered by firearms certificates on
  871
  issue in England and about 21,700 by firearms certificates on issue in Wales.
  Information is not held centrally, however, on the type of firearm covered by these firearm certificates.

  In addition, some 1,230,800 shotguns were covered by the shotgun certificates on issue in England at the end of 1994, and some 102,300 in Wales.

  Figures for Scotland are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, but I understand that information on the number of weapons legally held is not available centrally.

  Illegal Drugs
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the street value of all illegal drugs, per type of drug, seized by Government officials in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [12724]

  Mr. Sackville
  The total estimated street value of drugs seized by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, in the last five years for which data are available, is as follows:

  1990: £245 million

  1991: £308 million

  1992: £546 million

  1993: £475 million

  1994: £551 million

  Estimates of the street value of police seizures of illegal drugs are not collected centrally.

  Mr. Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the street value of all illegal drugs seized by Government officials in each of the European Union member states in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [12725]

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is not available.

  Mr. Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest estimate of the total street value of the illegal drugs market in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [12727]

  Mr. Sackville
  It is not possible to make such an estimate with any accuracy.

  Release of Offenders
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on informing the families of victims of manslaughter and murder of the release of offenders. [13003]

  Mr. Sackville
  Our policy is as set out in the 1995 national standards for the supervision of offenders before and after release from custody, a copy of which is in the Library. In such cases, the probation service should arrange for the victim's family to be contacted within two months of the imposition of the sentence and offered the opportunity of being kept informed of developments.872
  Where this opportunity is taken up, the service should inform them when release from custody is imminent.

  Informal Justice and Home Affairs Council
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the proceedings and outcome of the EU informal Justice and Home Affairs Council on 26 to 27 January. [13111]

  Mr. Howard
  The United Kingdom was represented at the informal council in Rome by the Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Maidstone (Miss Widdecombe) and, on the second day, by Timothy Walker, a senior Home Office official. It is a rule of procedure within the European Union that informal councils cannot reach decisions or adopt texts. The main matters discussed at the meeting were as follows.

  The Italian presidency invited Ministers to approve in principle the text of a draft declaration on organised crime. A number of member states, including the United Kingdom, had difficulty with the wording of the declaration as it stood, and the presidency concluded that further work was required at official level before the declaration could be submitted with a view to formal adoption at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in March.

  The Council considered the presidency's work programme for the Europol drugs unit, and for developing the supplementary regulations to the Europol convention. The Council also discussed the outstanding issue of European Court of Justice jurisdiction in the Europol convention.

  The presidency set out its priorities for work on immigration and asylum. These included taking forward certain of the proposals contained in the 1994 Commission communication on immigration and asylum, and securing early progress on the Dublin convention which deals with the determination of the state responsible for examining applications for asylum lodged in one of the member states. The presidency said that it also hoped to proceed with work on EURODAC, an initiative to establish a computer-based system of fingerprint exchanges on asylum claims.

  The Council discussed some of the issues which are blocking agreement to the draft external frontiers convention, including the dispute between the United Kingdom and Spain over its application to Gibraltar, and held a general discussion on the temporary protection of refugees in the light of recent developments in the situation in Bosnia.

  The Council discussed the main problems which had arisen during negotiations on the second convention on simplified extradition and the Brussels II convention on matrimonial matters, and examined ways in which these might be resolved.

  The Council discussed arrangements for pursuing contacts with designated third countries on justice and home affairs issues, and the presidency outlined broad proposals for a multi-annual work programme within the third pillar.

  Prisoners (Repatriation)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Irish Government responded to requests made by him in relation to the seven prisoners who have applied for repatriation from the United Kingdom; to prisons in the Irish Republic; and if he will make a statement. [12950]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Seven, out of 65 requests made by prisoners to be repatriated to the Irish Republic have been referred to the Irish Ministry of Justice for its consideration. Its response is awaited.

  Cash and Running Cost Limits
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for changes to the 1995–96 cash and running costs limits within his responsibilities. [13624]

  Mr. Howard
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class VIII, vote 1—Home Office administration, police, probation and other services, England and Wales—will be increased by £11,809,000 from £4,440,076,000 to £4,451,885.000. This increase is the net effect of the partial take-up of running cost end year flexibility of £9,100,000—as announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, on 13 July 1995,Official Report, column 776–82, transfer from Department of the Environment, in respect of safer cities projects in Wales, transfer from Central Office of Information in respect of the media adviser service, transfer of running costs from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in respect of the United Kingdom central authority, transfer from Department of Social Security in respect of housing benefit, temporary absence from home, transfer from Property Holdings in respect to the refurbishment of Lunar house, transfer from the Ministry of Defence in respect of medical evacuation costs from the former Yugoslavia and a transfer of £1 million from non voted police credit approvals. This transfer from non-voted provision reduced the non-voted cash limit—HO/LACAP—by £1,000,000 from £115,265,000 to £114.265,000.

  The cash limit on class VIII, vote 2—prisons, England and Wales—will be increased by £18,905,000 from £1,660,160,000 to £1,679,065,000. This increase has been reduced from the amount originally sought by £1,565,000, equivalent to the excess of expenditure over provision in 1994–95. The increase will be charged to the reserve and partly offset by the surrender of £6,470,000 end year flexibility. Additional provision is required to meet the further costs arising from the implementation of recommendations of the report of Sir John Woodcock into escapes from Whitemoor prison of 9 September 1994. As a result of reallocation of provision between subheads the running cost provision for vote 2 will be reduced by £5,821,000.

  The Home Office running costs limit, which covers votes 1 and 2, will be increased by £3,718,000 from £1,740,615,000 to £1,744,333,000.

  Extraterritorial Jurisdiction
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend the jurisdiction of the courts to enable them to deal with offences committed outside the territory of the United Kingdom by United Kingdom nationals. [13625]

  Mr. Howard
  With some exceptions, the jurisdiction of courts throughout the United Kingdom is territorially based. There are long-standing arguments of principle and of practicality which support this approach.

  It is right, however, that we should, from time to time, examine whether those arguments remain valid in the light of changing circumstances. With the agreement of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, I have established an inter-departmental review to look at the implications for both policy and procedure of any change to the current position on jurisdiction over offences committed by United Kingdom nationals overseas throughout the United Kingdom.

  The review is under way and is expected to take four or five months to complete.

  Welsh Fire Services
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the total transition cost for the new Welsh fire services; and what are the expected figures for the total cost of new services in each of the next five years expressed(a) in real terms and (b) as a percentage of the cost of the services they replaced. [11065]

  Mr. Sackville
  [holding answer 22 January 1996]: The position will depend on key decisions yet to be made by the authorities concerned. The three new combined fire authorities were established in shadow form on 11 December. They are engaged in the planning and preparation for taking over their full function from 1 April. The scale of the transitional costs will depend largely on the approach which the new authorities, once fully constituted, take on the pace and degree of the changes required to amalgamate the existing brigades into the new structure. Supplementary credit approvals of up to £2.7 million have been provisionally set aside for this purpose in 1996–97.

SCOTLAND

  Game Birds
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to enforce European Commission regulation EC 1798 banning the use of Emtryl in treating game birds; what penalties he plans to apply to offences against the regulation when it comes into force; and what warnings have been issued to(a) land owners, (b) breeders, (c) owners of shooting rights and (d) others involved against using Emtryl. [11626]

  Mr. Kynoch
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Food at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 30 January 1996,Official Report, column 694.

  Dalkeith Park
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the cost of the alternative route one mile west of the proposed dual carriageway through Dalkeith park. [12465]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Appraisals, including the costs of several routes were undertaken in 1989. One of these routes was the Dalkeith park line which is approximately 1 km west of the route now proposed for the dual carriageway. As this Dalkeith park line was the most expensive alignment option and as it would have caused significant damage to the area of great landscape value within Dalkeith park, it was not pursued. Only routes further to the east were subsequently investigated.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the environmental impact on Dalkeith park of the proposed(a) roads and (b) bypass in the area. [12179]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Prior to examination of proposals at a public local inquiry in May 1992, an environmental appraisal of the proposed bypass and ancillary roads was undertaken in accordance with the procedures recommended in the Scottish traffic and environmental appraisal manual. In particular, this considered the purpose of the route, and the impact on the landscape, heritage and ecology of Dalkeith park. The reporter appointed to hear evidence at the public local inquiry recommended the proposed alignment should be adopted and this was supported by the Secretary of State in his decision.

  The preferred scheme was reviewed in 1995 and is now proposed to he constructed as a dual carriageway. It was subject to a further environmental assessment as required by environmental legislation.

  Housing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to reconcile the difference between the data for starts and completions of housing association and co-operative dwellings published in Scottish Homes regular development programme announcements and those published in the quarterly Scottish Office housing statistical bulletins. [11928]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Scottish Home's development programme announcement bulletins contain information on planned starts for the following year. They do not give information on completions. For a variety of reasons. The number of planned starts may differ from the number which finally take place in any year.

  Actual starts and completions are reported in Scottish Home's, statistical report. Figures published by Scottish Homes for actual starts closely match those published in the Scottish Office statistical bulletin series. There is, however, a known problem with the quarterly figures for completions which Scottish Homes provides for the statistical bulletin series. This is acknowledged in the publication. To remedy the problem, Scottish Homes carried out a major exercise in 1995 which produced validated completions data for several thousand dwellings. I understand that it plans to complete the exercise by the end of March 1996.
  876
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assumptions he has made on the level of spending by local authorities in 1996–97 under the former non-housing revenue account block; and what measures he proposes to put in place to monitor and to publish details of expenditure or repair and improvement grants and other forms of assistance by local authorities to the private sector housing stock. [11929]

  Mr. Robertson
  It will be for local authorities to decide the level of investment in private sector housing within the single allocation which they will receive in 1996–97 for capital investment outwith their own housing stock. Local authorities will be expected to take account of the need for such investment in preparing their housing plans and capital programmes.

  Information on improvement and repairs grants approved by local authorities will continue to be published quarterly in the Scottish Office statistical bulletin "Housing Trends in Scotland".

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discretion local authorities have to operate(a) voluntary and (b) compulsory contents insurance schemes for tenants of their housing stock; what guidelines his Department issues to local authorities on such schemes; and if he will make a statement. [12222]

  Mr. Robertson
  Local authorities are free to introduce arrangements whereby their tenants can insure their possessions under a block insurance policy arranged by the local authority. A number of authorities operate block insurance schemes. It is open to individual tenants to participate in such schemes if they wish to do so. The Department is currently considering whether guidance to local authorities on this matter is necessary.

  Civil Justice System
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what proposals exist to initiate a consultative inquiry into the Scottish civil justice system with a similar remit to that of the recent Woolf inquiry in England and Wales; [12086]

  (2) if he will make it his policy to instigate a fundamental review of the civil justice system in Scotland. [12087]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The civil justice system in Scotland is kept under constant review through standing groups such as the sheriff court rules council and the Court of Session rules council and takes account of initiatives by ministerial and judicial interests.

  The rules of both the Court of Session and sheriff court have recently been reviewed and reforms were introduced into both during 1994. The effects of these changes are being monitored by a research programme and it would be premature to initiate a further fundamental review of the whole system at this time.

  Carbon Monoxide Detectors
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make additional resources available to housing associations to install carbon monoxide detectors in their housing stock; and if he will make a statement; [12219]
  877
  (2) if he will make additional resources available to local authorities to install carbon monoxide detectors in their housing stock; and if he will make a statement; [12218]

  (3) if he will make additional resources available to Scottish Homes to install carbon monoxide detectors in their housing stock; and if he will make a statement. [12217]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Substantial resources have been made available to local authorities and Scottish Homes for investment in public sector housing stock. Decisions about the installation of carbon monoxide detectors are for local authorities and Scottish Homes in the light of their assessments of priorities. Similarly, decisions about the installation of detectors in housing association properties are a matter for each association, but they would be expected to fund such work from their own resources.

  NHS Finance
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the recipients of supplementary allocations from underspend on the NHS budget in each of the past three years; and if he will publish the rules pertaining to the application for an award of such allocations. [12009]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The recipients of the supplementary allocations from underspend on the NHS budget in each of the past three years are as shown in the following table:

  £thousand

  Recipient

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  Argyll and Clyde health board

  2,600

  1,815

  1,414

  Ayrshire and Arran health board

  2,000

  871

  1,198

  Borders health board

  750

  443

  363

  Dumfries and Galloway health board

  900

  885

  517

  Fife health board

  1,950

  2,393

  1,074

  Forth Valley health board

  1,500

  884

  842

  Grampian health board

  2,850

  2,367

  1,527

  Greater glasgow health board

  6,100

  5,111

  3,115

  Highland health board

  1,400

  796

  685

  Lanarkshire health board

  3,000

  1,719

  1,671

  Lothian health board

  4,200

  3,330

  2,310

  Orkney health board

  300

  329

  68

  Shetland health board

  200

  197

  74

  Tayside health board

  2,450

  1,914

  1,319

  Western Isles health board

  650

  196

  124

  State Hospital

  —

  220

  —

  Common Services Agency

  —

  280

  —

  Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education

  —

  185

  —

  Total

  30,850

  23,935

  16,301

  There are no rules pertaining to the application for an award of such allocations. The allocations made to enable health boards to meet national and local priorities are generally made on a weighted capitation basis.

  Sheriff Court
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the timetable for introducing the next two tiers of the full costs recovery programme in civil actions raised in the sheriff court; and what mechanisms exist to monitor the impact of each tier of full cost recovery on the numbers of actions raised in the sheriff court and its effect on access to justice. [120088]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The current fee structure is design to recover 100 per cent. of administrative costs and one-third of judicial costs in civil proceedings in the sheriff courts and the supreme courts. There is no set timetable for introducing any further tranche of judicial costs and any such proposal would be laid before the House for approval. The Department regularly monitors the level of business coming before the courts. There is no evidence that fee levels are a deterrent to those wishing to raise actions.

  Mediation
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has(a) to pilot a court-annexed mediation project in the Scottish courts and (b) to introduce a state-funded mediation agency related to court matters. [12091]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has no such plans. There are existing rules of court which allows cases to be referred for mediation in relation to family actions and these are used approximately 1,000 cases per annum. The sheriff court rules council is currently considering the procedure rules in relation to mediation and conciliation and considering whether there is any need to strengthen these rules.

  Farm Support Scheme
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the publicly funded support schemes available to farmers and growers in Scotland giving the amount paid under each scheme for the most recent year for which figures are available. [11966]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Information for the latest complete financial year—1994–95—is set out in the table. In 1995–96, organic aid, heather moorland, habitats and set-aside access schemes commenced.

  £million

  Sheep Annual Premium

  90

  Suckler Cow Premium

  49

  Beef Special Premium

  26

  Arable Area Payments

  121

  Milk Quota—Surrender or Reduction

  1

  Environmental Sensitive Areas

  1

  Farm Woodland Schemes

  2

  Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances

  40

  Rural Enterprise Programme

  4

  Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants

  3

  Cofters etc. Building Grants and Loans

  5

  Farm and Conservation Grant Schemes

  5

  Other minor Schemes

  1

  Total

  348

  879

  Judiciary
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to(a) allow pursuers/defenders to choose an appropriate member of the judiciary to hear their case, (b) ensure that the judge in each case has an appropriate expertise in the areas of law raised by that case and (c) initiate a wide consultation on the level of judicial salaries. [12089]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In relation to parts(a) and (b) of the question, there are no plans to alter the current arrangements whereby the allocation of judges and sheriffs to particular cases is entirely a matter for the Lord President of the Court of Session or the appropriate sheriff principal. Within our current system there are opportunities for individual sheriffs and judges with particular expertise to be allocated to specific items of business. On part (c), judicial salaries are determined by the Senior Salaries Review Body and there are no plans to change these arrangements.

  Water Authorities
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the names of those current local authority councillors who are members of the East, West and North of Scotland water authorities; how much time each annually will spend on each body; and what is the salary paid in respect of each position. [12432]

  Mr. Kynoch
  The following current local authority councillors are members of the water authority indicated:East: Councillor Ian J. Berry, Councillor Ann Dickson, Councillor Ian Galloway, Councillor Tom Kerr and Councillor Pat McCafferty.
  West: Councillor Mungo Bryson, Councillor William Petrie, Councillor Robert R. Reid, Provost Leslie Rosin and Councillor Ian R. Young.
  North: Councillor Raymond Bisset, Councillor Joan Easten, Councillor Nigel J. O. Graham, Councillor Olwyn J. Macdonald and Councillor Donald I. Nicholson.

  Each councillor is expected to devote between 24 and 36 days per annum to his or her duties, and receives £6,000 per annum in remuneration.

  Nuclear Industry (Accidents)
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the requirements for insurance to cover the risk of accidents involving radioactive materials following privatisation of the nuclear industry; what assessment he has made of whether appropriate cover is available from commercial insurance sources; what contingency plans have been drawn up for the Government to continue to cover such risks in the absence of commercial insurance; and what charge would be made to the privatised industry for such state insurance. [12239]

  Mr. Kynoch
  I refer the hon. Member to answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Small Business, Industry and Energy, Department of Trade and Industry, on 30 January,Official Report, column 657.

  Planning Appeals
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how long a planning appeal to his Department may be outstanding before a public inquiry must be held; and if he will make a statement. [12246]

  Mr. Kynoch
  Planning legislation does not limit the period within which a public inquiry into a planning appeal must be held.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the regulations relating to amendments to a planning application in the appeal process being accepted by the report to the inquiry unit; and what are the inquiry's powers in this respect. [12247]

  Mr. Kynoch
  Planning regulations neither provide for, nor restrict, amendment to planning applications during the appeal process.

  The consideration of applications at appeal is based primarily on the details of the proposal as submitted to and considered by the planning authority. Alteration to the detail of an application at appeal stage may exceptionally be allowed by the reporter provided that parties to the appeal are not prejudiced in any way and the following criteria are satisfied.

  the alteration does not fundamentally alter the nature of the proposed development;
  those parties consulted or notified of the original application are re-consulted or notified in any case where amendment is likely to have significant change in the impact of the development;
  the planning authority and all parties have adequate opportunity to consider the amendments;
  whether the application is solely for change of use, or is an outline application or is for full planning permission for all building and engineering works.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average time lapse between the lodging of planning appeals and the holding of a public inquiry. [12252]

  Mr. Kynoch
  Of those planning appeal cases dealt with by public local inquiry in the years 1994 and 1995, the average time lapse between the lodging of the appeal and the commencement of the inquiry was 40 weeks and 31 weeks respectively.

  Gateside Primary School
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the costs associated with the holdings of an opt-out ballot in respect of Gateside primary school. [12755]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To date, the Secretary of State has reimbursed the Gateside primary school board for £225.60 spent on the notice to parents which it is required to place in the press to invite parents to check that their name is on the list to be used in the ballot. The Secretary of State has not yet received an account from Electoral Reform (Ballot Services), which is managing the ballot of parents, or from the school board in respect of its campaign and postal expenses. However, the likely final cost is expected to be slightly less than £900.

  Electorates
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 29 November 1995,Official Report, column 703, relating to electorates on 16 February 1994, what were the electorates on 16 February 1995 of (a) East Dunbartonshire electoral ward 26, South Lensie/Waterside, (b) those parts of Strathclyde electoral division, 35 Toryglen/Kingspark, included in South Lanarkshire electoral wards 62 Rutherglen West, 64 Bankhead and 65, Spittal/Blairbeth, (c) those parts of Strathclyde electoral division 8 Vale of Leven, included in Argyll and Bute electoral ward, 31 Rhu/Garelochhead/Luss and (d) these parts of Tayside electoral division 31, Sidlaw, included in City of Dundee electoral wards, 13, Menzieshill West, 16 Pitalpin, 17 Ardler, 19 St. Mary's West, 20 Downfield, 27 Fintry North, 29 Whitfield North, 35 Balgillo, and 36 Dalhousie. [12734]

  Mr. Kynoch
  The information is set out.

