Written Answers of 19 January 1996

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Former Yugoslavia
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made to ensure the withdrawal from Bosnia-Herzegovina of Mujahedden fighters in accordance with the peace accord. [10287]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  Under the terms of the Bosnia peace agreement, the deadline for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Bosnia expired on 13 January. NATO has reported general compliance, although some individuals remain in theatre. Efforts to ensure full compliance continue.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what protests he has made to the Croatian Government about the expulsion and harassment of ethnic Serbs in the Krajina; what the Croat response has been; and what further communication he has had with the Croatian Government about the situation in the Krajina. [10291]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  Following the Croatian offensive in the Krajina in August 1995, we joined EU partners in condemning the action and calling for the refugees who fled to be allowed to return. The EU also suspended negotiations on a trade and co-operation agreement and the PHARE programme. Since then, we have supported the UN Security Council statement condemning continued Croatian human rights abuses in the area. We have made it clear to the Croatian Government that there is no prospect of their developing a close relationship with the EU while the treatment of minorities in Croatia continues to cause concern. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs made these points personally to President Tudjman during his visit in September.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by the UN war crimes tribunal to bring to justice Croats alleged to have committed war crimes in the Krajina. [10290]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  The tribunal does not comment on operational aspects of its investigations. However, its mandate is to investigate those accused of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia, regardless of ethnic origin.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has in respect of relations between the Muslims and Croats in Bogojono in central Bosnia; and what problems IFOR forces have meet in implementing the peace accord in that area. [10292]
  780
  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  Bugojno is one of the towns included in a small programme agreed at Dayton for the return of a limited number of displaced persons to their places of origin. Two hundred Bosnian Croat families were to return to Bugojno. The majority have yet to do so.

  IFOR has not reported encountering any serious problems in implementing the peace agreement in the area around Bugojno.

ENVIRONMENT

  County Hall, London
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what property belonging to the London residuary body still remains in county hall, London SE1. [8775]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  None.

  Imported Animals and Birds
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes he has made since 1990 to the controls over the import of species deemed by his Department to be unlikely to survive in captivity. [8778]

  Mr. Clappison
  EC regulations governing the import of endangered species into the Community fully superseded national legislation on completion of the single market in 1993. In June 1995, the Council of Ministers reached political agreement on a new EC wildlife trade regulation which would enable member states collectively to impose restrictions on the import of live specimens of species which have a high mortality rate during shipment or which are unlikely to survive in captivity. Subject to satisfactory completion of its remaining stages, the proposed regulation is expected to come into force on 1 January 1997.

  Kent County Council (Interest Charges)
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what sum in debt interest was charged by Kent county council in(a) 1993–94 and (b) 1994–95. [10441]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The debt interest paid by Kent county council from the general fund revenue account was £37,170.000 in 1993–94 and £38,492,000 in 1994–95.

  Local Government Reform, Leicester
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to lay the order conferring unitary status on the city of Leicester. [10529]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Leicestershire (City of Leicester and District of Rutland) (Structural Change) Order 1996 was laid yesterday, Thursday 18 January 1996.

  Social Rented Housing (Consultation)
  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what responses he has received to the consultation document "More Choice in the Social Rented Sector" issued on 13 July 1995; and if he will make a statement. [11312]
  781
  Mr. Curry
  The consultation paper set out Government proposals to increase competition in the social rented sector by removing current restrictions on who should be able to compete for Housing Corporation grant or take on transferred local authority housing. It argued that new forms of non-profit landlord should be able to register with the corporation, and that a licensing system should be established to enable profit-making landlords to receive grant and transferred stock. A series of proposals regarding the monitoring and regulation of social housing were put forward, including rent controls and provisions to recoup excessive surpluses. The paper also proposed the establishment of a statutory ombudsman for the independent social rented sector, and sought views on the appropriate approach to determining the standards to which housing schemes must conform.

  Two hundred and sixty responses were received. A list of respondents has been placed in the Library of the House. Copies of individual responses may be obtained through the Library. In addition, four responses were submitted on a confidential basis.

  These replies have been considered carefully. The Government have decided to proceed at once with proposals to allow new forms of non-profit landlord, such as local housing companies, to register with the Housing Corporation, and to establish a statutorily independent ombudsman. The necessary provisions are contained in the Housing Bill which was published today. The Bill also provides new powers for the Housing Corporation to protect publicly funded stock and tenants' interests in the event of a landlord becoming insolvent.

  In order to facilitate further transfers of local authority stock to these and other registered landlords, the Government will adopt a more flexible approach to the size limit for transfers. In future, transfers over the 5,000 dwellings limit will be eligible in exceptional circumstances. My Department intends to issue revised guidance on housing transfers incorporating advice on this and other policy changes.

  The Government also intend to take forward its proposals to introduce profit-making landlords to the sector, with the associated controls over rents and surpluses. Because of the urgent need to deal with leasehold issues in a Bill of manageable size, legislation to effect this proposal will be deferred. My Department will consult on draft clauses for these provisions, with a view to including them in future legislation. Given the postponement of legislation on opening up competition on housing association grant to profit-making companies, the Government do not intend to abolish tax relief grant at this stage.

  On scheme development standards, the Housing Corporation will retain the present approach for the time being. The Department of Environment and the Housing Corporation are commissioning a study into the feasibility of developing a series of housing quality indicators. A report is expected in May. A further statement on scheme development standards will be made at that time.

  Housing Legislation
  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to amend part I of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. [11313]

  Mr. Curry
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 18 January, in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesham (Mr. Arnold) a number of proposals to strengthen leaseholders' rights against unreasonable behaviour by their landlords. One of these proposals was to bring forward amendments to the Housing Bill, which is published today, to permit collective enfranchisement in properties where flying freeholds have been created.

  In addition, the Housing Bill contains four provisions, all of a relatively technical nature, to amend the provisions of the 1993 Act relating to leasehold enfranchisement of flats and to the right to buy an extended lease. The provisions are:

  (i) to clarify the valuation provisions in schedule 6—leasehold enfranchisement, and schedule 13—premium to be paid for lease extension, in cases where there are intermediate leasehold interests;

  (ii) to provide explicit assumptions to be used in valuing the tenant's existing lease and new lease for the purpose of calculating marriage values under schedule 13 to the Act;

  (iii) to disregard the effect for valuation purposes of certain transactions which might have the effect of reducing the price to be paid for an extended lease under Schedule 13. If the Bill is enacted in its current form, specified transactions after today—unless in pursuance of certain contracts entered into on or before today—will be disregarded; and

  (iv) in cases where flats are owned by trustees, to allow residence by a beneficiary of the trust to satisfy the residence qualifications for enfranchisement and for lease extension.

  The provisions amending schedule 13 on valuation will apply to all notices of claim given after today, except in cases where the premium has been agreed or determined before the day the Act is passed. I do not expect these provisions to alter the amount to be paid for acquiring a freehold or a lease extension in the great majority of cases.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Developing Countries (Investment)
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of private flows from the UK to developing countries went to(a) the least developed third countries and (b) the poorest 50 countries, [8950]

  Mr. Hanley
  Private flows consist of direct investment, export credit and other flows.