  (a) East Dunbartonshire Electoral Ward 26: South Lenzie/Waterside—3,929 electors

  (b) South Lanarkshire:

  Electoral Ward 62: Rutherglen West 3,498 electors

  Electoral Ward 64: Bankhead 3,087 electors

  Electoral Ward 65: Spittal/Blairbeth 1,482 electors

  (c) Argyll and Bute Electoral Ward 31: Rhu/Garelochhead/Luss—350 electors

  (d) City of Dundee:

  Electoral Ward 13: Menzieshill West 116 electors

  Electoral Ward 16: Pita1pin 15 electors

  Electoral Ward 17: Ardler 2 electors

  Electoral Ward 19: St. Mary's West 12 electors

  Electoral Ward 20: Downfield 5 electors

  Electoral Ward 27: Fintry North 18 electors

  Electoral Ward 29: Whitfield North 0 electors

  Electoral Ward 35: Balgillo 38 electors

  Electoral Ward 36: Dallhousie 74 electors

  Source
  Electoral Registration Officers.

  Local Authority Advertising
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the costs incurred by each Scottish local authority in 1995 on advertising

  NHSiS—In-patient/day case discharges after admission from the waiting list where the wait was greater than one year: non-psychiatric and non-obstetric specialties

  Years ended 31 December 1994 and 19951

  1994

  1995

  Provider

  Number

  Percentage of all discharges

  Number

  Percentage of all discharges

  Argyll and Clyde Health Board Area

  Argyll and Bute NHS Trust

  8

  0.3

  6

  0.4

  Inverclyde Royal NHS Trust

  149

  1.6

  119

  1.4

  Lomond Healthcare NHS Trust

  1

  —

  1

  —

  Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  1

  0.2

  —

  —

  Royal Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

  309

  2.0

  281

  1.9

  Board Area Summary

  468

  1.4

  407

  1.4

  Ayrshire and Arran health board area

  Ayrshire and Arran Community Health Care NHS Trust

  —

  —

  —

  —

  North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust

  176

  1.0

  41

  0.2

  882
  performance indicators under the citizens charter; how many (a) responses and (b) inquiries were received from the public concerning these advertisements; and if the requirement to publish such advertisements will applying in 1996 to those councils which are to be abolished in April. [12500]

  Mr. Kynoch
  The information requested about costs incurred by and responses and inquiries received by local authorities is not held centrally.

  In the light of a direction issued in December 1994 by the accounts commission, in terms of section 1(1) of the Local Government Act 1992, information about the performance of the existing regional, islands and district councils in delivering services during the 1995–96 financial year will require to be published by 31 December 1996. The Government intend to specify, in regulations which will be laid before the House in due course, in each case a successor new council which will be responsible for publishing this information.

  Judicial Remuneration
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the current levels of remuneration of(a) stipendiary magistrates, (b) sheriffs, (c) sheriffs principal, (d) Court of Session judges, (e) the Lord Justice Clerk and (f) the Lord President. [12134]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The current levels of remuneration are

  (a) £36,576 to £39,180;

  (b) £72,524;

  (c) £85,241;

  (d) £98,957 (Outer House) and £110,137 (Inner House);

  (e) £114,137; and

  (f) £114,874.

  Health Service (Waiting Times)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many in-patient/day case episodes had a wait of greater than one year in each NHS hospital trust and health board; and what proportion of the total number of discharges these episodes represent in(a) 1994 and (b) 1995. [11215]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is shown in the tables.
  883

  NHSiS—In-patient/day case discharges after admission from the waiting list where the wait was greater than one year: non-psychiatric and non-obstetric specialties

  Years ended 31 December 1994 and 19951

  1994

  1995

  Provider

  Number

  Percentage of all discharges

  Number

  Percentage of all discharges

  South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  228

  1.7

  91

  1.7

  Board Area Summary

  404

  1.3

  132

  0.6

  Borders health board area

  Borders Community Health Services NHS Trust

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Borders General Hospital NHS Trust

  11

  0.1

  22

  0.3

  Board Area Summary

  11

  0.1

  22

  0.3

  Dumfries and Galloway health board area

  Dumfries and Galloway Acute and Maternity Hospitals NHS

  Trust

  268

  2.2

  174

  1.6

  Dumfries and Galloway Community Health NHS Trust

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Board Area Summary

  268

  2.2

  174

  1.6

  Fife health board area

  Fife Healthcare NHS Trust

  44

  0.9

  14

  0.3

  Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  196

  1.6

  95

  0.8

  Queen Margaret Hospital NHS Trust

  323

  3.9

  110

  1.3

  Board Area Summary

  563

  2.2

  219

  0.9

  Forth Valley health board area

  Central Scotland Healthcare NHS Trust

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  204

  2.3

  195

  2.4

  Stirling Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  199

  1.5

  194

  1.6

  Board Area Summary

  403

  1.8

  389

  2.0

  Grampian health board area

  Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust

  522

  1.7

  399

  1.2

  Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust

  79

  1.6

  5

  0.1

  Moray Health Services NHS Trust

  40

  0.9

  10

  0.2

  Board Area Summary

  641

  1.6

  414

  1.0

  Greater Glasgow

  Glasgow Dental Hospital and School NHS Trust

  —

  —

  2

  0.3

  Glasgow Royal Infirmary University NHS Trust

  1,384

  4.9

  1,048

  3.8

  Southern General Hospital NHS Trust

  456

  2.8

  94

  0.6

  Stobhill NHS Trust

  129

  1.2

  187

  1.6

  The Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust

  358

  2.5

  411

  3.1

  The Yorkhill NHS Trust

  100

  1.2

  40

  0.5

  West Glasgow Hospitals University NHS Trust

  448

  1.3

  257

  0.8

  Board Area Summary

  2,875

  2.6

  2,039

  1.9

  Highland health board area

  Caithness and Sutherland NHS Trust

  6

  0.3

  1

  0.1

  Highland Communities NHS Trust

  4

  0.2

  3

  0.2

  Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust

  237

  1.5

  288

  2.0

  Board Area Summary

  247

  1.3

  292

  1.6

  Lanarkshire health board area

  Hairmyres and Stonehouse Hospitals NHS Trust

  88

  0.7

  69

  0.5

  Lanarkshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Law Hospital NHS Trust

  138

  1.2

  131

  1.2

  Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals NHS Trust

  534

  5.4

  143

  1.4

  Board Area Summary

  760

  2.1

  343

  1.0

  Lothian health board area

  East and Midlothian NHS Trust

  22

  0.4

  27

  0.4

  Edinburgh Healthcare NHS Trust

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Edinburgh Sick Children's NHS Trust

  28

  0.6

  2

  —

  884 885

  NHSiS—In-patient/day case discharges after admission from the waiting list where the wait was greater than one year: non-psychiatric and non-obstetric specialties

  Years ended 31 December 1994 and 19951

  1994

  1995

  Provider

  Number

  Percentage of all discharges

  Number

  Percentage of all discharges

  Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust

  492

  1.3

  372

  1.1

  West Lothian NHS Trust

  400

  3.1

  204

  1.4

  Western General Hospitals NHS Trust

  136

  0.8

  56

  0.3

  Board Area Summary

  1,078

  1.4

  661

  0.9

  Orkney health board area

  Orkney Health Board Unit

  —

  —

  1

  0.1

  Board Area Summary

  —

  —

  1

  0.1

  Shetland health board area

  Shetland Hospitals and Community Services Unit

  2

  0.2

  3

  0.3

  Board Area Summary

  2

  0.2

  3

  0.3

  Tayside health board area

  Angus NHS Trust

  3

  0.1

  5

  0.1

  Dundee Healthcare NHS Trust

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  987

  3.3

  663

  2.5

  Perth and Kinross Healthcare NHS Trust

  121

  1.5

  94

  1.2

  Board Area Summary

  1,111

  2.6

  762

  2

  Western Isles health board area

  Western Isles Health Unit

  1

  0.1

  1

  0.4

  Board Area Summary

  1

  0.1

  1

  0.4

  Other Providers

  342

  73.4

  76

  18.3

  All Providers

  9,174

  2

  5,935

  1.4

  Note:

  1Provisional.

  Source:

  SMR1. Ref: Unit 2/96036. Date: 20 January 1996.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new patients seeking out-patient consultations had a wait greater than nine weeks in each NHS hospital trust and health board; and what proportion

  NHSiS—New out-patient consultation referrals1 where the wait was greater than nine weeks

  Years ended 31 December 19942 and 19953

  1994

  1995

  Provider

  Number

  Percentage of all referrals

  Number

  Percentage of all referrals

  Argyll and Clyde Health Board Area

  Argyll and Bute NHS Trust

  1,540

  20

  1,699

  21.3

  Inverclyde Royal NHS Trust

  5,404

  26.5

  5,936

  21.3

  Lomond Healthcare NHS Trust

  1,717

  14.6

  2,299

  16.2

  Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  221

  5.5

  641

  12.8

  Royal Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

  8,929

  29.8

  13,315

  35.7

  Board Area Summary

  17,811

  24.1

  23,890

  25.9

  Ayrshire and Arran Health Board Area

  Ayrshire and Arran Community Health Care NHS Trust

  272

  12.4

  342

  15.6

  North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust

  11,619

  24.4

  7,551

  16.4

  South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  6,110

  24.8

  5,429

  18.5

  Board Area Summary

  18,001

  24.2

  13,322

  17.2

  Borders Health Board Area

  Borders Community Health Services NHS Trust

  22

  2.1

  29

  1.9

  Borders General Hospital NHS Trust

  2,135

  13.9

  3,444

  16.7

  Board Area Summary

  2,157

  13.1

  3,473

  15.7

  886
  of the total number of referrals these patients represent in (a) 1994 and (b) 1995. [11216]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is shown in the tables.
  887

  NHSiS—New out-patient consultation referrals1 where the wait was greater than nine weeks

  Years ended 31 December 19942 and 19953

  1994

  1995

  Provider

  Number

  Percentage of all referrals

  Number

  Percentage of all referrals

  Dumfries and Galloway Health Board Area

  Dumfries and Galloway Acute and Maternity Hospital NHS

  Trust

  6,145

  25.8

  6,195

  27.2

  Dumfries and Galloway Community Health NHS Trust

  6

  1.4

  8

  0.9

  Board Area Summary

  6,151

  25.3

  6,203

  26.2

  Fife Health Board Area

  Fife Healthcare NHS Trust

  2,165

  31.3

  2,462

  32.1

  Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  11,484

  32.3

  11,229

  27.8

  Queen Margaret Hospital NHS Trust

  7,234

  32.7

  9,031

  35.5

  Board Area Summary

  20,883

  32.3

  22,722

  30.9

  Forth Valley Health Board Area

  Central Scotland Healthcare NHS Trust

  37

  7.5

  164

  10.0

  Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  7,707

  30.9

  7,549

  26.2

  Stirling Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  4,743

  19.7

  6,132

  22.5

  Board Area Summary

  12,487

  25.2

  13,845

  24.0

  Grampian Health Board Area

  Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust

  20,560

  34.2

  24,109

  33.6

  Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust

  4,446

  30.8

  4,049

  31.3

  Moray Health Services NHS Trust

  210

  4.1

  552

  9.4

  Board Area Summary

  25,216

  31.7

  28,710

  31.7

  Greater Glasgow Health Board Area

  Glasgow Dental Hospital and School NHS Trust

  7,670

  36.5

  10,725

  42.3

  Glasgow Royal Infirmary University NHS Trust

  16,716

  32.1

  22,126

  33.0

  Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health Services NHS

  Trust

  1,579

  18.2

  2,308

  22.2

  Southern General Hospital NHS Trust

  7,209

  24.3

  11,338

  32.4

  Stobhill NHS Trust

  6,337

  23.9

  8,371

  24.8

  The Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust

  9,696

  29.4

  13,685

  30.0

  The Yorkhill NHS Trust

  8,563

  40.8

  10,673

  37.2

  West Glasgow Hospitals University NHS Trust

  10,598

  22.6

  18,655

  31.5

  Board Area Summary

  68,368

  28.6

  97,881

  32.1

  Highland health board area

  Caithness and Sutherland NHS Trust

  1,101

  19.4

  1,212

  19.1

  Highland Communities NHS Trust

  1,271

  15.1

  1,400

  15.1

  Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust

  6,293

  26.1

  6,869

  23.3

  Board Area Summary

  8,665

  22.7

  9,481

  21.0

  Lanarkshire health board area

  Hairmyres and Stonehouse Hospitals NHS Trust

  5,132

  25.6

  7,199

  24.0

  Lanarkshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  357

  14.2

  506

  15.7

  Law Hospital NHS Trust

  7,955

  24.4

  11,012

  24.2

  Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals NHS Trust

  8,358

  27.1

  11,813

  28.2

  Board Area Summary

  21,802

  25.3

  30,530

  25.3

  Lothian health board area

  East and Midlothian NHS Trust

  2,171

  16.3

  2,774

  15.6

  Edinburgh Healthcare NHS Trust

  253

  3.4

  237

  7.5

  Edinburgh Sick Children's NHS Trust

  1,161

  12.5

  1,330

  10.5

  Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust

  18,564

  26.9

  24,431

  28.8

  West Lothian NHS Trust

  6,607

  25.6

  6,833

  20.6

  Western General Hospitals NHS Trust

  5,438

  22.3

  6,603

  20.5

  Board Area Summary

  34,194

  22.9

  42,208

  23.0

  Orkney health board area

  Orkney Health Board Unit

  102

  4.9

  157

  5.8

  Board Area Summary

  102

  4.9

  157

  5.8

  888 889

  NHSiS—New out-patient consultation referrals1 where the wait was greater than nine weeks

  Years ended 31 December 19942 and 19953

  1994

  1995

  Provider

  Number

  Percentage of all referrals

  Number

  Percentage of all referrals

  Shetland health board area

  Shetland Hospitals and Community Services Unit

  549

  16.4

  684

  16.7

  Board Area Summary

  549

  16.4

  684

  16.7

  Tayside health board area

  Angus NHS Trust

  2,528

  18.9

  3,225

  20.4

  Dundee Healthcare NHS Trust

  675

  15.2

  792

  14.7

  Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  16,192

  26.2

  17,382

  23.7

  Perth and Kinross Healthcare NHS Trust

  4,088

  16.7

  5,676

  19.6

  Board Area Summary

  23,483

  22.6

  27,075

  21.9

  Western Isles health board area

  Western Isles Health Unit

  1,067

  22.3

  913

  15.9

  Board Area Summary

  1,067

  22.3

  913

  15.9

  Other/NK Providers

  67,191

  24.7

  96

  13.4

  All Providers

  328,127

  25.6

  321,190

  26.1

  Notes:

  1. Excludes Accident and Emergency and Genito Urinary Medicine specialities

  2. The collection of the provider of service was not mandatory until 1 April 1994 therefore presented referral totals may be lower than the actual activity during 1994—the large number of "other/NK providers" illustrates this.

  3. Provisional.

  Source:

  SMRO. Ref: Unit 2/96037.

  Date: 21 January 1996.

  Hospitals (Patient Care)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the hospitals in Scotland in which a system has been devised under which a named nurse or midwife is responsible for an individual patient's care while in hospital. [11217]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  All hospitals.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of patients in Scottish hospitals had a named nurse or midwife responsible for their hospital care in December 1995. [11218]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Full implementation of the named nurse in Scotland is to be achieved by June 1997. Health boards have agreed targets with provider units working towards 100 per cent. coverage. At December 1995 the average coverage across Scottish hospitals was 89 per cent.

  Gross Domestic Product
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the Scottish gross domestic produce per head as a percentage of the United Kingdom average in each year since 1978. [13153]

  Mr. Kynoch
  The latest available estimates are shown in the following table. Figures for 1994 were published in the article "Regional accounts 1994: part 1" in the December 1995 edition of "Economic Trends". The article includes revisions to data on GDP per head for earlier years and an explanation of the reasons for the revisions. Copies of "Economic Trends" are available in the Library.
  890

  GDP per head at factor cost: current prices: Scotland 1978–1994 (UK=100)1

  Number

  1978

  94.9

  1979

  94.8

  1980

  94.4

  1981

  96.7

  1982

  96.3

  1983

  96.8

  1984

  95.8

  1985

  96.0

  1986

  94.6

  1987

  94.5

  1988

  93.7

  1989

  93.5

  1990

  95.8

  1991

  97.2

  1992

  98.8

  1993

  98.9

  19942

  99.9

  Notes:

  1United Kingdom (less Continental Shelf)=100.

  2Provisional.

  Source:

  Central Statistical Office, Regional Accounts.

  Burns Statue, London
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who made the proposal that a wreath be laid at the Burns statue in London on 31 January; what it was proposed to commemorate; who was responsible for sending out invitations; who was invited to attend; what is the estimated cost of the event; who will be responsible for covering the cost; and what was the purpose of the event. [12961]
  891
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I was first approached in July 1995 by the hon. Member for Ayr (Mr. Gallie), who had been discussing with Enterprise Ayrshire the possibility of marking the bicentenary of the death of Robert Burns with a ceremony at the Burns statue in London. I was happy to participate in what was one of a number of events taking place on 31 January in London and, as requested, to lay a commemorative wreath. The administrative arrangements are matters for the hon. Member for Ayr, whose constituency contains the birthplace of Robert Burns. I understand that invitations were issued to all Members of Parliament for Scottish constituencies.

  Cash and Running Cost Limits
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes he intends to make to the cash limits and running costs provision for 1995–96 within his responsibility. [13545]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, I intend to make changes to eight voted cash limits, three non-voted cash blocks and five running costs limits:

  The cash limit element for class XIV, vote 1, agriculture and fisheries, Scotland will be reduced by £3,000,000 from £131,167,000 to £128,167,000 to take account of slower than expected take-up of measures aimed at providing support in special areas.

  The cash limit for class XIV, vote 2, training programmes, roads and transport services, industrial and regional support, Scotland, will be reduced by £7,967,000 from £962,881,000 to £954,914,000. The reduced cash limit takes account of a transfer to the Department of Transport reflecting a decrease in requirement of £9,766,000 for grants to Strathclyde passenger transport authority to meet the costs of supporting rail services resulting from the restructuring of the railways; and the need to provide a non-voted external financing limit of £1,600,000 for the Scottish Transport Group. It also reflects increased provision of £3,000,000 transferred from class XIV, vote 1, to address pressure on the motorways and trunk roads current expenditure programme; and additional provision of £400,000 to meet costs resulting from the privatisation of the electricity industry which will be met from the proceeds of privatisation.

  The cash limit for class XIV, vote 5, housing and environmental services, Scotland will be increased by a net total of £213,000 from £416,704,000 to £416,917,000. This reflects a reduction in housing support grant provision by £340,000, an increase in grant in aid to Scottish Homes of £169,000, provision of £176,000 transferred to class XIV, vote 8, and a net increase of £560,000 in gross running cost provision for Historic Scotland, from £15,821,000 to £16,381,000, reflecting the take-up of end year flexibility. Further increases in provision of £161,000 are offset fully by increased appropriations in aid. There is an increase in grant in aid provision for Scottish Natural Heritage of £1,000,000 which is offset fully by savings within the vote.

  The cash limit for class XIV, vote 7, revenue support grant and payment of non-domestic rates, etcetera, Scotland will be increased by £256,000 from
  892
  £4,974,997,000 to £4,975,253,000. The increase is a transfer from DSS class XIII, vote 2, in respect of residual housing benefit for Kirkcaldy and East Kilbride district councils following the recent transfer of new towns housing stock.

  The cash limit for class XIV, vote 10, law, order, miscellaneous health and social work services, Scotland, will be increased by a net total of £358,000 from £315,773,000 to £316,131,000. The changes include a net transfer of £341,000 to the Scottish police college current provision from class XIV, vote 9, in respect of police superannuation. There is also a number of minor transfers within the vote and from other votes within the Scottish Office. The running cost provision decreases by £580,000 from £150,909,000 to £150,329,000.