  The table gives details of direct investment and private export credit flows from the United Kingdom for the latest available years to the low income countries—56 countries whose GNP per capita was $675 or less in 1992—and to the least developed countries—48 countries defined by the UN as least developed, based on certain economic and social criteria. Some 26 per cent. of total UK direct investment went to low-income countries in 1993. Little

  783
  of this was to the least-developed countries, a category which includes many francophone countries where British business has traditionally played only a small role.

  Figures on export credits represented net flows—that is, disbursements less repayments. It is not possible to give proportions of the total in this case. Table 2 therefore shows individual country details only.

  Country breakdowns of other private flows are not available.

  Table 1: Direct investment in 1993

  Low income countries

  £ million

  Egypt

  13.32

  Ghana

  35.96

  Kenya

  35.96

  Malawi

  4.66

  Nigeria

  347.65

  Tanzania

  2.00

  Uganda

  1.33

  Zambia

  0.67

  Zimbabwe

  36.63

  Bangladesh

  6.66

  India

  137.86

  Pakistan

  26.64

  Sir Lanka

  8.66

  China

  21.31

  Indonesia

  15.32

  Total

  694.63

  Total direct investment

  2,668

  Total as percentage of total direct investment

  26 per cent.

  LLDCs

  Malawi

  4.66

  Tanzania

  2.00

  Uganda

  1.33

  Zambia

  0.67

  Bangladesh

  6.66

  Total

  15.32

  Total direct investment

  2,668

  Total as percentage to total direct investment

  0.6 per cent.

  Table 2: Net private export credits 1994

  Low income countries

  £ million

  Egypt

  -17.23

  Ethiopia

  0.13

  Ghana

  24.07

  Ivory Coast

  -0.83

  Kenya

  -30.03

  Lesotho

  0.11

  Malawi

  -0.75

  Mozambique

  -0.12

  Tanzania

  -0.01

  Uganda

  -1.20

  Zambia

  -0.19

  Zimbabwe

  -8.75

  Yemen

  -0.09

  Bangladesh

  -0.91

  Bhutan

  1.45

  India

  12.63

  Maldives

  -0.11

  Nepal

  -1.38

  Pakistan

  2.49

  784

  Table 2: Net private export credits 1994

  Low income countries

  £ million

  Sri Lanka

  27.14

  China

  100.95

  Indonesia

  69.38

  Total

  176.75

  Total net private export credits

  27.13

  LLDCs

  Angola

  -1.27

  Djibouti

  -0.35

  Ethiopia

  0.13

  Lesotho

  0.11

  Malawi

  -0.75

  Mozambique

  -0.12

  Tanzania

  -0.01

  Uganda

  -1.20

  Zambia

  -0.19

  Yemen

  -0.09

  Bangladesh

  -0.91

  Bhutan

  1.45

  Maldives

  -0.11

  Nepal

  -1.38

  Total

  1-4.69

  1A minus sign indicates that for that year a country's repayments (as previous advances) exceeded disbursements.

  Development Co-operation Policies
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what mechanisms British development co-operation policies are co-ordinated at Government level with particular reference to(a) debt and (b) environmental matters. [8951]

  Mr. Hanley
  Regular consultations take place between Her Majesty's Treasury, the diplomatic and ODA wings of the FCO and the Export Credits Guarantee Department to ensure that the British Government's developmental objectives are fully reflected in its policies on developing country debt.

  Similarly, interdepartmental groups, including representatives from the Overseas Development Administration and the Department of the Environment meet regularly to consider the important relationship between environment and development issues.

  Humanitarian Relief
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much United Kingdom aid was spent on humanitarian relief and emergencies in the last year for which figures are available. [9114]

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Member to the information contained in table 10 of the 1995 edition of "British Aid Statistics", a copy of which is in the Libraries of the House.

  Overseas Aid Budget
  Mr. Chris Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the programmes within the overseas aid budget which will be affected by real expenditure reductions in 1996–97 and the following two years; and by how much each programme will be reduced. [10308]
  785
  Mr. Hanley
  Planning figures for the period 1996–97 to 1998–99 are being finalised. As usual, the main details of our planned expenditure for this period will be published in the 1996 FCO departmental report in March.

  UN Aid Target
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's policy in respect of reaching the agreed UN target for aid as a percentage of GNP. [10561]

  Mr. Hanley
  We have not set a timetable for reaching the 0.7 per cent. target. Progress towards the target will depend upon our economic circumstances and on other priorities for public expenditure.

  In 1994, our aid to GNP ratio was 0.31 per cent. above the average for all OECD donors of 0.29 per cent.

  Development Assistance
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 1996,Official Report, column 506, in respect of the ODA's fundamental expenditure review, if he will list those countries deemed to be in transition. [10764]

  Mr. Hanley
  Following are countries of central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union which are not also classified as developing countries:Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic and Ukraine.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Overfishing (Irish Box)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the projected annual cost of patrolling the Irish box to prevent overfishing; and what estimate he has formed of the proportion of overfishing likely to be committed by each EU member state. [9268]

  Mr. Baldry
  Fisheries surveillance and enforcement at sea within British fishery limits, including that part of the Irish box falls within UK jurisdiction, is undertaken by the Royal Navy's fishery protection squadron and vessels from the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland at an annual operating cost of some £13 million. No separate estimate is made of the cost of patrolling that part of the Irish box falling within British fishery limits.

  The measures for regulating fishing effort in western waters, including the Irish box, from 1 January this year, require each member state to monitor the uptake of fishing effort by its vessels over 18m overall length and to take action to prevent fishing activity once any effort allocation for a zone fishery has been exhausted.

  Live Animal Exports
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cause of death of the sheep found dead at Dover harbour on 18 December on a truck carrying a consignment of sheep destined for export through Dover; what was done with the carcasses on 786
  discovery, and for what reason; what action was taken by his officials in respect of the surviving sheep; where the dead sheep started their journey and what was the final destination stated in the journey plan; if any prosecution is to be brought in respect of the dead animals; and if he will make a statement. [9270]

  Mrs. Browning
  The two carcasses were found during inspection of the consignment prior to loading on to the vessel at Dover. The driver was directed to proceed to a local premises: the live sheep were unloaded under supervision and behaved normally. Post mortem inspections were carried out on the two dead sheep, which revealed congestion of the lungs. The consignment had set out from Hereford at 09.45 and arrived at Dover at 15.10. The matter has been investigated by the State Veterinary Service and Kent county council but no evidence was found to link the death of the sheep to the conditions of transport. The live sheep were all rested until the following day, when they were re-inspected and allowed to proceed to their final destination in France.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set out all the information as to the final destination provided in the journey plans submitted in respect of the export of sheep in May 1995 for field slaughter near Paris; what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the destination with the provisions of paragraph 1(b) of article 3 of EC directive 91/628 on the protection of animals during transport; and if he will make a statement. [9351]

  Mrs. Browning
  [holding answer 16 January 1996]: Sheep shown to have been slaughtered at a religious festival near Paris last May had been consigned in late April from a starting point near Dover to an address in Mitry Mory, Paris. There is no evidence to suggest that irregularities occurred in relation to the provisions of directive 91/628. The animals were slaughtered several days after being delivered to their declared destination: there is no reason why they should not have been moved on from that destination after a suitable period of rest, and provision of food and water.

  European Union
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what statutory provisions prevent the United Kingdom from unilaterally withdrawing from the common agricultural and common fisheries policies without withdrawing from the European Commission. [9581]

  Mr. Baldry
  The principles and objectives of the common agricultural policy and common fisheries policy are to be found in articles 38 to 46 of the EC treaty. By virtue of article N of the treaty on European Union, amendments to the EC treaty can be made only by unanimity. This effectively prevents the UK unilaterally withdrawing from these policies even if it were in our interests to do so.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action his Department has taken to trace the previous owners of the herd of cattle containing confirmed BSE cases at Old Hall farm,
  787
  Gargrave, if he will list the names and addresses of the owners; and if he will indicate the date of birth and death of each cow. [10445]

  Mrs. Browning
  When a case of BSE is detected in an animal on a dealer's premises, MAFF makes every effort possible to trace the vendor of the animal and then confirms BSE on the vendor's premises. The detailed information requested would, however be available only at disproportionate cost.

  Drift Nets
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to advocate a ban on the use of drift nets in European Union waters. [8769]

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) on 7 December 1995,Official Report, column 372.

  Mr. Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the numbers and species of birds and sea mammals trapped and killed in drift nets used in British territorial waters in the last 12-month period for which details are available. [8770]

  Mr. Baldry
  Drift nets used in British territorial waters do not usually exceed 500 m in length. The Ministry has not made a recent assessment of the numbers and species of birds and sea mammals caught in them. However, some information about by-catches in the English north-east coast salmon drift net fishery was included in the Government's 1991 report on salmon net fisheries. This noted that:despite frequently being seen around nets, seals were very rarely caught;
  harbour porpoises occasionally became entangled in the drift nets but, because the fishermen have to remain with their salmon gear, they were normally able to release them;
  guillemots, razorbills and very occasionally puffins were caught but the netsmen endeavoured to remove them alive.

  Mr. Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his current estimate of the number of dolphins killed as a result of tuna fishing off the western coasts of Britain during 1995. [8771]

  Mr. Baldry
  I placed in the Library on 20 December a copy of a report by the sea mammal research unit on cetacean by-catch by UK vessels in the 1995 north-east Atlantic tuna fishery. The report records an observed by-catch of 29 striped dolphins and 17 common dolphins, from which the research unit estimated that the total by-catch by the UK fleet was 104 striped and 61 common dolphins. These figures are a very small proportion of the estimated dolphin population size in the area. I do not have equivalent figures for the dolphins killed by the tuna fishing vessels of other countries.

  Cattle Movements
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cattle have been moved from the mainland United Kingdom to Northern Ireland in each month since January 1994 to date. [8781]
  788
  Mrs. Browning
  [holding answer 15 January 1996]: The information requested is shown in the table. The figures are derived from the ANIMO system and show the number of cattle certified for export from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. They remain provisional and subject to amendment.

  1994

  1995

  January

  677

  3,488

  February

  534

  3,317

  March

  705

  2,093

  April

  961

  1,153

  May

  1,587

  1,656

  June

  0

  1,803

  July

  289

  1,084

  August

  1,202

  2,580

  September

  1,426

  2,092

  October

  3,809

  3,579

  November

  3,729

  1,464

  December

  3,114

  1—

  1Figures have not yet been collated for December 1995.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Doncaster Prison
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost-effectiveness of having Home Office controllers at Doncaster prison. [8054]

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

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 19 January 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the cost-effectiveness of having Home Office Controllers at Doncaster.
  The Criminal Justice Act (1991) requires every contracted out prison to have a Controller, who is a Crown servant appointed by the Secretary of State.
  The Controllers at contracted-out prisons carry out a valuable function in helping to monitor the running and cost effectiveness of those prisons. They offer an independent and objective view of these processes to the Secretary of State and others. Such an objective view might not be provided by the companies themselves. In this respect, the Controllers fulfil a function which is distinct from the day to day management of the prison, and their vital role is provided cost effectively.

  Prisons (Mechanical Restraints)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions since January 1990 inmates in HMP Holloway have been kept in bodybelts for more than 12 hours. [8420]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
  789
  Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 17 January 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking on how many occasions since January 1990 inmates in Holloway prison have been kept in bodybelts for more than 12 hours.
  There are no occasions where a prisoner has been kept in a bodybelt in Holloway prison for more than 12 hours since 1990.

  Sex Offenders
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans Her Majesty's Government have to deal with repeat sex offenders; and if he will make a statement; [9678]

  (2) what plans Her Majesty's Government have for the co-ordination on a national level of efforts to apprehend paedophile, child pornographers and those who use child pornography; [9676]

  3) what plans Her Majesty's Government have for the adoption of a national register of paedophiles; and if he will make a statement; [9679]

  (4) what percentage of people previously convicted of sex offences against children have since November 1993 reoffended after release; and what plans Her Majesty's Government have for monitoring the rate of repeat sex offences against children. [9677]

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government are considering a range of proposals to deal more effectively with sex offenders. I have already proposed that anyone convicted for the second time of a serious sexual or violent offence should receive an automatic life sentence. They would then only be released when they no longer presented a threat to the public. Full details for these proposals will be set out in a White Paper in the spring.

  A national police intelligence network on paedophiles already exists and a dedicated paedophile unit within the National Criminal Intelligence Service maintains a database of those who are actively involved in paedophilia. The unit is responsible for developing and disseminating intelligence on those involved in offences of paedophilia both nationally and internationally. Phoenix, the new criminal records database on the police national computer, will give the police instant access to full details of persons convicted of all serious offences, including paedophile and other sex offences.

  Statistics on the convictions and the reconvictions of sex offenders do not separately identify offences against children. The special information requested is not therefore available.

  Murder Charges
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to abolish the year and a day rule in respect of murder. [9834]

  Mr. Maclean
  A Bill to abolish the rule is now before Parliament, having been introduced by the hon. Member for Warrington, North (Mr. Hoyle) on 13 December 1995.

  Ticket Touts
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests have been made in the Metropolitan police area of ticket touts under provisions in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994; and how many prosecutions were subsequently entered into. [8773]

  Mr. Maclean
  Section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 makes it an offence for an unauthorised person to sell a ticket for a designated football match in a public place or a place to which the public has access or otherwise by way of a trade or business. The offence came into force on 3 November 1994 and since then there have been 189 arrests for this offence in the Metropolitan police area.

  The number of prosecutions in the latter part of 1994 cannot be separately identified from other summary offences. Information on 1995 court proceedings data will be available this autumn.