  The cash limit for class XIV, vote 12, hospital, community health, family health (part) and other health services, Scotland will be decreased by £9,416,000 from £3,161,003,000 to £3,151,587,000. This is due to: a transfer of £10,000,000 to class XIV, vote 11, to provide for increased expenditure on family health services, mainly drugs costs; a transfer of £11,000 to the health part of Class XIV, vote 10, for the Mental Welfare Commission; and an increase of £595,000 as a result of a transfer from the non-voted element of the NHS trusts' external financing limit. This, together with other transfers within vote 12, means that the NHS trusts' external financing limit will be increased by £6,702,000 from £36,403,000 to £43,105,000. Overall, the above changes will have no effect on provision for the Scottish health programme.

  The cash limit for class XIV, vote 18, Scottish Office administration, is being increased by £1,327,000 from £174,607,000 to £175.934,000. Within this total, the running cost provision for Scottish Office administration is being increased by £619,000 from £153,120,000 to £153,739,000 as a result of transfers from Property Holdings, from an agreed claim on the reserve covering the Scottish Office apportionment for rent registration costs arising from housing benefit changes, less an intra vote transfer. The capital provision is also being increased as a result of a transfer from Property Holdings less an inter vote transfer and a technical transfer from running costs.

  The Scottish Office running cost limit—covering votes 1, 5, 10, 15 and 18—is increased by £608,000 from £339,608,000 to £340,216,000. In addition to the changes referred to, running cost provision on vote 1 will increase by £9,000.

  The cash limit for class XIV, vote 19, Scottish Record Office is being increased by £1,641,000 from £5,459,000 to £7,100,000. Within this total, the Scottish Record Office running cost limit is being increased by £641,000 from £5,586,000 to £6,227,000 and results from a transfer from Property Holdings and the take-up of 50 per cent. marginal extra receipts.

  The non-voted cash limit SO/LA1, which covers non-housing capital expenditure by local authorities, is to be increased by £6,911,000 from £592,392,000 to £599,303,000, reflecting take-up of end year flexibility. The non-voted cash limit SO/LA2 which covers housing capital expenditure by local authorities and capital expenditure by new towns will be increased by

  893
  £4,841,000 from £229,973,000 to £234,814,000. This reflects take-up of capital end year flexibility of £5,010,000 and a transfer of provision to Scottish Homes of £169,000, for which a complementary increase is included in the spring supplementary estimate for class XIV, vote 5. The non-voted cash limit SO/ERDF which covers European regional development fund payments in Scotland will be increased by £10,025,000 from 110,000,000 to £120,025,000 reflecting the take-up of end year flexibility.

  All the increases will be offset by savings, transfers from other votes or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  After-school Care Initiative
  Mr. Chisholm
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money will be available in Scotland in 1996–97 for the after-school care initiative. [7742]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 19 January 1996]: The out-of-school child care initiative has offered good value for money in its first three years of operation, with 5,467 places created in Scotland to date. The scheme will continue to be delivered in Scotland until March 1999 by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Around £500,000 will be made available for each of the three years.

  General Practitioners (Rural Areas)
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many general practitioners were practising in rural areas in Scotland in(a) 1990 and (b) 1995. [11583]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 January 1996]: The numbers of general medical practitioners working in rural areas in Scotland at 1 October 1990 and 1 October 1995 were 394 and 441 respectively.

WALES

  Ministerial Visits (Schools)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local education authority (i) nursery, (ii) infants, (iii) primary and (iv) high schools he visited in 1995. [9073]

  Mr. Hague
  I have visited the following schools in 1995:Primary

  Llanfihangel Rhydithon Primary, Llandrindod Wells, Powys.

  Caerleon Endowed Junior School (V.A.), Caerleon, Gwent.

  Secondary

  Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw, Trevethin, Gwent.

  Bassaleg Comprehensive School, Bassaleg, Gwent.

  Darland High School, Rossett, Clwyd.

  Mr. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many private schools he visited in 1995. [9074]
  894
  Mr. Richards
  During 1995, no visits were made to independent schools by my right hon. Friend, but I visited Craig-y-Parc—Scope—school, Pentyrch, mid-Glamorgan and Llandovery college, Dyfed. I also visited Penrhos-Rydal college in my constituency as the local Member of Parliament.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total in grants paid to opted-out schools in Wales was in(a) 1993, (b) 1994 and (c) 1995; and if he will make a statement. [10725]

  Mr. Richards
  The information on a financial year basis is as follows:

  LMS element

  Central services element

  School meals element

  Total annual maintenance grant

  1992–93

  3,687,648

  561,195

  83,423

  4,332,266

  1993–94

  12,123,231

  1,785,845

  200,096

  14,109,172

  1994–95

  19,259,649

  2,238,152

  464,948

  21,962,749

  Special purpose grants

  Capital grants

  Total

  1992–93

  208,708

  516,967

  5,057,941

  1993–94

  1,002,942

  6,195,751

  21,307,865

  1994–95

  849,768

  7,349,278

  30,161,795

  Annual maintenance grant is recouped from the local authority in which the school is situated.

  Trade Missions
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will name, by company title and head office address, the companies which participated in the Welsh trade mission to Indonesia and the specific products they were promoting; [11812]

  (2) what appraisal is made of the human rights conditions in countries which are to be visited under the auspices of the Welsh Office trade mission programme; [11814]

  (3) what information on human rights issues was given to participants in the recent trade mission to Indonesia; [11817]

  (4) what steps were taken to inform participants in the Welsh Office trade mission to Indonesia of the human rights conditions in that country. [11815]

  Mr. Hague
  The following companies participated on the Indonesian leg of the recent Welsh Office trade mission to Indonesia and Singapore.

  Company name and address

  Products

  Biocatalysts Ltd. Main Avenue

  Enzyme technologies

  Treforest Industrial Estate

  Pontypridd

  Mid glamorgan

  CF37 5UT

  895

  Company name and address

  Products

  NCM Credit Insurance Ltd.

  Export credit insurance

  3 Harbour Drive

  Capital Waterside

  Cardiff

  CF1 6TZ

  Boride Ceramics and

  Metal borides

  Composites Ltd.

  Lake Road

  Leeway Industrial Estate

  Newport

  Gwent

  NP9 0SR

  Tedea Huntleigh Europe Ltd.

  Load cells

  37 Portmanmoor Road

  Cardiff

  CF2 2HB

  Conren International

  Construction materials

  Redwither Road

  Wrexham Industrial Estate

  Wrexham

  Clwyd

  LL13 3RD

  British Rototherm Co.Ltd.

  Instrumentation

  Kenfig Industrial Estate

  Margam

  Port Talbot

  SA13 2PW

  TODO Products Ltd.

  Industrial valves

  14 Pontyfelin Avenue

  New Inn

  Pontypool

  Gwent

  NP4 0DQ

  Soundscape Digital

  Audio equipment

  Technologies

  Crichton House

  Mount Stuart Square

  Cardiff

  CF1 6DR

  Procter, Johnson and Co. Ltd.

  Pigments

  Excelsior Works

  Castle Park

  Evans Street

  Flint

  CH6 5NT

  Laurence, Scott and

  Electrical roating machines and

  Electromotors Ltd.

  control gear

  PO Box 25

  Hardy Road

  Norwich

  NR1 1JD

  Technical Support and Supplies

  Ltd.

  Unit 1, Falcon House

  Kinmel Park

  Royal Welsh Avenue

  Bodelwyddan

  Clwyd

  LL18 5TYlsolators for street

  lighting

  896

  Company name and address

  Products

  Cambrian Mapping Services

  Maps

  Ltd.

  Mayfield

  Lanbadoc

  Usk

  Gwent

  NP5 1BT

  Cambrian SE Asia Ltd.

  Geotechnical services

  Mayfield

  Lanbadoc

  Usk

  Gwent

  NP5 1BT

  Pinacl Communications Systems

  Telecommunications

  Ltd.

  Kinmel Park

  Bodelwyddan

  Clwyd

  LL18 5TZ

  Merton Wire Ltd.

  Aluminium wire

  11 Cyfarthfa Industrial Estate

  Merthyr Tydfil

  CF47 8PE

  EFE International Ltd.

  Marketing services

  7–11 Kensington High Street

  London

  W8 5NP

  Trade missions are essentially commercial events in which individual companies develop contacts with potential partners in the target market.

  Members of this mission were provided with briefing about the commercial situation in Indonesia.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he raised the question of human rights during his recent visit to Indonesia; and if he will make a statement. [11818]

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Delyn (Mr. Hanson) by the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd, North-West (Mr. Richards) on 26 January,Official Report, column 478.

  Patient Death (Legal Action)
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what legal action is outstanding in the case of Patient C, subject of an inquest in north Wales. [11926]

  Mr. Richards
  I believe that no legal action is outstanding in respect of the High Court proceedings commenced by originating summons which resulted in a declaration leading to the withdrawal of mechanical feeding and the consequent death of Patient C, who had been in a persistent vegetative state. Further legal action is involved in connection with the inquest which is due to be resumed and it is also possible that further legal action will take place if claims are pursued in the courts on behalf of C's estate or family, but the Welsh Office has no direct knowledge concerning such claims.

  School Funding (Flintshire)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what capital funding allocations have been made to local education authority schools for the new unitary authority of Flintshire for 1996–97. [12421]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Flintshire county council has been issued with a basic credit approval of £66.441 million for 1996–97, which allows borrowing for any capital purpose including schools. Essentially the Government provide moneys, and borrowing approval to local government on an unhypothecated basis and it is up to the council to determine the use of such resources.

  In addition, Hawarden high school, Deeside, has been awarded funding of £250,000 commencing in 1995–96 under the technology schools initiative. Of this £120,000 will be issued to Flintshire county council in 1996–97 as a supplementary credit approval.

  Under the popular schools initiative supplementary credit approval of £155,000—phased over three years from 1995–96—has been offered to Clwyd local education authority and Flintshire county council in respect of an extension to Ewloe Green county primary school.

  Planning Policy Guidance
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to publish new guidelines for planning in Wales. [12687]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Comments on the draft planning policy guidance (Wales) documents issued in July have been thoroughly evaluated and my right hon. Friend will be making a decision shortly on what planning policy guidance to publish in Wales.

  Sustainable Development
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the impact on his Department's work priorities of the advice to Her Majesty's Government contained in the second report of the Government's panel on sustainable development. [12686]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The Government are considering this report and will respond shortly.

  Nutrition Task Force
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 29 January,Official Report, column 599, what plans he has to set up a nutrition task force and a low income project team for Wales; and if he will make a statement. [13148]

  Mr. Hague
  The Health Promotion Authority for Wales has pioneered a range of programmes to help people in Wales, including those on low incomes, to eat more healthily. I have no plans to establish a nutrition task force or low income project team for Wales to duplicate the work already undertaken by HPW.

  NHS EstateCare
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 29 January,Official Report, column 599, on what date the decision was taken to instruct the Welsh Health Common Services Authority to invite bids from the private sector for NHS EstateCare. [13146]

  Mr. Hague
  My department wrote to the chairman of the authority on 16 August 1995 confirming my predecessor's decision to privatise the current function of EstateCare group. The conduct of the process, including the seeking and evaluation of bids, is a matter for the authority.

  University Hospital of Wales
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter from the director of the NHS in Wales to the chief executives of the South Glamorgan health authority and the University Hospital of Wales NHS trust received on 29 January, concerning the proposed transfer of accident and emergency facilities from the Cardiff royal infirmary to the University hospital of Wales. [13151]

  Mr. Hague
  Copies of the relevant decision letter have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chief executive of University hospital of Wales concerning the(a) private and (b) public funding of the (i) new multi-level access road and (ii) new accident and emergency services; on what criteria he proposes to judge private sector offers to design, build, finance and operate the two projects; and if he will make a statement. [13149]

  Mr. Hague
  None. This is a matter for the trust in producing an acceptable business case which will then be tested for private sector interest.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has discussed with the chief executive of the University hospital of Wales concerning the means of acquiring land for the construction of the access road across the A48 in connection with the transfer of accident and emergency services from the Cardiff royal infirmary to the University hospital of Wales; and what estimate he has made of the time required for such land acquisition by(a) voluntary and (b) compulsory means. [13150]

  Mr. Hague
  None. This is a matter for the trust in consultation with the local planning authority.

  Crickhowell House
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he expects Crickhowell house to be available with vacant possession for sub-letting. [12942]

  Mr. Hague
  No date has been fixed.

  Urban Investment Grant
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what urban investment grant he has awarded(a) the financial year 1994–95 and (b) this financial year; and if he will give the same information for grants awarded by the Cardiff Bay development corporation. [12943]
  899
  Mr. Hague
  A list of all projects awarded urban investment grant, by the Welsh Office, in 1994–95 and 1995–96 is in the following tables. Cardiff Bay development corporation did not make any awards of urban investment grant in the period.

  Table 1: Urban investment grants awarded 1994–95

  Project and location

  Grant awarded £

  Industrial development: Gresford Industrial Estate, Wrexham

  600,000

  Retail development: Bridgend Bus Station site

  150,000

  Offices: Broncoed Business Park, Mold

  175,000

  Offices: Gordon Street, Pembroke Dock

  111,000

  Offices: High Street Bargoed

  47,000

  Industrial: Trecenydd Business Park, Caerphilly

  220,000

  Commercial: Vauxhall Dealership, Tredegar

  152,000

  Residential: Swan Road, Port Talbot

  34,000

  Residential: Hopefield Street, Newport

  37,600

  Residential: East Street, Trallwn, Pontypridd

  90,000

  Residential/retail: Red Garages site, Llandudno

  315,000

  Offices, John Street, Carmarthen

  158,000

  Retail: Church Street, Abertillery

  125,000

  Residential: Elmwood Grove, Tredegar

  166,000

  Offices/retail/carpark: St Catherine's Corner, Pontypridd

  1,000,000

  Retail: Milford Haven Retail Park

  1,600,000

  Retail: Former Carlton Cinema, Swansea

  400,000

  Retail: Howards Furnishers, Ebbw Vale

  50,000

  Residential: Main Road, Llantwit Fardre

  60,000

  Table 2: Urban investment grant awarded 1995–96 (to 31 January 1996)

  Project and location

  Grant awarded £

  Retail development: Bethel Square, Brecon

  530,000

  Retail/commercial/residential development: Castle Hotel, Bangor

  1,100,000

  Bingo/Leisure Club: Mariners Wharf, Newport

  250,000

  Residential development: Main Road, Cadoxton

  230,000

  Industrial/office development: J K Smit Factory, Colwyn Bay

  100,000

  Industrial: Duffryn Industrial Estate, Ystrad Mynach

  57,000

  Residential development: Crown Road, Maesteg

  180,000

  Offices: Park Street, Ammanford

  66,000

  Residential development: Penrhys Estate, Rhondda

  65,000

  Retail/commercial development: The Walk, Ebbw Vale

  750,000

  Office/commercial development: The Old Courthouse, Bridgent

  152,000

  Residential development: Ann Street, Cilfynydd

  77,000

  Retail/residential development: Rich Way, Brecon

  88,000

  Retail development: Pentre Felin, Wrexham

  3,500,000

  NHS trust long-term loans

  Date of loan

  Trust

  Amount £

  Number of years

  Interest rate Per cent.

  Balance outstanding £

  1993–94

  4 February 1994

  Clwydian community care

  250,000

  20

  6.500

  231,250

  15 March 1994

  South and East Wales ambulance

  600,000

  9

  6.875

  500,001

  15 March 1994

  Llandough hospital

  2,727,000

  20

  7.500

  2,522,475

  15 March 1994

  Glan Clwyd hospital

  1,515,000

  20

  7.500

  1,401,375

  15 March 1994

  Powys health care

  2,215,000

  20

  7.500

  2,048,875

  15 March 1994

  Glan Hafren

  3,830,000

  20

  7.500

  3,543,750

  15 March 1994

  Wrexham Maelor

  2,023,000

  20

  7.500

  1,871,275

  Health Authorities (VAT)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the financial position of health authorities with respect to the windfall recovery of VAT; and what correspondence he has had with health authorities in this regard. [12944]

  Mr. Hague
  It is the responsibility of registered organisations within the NHS to account for VAT. Advice about VAT was last given to the NHS in Wales on 12 December 1994. This gave advance notice of a change in the registration arrangements from 1 April 1995.

  Fluoridation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the most recent guidance on fluoridation he has issued to Welsh health authorities; and what discussions he has had with those authorities and with Welsh Water to update it. [12945]

  Mr. Hague
  The most recent guidance to health authorities in Wales on fluoridation is contained in the "Protocol for Investment in Health Gain" of November 1992. The protocol advises that health authorities should give high priority to water fluoridation. Welsh Office officials discuss fluoridation issues with health authorities from time to time. I have had no discussions with the chairman of Welsh Water on this issue.

  NHS Hospitals
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the most recent guidance he has issued to health authorities on the definition of a(a) district and general hospital, (b) local general hospital, (c) neighbourhood hospital and (d) cottage hospital; and if he will list each non-psychiatric hospital in Wales and specify which category it falls into. [12946]

  Mr. Hague
  I have issued no guidance of this kind as in most cases the definitions involved are clear to the service. A list of hospitals in Wales was published in appendix II of "Health Statistics, Wales", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all loans outstanding by NHS trusts in Wales; and if he will specify the terms on which the loans were arranged and the dates of commencement and final repayment of principal. [12947]

  Mr. Hague
  The information requested is in the following table.
  901

  NHS trust long-term loans

  Date of loan

  Trust

  Amount £

  Number of years

  Interest rate Per cent.

  Balance outstanding £

  15 March 1994

  Gwent community health

  3,000,000

  20

  7.500

  2,775,000

  15 March 1994

  Bridgend and district

  4,700,000

  20

  7.500

  4,197,500

  15 March 1994

  Clwydian community care

  1,463,000

  20

  7.500

  1,353,275

  18 March 1994

  Carmarthen and district

  2,345,000

  20

  7.500

  2,227,750

  18 March 1994

  Pembrokeshire

  500,000

  20

  7.500

  475,000

  21 March 1994

  Swansea

  1,063,000

  20

  7.500

  1,009,850

  24 March 1994

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales

  289,000

  20

  7.750

  274,550

  25 March 1994

  Pembrokeshire

  170,000

  20

  7.750

  161,500

  1994–95

  31 August 1994

  Llandough hospital

  1,000,000

  20

  8.875

  975,000

  9 September 1994

  Morriston hospital

  1,182,191

  20

  9.000

  1,152,636

  15 September 1994

  Clwydian community care

  2,000,000

  20

  9.250

  1,950,000

  15 September 1994

  Morriston hosptial

  1,200,000

  20

  9.250

  1,170,000

  15 September 1994

  Swansea

  2,000,000

  20

  9.250

  1,950,000

  15 September 1994

  Glan Hafren

  2,000,000

  20

  9.250

  1,950,000

  28 September 1994

  Llandough hospital

  1,000,000

  20

  9.250

  975,000

  29 September 1994

  Pembrokeshire

  323,000

  20

  9.250

  314,925

  12 December 1994

  Clwydian community care

  2,000,000

  20

  8.875

  1,950,000

  6 January 1995

  North Wales ambulance

  290,000

  7

  8.875

  269,286

  16 January 1995

  Swansea

  300,000

  20

  9.000

  292,500

  16 January 1995

  Powys healthcare

  900,000

  20

  9.000

  877,500

  27 January 1995

  Gwynedd community

  400,000

  20

  9.125

  390,000

  30 January 1995

  Llandough hospital

  1,000,000

  20

  9.125

  975,000

  1 February 1995

  Morriston hospital

  600,000

  20

  8.875

  585,000

  7 February 1995

  Gwent community health

  2,000,000

  20

  8.875

  1,950,000

  8 February 1995

  Morriston hospital

  500,000

  20

  8.875

  487,500

  9 February 1995

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales

  200,000

  20

  8.875

  195,000

  13 February 1995

  Llandough hospital

  1,000,000

  20

  8.875

  975,000

  15 February 1995

  Swansea

  1,300,000

  20

  9.000

  1,267,500

  15 February 1995

  Bridgend and district

  4,471,000

  20

  9.000

  4,359,225

  20 February 1995

  Clwydian community care

  1,000,000

  20

  9.000

  975,000

  22 February 1995

  Gwynedd community

  600,000

  20

  9.000

  585,000

  27 February 1995

  Gwynedd community

  400,000

  20

  9.000

  390,000

  6 March 1995

  Llandough hospital

  3,249,000

  20

  9.000

  3,167,775

  8 March 1995

  Glan Clwyd

  1,344,000

  20

  9.000

  1,310,400

  9 March 1995

  Ceredigion and mid Wales

  254,000

  20

  9.000

  247,650

  15 March 1995

  Powys health care

  500,000

  20

  9.000

  487,500

  15 March 1995

  Gwynedd community

  2,444,000

  20

  9.000

  2,382,900

  15 March 1995

  Llanelli/Dinefwr

  566,000

  20

  9.000

  551,850

  15 March 1995

  Velindre

  243,000

  20

  9.000

  236,925

  15 March 1995

  Clwydian community care

  3,071,000

  20

  9.000

  2,994,225

  15 March 1995

  Swansea

  1,118,000

  20

  9.000

  1,090,050

  15 March 1995

  Carmarthen and district

  1,949,000

  20

  9.000

  1,900,275

  15 March 1995

  Derwen

  1,124,000

  20

  9.000

  1,095,900

  15 March 1995

  South and East Wales ambulance

  281,000

  9

  8.875

  265,389

  15 March 1995

  Mid Glamorgan ambulance

  265,000

  9

  8.875

  250,278

  15 March 1995

  Morriston

  2,000,000

  20

  9.000

  1,950,000

  15 March 1995

  Llandough hospital

  184,000

  20

  9.000

  179,400

  15 March 1995

  Wrexham Maelor

  2,182,000

  20

  9.000

  2,127,450

  15 March 1995

  Wrexham Maelor

  2,000,000

  10

  8.875

  1,900,000

  15 March 1995

  Glan Hafren

  1,185,000

  20

  9.000

  1,155,375

  15 March 1995

  Nevill Hall

  89,000

  20

  9.000

  86,775

  15 March 1995

  Gwynedd hospitals

  2,500,000

  20

  9.000

  2,437,500

  23 March 1995

  East Glamorgan

  1,044,000

  20

  8.750

  1,017,900

  24 March 1995

  North Wales ambulance

  197,000

  7

  8.500

  182,929

  24 March 1995

  Morriston

  2,579,809

  20

  8.750

  2,515,314

  29 March 1995

  Gwynedd hospitals

  291,000

  20

  8.750

  283,725

  2 May 1995

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales

  200,000

  20

  8.750

  —

  15 June 1995

  Swansea

  600,000

  20

  8.3750

  —

  3 July 1995

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales

  100,000

  20

  8.6250

  —

  14 July 1995

  Swansea

  1,200,000

  20

  8.3750

  —

  15 August 1995

  Swansea

  1,360,000

  20

  8.5000

  —

  30 August 1995

  East Glamorgan

  272,000

  20

  8.3750

  —

  5 September 1995

  Clwydian community care

  3,000,000

  20

  8.2500

  —

  15 September 1995

  Mid Glamorgan ambulance

  150,000

  9

  7.6250

  —

  15 September 1995

  Carmarthen and district

  1,000,000

  20

  8.2500

  —

  15 September 1995

  Glan Hafren

  1,000,000

  20

  8.2500

  —

  15 September 1995

  East Glamorgan

  612,000

  20

  8.2500

  —

  25 September 1995

  Gwent community health

  1,200,000

  20

  8.1250

  —

  25 September 1995

  Llandough hospital

  1,000,000

  20

  8.1250

  —

  27 September 1995

  UHW healthcare

  1,300,000

  20

  8.2500

  —

  902 903

  NHS trust long-term loans

  Date of loan

  Trust

  Amount £

  Number of years

  Interest rate Per cent.

  Balance outstanding £

  28 September 1995

  Gwynedd community health

  800,000

  20

  8.2500

  —

  28 September 1995

  Nevill Hall and District

  632,000

  20

  8.2500

  —

  24 October 1995

  Gwent community helath

  300,000

  20

  8.5000

  —

  25 October 1995

  East Glamorgan

  646,000

  20

  8.5000

  —

  30 October 1995

  South and East Wales ambulance

  750,000

  10

  8.000

  —

  2 November 1995

  UHW Healthcare

  1,900,000

  20

  8.3750

  —

  22 November 1995

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales

  100,000

  20

  8.1250

  —

  24 November 1995

  South and East Wales ambulance

  1,000,000

  10

  7.5000

  —

  29 November 1995

  East Glamorgan

  544,000

  20

  7.8750

  —

  8 December 1995

  Clwydian community care

  500,000

  20

  7.8750

  —

  15 December 1995

  Swansea

  1,200,000

  20

  7.8750

  —

  15 December 1995

  North Wales ambulance

  301,000

  7

  6.8750

  —

  18 December 1995

  Gwent community health

  650,000

  20

  7.8750

  —

  21 December 1995

  East Glamorgan

  272,000

  20

  7.8750

  —

  11 January 1996

  Gwynedd community health

  200,000

  20

  7.8750

  —

  11 January 1996

  East Glamorgan

  204,000

  20

  7.8750

  —

  18 January 1996

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales

  200,000

  20

  7.7500

  —

  24 January 1996

  East Glamorgan

  340,000

  20

  7.7500

  —

  29 January 1996

  Gwent community health

  400,000

  20

  7.7500

  —

  30 January 1996

  Gwynedd community health

  600,000

  20

  7.8750

  —

  No repayments of principal have been made to date for loans issued in financial year 1995–96.

  Primary Care (Out-of-hours Centres)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with health authorities concerning the provision of out-of-hours centres for primary care and the issuing of new guidelines with respect to such centres; and if he will make a statement. [12948]

  Mr. Hague
  My officials met representatives of family health services authorities on 2 November 1995 to discuss the new arrangements for delivering GP out-of-hours services. The arrangements provide an opportunity for GPs to organise their emergency services in ways that will maintain and improve patient care.

  Pembrokeshire NHS Trust
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when his Department's officialS received a copy of the draft report produced by the auditors of Pembrokeshire NHS trust, Coopers and Lybrand, into the circumstances leading up to, and the financial implications of, the departure of the chief executive of the Pembrokeshire NHS Trust in 1994. [13002]

  Mr. Richards
  Welsh Office officials received a copy of a draft on 30 June 1995. Questions arising on the draft were raised by officials who are now considering a further draft. Whether a final report is submitted at a future date to the Secretary of State will be for the Audit Commission to determine.

  Cash Limits
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes he is proposing to make to the cash limits for his Department and the Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales for the current year. [13543]

  Mr. Hague
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the cash limit on class XV, vote 1 will be reduced by £1,799,000 from £24,557,000 to £22,758,000; the cash limit on class XV,904
  vote 2 will be reduced by £4,256,000 from £659,934,000 to £655,678,000; the cash limit on class XV, vote 3 will be increased by £5,500,000 from £561,690,000 to £567,190,000; the cash limit on class XV, vote 5 will be reduced by £2,724,000 from £1,789,920,000 to £1,787,196,000 and the cash limit on class XV, vote 7 will be reduced by £500,000 from £8,746,000 to £8,246,000.

  The decrease in the cash limit for vote 1 arises mainly from a transfer of a forecast underspend on cash limited agricultural grants to the resources for demand-led agricultural grants including hill livestock compensatory allowances and compensation payments for the control of animal diseases.
  The net reduction in the cash limit for vote 2 comprises mainly a transfer of £750,000 from class I, vote 3 for the local initiative fund and a transfer of £5,000,000 to class XV, vote 3.

  The cash limit increase on vote 3 relates to a transfer from class XV, vote 7 for Welsh Office administration capital and a transfer from class XV, vote 2 for the central Government roads programme.

  The cash limit reduction on vote 5 results mainly from a transfer from cash limited resources within the vote to meet higher than forecast expenditure on demand-led family health services.

  The decrease in the cash limit for vote 7 results from fewer than expected tenders being received for school inspections.

  None of the proposed changes adds to the overall level of public expenditure.

  Dance and Drama Students (Funding)
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which local education authorities have sought from her Department improved funding for students of dance and drama in the past two years. [10349]
  905
  Mr. Forth
  The Department is in frequent contact with local authorities to discuss a wide range of issues. It is not possible to identify from the Department's records every instance in which the issue of funding for dance and drama students may have arisen during the course of those discussions. However, my right hon. Friend has within the past two years received letters from Lancashire and Sutton local authorities proposing that a wider range of dance and drama courses should be designated for mandatory awards.

  Schools (Balances)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list, by local education authority, the total amount of balances held by schools in England according to the latest figures. [11747]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The following table shows the aggregate balances held by the schools maintained by each local education authority in England at the end of the financial year 1994–95.

  LEA

  School Balances £000

  Avon

  13,422

  Barking and Dagenham

  2,681

  Barnet

  4,763

  Barnsley

  2,795

  Bedfordshire

  7,512

  Berkshire

  8,334

  Bexley

  1,973

  Birmingham

  16,319

  Bolton

  2,416

  Bradford

  4,084

  Brent

  4,234

  Bromley

  3,036

  Buckinghamshire

  9,030

  Bury

  2,311

  Calderdale

  1,975

  Cambridgeshire

  8,784

  Camden

  4,737

  Cheshire

  15,314

  City of London

  54

  Cleveland

  8,611

  Cornwall

  9,007

  Coventry

  6,643

  Croydon

  4,905

  Cumbria

  2,026

  Derbyshire

  8,467

  Devon

  9,325

  Doncaster

  3,751

  Dorset

  6,635

  Dudley

  1,207

  Durham

  7,001

  Ealing

  2,393

  East Sussex

  8,218

  Enfield

  6,026

  Essex

  25,252

  Gateshead

  1,859

  Gloucestershire

  6,743

  Greenwich

  4,781

  Hackney

  2,324

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  2,493

  Hampshire

  25,921

  Haringey

  2,896

  Harrow

  1,693

  Havering

  4,445

  Hereford and Worcester

  12,294

  Hertfordshire

  20,832

  906

  LEA

  School Balances £

  Hillingdon

  2,297

  Hounslow

  4,963

  Humberside

  9,713

  Isle of Wight

  1,325

  Isles of Scilly

  43

  Islington

  3,394

  Kensington and Chelsea

  1,155

  Kent

  14,553

  Kingston

  890

  Kirklees

  2,825

  Knowsley

  2,216

  Lambeth

  5,308

  Lancashire

  32,096

  Leeds

  3,892

  Leicestershire

  13,154

  Lewisham

  3,921

  Lincolnshire

  7,178

  Liverpool

  7,705

  Manchester

  -1,365

  Merton

  4,503

  Newcastle

  5,443

  Newham

  4,640

  Norfolk

  9,262

  North Tyneside

  439

  North Yorkshire

  11,543

  Northamptonshire

  10,061

  Northumberland

  3,075

  Nottinghamshire

  14,959

  Oldham

  516

  Oxfordshire

  11,955

  Redbridge

  3,111

  Richmond

  2,648

  Rochdale

  577

  Rotherham

  1,101

  Salford

  3,048

  Sandwell

  5,420

  Sefton

  6,049

  Sheffield

  3,619

  Shropshire

  4,864

  Solihull

  4,253

  Somerset

  7,678

  South Tyneside

  1,898

  Southwark

  3,852

  St. Helens

  4,163

  Staffordshire

  12,381

  Stockport

  3,456

  Suffolk

  11,487

  Sunderland

  1,781

  Surrey

  12,109

  Sutton

  2,092

  Tameside

  1,293

  Tower Hamlets

  6,733

  Trafford

  556

  Wakefield

  3,135

  Walsall

  2,807

  Waltham Forest

  3,857

  Wandsworth

  3,567

  Warwickshire

  6,987

  West Sussex

  4,489

  Westminster

  2,928

  Wigan

  5,320

  Wiltshire

  6,549

  Wirral

  2,572

  Wolverhampton

  4,036

  1. The figures (derived from the LMS outturn statements for 1994–95 published by LEAs under section 42 of the Education Reform Act 1988) cover all county, voluntary and special schools. Prior to 1994–95 special schools were covered by LMS only in the case of 8 LEAs

  2. All figures represent surpluses net of deficits.

  National Vocational Qualifications
  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average cost per place of delivering NVQ levels 1, 2 and 3 for(a) the unemployed funded by training and enterprise councils and (b) those in work attending further education courses or day release. [12753]

  Mr. Paice
  The information requested is not available.

  Jobcentres (Advertised Pay Rates)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average pay rate on offer at each jobcentre in England for the latest week for which figures are available. [12841]

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

  Letter from R. D. Horne to Mr. Peter L. Pike, dated 31 January 1996:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the average pay rate on offer at each Jobcentre in England. In the absence of Mr Fogden I have been asked to reply.
  The Employment Service does not collect regular figures on wage rates of vacancies held by Jobcentres.
  However, research has been undertaken on advertised vacancies in February 1994 which gave the following estimates for Great Britain, based on those vacancies for which wages and hours were given (ie not those open to an element of negotiation). These show that at that time 11% of vacancies were for hourly rates of pay of £2.50 or below, 47% for £2.51–3.50, 27% for £3.51–£4.50, 8% for £4.51–£5.50 and 7% for over £5.50. Research on the value of vacancy circulation is being carried out at present and is expected to be published by the summer. It is expected to provide some further, limited information on wage rates of Jobcentres vacancies.
  I am sorry that I cannot be of more help.

  School Premises Regulations
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she expects to lay new drafts of the Education (School Premises) Regulations before Parliament; and what the time scale will be for their coming into effect. [13080]

  Mrs. Gillan
  We expect to lay the revised Education (School Premises) Regulations before Parliament in February. Subject to the consent of Parliament, they will take effect 21 days later.

  Public Supplies Contract Legislation
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on what occasions her Department received correspondence from the European Commission during the review of public supplies contract legislation in 1992, on the subject of what preferential schemes were in operation in the United Kingdom; when her Department responded to this consultation; and at what point her Department informed the European Commission that the priority suppliers scheme was in operation. [12917]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The European Commission was informed in 1981 that the priority suppliers scheme was in operation. The Department did not receive any 908
  correspondence from the European Commission on the subject of preference schemes during the consolidation and revision of the supplies directive in 1992.

  Nursery Voucher Scheme
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the range of accommodation for play groups which is likely to qualify for the scheme for nursery vouchers. [12918]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  To qualify for initial validation to redeem nursery vouchers, all play groups must be registered under part X of the Children Act 1989. As such, their accommodation and facilities should comply with the guidance on premises in volume 2 of the Children Act guidance and regulations.

  European Social Fund
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what amount of European social fund money is currently being held in reserve by the European Commission; and what reasons have been given for a reserve being put on this funding. [13079]

  Mr. Forth
  Some 3,377 million ecu are available for spending in Great Britain under objectives 3 and 4 of the structural funds between 1994 and 1999. The objective 3 plan for 1994 to 1996 period, which was agreed with the European Commission, provided for 1,501 million of that money to be spent in the UK. The remaining 1,876 million ecu are available for spending in Great Britain under objectives 3 and 4 of the structural funds between 1997 and 1999. The plans for spending that money will be negotiated this year.

  Cash and Running Cost Limits
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what changes she has made to cash limits and running cost limits on votes within her responsibility for the year 1995–96. [13546]

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the cash limits for class V, vote 1, employment programmes and central services; class V, vote 2, Department for Education and Employment: Employment Service; class X, vote 1, schools research and miscellaneous services; class X, vote 3, Department for Education: administration; and class X, vote 5, Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in England, will be amended as follows:

  Class

  Vote

  Existing cash limit

  Change

  New cash limit

  V

  1

  2,122,564,000

  9,480,000

  2,132,044,000

  V

  2

  906,952,000

  -8,600,000

  898,352,000

  X

  1

  735,483,000

  -75,000

  735,408,000

  X

  3

  90,295,000

  -2,000,000

  88,295,000

  X

  5

  98,152,000

  -12,875,000

  85,277,000

  The cash limit for class V, vote 1 will be increased by £9,480,000 from £2,122,564,000 to £2,132,044,000. This is as a result of a running costs transfer of £11,600,000 from the Employment Service—£2,700,000 for

  909
  jobseeker's allowance consultancy costs and £8,900,00 to cover restructuring costs—offset by a transfer of £1,983,000 to the Department for Social Security class XIII, vote 1 for youth training provision; and additional receipts in respect of a recovery of VAT on consultancy fees totalling £138,000. A new net subhead is also being added to the vote for agency payments on behalf of the European regional development fund. The increase will be offset by transfers and a charge to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  The running costs limit for class V, vote 1 will increase by £4,992,000 from £294,401,000 to £299,393,000 as a result of the transfer of running costs of £11,600,000 from the Employment service class V, vote 2, offset by a transfer of £6,608,000 to the Department for Trade and Industry class IX, vote 1, as part of the machinery of government changes announced on 5 July 1995.

  The cash limit for class V, vote 2, will be reduced by £8,600,000 from £906,952,000 to £898,352,000. The running costs limit for that vote will be reduced by £12,600,000 from £1,023,060,000 to £1,010,460,000. This is as a result of transfers of £11,600,000 to class V, vote 1 in respect of additional jobseeker's allowance consunltancy costs and restructuring costs, and of £1,000,000 to the Department of Social Security in respect of salary costs of staff transferred to the Benefits Agency. This decrease is offset by capital transfers of £2,000,000 from class X, vote 3 and the take-up of £2,000,000 under the capital end year flexibility scheme from class V, vote 1 in respect of labour market system infrastructure requirements and rationalisation of the Employment Service estate.

  The gross running costs limit for the Department for Education and Employment is reduced by £7,608,000 from £1,403,916,000 to £1,396,308,000 as a result of the running costs changes to class V, votes 1 and 2.

  The cash limit on class X, vote 1 will be reduced by £75,000 from £735,483,000 to £735,408,000 as a result of a transfer of £25,000 to the Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in England to cover the costs of setting up an inspection framework for institutions intending to take part in the new arrangements for the education of the under-fives and a transfer of £50,000 to the Department of Social Security to cover work undertaken in connection with the new under-fives arrangements.

  Payments will be made from class X, vote 1 to capita, the body selected to administer the new under-fives arrangements, to cover the setting-up costs of the new scheme. There will be no change in the net provision on the vote as a result.

  The cash limit for class X, vote 3 will be reduced by £2,000,000 from £90,295,000 to £88,295,000. This is as a result of the transfer of £2,000,000 of capital provision to the Employment Service class V, vote 2.

  The cash limit for class X, vote 5 will be decreased by £12,875,000 from £98,152,000 to £85,277,000. This is as a result of a reduction in forecast expenditure on the inspection of schools. The running costs limit will be increased by £25,000 from £28,451,000 to £28,476,000.
  910
  This is to allow a transfer of £25,000 from class X, vote 1, to cover the costs of setting up an inspection framework for the pre-school sector.

  The opportunity is also being taken to increase provision for appropriations in aid to class X, vote 5 of additional receipts in the form of VAT refunds. This is to offset increased payments resulting from greater contracting out to the private sector. There will be no change in the net provision as a result.

  The planned total of public expenditure for these votes is reduced by £14,070,000 as a result.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Positive about Disabled People Symbol
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list for his Department and each of the agencies for which he is responsible if it uses the Employment Service's positive about disabled people symbol for(a) external recruitment and (b) internal recruitment and promotion. [11909]

  Mr. Willetts
  The Cabinet Office, including the Office of Public Service, is signing up in the near future to use the symbol for external recruitment and internal recruitment and promotion.

  The non-agency areas of the Cabinet Office have been putting procedures in place to make the five commitments. These will be introduced in the next two months. This will qualify the Department to use the symbol.

  The Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency has also put the relevant procedures in place and intend to use the symbol from February 1996.

  The Buying Agency uses the symbol for external recruitment purposes.

  The Security Facilities Executive has declared an intention to follow the Cabinet Office's lead in introducing the symbol.