  Football Supporters
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions travelling football supporters have been stopped and searched under provisions contained in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. [8774]

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Departmental Costs (Computers)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost of the computer or computers being purchased for his office's C6 division (probation); and what was the original budget for the acquisition of this equipment. [10144]

  Mr. Howard
  Some 63 personal computers are to be installed in C6 division as part of my Department's programme to provide networked office systems to 2,750 staff in the central areas. The total capital costs for this programme, known as POISE—planned office information systems environment—were estimated in the business case to be £7.6 million over a period of seven years. This estimate remains valid and the capital costs of the C6 division installation may be taken to be proportionate at around £174,000.

  Currently there are 72 personal computers in C6 division which were purchased piecemeal or as part of an earlier version of POISE over several years. The estimated cost is £95,000 in total and the purchases were made from a centralised budget set aside for ad hoc information technology support.

  In addition, IT equipment is being purchased by the probation services as part of the National Probation Service information systems strategy which covers the needs of the 55 probation services in England and Wales. The estimated capital cost of the national strategy is £31.9 million over five years from 1994–95 to 1998–99. This was the original budget and remains the estimated costs.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on links between homelessness and offending in the last five years; and what conclusions were reached. [10447]

  Mr. Maclean
  No such studies have been commissioned to my Department, although a study of young people and crime contains limited data on young runaways. It found that 7 per cent. of a total sample of 1,721 young people in England and Wales aged 14 to 25 reported staying away from home for at least one night without their parents' knowledge prior to the age of 16 and that of these nearly half the females and nearly three quarters of the males had committed at least three offences or one serious offence at some time in their lives.

  Prisoners (Housing Benefit)
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funds have been transferred from the Department of Social Security to his office as a result of the changes in the regulations relating to housing benefit for prisoners. [10454]

  Mr. Howard
  The information is as follows:

  1995–96: £324,000

  1996–97: £298,000

  1997–98: £305,000

  1998–99: £312,000 and beyond

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Plant and Machinery
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was, in the constant prices, investment in new plant and machinery per manufacturing employee in each year since 1973; and what is his estimate of the proportion invested in(a) replacing labour and (b) increased capacity. [9796]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The level of investment in plant and machinery per employee in constant prices for manufacturing industry are shown in the table. Consistent figures for manufacturing employment are not available before 1978. The data do not distinguish the reason for the investment.

  Manufacturing investment in plant and machinery per manufacturing employee at 1990 prices

  £

  1978

  1,395

  1979

  1,486

  1980

  1,441

  1981

  1,278

  1982

  1,322

  1983

  1,408

  1984

  1,694

  1985

  1,976

  1986

  2,017

  1987

  1,869

  1988

  2,299

  1989

  2,473

  1990

  2,437

  1991

  2,393

  792

  Manufacturing investment in plant and machinery per manufacturing employee at 1990 prices

  £

  1992

  2,331

  1993

  2,266

  1994

  2,405

  Standard Industrial Classification 1992 Section D. Employee figures are for June each year.

  Manufacturing Statistics
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the figures for(a) manufacturing employment and (b) manufacturing output in (i) 1974, (ii) 1979, (iii) 1984, (iv) 1989 and (v) 1994; and what are the latest figures available for 1995. [9399]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Figures for manufacturing employees and output are shown in the table.

  Consistent figures for employees are not available for 1974.

  Manufacturing employees-millions

  Manufacturing output 1990 = 100

  1974

  —

  93.4

  1979

  6.75

  90.6

  1984

  5.05

  82.2

  1989

  4.85

  100.2

  1994

  3.95

  99.2

  1995 September

  3.94

  101.1

  1995 November

  —

  101.4

  Figures for employees 1979 to 1994 refer to June each year. Standard Industrial Classification 1992 Section D.

  ICL Technical Plastics
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what amount of regional development grants ICL Technical Plastics received since 1988; at what cost; and for what purpose. [10194]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  For reasons of commercial confidentiality, we do not disclose details of payments of grants to individual companies. Information on individual accepted offers of regional selective assistance over £75,000 is given in the Employment Gazette.

  Miners' Working Shifts
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information is currently collected by his Department in respect of the(a) shortest, (b) longest and (c) average length of a miner's working shift in each of the privatised coal companies since 1993. [9950]

  Mr. Page
  This information is not collected by the Department.

  Carbon Monoxide Detectors
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 16 January,Official Report, column 497, if he will ensure that information on the new British Standard for carbon monoxide detectors is included in the gas safety leaflets to be circulated to the public in April. [10554]
  793
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Details of the planned British Standard on carbon monoxide detectors will be incorporated in the safety leaflets on the dangers of carbon monoxide to be circulated to the public in April, unless the Department receives information that the publication date of this standard will be significantly delayed.

  Business Links
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of Board of Trade if he will list for each existing Business Link the members of its board, indicating which firm they work for and how many people that firm employs. [10416]

  Mr. Page
  The information requested is not available. It could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Shipbuilding Intervention Fund
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the level of grants under the shipbuilding intervention fund. [11219]

  Mr. Eggar
  As I announced to the House on 20 December, the EC shipbuilding regime laid down by the seventh directive will continue until the OECD shipbuilding agreement enters into force, or until 30 September 1996 at the latest.

  Following a decision of the European Commission, I have decided that the maximum level of support for this period from the shipbuilding intervention fund shall continue to be 9 per cent. for large ships. This is inclusive of the shipbuilders' tax relief of 2 per cent.

  I have similarly decided that the maximum level for small ships from 1 January for this period shall continue to be 4.5 per cent. This is inclusive of shipbuilders' tax relief. These levels are the maximum permitted by the EC shipbuilding regime.

  The OECD agreement is due to come into force by 15 July 1996. When it comes into force, support from the shipbuilding intervention fund and equivalent support in other signatory countries, will be terminated. Shipbuilders' tax relief in respect of merchant ships will be terminated at the same time.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Youth Work Funding
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what will be the level of funding of youth work in Northern Ireland next year; what was the expenditure in the current financial year; and if he will make a statement. [8640]

  Mr. Ancram
  Funding figures for 1996–97 allocations to the youth service in Northern Ireland are subject to parliamentary approval. It is anticipated that there will be a rise in the budget of the Youth Council for Northern Ireland of 2.5 per cent. on the planning figure of £2,161,000 for 1995–96.

  Funding for the youth service in Northern Ireland is also included within the block grant allocations of the local education and library boards. The determination of the levels of funding and allocation of these funds rests with the individual boards.
  794
  The Government have also agreed to provide additional funding for youth organisations under the European Union special initiative for peace and reconciliation. A sum in the region of 5 million ECU for the intermediary funding body for the youth sector has been included in the operational programme. The Government will provide additional funds to meet up to 25 per cent. of the total cost of projects funded under this initiative.

  Further and Higher Education
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has for capital expenditure on further education in Belfast. [8641]

  Mr. Ancram
  Further education projects such as that planned at the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education compete with projects in other sectors for a place in the annual capital new starts programme. The 1996–97 programme, which will be announced shortly, will be constructed from schemes with a high priority which are sufficiently advanced in planning within the total education estate.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what will be the level of the funding of higher education in Northern Ireland in 1996–97; what was the expenditure in 1995–96; and if he will make a statement on the impact of the settlement on the unit of resource in higher education. [8639]

  Mr. Ancram
  The Department of Education for Northern Ireland is advised on the funding of the two Northern Ireland universities by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. It will be some weeks yet before HEFCE is in a position to advise the Department on the levels of funding for the 1996–97 academic year. Until the funding allocations are known, it is not possible to assess the impact on the unit of resource.

  Total recurrent and capital funding to the Northern Ireland universities in the 1995–96 academic year will amount to some £117 million.

  Union Flag
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the Royal Ulster Constabulary divisional station in the city of Armagh has been provided with a Union flag; what advice has been issued to the Royal Ulster Constabulary of the days on which the Union flag should be flown; for what reasons the Union flag is not flown on such days at Armagh Royal Ulster Constabulary station; and if arrangements will be made to fly the Union flag at this Royal Ulster Constabulary station. [9208]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The Union flag is flown over all RUC buildings, including Armagh RUC station, in accordance with RUC instructions. These instructions require that the flag be flown from 8 am to sunset on 19 specified occasions throughout the year. Armagh RUC station has been provided with a flag for this purpose.

  Grant-maintained Integrated Schools
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the target numbers for enrolment at each grant-maintained integrated school in Northern Ireland;
  795
  and which of these schools have reached their target number. [9306]

  Mr. Ancram
  Development proposals for new grant-maintained integrated schools are expected to demonstrate the potential for minimum enrolments of 100 pupils in primary schools after about seven years of operation and 300 pupils in secondary schools after about five years of operation. All new schools that have been in existence for these periods have in fact exceeded these minimum figures.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is the present religious composition of pupils in the enrolment at each grant-maintained integrated school in Northern Ireland; [9307]

  (2) on what basis pupils enrolled at grant-maintained integrated schools in Northern Ireland are defined as Protestant or Roman Catholic. [9308]

  Mr. Ancram
  Parents of pupils attending grant-maintained integrated schools are required to declare the religion of their children to schools. This information is included in the annual school census return.

  The present religious composition of pupils in the enrolment of each grant maintained integrated school is as follows:

  School

  Protestant pupils

  Roman catholic pupils

  Other pupils

  Total

  Primary

  Acorn

  45

  33

  2

  80

  Braidside

  40

  31

  78

  149

  Bridge

  111

  138

  8

  257

  Corran

  46

  48

  6

  100

  Cranmore

  27

  34

  19

  80

  Enniskillen

  64

  96

  26

  186

  Hazelwood IPS

  117

  149

  68

  334

  Lough View

  25

  18

  8

  51

  Millstrand

  62

  51

  70

  183

  Oakgrove IPS

  99

  141

  22

  262

  Omagh

  42

  63

  19

  124

  Portadown

  50

  73

  28

  151

  Saints and Scholars

  29

  41

  4

  74

  Windmill

  59

  61

  13

  133

  Secondary

  Erne College

  15

  43

  3

  61

  Hazelwood College

  205

  370

  61

  636

  Lagan College

  417

  403

  97

  917

  Oakgrove

  87

  174

  19

  280

  Shimna College

  13

  45

  2

  60

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish details of the total public expenditure to date allocated to grant-maintained integrated schools in Northern Ireland. [9209]

  Mr. Ancram
  Allocations from 1991–92 to date total £11.8 million for capital expenditure and £36.4 million for recurrent expenditure.

  Hospices (National Lottery)
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact of the national lottery on raising funds to support the development and operation of the hospice movement 796
  and hospices; what plans he has to ensure the financial security of hospices; and if he will make a statement. [9283]

  Mr. Moss
  We have not made any assessment of the impact of the national lottery on the fund-raising activities of the hospices in Northern Ireland. We understand that the National Council for Hospice and Palliative Care Services is keeping this matter under review. To help ensure the financial security of hospices, health and social services boards have been asked to enter into contracts for the purchase of hospice services.

  Electricity Interconnector
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the electricity needs of Northern Ireland it is expected will be provided by the interconnector with Scotland if it is fully operational. [9374]

  Mr. Ancram
  Under the terms of the agreement entered into between Northern Ireland Electricity plc and Scottish Power plc approximately 20 per cent. of the demand on the Northern Ireland electricity system will be met by the interconnector, when fully operational.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations have been received about the threat to the proposed electricity interconnector from munitions dumped around Beaufort's dyke. [9375]

  Mr. Ancram
  None. The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Departments published on 8 January 1996 an interim report on the recent survey of the Beaufort's dyke munitions disposal site and surrounding areas. Further survey work will be carried out.

  Disability
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what guidance he intends to issue to(a) Departments, (b) executive agencies, (c) non-departmental public bodies and (d) outside bodies and arm's-length organisations which he has responsibility for, or an interest in, regarding the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement; [9229]

  (2) what guidance he intends to issue to local authorities about the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement; [9247]

  (3) what guidance he intends to issue to health authorities and trusts about the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement. [9243]

  Mr. Moss
  In Northern Ireland, the Training and Employment Agency is currently consulting on a draft code of practice relating to the employment provisions in the Act and statutory guidance related to the definition of disability. Consultation on proposals for regulations under the employment and definition provisions of the Act is also currently underway. The Department of Health and Social Services will be asking the Northern Ireland Disability Council, when it first meets, to produce and consult a code of practice relating to the rights of access to goods and services. The Department of Health and Social
  797
  Services will also be consulting on associated regulations. All these items will be published in plenty of time to allow employers and service providers in Northern Ireland to prepare themselves for the introduction of the new rights and duties. I will ensure that Northern Ireland Departments and any bodies for which they are responsible will be made aware of their responsibilities under the Act.

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are in place to ensure that the inaccessibility of school transport is not a restricting factor in integrating disabled children into mainstream schools; and if he will make a statement. [9249]

  Mr. Ancram
  Where an education and library board maintains a statement of special educational needs in respect of a pupil, the board has the statutory duty under article 31 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 to arrange for the special educational provision specified in the statement to be made. Where a board considered that it was necessary to make arrangements for home-to-school transport to enable a pupil to benefit from special educational provision, it would specify these in the statement also. If ordinary bus services were not accessible to the child concerned, alternative suitable arrangements would be made, for example by using taxi services or by securing a place on a specially adapted bus. These arrangements would apply whether the special educational provision were being provided at a special school or a mainstream school.

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his Department's policy in relation to the development of sports for disabled people. [9290]

  Estimated population of 12 year olds

  Number of schoolchildren1 tested

  Number of schooldchildren testing negative2

  Number of schoolchildren3 vaccinated

  Percentage of schoolchildren3 vaccinated

  1980

  87,067

  83,165

  74,147

  72,422

  97.7

  1985

  71,924

  79,001

  71,377

  69,562

  97.5

  1994

  65,054

  57,725

  53,754

  51,785

  96.3

  1Figures may include children other than aged 12 where, for instance, testing focuses on school classes rather than age specifically.

  2i.e. without natural immunity.

  3Only children testing negative are vaccinated. Figure therefore excludes those who tested positive and who for any other reason, such as parental request, were not vaccinated.