  The other OPS agencies, Central Office of Information and Her Majesty's Stationary Office have not yet considered using the symbol.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people are employed in(a) the Prime Minister's Office and (b) his own office; and what percentage are disabled. [12228]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  For these purposes, the Prime Minister's Office and my own form part of the Cabinet Office. The latest available figures showing disability in the Department relate to 1 April 1995. They showed that, of the 1,549 staff in the Cabinet Office—excluding executive agencies—at the time, 49 staff, 3.1 per cent., had a disability. However, this was before the machinery of government changes of July 1995 which had an impact on the Department's organisation. The Department is about to undertake a new survey of
  911
  disability among its staff in preparation for adopting the positive about disabled people symbol. I shall write to the hon. Member when the results are available.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the expenditure of his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies on all external consultants including management consultants for each of the years(a) to date and (b) as estimated for the whole year; what estimate he has made of such expenditure for 1996–97; and if he will estimate the savings accruing to his Department from the use of consultants in each of these years. [11371]

  Mr. Willetts
  Information on consultancy expenditure is not held centrally and can be provided only for earlier years at disproportionate cost. The expenditure on external consultants for 1993–94, 1994–95, year to date and estimated expenditure for the whole of 1995–96 is shown as follows:

  Cabinet Office (including 10 and 12 Downing street)

  Office of Public Service, and agencies

  1993–94

  5,936,200

  1994–95

  5,969,000

  Year to date

  3,272,400

  1995–96 estimated total

  7,276,000

  A large part of these totals was consultancy to CCTA, the Government Centre for Information Systems.

  HMSO

  COI

  1993–94

  1,061,000

  66,700

  1994–95

  1,750,700

  162,200

  Year to date

  827,000

  21,400

  1995–96 estimated total

  1827,000

  132,400

  1HMSO financial year: 1 January to 31 December.

  Detailed estimates for 1996–97 are not currently available.

  Consultants are used in a variety of activities designed to produce different types of benefits, not just cost saving.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what is his estimate of his Department's expenditure on newspapers and magazines for 1995–96 to date; and if he will list the publications purchased. [11508]

  Mr. Willetts
  This information, and similar information for earlier years, can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  EU Regulations and Directives
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the EU regulations and directives which will not be enforced in the United Kingdom(a) in part and (b) as a whole. [13081]

  Mr. Freeman
  The Government's policy is to implement EC legislation in an effective, timely and proportionate manner. The enforcement regime adopted in each case should impose least burden on business and others affected.

  Cash and Running Cost Limits
  Mr. Dicks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on changes to the 1995–96 cash limit and running costs limit for the Office of Public Service. [13542]

  Mr. Freeman
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for the Office of Public Service, class XVIII, vote 1, will be increased by £1,636,000 from £53,713,000 to £55,349,000 and the gross running cost limit will he increased by £291,000 from £78,830,000 to £79,121,000. The changes reflect the transfers of the Security Facilities Executive Agency and the Buying Agency from the Department of the Environment—class VII, vote 8, the Office of Science and Technology being transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry and the deregulation unit and competitiveness division being transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry. Provision is also made for the privatisation of executive agencies. SAFE will have a net running cost limit of zero.

  Departmental Properties
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what is his estimate of the annual cost to his Department and his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies of their empty and under-used properties for(a) 1995–96 and (b) 1996–97. [11506]

  Mr. Willetts
  Until 1 April 1996, responsibility for Cabinet Office empty and under-used property on the common user estate falls to Property Holdings Division of DoE.

  For the years in question, there has been no vacant space within Nos. 10 to 12 Downing street or the central Cabinet Office estate in London. Over this period, only HMSO had empty or under-used departmental estate. The costs were as follows:

  1979: Not available

  1989: Nil

  1991: Nil

  1993: £137,300

  1994: £252,800

  1995: £88,700

  1996: £34,825 (January-March).

  After 1 April 1996, responsibility for Cabinet Office property on the CUE will fall to the Department. It is forecast that the estimated cost to the Cabinet Office of empty and under-used properties in 1996–97 will be £2,035,739, consisting of HMSO; Crown buildings, Basingstoke; and Leatherhead road, Chessington:

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  National Lottery
  Rev. William McCrea
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps are being taken to eliminate the sale of nation lottery tickets to under-age children. [10581]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Secretary of State has, under section 11 of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993, issued a direction to the Director General of the National Lottery,
  913
  that no license should be granted which authorises the promotion of any lottery which does not allow for sufficient controls to prevent persons who have not attained the age of 16 from participating. I have therefore asked the director general to write to the hon. Member, placing copies of his response in the Libraries of the House.

  British Library
  Dr. John Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the contractors involved in the British Library project. [11989]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  According to records held by the Department of National Heritage, the following organisations and individuals are, or have previously been, directly under contract to the Department or its predecessors in respect of the British library construction project:

  Abbeywood Floor Coverings Ltd.

  AE Hadley Ltd.

  Allaway Acoustics

  Allsop

  Archbell Greenwood Structural Engineers

  Argent Building Services Ltd.

  ARI Propafloor Ltd.

  Arthur Syddall (Grantham) Ltd.

  Atlantis Fine Art and Architecture Supplies Ltd.

  A to Z Couriers Ltd.

  Avondale Construction Ltd.

  AW Elliot and Co. (Steeplejacks) Ltd.

  Baco Contracts Ltd.

  Balfour Beatty Ltd.

  Balmforth Engineering Ltd.

  Baris Dry Lining Ltd.

  Bellow Machine Co. Ltd.

  Bolte (UK) Ltd.

  Bolton Gate Company Ltd. (formerly Bolton Brady Ltd.)

  British Engine Insurance Association Ltd.

  British Rail Ltd.

  Briton Poole and Burns Ltd.

  Brophy Construction plc

  Bruce Nivison

  Bruynzeel Storage Systems Ltd.

  Building Management Southeast

  Business Gas plc

  Byrne Bros (Formwork) Ltd.

  Cambridge Asphalt Co. Ltd.

  Carlton Waller Ltd.

  Carpet Services (Surrey) Ltd.

  Carter and Co. (London) Ltd.

  Chubb Fire Ltd.

  CJ O'Shea Construction Ltd.

  Clark and Fenn Ltd.

  Clarke Instruments Ltd.

  Colin St. John Wilson and Partners

  Colt International Ltd.

  Coverite (Asphalters) Ltd.

  Cranfield Logistics Ltd. (formerly the National Materials Handling Centre)

  914

  Curtis Steel Ltd.

  Custom Metal Fabrication Ltd.

  Davis Langdon and Everest

  Diespeker Interiors Ltd.

  Direction Group Air Conditioning Ltd.

  Dormar Mechanical Services Ltd.

  Drake and Scull Engineering Ltd.

  Dun and Bradstreet Ltd.

  Durable Contracts Ltd.

  E. Conies and Son Ltd.

  East and Son Ltd.

  Eastern Electricity plc

  Elizabeth Burney-Jones

  Envopack Group Sales Ltd.

  Eurolog Ltd.

  Expanded Piling Co. Ltd.

  F. Brooks Ltd.

  F. Smith and Son (Grimsby) Ltd.

  Facade Hoists Ltd.

  Farren and Sons Ltd.

  FE Beaumont Ltd.

  FHC Plant Maintenance (formerly Flowerhouse Craigwell Ltd.)

  Fondedile Foundations Ltd.

  Forster Metallbau Gmbh

  Forward Catering Ltd.

  FP Fire Protection Services Ltd.

  FW Bull and Son (Construction) Ltd.

  G. Dew and Co. Ltd.

  G and H McGill Ltd.

  Glasbau Hann GMBH and Co. KG

  Gormley (Marble Specialists) Ltd.

  Greenwood Airvac

  Griffiths McGee Demolition Ltd.

  Guthrie Allsebrook and Co. Ltd.

  Hacker Young

  Haden Technology Ltd.

  Haden Young Ltd.

  Hawes Signs Ltd.

  Heath Fielding Ltd.

  Higgs and Hill Southern Ltd.

  HJ Wedge and Sons Ltd.

  How Fire Ltd.

  Interfaceé Europe Ltd.

  Intermove Services Ltd.

  Irvine Whitlock Ltd.

  Jacklin Decorators Ltd.

  James R. Knowles

  Jandor Metal Doors Ltd.

  JL Joinery Ltd.

  John Mowlem and Co. plc

  John Rowlson (Engineers) Ltd.

  John Smith and Sons

  Jonathan James Ltd.

  Joseph Murphy Structural Engineering Ltd.

  Keller Colocrete Ltd.

  Keltbray Ltd.

  Kenneth Eaton Associates

  Kenneth Oldham-Smith

  915

  Kittridge Flooring Ltd.

  Laing Management Ltd.

  LH Rothwell Associates

  Lilley Construction Ltd.

  London Borough of Camden

  London Electrify plc

  London Underground Ltd.

  Mark Hammond Design

  Martin Drake

  McGill Insulation Group Ltd.

  McGinley Construction Services Ltd.

  McKenna and Co.

  Miles Carter Ltd.

  Mobil Gas Marketing (UK) Ltd.

  MPG Contracts Ltd. (formerly MPG Plastering Ltd.)

  MW and RW Bacon Ltd.

  Nick Artim

  North London Dry Lining Ltd.

  Norwest Holst Civil Engineering Ltd.

  Norwest Holst Construction Southern Ltd.

  Nuclear Electric plc

  O and K Escalators Ltd.

  Octavius Atkinson and Sons Ltd.

  Ove Arup and Partners

  PA Consulting Group Ltd.

  Pembridge Builders Ltd.

  Plescon Ltd.

  Plumb Bespoke Shopfitting Ltd.

  Pollards Fyrespan Ltd.

  Price Waterhouse Ltd.

  Princeton plc

  Project Fire Engineering Ltd.

  PSA Specialist Services

  Quest Insulation Ltd.

  Richardson Roofing Co. Ltd.

  Rivermeade Signs Ltd.

  Robinson Metalwork (Luton) Ltd.

  Rust Consulting Ltd. (formerly Kennedy & Donkin Building Services Ltd.)

  Samuel Elliott and Sons Ltd.

  Shanahan Dover Systems Ltd.

  Shapland and Petter Ltd.

  Sharrocks (London) Ltd.

  Sindall Joinery Ltd.

  Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd.

  Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd./Haden Young Ltd. Joint Venture

  Situsec Contractors Ltd.

  Spectra Engineering Ltd.

  Stitson White Services Ltd.

  Strather Construction Ltd.

  Stuarts Industrial Flooring Ltd.

  Syston Rolling Shutters Ltd.

  TA Consultancy Services Ltd.

  Tarmac Construction Ltd.

  Tarmac Servicemaster

  TB V Consult (formerly PSA Projects)

  Terry Hedgeland

  Thames Water plc

  916

  The Buying Agency (formerly the Crown Suppliers)

  The Expanded Piling Co. Ltd.

  The Express Lift Co. Ltd.

  The Paint Research Association

  The Steensen Varming Mulcahy Partnership Ltd.

  Thrope Model Makers

  Trafalgar House Interiors Ltd.

  Trench Farrow and Partners

  Trident Safeguards Ltd.

  WA Dawson Ltd.

  Wallis Joinery Ltd.

  WB Simpson and Sons Ltd.

  Wembley Roofing Ceilings Ltd.

  William Steward London Ltd.

  Wiltshier Construction (London) Ltd.

  Wiltshier Construction Ltd.

  WM and RW Bacon Ltd.

  WS Harvey (Decorators) Ltd.

  YAY Brightside Ltd. (Formerly Young Austen and Young Ltd.)

  Note:

  Does not include sub-contractors.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what inquiries she has instigated into the delay to the British library project; what reports she has received from those inquiries; and what measures have been taken as a consequence. [11990]

  Mrs. Bottomley
  The primary cause of delay to this project has been the need to identify and specify the technical changes required to deal with problems discovered since 1991. In particular, these relate to the mobile bookshelving, the low voltage cabling, and the fire protection system. I and my predecessors have commissioned leading experts to report on the issues and we have received a number of technical reports. As a consequence, the key changes which have been made, or are in the process of being made, include the replacement of faulty components in the bookshelving, at the contractor's expense; the repair and replacement of cabling, where necessary and practicable, and the installation of automatic fuse switches to protect the cabling system; and changes to the fire protection system to reduce the likelihood of corrosion, and improve effectiveness.

  Millennium Site, Greenwich
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will consider themes or other suggestions, brought to her attention by(a) hon. Members, (b) organisations and (c) members of the public, which add to those which have already, or will be, submitted by Imagination Ltd. relating to the proposed exhibition on a site, or sites adjacent or near to, that designated by the Millennium Commission on the Greenwich peninsula. [11734]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 26 January 1996]: This is a matter for the Millennium Commission. I shall reply to the hon. Member in my capacity as chairman of the commission and place copies of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is her estimate of expenditure on all forms of hospitality and entertainment by(a) her Department, (b) her Department's agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies for (i) 1993–94, (ii) 1994–95, (iii) 1995–96 and (iv) 1996–97. [11509]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: The available information is given in the following table:

  1993–94 actual £

  1995–95 actual £

  1994–96 spend to date £

  1996–97 estimate £

  Department of National Heritage

  18,277

  14,967

  20,795

  n/a

  Historic Royal Palaces Agency

  16,800

  16,313

  32,394

  n/a

  Royal Parks Agency

  8,926

  23,862

  14,819

  12,150

  Information on non-departmental public bodies is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is her estimate of the expenditure of her Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies on all forms of overseas travel, overseas accommodation and other associated expenses for(a) 1993–94, (b) 1994–95, (c) 1995–96 and (d) 1996–97. [11512]

  Mr. Sproat:
  The available information is given in the following table:

  1993–94 £

  1994–95 £

  1995–96 £

  Department of National Heritage

  99,152

  161,396

  132,518

  Historic Royal Palaces Agency

  4,567

  14,605

  18,135

  Royal Parks Agency

  Nil

  Nil

  2,000

  Information on non-departmental public bodies is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Estimated figures for 1996–97 are not yet available.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is her estimate of departmental expenditure on administration for(a) 1993–94, (b) 1994–95, (c) 1995–96 and (d) 1996–97. [11510]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: Expenditure on administration for my Department is included in the expenditure plans table which is published in the annual report, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  Eurimages Scheme
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham:
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment she has made of the impact on film production companies arising from the United Kingdom's withdrawal from participation in the Eurimages scheme; and if she will make a statement. [12714]
  918
  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: I am confident that the very high quality of production facilities in this country, along with the excellent skills of those working in the industry, and the distribution value of the English language, will continue to make the British product truly competitive, and British production companies much sought after as co-production partners supported by the European co-production fund which my Department sponsors.

  Ms Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consultations took place prior to the announcement of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Eurimages scheme; and with whom. [12713]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: Normal confidentiality requirements as to the contents of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement and my Department's spending plans did not allow for prior consultation.

  Ms Cunningham:
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many United Kingdom production companies received awards from Eurimages in each year of the United Kingdom's participation in the scheme; what were the total amounts received each year; and if she will provide a breakdown by (a) nation and (b) region within the United Kingdom. [12711]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: The UK joined Eurimages in April 1993. The number of films awarded Eurimages funding and involving UK co-production companies since April 1993 was 12 in 1993, 21 in 1994 and 22 in 1995, and the total amounts awarded were FF23.3 million—£2.66 million—FF45.05 million—£5.45 million—and FF48.15 million—£6.138 respectively.
  The information necessary to provide a breakdown by (a) nation and (b) region within the United Kingdom is unavailable.

  Ms Cunningham:
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what are the estimated savings which are expected for 1996–97 as a result of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Eurimages scheme; and if she will make a statement. [12715]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: My Department's contribution to Eurimages in 1995–96 was £2 million. The rate of exchange against the French Franc indicates that the subscription for 1996–97 would have been £2.6 million.

  Ms Cunningham:
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many film production companies were awaiting a determination on funding from Eurimages when the United Kingdom withdrew from the scheme; and if she will provide a breakdown by (a) nation and (b) region within the United Kingdom. [12712]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: There were no Eurimages funding decisions involving UK companies outstanding when we announced our intention to withdraw from the scheme last November.

  Departmental Property
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
  To ask the Secretary of State for. National Heritage what is her estimate of the annual cost to her Department and her Department's agencies and

  919
  non-departmental public bodies of their empty and under-used properties for (a) 1993–94, (b) 1994–95, (c) 1995–96 and (d) 1996–97. [11511]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: My Department, which was created in April 1992, occupies properties which form part of the common user estate. The Department of the Environment will provide central figures covering all common user estate vacant space.

  Of my two agencies, only the Royal Parks, formed in April 1993 has any vacant or under-used space, all of which are park buildings, the majority greenhouses. The cost of maintaining these net of VAT is as follows:

  1993–94: £12,300,00

  1994–95: £11,500.00

  1995–96: £26,700.00

  1996–97: £4,400.00 (estimated)

  To provide this information for the properties for which my non-departmental public bodies are responsible could be achieved only by incurring disproportionate cost.

  Museums and Galleries
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the surplus or deficit in her museums and galleries account for 1994–95; and what is the estimated surplus/deficit for 1995–96. [12705]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: The surplus on this vote for 1994–95 was £2,117,638.77. Full details were published in the appropriation account for class XI, vote 1 (HC 15-VIII of 1995–96), copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

  Provision for 1995–96 is given in section A of class XI, vote 1—Department of National Heritage (Programme expenditure and administration), HC 271-XI of 1994–95—copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

HEALTH

  Northern and Yorkshire Outpost Headquarters
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated capital cost of acquiring the site, building and commissioning the new headquarters building of the northern and Yorkshire outpost of the NHS executive; what is the estimated annual revenue cost of the capital or leasing charges for the building; who will own it; when it will open; and how many people will work in it. [11113]

  Mr. Malone
  The estimated capital cost of the new headquarters building for the northern and Yorkshire regional office in Durham is £2.54 million. This is more than offset by the proceeds from the sale of one of the existing regional health authority's former headquarters buildings in Harrogate of £2.825 million. The accommodation charge will. not be determined until the building is complete but, on the basis of comparison with other Department of Health regional headquarters buildings, this move will result in minimum revenue savings of £300,000 per annum. The freehold of the building will be owned by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health. The building is expected 920
  to be complete for handover on 29 April 1996, ahead of schedule. One hundred and thirty staff will work in the building.

  Prescriptions (Students)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the effect on a student's entitlement to free prescriptions of(a) the award of and (b) taking out a student loan through the Student Loans Company; [12099]

  (2) which categories of student are not entitled to free prescription charges. [12098]

  Mr. Malone
  Those in full-time education between the ages of 16 and 18 are entitled to free national health service prescriptions.

  Any student aged 19 or over who is not entitled to free NHS prescriptions on health grounds may make a claim to the national health service low income scheme for free prescriptions on an income-related basis.

  Student loans have been an integral element of the provision made from public funds for student support since September 1990. Wherever a loan would be available to a student, it is taken into account as a resource in assessing entitlement to help through the low income scheme.

  Mental Health
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated annually for mental illness specific grants since 1990, showing in each year the amount contributed(a) by central Government and (b) by local authorities, including the amounts projected for the next two years. [12295]

  Mr. Bowis
  The table shows the amount of mental illness specific grant allocated in each year since the grant was introduced in 1991–92 showing the sums contributed by central and local government for each year. The table also shows the amounts projected for 1996–97. The figures assume that local authorities will take up the full amount of grant made available to them in 1995–96 and 1996–97. The figures for 1991–92 to 1994–95 represent actual expenditure.

  The contribution from central Government includes an amount, currently £2.2 million, which helps to fund the homeless Mentally ill initiative in London.

  The circular announcing the arrangements for the 1996–97 MISG will be published shortly.

  £million

  Year

  Total contribution from central Government

  Amount of central Government's contribution taken up by local authorities

  Local authority contribution

  Total expenditure

  1991–92

  21

  18.9

  7.8

  26.7

  1992–93

  31.4

  30.8

  12.8

  43.6

  1993–94

  34.4

  34.4

  14

  48.4

  1994–95

  36

  36

  14.5

  50.5

  1995–96

  47.3

  47.3

  19.3

  66.6

  1996–97

  58.3

  58.3

  21.3

  79.6

  Psychiatric Hospitals
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral statement of 17 January,Official Report, column 671, (1) of the 80,000 beds how many are psychiatric hospital beds; [12293]

  (2) whether the 20,000 acute beds referred to are (a) psychiatric hospital beds and (b) included within the figure of 80,000 beds referred to at the same time, or additional to that figure. [12294]

  Mr. Bowis
  The figure of 80,000 refers to the number of beds in hospital and residential units for mentally ill people. This figure includes some 66,000 hospital beds of which some 20,000 are "acute" or "short-stay" beds.

  Hip Replacement Operations
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hip replacement operations have been carried out by the NHS on individuals over the age of 65 years during the past 12 months. [12330]

  Mr. Horam
  The latest year for which information is available is 1993–94. The number of finished consultant episodes for hip replacement and other arthroplasty of the hip operations, carried out on patients aged 65 years and over, in England during that period was 45,570.

  Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd.
  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much NHS trusts and general practitioner practices pay Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. of Loughborough for the use of the Read clinical coding system broken down by(a) trust and (b) family health services authority. [12749]

  Mr. Horam
  The Read codes are Crown copyright and there is no change to the national health service for their use.

  National Health Service users of Read codes pay Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. for support and distribution services only. These services are charged under a formula agreed with the Department of Health, subject to a permitted cost plus mechanism to ensure value for money and audited annually by external auditors acting for the Department of Health.

  The annual sums payable by users for support and distribution services are:
  general practitioners—£75 per practice.
  Family health services authorities—normal charges are £75 per computer screen in each authority.
  Trust/unit users are charged according to usage: the current annual charge is £3,691.

  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the NHS receives each year from Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd.; when the contract comes up for renewal; and if the current contracted arrangement will remain unchanged after renewal. [12751]

  Mr. Horam
  The national health service receives no payment from Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. in respect of its work in distributing and supporting the use of Read codes within the service.
  922
  The contract for this work, between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. is subject to annual audit by external auditors acting for the Department of Health to ensure value for money. It is three-year rolling contract, subject to continuing review.

  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the contractual relationship between Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. and the NHS centre for coding and classification. [12750]

  Mr. Horam
  There is no direct contractual relationship between Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. and the NHS centre for coding and classification; however, there is a contract for the distribution and support of the use of Read codes between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd.

  Cardiac Surgical Centres
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received from the Royal College of Surgeons about supra-regional paediatric cardiac surgical centres. [12493]

  Mr. Horam
  The Department has received no formal representation from the Royal College of Surgeons about supra-regional paediatric surgical services. The supra-regional services advisory group sought the advice of the Royal College of Surgeons when considering whether the service should remain designated. In the event, the group recommended that the service should no longer be designated from 31 March 1994.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms exist for supra-regional cardiac surgical centres to report or account to his Department. [12498]

  Mr. Horam
  The only supra-regional cardiac service currently designated is that for thoracic—cardiac and lung—transplantation. The supra-regional services advisory group is responsible for managing the SRS arrangements and for monitoring designated units performance against contract. Designated units provide the SRSAG with monthly activity reports and an annual report giving additional information about performance. The SRSAG makes recommendations on any changes to the supra-regional service arrangements through the national health service executive to me.

  Neo-natal Cardiac Surgery
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department has given during the last five years to(a) the United Bristol Healthcare NHS trust and (b) other bodies about the performance of neo-natal arterial switch operations at Bristol royal infirmary. [12494]

  Mr. Horam
  The performance of specific clinical procedures is a matter of clinical judgment on which it would not generally be appropriate for my Department to advise. In the case of the United Bristol Healthcare NHS trust however, my Department's advice was sought on how to resolve a difference of clinical opinion about the advisability of proceeding with "switch" operations. My Department's advice was that procedures should not be, performed about which concerns had been raised until appropriate expert clinical advice had been obtained.
  923
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received during the last five years about the performance of neo-natal arterial switch operations at Bristol royal infirmary, from(a) the Royal College of Surgeons, (b) Dr. Steven Bolsin, (c) other medical professional bodies and (d) other bodies. [12495]

  Mr. Horam
  My Department has received a number of expressions of concern from Dr. Steven Bolsin and others about the difficulty of resolving professional differences of opinion about the performance of certain paediatric cardiac surgical procedures, including the arterial "switch".

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of which health authorities in the South Western region refer patients needing neo-natal cardiac surgery to health care providers other than Bristol royal infirmary. [12496]

  Mr. Horam
  This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairmen of the appropriate health authorities for this information.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish comparative statistics showing the success rate of neo-natal arterial switch operations at those hospitals or institutions performing such operations within the NHS during the last five years. [12497]

  Mr. Horam
  This information is not available centrally. Outcomes of treatment are a matter for clinical audit.

  Newcastle and North Tyneside Health Authority
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the projects in Newcastle and North Tyneside health authority for which business cases have been submitted to the NHS executive since 1 April 1995 indicating for each(a) the location, (b) the projected cost and (c) the date on which the business case was received. [12752]

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

  Cash and Running Cost Limits
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes will be made to the cash limits and running cost limits of his Department in 1995–96. [13717]

  Mr. Dorrell
  The cash limit for class XII, vote 1—hospital, community health, family health services and related services, England—will be increased by £68,671,000, from £26,539,964,000 to £26,608,635,000. This allows for an increase of £210,159,000 in respect of the take-up of entitlements to carry forward of underspends from the 1994–95 financial year under the end year flexibility arrangements as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 July 1995,Official Report, columns 776–82, partially offset by £140,082,000 following a reappraisal of drugs budget requirements. In addition, the following transfers will take place; £1,145,000 to class XV, vote 5—national health service, Wales—for services provided by the London post-graduate teaching hospital, £1,050,000, and for operating costs of the NHS Supplies Authority, £95,000;
  924
  £8,000 to the Department of Health and Social Services, Northern Ireland in respect of services provided by the London post-graduate teaching hospital as mentioned and £253,000 to class XII, vote 2—Department of Health, administration, miscellaneous health services and personal social services, England—for day care and domiciliary services, £106,000, for research work undertaken on behalf of the Clinical Standards Advisory Group, £248,000, partially offset by £101,000 for work of the NHS Estates agency.

  The cash limit for class XII, vote 2—Department of Health, administration, miscellaneous health services and personal social services, England—will be increased by £628,000, from £1,279,378,000 to £1,280,006,000. This increase allows for transfers of £253,000 from class XII, vote 1 as mentioned, £212,000 from class XIII, vote 4—Department of Social Security, administration and miscellaneous services—for the headquarters recreational association, £62,000 running costs; and for storage and distribution costs, £150,000 running cost; and £169,000, running costs, from class XVII, vote 1—HM Treasury—for superannuation costs. The overall increase is partially offset by transfers of £3,000 to class XIV, vote 14—national health service (superannuation etc.), Scotland; £2,000 to class XV, vote 5—national health service, Wales—and £1,000 to DHSS, Northern Ireland, for services provided by the NHS Estates agency.

  The Department's gross running costs limit will be reduced by £4,436,000 from £239,350,000 to £234,914,000. This reflects a reallocation of £4,817,000 for capital works partially offset by the transfers mentioned.

  All increases will either be offset by savings, increased receipts or transfers to or from other votes or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Nutrition and Low Incomes
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Departments were represented in the work of(a) the nutrition task force and (b) the low income project team. [13152]

  Mr. Horam
  Department of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department for Education and Employment and the Office of Science and Technology are represented on the nutrition task force; Welsh Office, DHSS Northern Ireland, Scottish Home and Health Department and the Department of Social Security have observer status. Department of Health and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food are presented on the low income project team and the Department of Social Security has observer status.

  Family Planning
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implementation of guidelines laid down by the Human Fertilisation and Embryo Authority; and if he will make a statement. [13011]

  Mr. Horam
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville) gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley) on 19 October 1995,Official Report,

  925
  column 367. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is required to maintain a code of practice about the proper conduct of licensed activities. The current code was laid before the House on 14 December 1995.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the viability of human embryos following freezing. [13009]

  Mr. Horam
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) on 26 January,Official Report, column 415. The Department of Health has not commissioned such research.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many inspections have been carried out on licensed in vitro fertilisation centres in the last two years; and if all such centres have been inspected in that period. [13010]

  Mr. Horam
  Between 30 January 1994 and 30 January 1996 the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority made 256 inspections of licensed IVF centres. All such centres were inspected during that period.

  Pharmaceutical Imports
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the value of prescribed products which are imported from overseas having been manufactured in the United Kingdom: and of what savings are achieved as a result of not purchasing direct from a United Kingdom manufacturer. [13078]

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available centrally.

  Bed and Staff Shortages (Liverpool)
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he received the letter from the Liverpool Central and Southern community health council respecting bed and staff shortages and the problems of accident and emergency units at Liverpool hospitals; what response he has made; what action he plans to take; and if he will make a statement. [13082]

  Mr. Horam
  We received the letter on Monday 15 January and I expect to reply shortly. My reply will include a full explanation of the measures which the national health service has implemented to deal with the recent high levels of demand.

  Intensive Care (Bradford)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will arrange for additional funding from his Department to be made available to provide more intensive care and high dependency beds in Bradford; if he will discuss with the regional health authority the funding of intensive care and high dependency beds in Bradford from the authority's unrenewable resources budget; and if he will make a statement. [12955]

  Mr. Horam
  This is a matter for Bradford health authority. The national health service executive's Northern and Yorkshire regional office has asked health authorities to give a high priority to intensive care provision.

  Nurses
  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the proportion of nursing staff that are(a) full time and (b) bank or temporary in each hospital trust in the north-west region. [10466]

  Mr. Horam
  [holding answer 22 January 1996]: The information will be placed in the Library.

  Consultants
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the expenditure of his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies on all external consultants including management consultants for each of the years(a) 1979–80, (b) 1989–90, (c) 1991–92, (d) 1993–94, (e) 1994–95, and (f) 1995–96 (i) to date and (ii) as estimated for the whole year; what estimate he has made of such expenditure for 1996–97; and if he will estimate the savings accruing to his Department from the use of consultants in each of these years. [11335]

  Mr. Horam
  [holding answer 25 January 1996]: The Department of Health and its agencies have spent the following amounts from running costs on consultancy:

  1991–92: £24,258,000

  1993–94: £15,933,037

  1994–95: £18,479,405

  1995–96: £11,100,000 (to date)

  Expenditure of some £17 million is estimated for the whole of the 1995–96 financial year. Estimates of expenditure for 1996–97 are not yet available.

  Details of consultancy expenditure for 1979–80 and 1989–90 are not available, the Department. of Health formed part of the Department of Health and Social Security until July 1988 and the Department's accounting records did not identify consultancy expenditure separately.

  Consultancy expenditure by non-departmental public bodies is as follows:

  1989–90: £125,532

  1991–92: £271,237

  1993–94: £661,256

  1994–95: £664,984

  1995–96: £333,532 (to date)

  Expenditure of some £538,000 is estimated for the whole of the 1995–96 financial year and expenditure of some £510,000 is estimated for 1996–97.

  Details of expenditure by non-departmental public bodies for 1979–80 are not held.

  External consultants provide advice on improving efficiency and effectiveness in the Department. They have contributed to a large variety of projects, including the Department's "Competing for Quality" programme; but it is not possible to assess the savings which are a direct consequence of their activity.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the total expenditure of his Department, its agencies and
  927
  non-departmental public bodies on publicity for each of the years (a) 1979–80, (b) 1989–90, (c) 1991–92, (d) 1993–94, (e) 1994–95 and (f) 1995–96 (i) to date and (ii) as estimated for the whole year; what estimate he has made of such expenditure for 1996–97; and if he will break these figures down to indicate expenditure on (1) advertising and (2) press and public relations. [11336]

  Mr. Horam
  [holding answer 25 January 1996]: Annual publicity spend information for the financial years 1989–90 to 1996–97 is shown in the table. Functions that are commonly associated with press and public relations for the Department of Health are included in the functions carried out by the Department's information division. Information for the year 1979–80 is not available.

  £ million

  Financial year

  1Total publicity expenditure

  2Information division manpower and running costs

  1979–80

  —

  —

  1989–90

  Department of Health

  17.20 (9.00)

  0.90

  Agencies

  —

  —

  NDPBs

  0.78

  0.01

  1991–92

  Department of Health

  24.50 (8.70)

  1.50

  Agencies

  —

  —

  NDPBs

  0.78

  0.01

  1993–94

  Department of Health

  19.20 (6.10)

  1.90

  Agencies

  —

  —

  NDPBs

  0.16

  0.02

  1994–95

  Department of Health

  18.20 (4.30)

  2.00

  Agencies

  0.20

  —

  NDPBs

  0.19

  0.02

  1995–961

  Department of Health

  8.07 (0.99)

  2.02

  Agencies

  0.15

  —

  NDPBs

  0.18

  0.02

  1995–962

  Department of Health

  18.04 (1.98)

  3—

  Agencies

  —

  —

  NDPBs

  0.24

  0.03

  1996–973

  Department of Health

  —

  —

  Agencies

  —

  —

  NDPBs

  —

  —

  0= Advertising cost.

  1Expenditure to date.

  2Estimate for 1995–96 expenditure.

  3Manpower and running costs estimates for 1995–96 full year and for 1996–97 budget are not yet available.

  Medicinal Drugs (Deaths)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of deaths and serious illnesses that resulted from the use of(a) antibiotics and (b) other medical drugs in each of the last five years. [12166]
  928
  Mr. Horam
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: Tables 1 to 3 show the number of people who have died as a result of using drugs, medicaments and biological substances in England and Wales in the last five years for which figures are available. Deaths are broken down into adverse effects in correct usage, accidental poisoning, suicides and undetermined deaths.

  Table 4 shows the number of serious adverse reactions in patients taking antibiotics and other drugs reported by health professionals to the Committee on Safety of Medicines. A report does not necessarily mean the reaction was caused by the drug and the levels of reporting vary due to many factors, so comparisons of absolute numbers are not valid.

  Table 1: Deaths in England and Wales due to drugs, medicaments and biological substances causing adverse effects in therapeutic use (ICD1 E930-E949) as underlying or secondary cause

  Antibiotics E930

  Others E931–E949

  1988

  4

  97

  1989

  7

  104

  1990

  2

  106

  1991

  4

  80

  1992

  5

  88

  1International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision.

  Table 2: Deaths in England and Wales due to accidental poisoning by drugs medicaments and biological substances (ICD1 E850–E858)

  Antibiotics E856

  Others E850–E858 (excluding E856)

  1988

  0

  329

  1989

  0

  334

  1990

  0

  402

  1991

  0

  402

  1992

  0

  498

  1International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision.

  Table 3: Deaths in England and Wales due to poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances (ICD1 960–979)

  Suicides and self-inflicted injury2

  Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted2

  1988

  915

  609

  1989

  785

  586

  1990

  816

  544

  1991

  793

  588

  1992

  874

  596

  1International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision.

  2Antibiotics cannot be distinguished separately from other drugs.

  Table 4: Serious adverse effects related to the use of antibiotics and all drugs in the UK and reported to the CSM1

  Antibiotics

  All drugs (including antibiotics)

  1991

  819

  8,816

  1992

  887

  9,014

  1993

  777

  8,397

  1994

  735

  8,562

  1995

  723

  9,094

  1Serious means fatal, life threatening, requiring or prolonging hospitalisation, disabling, cancer, congenital abnormality or overdose.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Set-aside Scheme
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what new measures he intends to introduce to improve the set-aside scheme. [11280]

  Mr. Baldry
  We will continue to manage the scheme so as to provide maximum flexibility for farmers as well as environmental benefits.

  Live Animal Transport
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received regarding the live transportation of animals; and if he will make a statement. [11281]

  Mrs. Browning
  We continue to receive a wide range of representations. We have been pleased with the level of response to our consultation exercise on implementation of the new EU rules.

  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will announce the results of his consultations on his proposals for the implementation of EU directive 95/29 on the welfare of animals in transit; and if he will make a statement. [11286]

  Mrs. Browning
  Consultation has not yet finished. As our initial document set out, we shall undertake further consultation on draft proposals for legislation, which we are putting together taking account of the first round of comments we have received.

  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will issue a consultation document on the consolidation of legislation relating to the welfare of animals in transit. [11983]

  Mrs. Browning
  Our intention to consolidate existing rules on welfare during transport was set out in the consultation document which was announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister on 23 October 1995, on our initial ideas for implementation of directive 95/29/EC on the protection of animals during transport. As confirmed in the consultation document, we shall be consulting further on draft legislative texts, including consolidation of all extant legislation.

  Fishing Industry
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals his Department has to improve market mechanisms in the fishing industry. [11282]

  Mr. Baldry
  The main responsibility for improving market mechanisms rests with the industry itself. The Government will play their part by continuing to do all that they can to create an environment in which the industry can prosper.

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he plans next to meet his German counterpart to discuss CAP reform. [11283]
  930
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The German Minister of Food, Agriculture and Forestry, Mr. Jochen Borchert, has accepted my invitation to visit the UK to discuss the future of the CAP. I hope we will shortly be able to agree specific dates. We do, of course, meet regularly at meetings of the Council of Agriculture Ministers in Brussels or Luxembourg.

  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how often the common agricultural policy advisory group has met to discuss the future of the CAP; and what is its intended programme of meetings for the coming year. [11290]

  Mr. Hogg
  The report of the CAP review group, which records the conclusions of its 11 independent members, was published on 26 July 1995. The report, which was circulated widely to politicians, academics and non-Governmental public bodies both here and throughout Europe, was instrumental in promoting a genuine debate on the future of the CAP. Copies of the report were placed in the House Library.

  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has made to curb fraud within the CAP across the EU. [11275]

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government have fully supported Commission initiatives to introduce tough automatic penalties against those proved to have benefited from fraud.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to review the procedures for ensuring that only calves born to mothers who are free of BSE are exported from the United Kingdom. [11284]

  Mrs. Browning
  Before signing an export health certificate for any consignment the certifying local veterinary inspector must obtain documentary evidence from owners, exporters or auctioneers that none of the calves is the progeny of a BSE-infected dam. In addition, the ear tag numbers of all calves intended for export are checked against the Ministry's computer records. I have no plans to review these procedures.

  Confiscated Animals (Disposal)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to change the law with regard to the disposal of confiscated animals; and if he will make a statement. [11285]

  Mrs. Browning
  Under the Protection of Animals Act 1911, as amended, the police have powers to remove animals, pending a prosecution for cruelty offences, or to require an animal to be slaughtered where a veterinary surgeon has certified that it would be cruel to keep it alive.

  The Act also empowers courts, on conviction for cruelty offences, to order the disposal of an animal if they are satisfied that it would be cruel to keep it alive, or to deprive the person convicted and to make orders as to the disposal of the animals concerned.

  We have no plans at present to introduce changes to this legislation.

  Fisheries (Access)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with fishermen's organisations about access to the Irish box. [11287]

  Mr. Baldry
  I have had frequent discussions with fishermen's organisations over the last six months on a wide range of issues including access to the Irish box and its enforcement.

  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of the fishing industry to discuss Spanish and Portuguese fishing access. [11293]

  Mr. Baldry
  I have had frequent meetings with representatives of the fishing industry over the last six months at which a wide range of issues have been discussed including Spanish and Portuguese access to western waters.

  Milk
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much money the United Kingdom received from the EU to help pay for milk in secondary schools and milk in school catering in 1994–95. [11288]

  Mr. Baldry
  EU expenditure on these discretionary elements of the school milk scheme in the UK in 1994–95 totalled £6.1 million.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the percentage of milk sold in each of the last three years(a) in supermarkets and (b) by doorstep delivery. [11289]

  Mr. Baldry
  The percentage of milk sold in supermarkets and at the doorstep for household consumption in England and Wales is as follows:

  Doorstep delivery

  Supermarkets

  Other shops

  1993

  56.9

  32.3

  10.8

  1994

  51.1

  38.4

  10.5

  1995

  45.2

  43.3

  11.5

  Source:

  Dairy Industry Federation.