  Clinical Outcomes
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what work his Department is currently undertaking on health service clinical outcomes; and what plans he has to publish comparative data on clinical outcomes in each NHS trust and health board area in Scotland. [9202]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A report updating and refining the outcome indicators published in December 1994 will be published next month. A further report containing new indicators is planed for publication later in the year.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of state for Scotland if he will publish the target figure in monetary terms for the return on capital for each NHS trust annually since their inception and the actual return
  798
  Mr. Ancram
  My Department's policy in this regard is based on the 1989 publication, "Building on Ability". The principles of this publication have been enshrined in a policy framework document prepared by the NI Sports Council in 1993 on sport for people with disability.

SCOTLAND

  Tuberculosis Vaccination
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the number of BCG vaccinations delivered to school children will, on current trends, reach the level recorded in(a) 1985 and (b) 1980; and if he will make a statement. [7367]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Current practice is to provide tuberculin testing for school children aged around 12. Where the test is negative, BCG vaccination is offered. Figures published by the Registrar General for Scotland show that the number of 12-year-olds declined substantially over the period between 1980 and 1994. In consequence, the number of vaccinations has also decreased and, on current trends, the number of children vaccinated is unlikely, in the foreseeable future, to reach the levels recorded in these earlier years. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises Health Ministers on vaccination issues, is reviewing the current arrangements for BCG testing and vaccination in schools and its recommendations, when available, will be carefully considered. Data on population, testing and vaccination in the years 1980, 1985 and 1994 are given in the following table.

  as capital annually; and how much of the actual surplus was (a) retained by the NHS trusts and (b) returned to the Government. [7366]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is set out in the table and was taken from NHS trust accounts for financial years 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95.

  Return on capital for 1992–93

  £000

  Trust name

  Target return

  Actual reurn

  Retained by trust

  Returned

  Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust

  7,503

  8,580

  2,707

  5,873

  South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  2,900

  3,011

  480

  2,531

  Total

  10,403

  11,591

  3,187

  8,404

  799 800

  Return on capital for 1993–94

  £000

  Trust name

  Target return

  Actual return

  Retained by trust

  Returned

  Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust

  7,620

  7,027

  696

  6,331

  Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare NHS Trust

  3,123

  3,037

  1,021

  2,016

  Caithness and Sutherland NHS Trust

  922

  960

  319

  641

  Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  7,223

  7,231

  1,284

  5,947

  Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust

  10,024

  10,675

  3,546

  7,129

  Monklands and Bellshills Hospitals NHS Trust

  2,481

  2,766

  904

  1,862

  Moray Health Services NHS Trust

  1,225

  1,339

  354

  985

  North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust

  4,671

  4,639

  1,593

  3,046

  Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust

  3,026

  3,570

  1,171

  2,399

  Royal Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

  3,670

  3,807

  1,114

  2,693

  Royal Scottish National Hospital NHS Trust

  1,636

  2,194

  975

  1,219

  South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  2,864

  3,068

  727

  2,341

  Southern General Hospitals NHS Trust

  3,489

  4,020

  1,106

  2.914

  Stirling Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  2,481

  2,570

  899

  1,671

  Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust

  2,657

  2,556

  526

  2,030

  West Lothian NHS Trust

  5,615

  5,749

  1,612

  4,137

  Yorkhill NHS Trust

  2,274

  2,151

  601

  1,550

  Total

  65,001

  67,359

  18,448

  48,911

  Return on capital for 1994–95

  £000

  Trust name

  Target return

  Actual return

  Retained by trust

  Returned

  Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust

  8,024

  7,977

  1,466

  6,511

  Angus NHS Trust

  2,588

  2,601

  896

  1,705

  Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare NHS Trust

  3,271

  3,272

  883

  2,389

  Caithness and Sutherland NHS Trust

  973

  1,005

  319

  686

  Central Scotland Healthcare NHS Trust

  3,659

  3,699

  214

  3,485

  Dumfries and Galloway Acute and Maternity Hospitals NHS Trust

  1,613

  1,456

  433

  1,023

  Dundee Healthcare NHS Trust

  3,168

  3,213

  1,120

  2,093

  Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  7.074

  5,603

  990

  4,613

  East & Midlothian NHS Trust

  3,503

  3,537

  1,215

  2,322

  Edinburgh Healthcare NHS Trust

  6,262

  6,682

  2,332

  4,350

  Edinburgh Sick Childrens' NHS Trust

  663

  682

  230

  452

  Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  2,290

  2,593

  985

  1,608

  Fife Healthcare NHS Trust

  3,798

  3,859

  1,365

  2,494

  Glasgow Royal Infirmary University NHS Trust

  7,499

  8.003

  2,559

  5,444

  Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust

  10,564

  10,806

  2,799

  8,007

  Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health Services NHS Trust

  7,922

  7,925

  1,701

  6,224

  Hairmyres and Stonehouse Hospitals NHS Trust

  2,876

  2,816

  625

  2,191

  Highland Communities NHS Trust

  3,061

  3,025

  592

  2,433

  Inverclyde Royal NHS Trust

  1,872

  1,989

  699

  1,290

  Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  2,145

  2,187

  731

  1,456

  Law Hospital NHS Trust

  1,907

  2,133

  877

  1,256

  Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals NHS Trust

  2,552

  2,557

  936

  1,621

  Moray Health Services NHS Trust

  1,779

  1,786

  139

  1,647

  North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust

  4,913

  4,957

  1,713

  3,244

  Perth and Kinross Healthcare NHS Trust

  4,380

  4,449

  1,449

  3,000

  Queen Margaret Hospital NHS Trust

  4,014

  4,017

  1,292

  2.725

  Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust

  3,120

  3,119

  815

  2,304

  Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  4,058

  4,276

  1,634

  2,642

  Royal Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

  3,654

  3,781

  860

  2,921

  Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust

  8,541

  8,636

  2,850

  5,786

  South Ayrshire Hospital NHS Trust

  2,921

  2,923

  516

  2,407

  Southern General Hospital NHS Trust

  3,846

  3,845

  1,345

  2,500

  Stirling Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  2,564

  2,680

  824

  1,856

  Stobhill NHS Trust

  3,548

  3,559

  1,190

  2,369

  Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust

  2,621

  2,474

  (5,646)

  1—

  West Glasgow Hospitals University NHS Trust

  5,940

  6,330

  2,233

  4,097

  West Lothian NHS Trust

  5,633

  5,559

  989

  4,570

  Western General Hospitals NHS Trust

  4,783

  4,789

  1,061

  3,728

  Yorkhill NHS Trust

  2,509

  2,636

  925

  1,711

  Total

  156,109

  157,436

  38,156

  111,160

  1Deficit due to loss on disposal of fixed assets.