  Surplus Male Calves
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to encourage the use of separated sperm to reduce the number of surplus male calves; and if he will make a statement. [11291]

  Mrs. Browning
  The Ministry is well aware of the potential of this technique. However, it is not yet ready for commercial application.

  Countryside Conservation
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure that the Government are working in partnership with farmers to conserve the countryside. [11292]
  932
  Mr. Boswell
  The White Paper "Rural England—A Nation Committed to a Living Countryside" sets out the objectives which guide the Government's approach to the countryside. It contains a number of initiatives aimed at conserving the countryside. "Rural England" is not intended to be a blueprint imposed by Government but is a framework for working in partnership with others who care about rural issues.

  Since publication of the White Paper, I have announced that £5 million will be available for new applications under countryside stewardship in 1997 and a further £5 million for applications in 1998.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the extent of compliance with paragraph 3 of part IV of schedule 3 to the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994; and if he will make a statement; [13085]

  (2) what plans he has to monitor the effect of paragraph 3 of part IV of schedule 3 to the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994 on the incidence of tail docking of piglets; and if he will make a statement. [13013]

  Mrs. Browning
  Compliance with all aspects of the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994 is monitored by the state veterinary service. Welfare inspections of pig farms include, where appropriate, an assessment of compliance with paragraph 3 of part IV of schedule 3 to those regulations which relates specifically to the tail docking and tooth clipping of piglets.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the total expenditure of his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies on publicity for each of the years(a) 1979–80, (b) 1989–90, (c) 1991–92, (d) 1993–94, (e) 1994–95 and (f) 1995–96 (i) to date and (ii) as estimated for the whole year; what estimate he has made of such expenditure for 1996–97; and if he will break these figures down to indicate expenditure on (1) advertising and (2) press and public relations. [11352]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 25 January 1996]: Expenditure on paid publicity by the Department in the financial year 1979–80 and in each of the subsequent years, broken down into advertising and press and public relations, is as follows:

  Advertising £

  Paid publicity1 £

  Total £

  1989–90

  116,000

  2,373,000

  2,489,000

  1990–91

  126,719

  2,305,281

  2,432,000

  1991–92

  402,903

  3,691,097

  4,094,000

  1992–93

  779,566

  3,437,434

  4,217,000

  1993–94

  749,595

  3,562,405

  4,312,000

  1994–95

  827,115

  3,972,885

  4,800,000

  1995–962

  606,583

  3,819,417

  4,426,000

  1996–972

  455,000

  3,712,000

  4,167,000

  1These figures represent other expenditure associated with paid publicity campaigns, they do not include staff costs.

  2Forecast.

  933
  Paid publicity expenditure prior to 1984–85 was not kept in this form and figures would be available only at disproportionate cost.

  Figures for advertising, include poster campaigns and port boards, and are different from previous answers as these forms of advertising had previously been included under the heading of "other publicity and promotional activities".

  Expenditure on publicity by agencies is a matter for their chief executives. I have asked them to reply direct to the hon. Member.

  Letter from G. K. Bruce to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), to your question concerning expenditure on publicity. [11352]
  The Directorate was launched as an executive agency on 1 April 1993. Figures prior to this date are not available. PSD incurred expenditure totalling £14,990 on publicity in 1993/94 in connection with the launch of the agency which can be classified as 'public relations'. No expenditure on publicity was incurred in 1994/95 and no expenditure is anticipated in 1995/96 or 1996/97.
  In addition, PSD spent £481 on newspaper advertising in 1993/94 and £4,440 in 1994/95. There has been no expenditure in 1995/96 to date but the agency expects to spend £2,000 before the end of the year and we estimate expenditure of £5,000 in 1996/97. All of this expenditure is directly attributable to recruitment advertising.

  Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about expenditure on publicity by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, for 1979/80 and each year since 1989/90, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.
  The Directorate was established as a Next Steps Agency on 2 April 1990 and did not maintain its own accounts until 1991/92. Details of expenditure on publicity since that date are as follows:

  Advertising £

  Press and public relations £

  Total £

  1991–92

  34,376

  7,730

  42,106

  1992–93

  22,993

  21,339

  44,332

  1993–94

  19,593

  60,513

  80,106

  1994–95

  10,883

  41,246

  52,129

  1995–96

  to date

  4,855

  43,786

  48,641

  1995–96

  Forecast

  11,000

  58,543

  69,543

  1996–97

  Forecast

  11,300

  60,300

  71,600

  Advertising covers the announcement of the grant and expiry of Marketing Authorisations in the official gazettes and, up to 1993/94, direct recruitment advertising.Press and public relations includes the VMD's Annual Report and Accounts, publicity relating to the safe use of organophosphorus sheep dips, and expenditure on the VMD's quarterly newsletter MAVIS. This newsletter is circulated to the veterinary profession, the veterinary medicinal products industry, representative bodies and opinion formers.
  Letter from Professor P. I. Stanley to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  EXPENDITURE ON PUBLICITY
  You asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for details of expenditure on publicity by his Department and its Agencies during certain specified years. The Minister has asked me
  934
  to reply to you in respect of his Central Science Laboratory (CSL) Agency as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible. (11352)
  CSL was first launched as an Agency in April 1992 and therefore expenditure for earlier years is included in the Departmental totals. Further, CSL was significantly enlarged in April 1994 following its merger with the MAFF Food Science Laboratories and this is reflected in increased expenditure form 1994–95.
  Expenditure in £'000s for each of the years specified is:

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Advertising

  0.08

  11.20

  6.03

  4.50

  Press + P.R.

  16.30

  29.93

  20.42

  17.00

  Total

  Publicity

  16.38

  41.13

  26.45

  21.50

  Advertising includes all forms of business advertising and excludes costs of recruitment advertising in newspapers and journals. Press + P.R. includes marketing expenses such as promotions and exhibitions at agricultural shows.
  The final out-turn 1995/96 and the 1996/97 figures are estimated.

  Letter from Phillip Needham to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary question in which you asked what assessment has been made of the total expenditure on publicity for each of the years (i) 1979–80 (ii) 1989–90 (iii) 1991–92 (iv) 1993/94 (v) 1994/95 (vi) 1995/96 todate and what estimate has been made of such 1996/97; and if the figures could be broken down to indicate expenditure on (a) advertising and (b) press and public relations. [11352]
  ADAS was formed as an Executive Agency of MAFF and the Welsh Office in 1992. Any detail relating to expenditure prior to that date would be available from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
  The assessment of expenditure on publicity is as follows:

  Advertising £

  Press public relations £

  1993–94

  49,000

  58,017

  1994–95

  102,000

  79,540

  1995–961

  27,747

  124,389

  1to January 1996

  2to December 1995

  There are no forecasts available for 1995/96 and 1996/97.

  Letter from T W. A. Little to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on expenditure on publicity in the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA).
  The VLA was established on 1 October 1995, from the merger of the existing Central Veterinary Laboratory with the Veterinary Investigation Service, which was part of the State Veterinary Service.
  VLA expenditure on publicity, which is confined to job advertisements only, is as follows:

  1993/94: £5,000

  1994/95: £5,000

  1995/96: £5,000

  1996/97: £6,000 (estimated)

  Expenditure prior to 1993/94 is included in MAFF figures.
  935
  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the annual telephone costs to(a) his Department, (b) his Department's agencies and (c) his Department's non-departmental public bodies staff for each of the years (i) 1979–80, (ii) 1989–90, (iii) 1991–92, (iv) 1993–94, (v) 1994–95, (vi) 1995–96 and (vii) 1996–97; and if internal telephone directories are available to staff in all areas of (a) to (c). [11354]

  Mr. Hogg
  [holding answer 25 January 1996]: The annual telephone costs, including VAT, for the Ministry, but excluding all agencies, was as follows:

  1979–80: This information is no longer available;

  1989–90: £4.924 million

  1991–92: £6.646 million

  1993–94: £3.910 million

  1994–95: £3.636 million

  1995–96: £1.977 million—this figure includes expenditure up to 24 January 1996.

  1996–97: This estimate is not as yet available.

  The Ministry has an internal directory which includes staff within all our major offices.

  Letter from Professor P. I. Stanley to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  TELEPHONE COSTS AND DIRECTORIES
  You asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food about annual telephone costs of his Department and its Agencies during certain specified years and whether internal telephone directories are available to staff. The Minister has asked me to reply to you in respect of his Central Science Laboratory (CSL) Agency as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible. (11354)
  CSL was first launched as an Agency in April 1992 and therefore expenditure for earlier years is included in the Departmental totals. Further, CSL was significantly enlarged in April 1994 following its merger with the MAFF Food Science Laboratories and this is reflected in increased expenditure from 1994/95.
  Telephones costs in £'000s for each of the years specified is:

  1993/94: 157.3

  1994/95: 255.9

  1995/96: 252.2

  1996/97: 175.2

  The final out-turn for 1995/96 and the 1996/97 figures are estimated.
  The Government Telephone Network (GTN) connects over 1,000 government offices nationwide. As a user of the GTN, a GTN Dialling Codes booklet is available to all CSL staff. It enables staff to identify the operator in any government building for enquiry services. Further, MAFF Directories and internal CSL Directories are available to all staff in the Agency.

  Letter from G. K. Bruce to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), to your question seeking information on the estimated expenditure on annual telephone costs in the agency. (11354)
  PSD relocated to its new offices in York during October 1994. Prior to this date, the annual telephone costs for the agency were included in the overall budget of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The Minister will therefore respond to you separately covering this period. Full year estimates for the agency are available for the following periods:

  1995/96: £37,000

  1996/97: £38,000

  936
  Staff within the agency are both included in, and have access to, MAFF's telephone directory. In addition, PSD maintains its own internal telephone directory and all staff have a copy.

  Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  PQ2: 18 January 1996 (11354)
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about annual telephone costs incurred by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, for 1979/80 and each year since 1989/90, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.
  The Directorate was established as a Next Steps Agency on 2 April 1990 and did not maintain its own accounts until 1991/92. Details of annual telephone costs since that date are as follows:

  1991/92: £11,200

  1992/93: £9,477

  1993/94: £11,553

  1994/95: £8,199

  1995/96: £10,140 (forecast)

  1996/97: £11,000 (forecast)

  Internal telephone directories are available to all staff.

  Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on annual telephone costs in the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA).(11354)
  The VLA was established on 1 October 1995, from the merger of the existing Central Veterinary Laboratory with the Veterinary Investigation Service, which was part of the State Veterinary Service.
  Annual telephone costs, inclusive of VAT, from 1993/94 are as follows:-

  1993/94: £100,200

  1994/95: £94,800

  1995/96: £100,200

  1996/97: ££120,000 (estimated)

  Telephone costs prior to 1993/94 are included in MAFF figures.
  Internal telephone directories are available to all staff.

  Letter from Phillip Needham to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary question in which you asked what estimate has been made of the annual telephone costs for each of the years (i) 1979–80, (ii) 1989–90, (iii) 1991–92, (iv) 1993–94, (v) 1994–95, (vi) 1995–96 and (vii) 1996–97 and if internal telephone directories are available to staff in the Agency. (11354)
  ADAS was formed as an Executive Agency of MAFF and the Welsh Office in 1992. Any detail relating to expenditure prior to that date would be available from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
  The telephone costs for ADAS are as follows:

  1993–94: £1,217,675

  1994–95: £1,177,311

  1995–96: £1,268,243 (forecast)

  1996–97: £1,250,000 (forecast)

  Internal telephone directories are available to all staff in ADAS.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is his estimate of expenditure on all forms of hospitality and entertainment by(a) his

  937
  Ministry,(b) his Ministry's agencies and (c) non-ministerial public bodies, for (i) 1979–80, (ii) 1989–90, (iii) 1991–92, (iv) 1993–94, (v) 1994–95, (vi) 1995–96 and (vii) 1996–97; [11413]

  (2) what is his estimate of the expenditure of his Ministry, his Ministry's agencies and non-ministerial public bodies on all forms of overseas travel, overseas accommodation and other associated expenses for (a) 1979–80, (b) 1989–90, (c) 1991–92, (d) 1993–94, (e) 1994–95, (f) 1995–96 and (g) 1996–97. [11416]

  Mr. Boswell
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: The information requested in respect of 1979–80 is no longer available.

  The table details expenditure in respect of (a) all forms of hospitality and entertainment and (b) all forms of overseas travel, overseas accommodation and other associated expenses for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, excluding its agencies, for the years 1989–90,1991–92,1993–94, and 1994–95, together with expenditure for the first nine months of 1995–96.

  Year

  (a) £

  (b) £

  1989–90

  45,817.93

  1,194,517.48

  1991–92

  64,851.87

  1,954,411.83

  1993–94

  79,758.19

  2,103,838.99

  1994–95

  64,092.62

  1,872,568.44

  1995–96

  42,734.07

  1,202,142.30

  Detailed information relating to 1996–97 is not yet available, but it is expected that budgets will be similar to those for the current year.

  The agency chief executives have been asked to provide similar information for each agency.

  Information on the expenditure of self-accounting non-departmental public bodies is given in their annual accounts. Further analysis could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about expenditure on hospitality and entertainment by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, for (i) 1979/80, (ii) 1989/90, (iii) 1991/92, (iv) 1993/94, (v) 1994/95, (vi) 1995/96 and (vii) 1996/97, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible. (11413)
  The Directorate was established as a Next Steps Agency on 2 April 1990 and did not maintain its own accounts until 1991/92. Since that date, expenditure on hospitality and entertainment, which principally covers working buffet lunches for industry liaison meeting and advisory groups, is as follows:

  1991/92: £1,239

  1993/94: £1,035

  1994/95: £1,817

  1995/96: £1,000 (forecast)

  1996/97: £1,000 (forecast)

  938
  Letter from Johnston McNeill to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 196:
  As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS), your questions regarding costs of empty/under-utilised properties, hospitality and entertainment, overseas expenses, publicity, telephones and external consultants have been passed to me for response with respect to this Executive Agency.(11413)
  As I am sure you are aware, the MHS was established on 1 April 1995 and therefore has incurred no such costs for all but one of these areas prior to this date.
  The Meat Hygiene Service has incurred no costs to date resulting from empty or under-utilised properties and does not expect to do so in 1996/97.
  With regard to hospitality and entertainment, £10,580 was spent in 1994/95, prior to the Agency's launch. A total of £7,000 is expected to be spent in 1995/96 and £9,000 in '96/97.'
  There has been no overseas travel by MHS staff to date and none is anticipated in 1996/97.
  In the 1995/96 financial year, the MHS incurred no costs for publicity, although leaflets about the Agency, costing £2,570, were produced and paid for by MAFF prior to launch. The MHS expects to spend no more than £1,000 on publicity in 1996–97.
  Current forecasts of telephone costs for the 1995/96 financial year are £112,000 and the estimate for 1996/97 is £123,000. Both these figures include mobile phone costs. The Government Telephone Network (GTN) connects over 1000 government offices nationwide. As a user of this system, a GTN dialling codes booklet is available to all MHS office staff. It enables staff to identify the operator in any other government building connected to GTN, for enquiry services.
  The MHS has spent £375,000 on external consultancy so far in 1995/96 and estimates that such costs will total £496,000 for the current financial year. Early projections for 1996/97 anticipate expenditure of no more than £200,000. The savings gained from using consultants are difficult to estimate. Many of these services provided have been on financial and computer systems where benefits will be achieved in long term savings which cannot accurately be quantified.
  In the first year of operation it has been necessary to use consultants to deal with start-up issues; providing resources to cope with short-term workload peaks whilst avoiding the need to incur long-term costs of employing permanent staff. Consultants have also provided necessary expertise in certain specialised areas either not contained within the MHS, to an insufficient degree, or that has only been required for limited periods. As you can see from the estimates for the future, the use of consultants is expected to reduce considerably.

  Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on expenditure on hospitality and entertainment in the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA).
  The VLA was established on 1 October 1995, from the merger of the existing Central Veterinary Laboratory with the Veterinary Investigation Service, which was part of the State Veterinary Service.
  Figures for expenditure on hospitality are as follows:

  1993/94: £16,720

  1994/95: £12,076

  1995/96: £16,400 (estimated)

  Figures prior to 1993/94 are included in MAFF figures. We expect expenditure in 1996/97 to be of the same order as that of 1995/96.

  Letter from G. K. Bruce to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), to your question concerning expenditure on hospitality and entertainment. [11413]

  939
  The Directorate was launched as an executive agency on 1 April 1993. Figures prior to that date are not available.
  The following amounts have been spent on hospitality or are projected to be spent in the other years identified in the Question:

  1993/94: Actual expenditure—£380

  1994/95: Actual expenditure—£422

  1995/96: Projected expenditure—£1,400

  1996/97: Projected expenditure—£1,400

  There has been no expenditure by the Directorate on entertainment.

  Letter from Professor P. I. Stanley to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  EXPENDITURE ON HOSPITALITY AND ENTERTAINMENT
  You asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food about expenditure on all forms of hospitality and entertainment by his Department and its Agencies during certain specified years. The Minister has asked me to reply to you in respect of his Central Science Laboratory (CSL) Agency as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.(11413)
  CSL was first launched as an Agency in April 1992 and therefore expenditure for earlier years is included in the Departmental totals. Further, CSL was significantly enlarged in April 1994 following its merger with the MAFF Food Science Laboratories and this is reflected in increased expenditure from 1994/95.
  Expenditure in £'000s for each of the years specified is:

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Entertainment

  0.09

  2.07

  2.45

  2.40

  Hospitality

  4.62

  10.43

  21.19

  10.00

  Total

  4.71

  12.50

  23.64

  12.40

  Expenditure on hospitality in 1995/96 includes the costs of the Visiting Group to CSL's Agriculture and Environment Directorate. The purpose of the Visiting Group was to assess the quality and management of the science delivered by the Directorate.The final out-turn for 1995/96 and the 1996/97 figures are estimated.
  Letter from Phillip Needham to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary question in which you asked for an estimate of expenditure on all forms of hospitality and entertainment for (i) 1979–80, (ii) 1989–90, (iii) 1991–92, (iv) 1993–94, (v) 1994–95, (vi) 1995–96 and (vii) 1996–97. [11413]
  ADAS was formed as an Executive Agency of MAFF and the Welsh Office in 1992. Any detail relating to expenditure prior to that date would be available from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
  The estimated costs by ADAS on hospitality and entertainment are as follows:
  Estimated Cost

  1993–94: £14,197

  1994–95: £20,086

  1995–96: £10,630

  There are no estimates available for 1996–97.

  Letter from T. W. A Little to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on expenditure on overseas travel, accommodation and associated expenses in the Veterinary Laboratories Agency. [11416]
  The VLA was established on 1 October 1995, from the merger of the existing Central Veterinary Laboratory with the Veterinary Investigation Service, which was part of the State Veterinary Service.
  940
  Total expenditure on overseas travel is as follows:-

  1993–94: £61,700

  1994–95: 66,200

  1995–96: £63,900

  1996–97: £75,000 (estimated)

  Figures prior to 1996–97 are included in MAFF figures. The estimate for 1996–97 includes expenditure by the former Veterinary Investigation Service.

  Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about expenditure on overseas travel, overseas accommodation and other associated expenses, by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, for (a) 1979–80, (b) 1989–90,(c) 1991/-2, (d) 1993–94, (e) 1994–95, (f) 1995–96 and (g) 1996–97, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.
  The Directorate was established as a Next Steps Agency on 2 April 1990 and did not maintain its own accounts until 1991–92. Details of this since that date are as follows:

  1991–92: £95,848

  1993–94: £118,009

  1994–95: £126,864

  1995–96: £85,000 (forecast)

  1996–97: £87,500 (forecast)

  The main element of overseas travel was in respect of immunological inspections of manufacturing premises overseas, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA and Europe. VMD staff also attend meetings of E.U. working groups in Brussels. In both cases, all or part of the travel costs are reimbursed.