  1. Figures for Central Scotland Healthcare NHS Trust include those for Royal Scottish National Hospital NHS Trust which dissolved on formation of the new Trust on 1 October 1995

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action heads of his Department's executive agencies are taking to safeguard the provision of pre-retirement courses; and if he will make a statement. [9140]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The heads of the Scottish Office executive agencies recognise the importance of providing effective support for staff about to retire. The method used to provide that support can vary from agency to agency and is a matter for each chief executive, but many of them use facilities provided through the Scottish Office.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which capital projects are currently being considered under the private finance initiative; and what is the cost of each project. [9031]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The following projects are the subject of negotiation or are expected to be put out to tender soon:

  Project

  Estimated capital value (£million)

  Highland Regional Council: Fort William/Inverness sewage treatment scheme

  45

  Edinburgh Healthcare NHS Trust: Ferryfield house: elderly beds

  2

  Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health Services Trust: Stobhill Hospital: acute mental health beds

  7.4

  Hairmyres and Stonehouse NHS Trust: new hospital

  70

  Law Hospital NHS Trust: health information system

  2.5

  Perth and Kinross Healthcare NHS Trust: health information system

  2.5

  Dundee District Council: Baldovie waste to energy facility

  40

  Grampian Health Board: Stonehaven health services

  3.8

  Law Hospital NHS Trust: new hospital

  120

  M6 completion

  1110.0

  Ayrshire and Arran Community Health Trust: East Ayrshire health services

  8.0

  Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust: new hospital

  140.0

  Western General Hospital NHS Trust (Edinburgh): new hospital

  95.0

  1Estimated value of remaining Scottish section.

  Six projects are currently in progress, contracts have been let. These are all in the health sector and have a total estimated capital value of £22.9 million.

  Scottish Homes (Transfers)
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the scope of his announcement that local authorities will now be able to bid for Scottish Homes properties which were earmarked for transfer. [9252]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities proposal that local authorities should be able to bid more widely for Scottish Homes 802
  stock was included in the consultation paper, "Devolution of Power to Councils", which was issued on 29 December and is currently the subject of consultation. Until a decision is taken following the responses to the consultation exercise, the current policy will continue to be applied.

  Electricity Interconnector
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representation he has received concerning the need for an inquiry into the undersea section of the proposed electricity interconnector with Northern Ireland; what response he has given; and if he will make a statement. [9320]

  Mr. Kynoch
  My right hon. Friend has received one such representation. This was passed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport in view of his responsibilities under section 34 of the Coast Protection Act 1949.

  Disability
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest assessment of the impact of local government reorganisation on the provision of services for disabled people; what guidelines he(a) has Issued and (b) intends to issue to unitary authorities on the provision of services for and to disabled people; what arrangements he intends to put in place to ensure the continuation of services which are currently provided across the new local government authority boundaries; and if he will make a statement. [9236]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The new local government arrangements will allow authorities the flexibility to establish procedures and structures to secure the efficient and effective delivery of social work services for people with disabilities in response to local needs and circumstances.

  The Government have been determined to ensure a smooth transition to the new arrangements. As part of the community care planning process for 1995–98, local authorities were asked to identify both current and planned services within the new local authorities' boundaries. This will ensure that the new authorities have an informed insight on current strategic thinking and the pattern of services in their areas. The recently produced booklet "Managing Social Work Services in the Future", was distributed widely to both old and new authorities to ensure that elected members were fully aware of their authorities' responsibilities for the provision of social work services. The new authorities are also being provided with a complete package of up-dated guidance and directions on the community care arrangements.

  With regard to the provision of services across the new local authority boundaries, authorities will continue to be able to contract with independent sector providers in other areas. Section 58 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 clarified authorities's powers with regard to purchasing services from other authorities.

  Authorities also already have available procedures to allow them to enter joint arrangements with other authorities or independent sector organisations in consortia to develop specialist services.
  803
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures are in place to ensure that the inaccessibility of school transport is not a restricting factor in integrating disabled children into mainstream schools; and if he will make a statement. [9257]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The provision of school transport is a matter for education authorities who have certain statutory duties, in addition to wide powers, to make appropriate arrangements in respect of disabled children who are attending mainstream schools.

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to ensure that disabled people are represented on the health boards and health councils which he is responsible for appointing; and if he will make a statement. [9361]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A number of disabled people already serve in a non-executive capacity on health boards and NHS trusts and their contribution brings a necessary and important perspective to the boards to which they are appointed. Invitations to serve as non-executives are sought from a wide range of community, voluntary and health groups together with press advertisements to ensure the broadest range of community membership is available for health boards and NHS trusts.

  Responsibility for appointments to health councils rests with local health boards, who are encouraged to seek a broad representation of members appointed to serve on health councils.

  Scots Language
  Mr. Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has made representations to the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys concerning a question on the Scots language being included in the 2001 census; and if he will make a statement. [9383]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Registrar General for Scotland is currently canvassing the views of a number of individuals and organisations with an interest in the Scots language. It will be some time before a decision will be taken on the merits and practicality of including a question on Scots in the census.

  Incontinence Pads
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on the supply of incontinence pads to those who require them because of disability; what plans he has to review these arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [9213]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In Scotland, general practitioners are able to prescribe incontinence pads. A range of incontinence pads is included in the Scottish drug tariff. There are no current plans to review these arrangements.

  Autism
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the services available to(a) children and (b) adults with autism; and what plans he has to enhance these services. [9253]
  804
  Lord James Douglas Hamilton
  Local social work, education and health authorities are responsible for determining and responding to the social, educational and health care needs of children with autism. The Scottish Office has commissioned a research project on the incidence of autism among children in Scotland and the current education provision for autistic pupils. The project will draw on experience through the UK in considering which types of educational approaches are most appropriate for children with autism. With regard to adults with autism, under the community care arrangements, local authority social work departments, in conjunction with health and housing authorities, are responsible for assessing the requirement for care services to meet the needs of vulnerable adults living in the community. Local authorities are well funded to meet these responsibilities and must establish their priorities for service development and resource allocation in response to local circumstances.

  Carers
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to ensure that carers are represented on the health boards and health councils which he is responsible for appointing; and if he will make a statement. [9365]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Invitations to serve as non-executives on health boards and NHS trusts are sought from a wide range of community, voluntary and health groups, a number of whom will represent the interests of carers. Invitations are also made by press advertisements to ensure that the broadest range of community membership of health boards and NHS trusts is available.

  Responsibility for appointments to health councils rests with local health boards, who are similarly encouraged to ensure that a broad representation of community interests is available through the appointment of members.

  National Lottery
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact of the national lottery on raising funds to support the development and operation of the hospice movement and hospices; what plans he has to ensure the financial security of hospices; and if he will make a statement. [9280]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There is as yet no conclusive evidence about the impact of the national lottery on the fund-raising activities of the adult voluntary hospices in Scotland. The Scottish Office will keep in close contact with the Scottish Partnership Agency for Palliative and Cancer Care, which will continue to keep this matter under review. Two hospices have already benefited from the national lottery fund, and we have given an assurance that such funding can be treated independently of the hospices' income from their contracts with health boards.

  When my right hon. Friend met representatives of the hospice movement on 21 December 1995 to discuss a number of issues, including finance, he reaffirmed his view that hospices should be able to expect to receive around half of their running cost income through their

  805
  contracts with health boards; and he recognised the benefits of longer contracts in increasing their financial security.