  Letter from Phillip Needham to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary question in which you asked what is the estimated expenditure on all forms of overseas travel, overseas accommodation and other associated expenses for: (i) 1979–80 (ii) 1989–90 (iii) 1991–92 (iv) 1993–94 (v) 1994–95 (vi) 1995–96 and (vii) 1996–97. [11416]
  ADAS was formed as an Executive Agency of MAFF and the Welsh Office in 1992. Any detail relating to expenditure prior to that date would be available from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
  The estimated expenditure on overseas travel for ADAS is as follows:

  1993–94: £198,407

  1994–95: £249,388

  1995–96: £396,947 (forecast)

  1996–97: £400,000 (forecast)

  Letter from Professor P. I. Stanley to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  OVERSEAS TRAVEL EXPENDITURE
  You asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for details of expenditure on all forms of overseas travel, overseas accommodation and associated expenses by his Department and its Agencies during certain specified years. The Minister has asked me to reply to you in respect of his Central Science Laboratory (CSL) Agency as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible. (11416)
  CSL was first launched as an Agency in April 1992 and therefore expenditure for earlier years is included in the Departmental totals. Further, CSL was significantly enlarged in April 1994 following its merger with the MAFF Food Science Laboratories and this is reflected in increased expenditure from 1994–95.

  941
  Expenditure in £'000s for each of the years specified is:

  1993–94: 57.4

  1994–95: 155.8

  1995–96: 175.2

  1996–97: 145.0

  The final out-turn for 1995–96 and the 1996–97 figures are estimated.

  Letter from G. K. Bruce to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 February 1996:
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), to your question concerning expenditure on overseas travel, overseas accommodation and other associated expenses. (11416)
  The Directorate was launched as an executive agency on 1 April 1993. Figures prior to that date are not available.
  The following amounts of expenditure have been recorded, or are estimated for the years concerned.

  1993–94: Actual expenditure—£97,668

  1994–95: Actual expenditure—£74,980

  1995–96: Estimated expenditure—£89,000

  1996–97: Estimated expenditure—£89,000

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of ministerial expenditure on administration for(a) 1979–80, (b) 1989–90, (c) 1991–92, (d) 1993–94, (e) 1994–95, (f) 1995–96 and (g) 1996–97. [11414]

  Mr. Boswell
  [holding answer 30 January 1996]: The departmental report 1995, Cm 2803, at annexe 5 gives detailed information in respect of departmental expenditure on administration from 1989–90, as do the appropriation accounts for years up to and including 1994–95, as well as forecasts for 1995–96 onwards.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claims for incapacity benefit have been made since April in each of the benefit district offices that covers Doncaster and Mexborough; what percentages of these have been for(a) males and (b) females; and what percentages were unsuccessful; [8453]

  (2) how many claims there have been for the new incapacity benefit in each of the benefit district offices that cover Doncaster and Mexborough; and how many of these were claimants with mental health problems. [8454]

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of incapacity benefit is a matter for Peter Mathison, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 31 January 1996:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about how many claims for incapacity benefit (IB) have been made since April in each of the benefit district offices that covers Doncaster and Mexborough; what percentage of these have been for (a) males and (b) females; and what percentage were unsuccessful; and how many of these were claimants with mental health problems.
  942
  The number of IB claims since April 1995 to November 1995 for Doncaster District is 5171. This District comprises of Doncaster East and Doncaster West Offices. Figures for the Mexborough Branch office, which forms part of the Rother and Dearne District are available for the same period. The number of IB claims is 1607.
  The percentage of claims for male and female and those that were unsuccessful could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Details about a persons incapacity, for example mental health problems, could also only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average cost of each incapacity benefit appeal(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in the Greater Manchester area. [12236]

  Mr. Burt
  The average cost of an incapacity benefit appeal is estimated to be approximately £340. It is not possible to provide estimates of the average cost in individual areas.

  Child Support Agency
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 12 December,Official Report, column 625, what considerations led the chief executive of the Child Support Agency to conclude that including fully assessed cases only in respect of child maintenance assessments gives a more accurate picture. [10189]

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

  Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 31 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency maintenance assessments.
  My letter to you of 12 December 1995 updated information I had provided on 18 May 1995.
  The table providing information on the benefit status of parents with care and absent parents was amended to provide information at the full maintenance assessment stage. Previously the benefit status was determined at the point when maintenance application and enquiry forms were returned. It is more accurate to record benefit status at the end of the assessment process as there may be considerations that affect the benefit status between the time of receipt of the relevant maintenance form and completion of a full maintenance assessment.
  All the other tables shown in the answer were updated using the same definitions as previously used (which was fully assessed cases for all tables, apart from those relating to interim maintenance assessments).
  I hope this is helpful.

  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to transfer Child Support Agency operations to local offices; and how this transfer will affect the operations of the agency's main centres. [11183]

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

  Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 31 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the transfer of work from the Child Support Agency's six centres to local Field offices.

  943
  As the Agency's Business Plan for 1995/96 explains, from April 1995 nearly all our field staff, who are based in local Social Security offices, have had better access to the Child Support Computer System (CSCS). They are able to register cases on the System and to deal with client enquiries more effectively. As much of our paper work is automated this has reduced clerical administration and the amount of forms and work sent between the centres and field offices.
  Plans are in hand for our staff in the field to play an even larger role during 1996/97 as they will also complete some maintenance assessments locally using CSCS. A pilot exercise will take place in six field offices within Dudley CSAC Business Unit involving the take-on of new applications for child support maintenance. Training for staff is due to be delivered next month, with the pilot exercise running from March to May. The exercise will be subject to a full and robust evaluation prior to any decision being made on the timing for national rollout. This work will be carefully integrated with the work on implementing the Departures system and is likely to continue over a two year period.
  The movement of the bulk of maintenance assessment work to the field will allow the centres to concentrate on maintaining an ever increasing caseload and the efficient and effective collection of child maintenance.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many two-parent families are in receipt of(a) income support, (b) family credit and (c) disability working allowance; and for each benefit what is the number of two-parent families estimated to included a qualifying child for the purposes of the Child Support Act 1991; [12800]

  (2) how many lone parent families are in receipt of (a) income support, (b) family credit and (c) disability working allowance; and for each benefit what is the number of lone parent families estimated to include a qualifying child for the purposes of the Child Support Act 1991. [12801]

  Mr. Mitchell
  The latest available information as at May 1994 is as follows:

  Two-parent families

  Lone parent families

  Income support

  537,000

  1,089,000

  Family credit

  315,000

  236,000

  Disability working allowance

  1,000

  —

  There is no information available on the number of two-parent families that include a qualifying child for the purposes of the Child Support Act 1991.

  We estimate that 1,068,000 lone parents receiving income support and nearly all of the lone parents in receipt of family credit have a qualifying child for the purposes of the Child Support Act 1991.

  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many of the cases in which a child support officer refused a parent with care exemption on the grounds of harm or undue distress he or she decided not to issue a reduced benefit direction because there was a risk to the welfare of the child. [12781]

  Mr. Mitchell
  The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when it is planned to republish the CSA's charter; and what plans there are to extend the commitments given to clients. [12790]
  944
  Mr. Mitchell
  The Child Support Agency will publish its new charter in the next financial year. The charter will contain more information than the first version, cover a wider range of the agency's business, and concentrate on the agency's principle functions.

  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many child support appeal tribunals hearings have been held to date; what proportion of appeals have been successful; how often both the person with care and the absent parent attend; and how often the parties are represented; [12794]

  (2) what proportion of child support appeals has been lodged with the independent tribunal service within the required 28 days; and, of those lodged after this time limit, what proportion are accepted. [12793]

  Mr. Mitchell
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

  1994

  1995

  Appeals lodged within 28 days

  —

  71 per cent.

  Appeals lodged over 28 days Admitted

  —

  89 per cent.

  Hearings held

  6,129

  6,859

  Success rates

  —

  64 per cent.

  Attendance by absent parent and person with care

  —

  21 per cent.

  Attendance by representative

  —

  16 per cent.

  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how many(a) lone parent families and (b) two-parent families are denied access to the CSA by section 4(10)(a) of the Child Support Act 1991. [12797]

  Mr. Mitchell
  The information is not available in the format requested.

  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on research his Department(a) is conducting, and (b) has commissioned, on the subject of the Child Support Agency and child maintenance. [12779]

  Mr. Mitchell
  This Department does not generally carry out its own research. However, we have commissioned the following research from outside contractors, which is either in progress or under negotiation: a review of the operation of the requirement to co-operate provision; measuring self-employed income for the purposes of the Child Support Agency; a number of surveys on how absent parents view the system and the impact on their lives; and an extension of work on lone parents, benefits and maintenance by the Policy Studies Institute.

  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how many potential section 4 applicants come to private arrangements for child maintenance and do not seek the CSA's services. [12798]

  Mr. Mitchell
  The information is not available.

  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to extend the Child Support Agency's powers to obtain information from the Inland Revenue. [12785]
  945
  Mr. Mitchell
  The Child Support Agency already has powers which allow it to obtain information from the Inland Revenue. These powers relate solely to the tracing of both the current address, or the current employer, of the absent parent. We have no current plans to extend these powers further.

  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how many departure applications are likely to be made to the CSA over each of the next three financial years and how many departure directions issued; what further grounds for departure will be added to those included in the Child Support Act 1991; and how long it is estimated that it will take for a departure officer to make a decision on a departure application. [12789]

  Mr. Mitchell
  There is insufficient data available at present to enable accurate estimates to be made of the likely number of departure applications or the proportion that are likely to be successful. However, estimates of the financial effect have been based on the broad assumption that no more than 10 per cent. of the Child Support Agency's caseload will qualify for a departure direction. One of the main reasons for running the pilot exercise from April this year is to provide the detailed information necessary to make accurate estimates.

  Regulations for the conduct of the pilot exercise will be laid before Parliament in March. There are no plans for these regulations to add further grounds for a departure direction beyond those exemplified in the Act. However, the ground which deals with cases of inconsistent life style has been enhanced. It will now, for example, cover instances where parents divert income over which they have control to a third party in order to avoid their true liability.

  The pilot exercise will also enable the Child Support Agency to produce estimates of the time it will take to process applications.

  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will be making an announcement about the changes to compensation available to clients of the Child Support Agency who have suffered loss and distress; how many applications have been made to the Child Support Agency for compensation to date and how many have been successful; and what is the total that has been paid out in compensation. [12780]

  Mr. Mitchell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Broxbourne (Mrs. Roe) on 7 November 1995,Official Report, columns 830–31.

  There have been 1,182 applications for compensation made to the agency from launch in April 1993 to the 30 November 1995; the number of successful claims is 112; the total that has been paid out in compensation is £56,752.50.

  Pensions (Automated Credit Transfer)
  Sir Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of pensioners opted to receive their state pension by automated credit transfer in 1995. [11044]

  Mr. Heald
  This is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
  946
  Letter from Peter Mathison to Sir Andrew Bowden, dated 31 January 1996:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of pensioners opted to receive their state pension by automated credit transfer (ACT) in 1995.
  As of 9 October 1995, the latest date for which figures are available, a total of £3,040,729 pensioners were having their Retirement Pension paid by ACT. This represents 30.3 per cent of the total caseload.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Vibration White Finger
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people claimed disablement benefit because of vibration white finger in the period 1990 to 1995; and how many of those claims were approved between 1990 and 1995. [11594]

  Mr. Burt
  Information is not readily available in the formate requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Such information as is available is in the table.

  Initial assessments of disability where PD All(vibration white finger) diagnosed and those resulting in an award of industrial injuries disablement benefit

  Total PD All assessments

  PD A11 assessments of 14 per cent. or more

  1990–91

  6,850

  36

  1991–92

  5,223

  21

  1992–93

  2,476

  40

  1993–94

  1,877

  65

  1994–95

  1,883

  146

  Source:

  100 per cent. count of cases.

  Positive about Disabled People Symbol
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for his Department and each of the agencies for which he is responsible if it uses the Employment Service's positive about disabled people symbol for(a) external recruitment and (b) internal recruitment and promotion. [11924]

  Mr. Burt
  The Department of Social Security and its agencies, the Benefits Agency, the Contributions Agency, Child Support Agency, War Pensions Agency and the Information Technology Services Agency, adopted the Employment Service's positive about disabled people symbol in May 1995, to demonstrate their commitment to disabled staff. In light of this, all disabled staff who apply to be treated under the symbol, and who satisfy the minimum criteria for a job, will be offered an interview. This applies to direct recruitment, advertised internal vacancies, promotion boards, selection for management development programmes and the selection of in-service candidates for the fast-stream selection board.

  The Resettlement Agency is closing in April 1996 and has therefore not adopted the symbol.

  Benefit Payment Card
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to make sure that the new benefits payment card is user-friendly to older people and people with disabilities. [11751]

  Mr. Heald
  We have had extensive consultations with a wide range of customer representative organisations, including those with a special interest in the needs of the elderly and of people with disabilities. They have provided valuable input into the design requirements of the benefit payment card.

  The final card design has not yet been chosen, being subject to the evaluation of service providers' proposals, but we are looking to ensure that the new system will be simple and straightforward for all our customers to use, as well as secure.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to ensure that information currently contained in the pension book will be preserved and improved with the proposed new benefit payment card system with particular reference to(a) a permanent record of pension payments received, (b) details of how the pension is made up, (c) clear information on the amount due and the date available, (d) information on change of circumstances and (e) details of claiming income support. [11750]

  Mr. Heald
  This is a matter for Peter Mathison, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Keith Bradley, dated 31 January 1996:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what plans he has to ensure that information currently contained in the pension book will be preserved and improved with the proposed new benefit payment card system with particular reference to (a) a permanent record of pension payments received, (b) details of how the pension is made up, (c) clear information on the amount due and the date available, (d) information on change of circumstances and (e) details of claiming Income Support (IS).
  The Benefits Agency is committed to continuing to provide full information and advice about benefits to all our customers.
  Each time a customer receives a payment of benefit at a post office a receipt will be issued. This receipt will include details of the type(s) of benefit paid, the amount(s) payable, the due date and the date of payment and the date of the last payment(s) made. Customers will be encouraged to retain these receipts as a record of the pension they have received, although full statements of the account will be available on request from the DSS office responsible for authorising the payment.
  New pensioners will continue to receive a notice of entitlement before their Retirement Pension is due, as they do now, which will include details of how their benefit is made up. Existing pensioners will receive a notification before their first card is issued. When a customer notifies a change in circumstances which affects the amount of benefit payable, a written notification will be issued. These arrangements reflect those which are already in place for pensioners who have chosen to be paid by Automated Credit Transfer.
  It is intended that details of the date the next pension payment is due will be included on the last benefit receipt issued.
  There will be information about the need to report changes of circumstances printed on the reverse of the card.
  Final decisions have not yet been made about how information on other benefits such as IS will be made available to individual customers. Current communication facilities will continue to be used
  948
  for example, leaflets, advertisements etc. Firmer proposals will be available once the final selection of the card payment system supplier is made.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Benefits Agency Offices
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average daily attendance at the Benefits Agency offices at(a) Highgate and (b) Finsbury Park for (i) 1993, (ii) 1994, (iii) 1995 and (iv) the current year to date; what were the staffing levels for (i) to (iv); and if he will make a statement. [12270]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  This is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 31 January 1996:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what was the average daily attendance at the Benefits Agency offices at (a) Highgate and (b) Finsbury Park for (i) 1993, (ii) 1994, (iii) 1995 and (iv) the current year to date; what were the staffing levels for (i) to (iv); and if he will make a statement.
  The information requested is given for twelve month periods, January to December and is shown at Annex A.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Annex A: Average daily attendance at Highgate and Finsbury Park branch offices

  Branch office

  1993

  1994

  1995

  11996

  Highgate

  258

  210

  271

  270

  Finsbury Park

  253

  290

  261

  275

  Average daily staffing levels at Highgate and Finsbury Park branch offices

  Branch Office

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Highgate

  30

  34

  30

  30

  Finsbury Park

  30

  32

  30

  30

  1Up to and including 26 January 1996. Figures are provisional and subject to change.

  Cash and Running Cost Limits
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes there have been in the cash limits or running costs limits of his Department. [13179]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate the cash limit for class XIII, vote 3—housing benefit administration and council tax benefit administration, payments into the social fund in respect of discretionary expenditure and other grants—will be increased by £1,550,000 from £417,705,000 to £419,255,000. The cash limit for class XIII, vote 4—administration and miscellaneous services—will be increased by £19,355,000 from £2,676,396,000 to £2,695,751,000.

  The revision for vote 3 takes account of an increase in the grant in aid to Independent Living, £1,550,000, to enable it to continue to help severely disabled persons to live independently, partly offset by a reduction of £1,125,000 on Department of Health and Social Services

  949
  (Northern Ireland) vote 5. The balance of £425,000 will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Vote 4 revisions take account of increased requirements resulting from policy changes and work load increases—£93,378,000 of which £62,967,000 is running costs a reduction of £212,000 (running costs) offset by a corresponding increase in Department of Health administration and miscellaneous health services and personal social services England, class XII, vote 2, a reduction of £10,000 (running costs) offset by a corresponding increase on Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) vote 3, an increase of £50,000 (running costs) offset by a corresponding reduction on schools, research and miscellaneous services class X, vote 1 and an increase of £1,000,000 (running costs) offset by a corresponding reduction on Department of Employment: Employment Service, class v, vote 2, an increase of £105,000 in running cost cover for services
  950
  provided to the Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) on repayment and an increase of £74,851,000 in appropriations in aid.

  Further running costs changes arise from a reduction of £6,239,000 as a result of a re-allocation to capital and other current expenditure and an increase of £5,633,000 in value added tax refunds.

  As a result of these changes the running costs limit of the Department of Social Security will be increased by £52,028,000 from £3,035,513,000 to £3,087,541,000.

  The additional vote 4 requirements will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Pensions (Uprating)
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to bring the uprating of pensions forward to 1 April in each year. [13077]

  Mr. Heald
  None.

  Phenols and Sheep Dips
  Phenols and Sheep Dips
  Farm Incomes
  Farm Incomes
  Bosnia: Military Deployment
  Bosnia: Military Deployment
  The "Marchioness" Inquest
  The "Marchioness" Inquest
  Health Education and Social Care Initiatives
  Health Education and Social Care Initiatives
  Cold Weather Payments
  Cold Weather Payments
  Lone Parents Receiving Benefit
  Lone Parents Receiving Benefit
  Lone Parents Ceasing to Receive Benefit
  Lone Parents Ceasing to Receive Benefit
  Absent Parents: Maintenance Collection
  Absent Parents: Maintenance Collection
  Child Support Agency: Report
  Child Support Agency: Report
  Child Support Agency: Maintenance Assessments
  Child Support Agency: Maintenance Assessments
  Child Support
  Child Support
  Nagorny Karabakh Dispute
  Nagorny Karabakh Dispute
  Caspian Sea: Pollution Control
  Caspian Sea: Pollution Control
  ODA: Funded Police Training
  ODA: Funded Police Training
  Turkey: Human Rights
  Turkey: Human Rights
  Pervomaskoye Crisis: OSCE Initiative
  Pervomaskoye Crisis: OSCE Initiative
  Court Jurisdiction: Review
  Court Jurisdiction: Review
  Prisoners: PPG Tests
  Prisoners: PPG Tests
  PAC: Sir Michael Partridge's Evidence
  PAC: Sir Michael Partridge's Evidence
  Scott Report: Publication Date
  Scott Report: Publication Date
  Premium Bonds: Prize Structure
  Premium Bonds: Prize Structure
  European Community Legislative Instruments
  European Community Legislative Instruments
  Pepper v. Hart Judgment: Changes to Parliamentary Practices
  Pepper v. Hart Judgment: Changes to Parliamentary Practices
  Prerogative Powers
  Prerogative Powers
  Civil Servants: Company Directorships
  Civil Servants: Company Directorships