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of the national lottery upon the fund-raising efforts of charities and voluntary organisations in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [9286]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There is, as yet, no conclusive evidence concerning the impact of the national lottery on the fund-raising activities of charities and voluntary organisations. However, the Government have given a commitment to monitor charitable income, and The Scottish Office is associated with a Home Office research project which will analyse and monitor changes in charitable income, following the introduction of the national lottery.

  Gateside School for the Deaf
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future of the services provided by Gateside school for the deaf to

  (i) Greater Glasgow Health Board: Discharges after Medical Accidents, 1980–19951

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Misadventures to patients during surgical and medical care2

  50

  38

  37

  57

  47

  62

  5

  11

  Drugs, medicaments and biological substances causing adverse effects in therapeutic use3

  344

  382

  380

  445

  452

  503

  465

  394

  Total

  394

  420

  417

  502

  499

  565

  470

  405

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  19951

  Misadventures to patients during surgical and medical care2

  13

  7

  12

  38

  76

  54

  91

  87

  Drugs, medicaments and biological substances causing adverse effects in therapeutic use3

  551

  444

  454

  609

  509

  549

  633

  534

  Total

  564

  451

  466

  647

  585

  603

  724

  621

  11995 data provisional.

  2These figures include: (a) hospital acquired infections but exclude: (b) accidental overdoses of drugs and cases where the wrong drug was given in error (c) surgical and medical procedures as the cause of abnormal reactions by the patient, without mention of misadventure at the time of the procedure.

  3These figures include: (a) correct drug properly administered in therapeutic or prophylactic dosage, as the cause of any adverse effect but exclude (b) accidental overdose of drugs and cases where the wrong drug was given in error (c) administration with suicidal or homicidal intent.

  (ii) Greater Glasgow Health Board: deaths from medical accidents, 1980–1994

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Misadventures to patients during surgical and medical care1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  2

  1

  Drugs, medicaments and biological substances causing adverse effects in therapeutic use2

  2

  4

  4

  2

  —

  —

  4

  2

  Total

  3

  4

  4

  2

  1

  1

  6

  3

  806
  (a) children in the new Renfrewshire council's area and (b) other unitary authorities. [9371]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  It will be for the new Renfrewshire council and for the two other councils whose areas are currently served by staff based at Gateside school to determine how to discharge their statutory duties in respect of children belonging to their areas who have special educational needs arising from hearing impairment.

  Greater Glasgow Health Board
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the rate of medical accidents and hospital acquired infections, injuries and fatalities in the Greater Glasgow health board area in each year since 1979. [9543]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  With the exception of 1979, for which year comparable figures are not available centrally, (i) the number of discharges after medical accidents and (ii) the number of deaths after medical accidents are shown in the tables.
  807

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  Misadventures to patients during surgical and medical care1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  2

  1

  Drugs, medicaments and biological substances causing adverse effects in therapeutic use2

  1

  —

  3

  2

  2

  8

  2

  Total

  1

  —

  3

  3

  4

  10

  3

  1These figures include: (a) hospital acquired infections but exclude: (b) accidental overdoses of drugs and cases where the wrong drug was given in error (c) surgical and medical procedures as the cause of abnormal reactions by the patient, without mention of misadventure at the time of the procedure.

  2These figures include: (a) correct drug properly administered in therapeutic or prophylactics dosage, as the cause of any adverse effect but exclude: (b) accidental overdose of drug and cases where the wrong drug was given in error (c) administration with suicidal or homicidal intent.

  Over the same period the number of in-patients and day cases in the Greater Glasgow health board area rose by 35 per cent. from 183,178 to 248,129.

  Scottish Office Pensions Agency
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for the privatisation of the Scottish Office Pensions Agency; and if he will make a statement. [10105]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 18 January 1996]: I have no plans to privatise the agency.

TRANSPORT

  Goods and Public Service Vehicle Drivers
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many instances in the last five years an applicant for goods vehicle and public service vehicle licence has received a licence despite having a criminal record. [10192]

  Mr. Norris
  The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that schools and local education authorities check school bus drivers' credentials, including any criminal convictions, with the police; [10190]

  (2) what steps he is taking to improve liaison between the police, schools and local education authorities concerning checking applications for school bus drivers and similar positions. [10191]

  Mr. Norris
  Individual schools and local education authorities are responsible for checking the credentials of all those who work with children in their charge and for appropriate liaison with police forces.

  Road Rage
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has to introduce psychological counselling for road rage; and if he will make a statement; [9917]

  (2) what proposals he has to combat road rage by psychological counselling. [9918]

  Mr. Norris
  The courts may impose a probation or combination order on an offender, who is supervised by a probation officer required to assess the offender's motivations, pattern of offending and relevant problems 808
  and devise a supervision programme designed to address them. This can include mandatory or voluntary counselling and treatment where the offender has reacted inappropriately to a situation on the road. Consideration is being given to whether anything further needs to be done.

  MOTs
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to review the need to issue annual reminders to motorists to have MOTs as part of his policy to reduce pollution from cars; and if he will make a statement. [10412]

  Mr. Norris
  We have no plans to review the need for mandatory annual MOT reminders. I believe that the benefits would be minimal: motorists already receive an annual vehicle excise duty reminder and cannot at that stage relicense their vehicles without a current MOT test certificate.

  We are, however, exploring in the context of MOT computerisation the matter of garages being able voluntarily to issue MOT reminders.

TREASURY

  Profit-related Pay Schemes
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer that proposals he has for(a) reviewing and (b) improving profit-related pay schemes. [8310]

  Mr. Jack
  The operation of this tax relief is kept under regular review. Action is taken when necessary to ensure that the relief continues to meet its policy objectives.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the amount per week a married couple with two children on average male earnings is estimated to have paid in VAT, at today's prices, in the year 1978–79; and what he estimates a similar family will pay in 1995–96. [8530]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  A married couple with two children on average earnings paid VAT of £7.36 per week in 1978–79, in 1995–96 prices, and an estimated £21.40 in 1995–96. Since 1978–79, the real take-home pay of such a family has risen by £80 per week.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list and give full details of all applications for
  809
  capital schemes from the west midlands region seeking PH approval for 1994–95 and 1995–96; and in each case (a) which have been approved, (b) which are still awaiting approval and (c) which were originally the subject of bids for full funding from Treasury. [9205]

  Mr. Jack
  Full details of applications for capital schemes from the west midlands region could be provided only at disproportionate cost, due to the diverse numbers of organisations involved with PHI throughout the public sector.

  Live Creatures and Plants (Customs Seizures)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the seizure of live animals and birds by HM Customs and Excise in each of the last three years. [8779]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The numbers of live animals and birds seized by HM Customs and Excise in the last three years for breach of the endangered species controls are as follows:

  1993

  1994

  19951

  Animals

  313

  1,036

  2,034

  Birds

  2,503

  120

  53

  1To end September.

  Mr. Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many prosecutions were entered into as a result of seizure of live creatures and plants by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in each of the last three years. [8780]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  There have been five prosecutions in the last three years, all of them successful.

  Scott Inquiry
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has(a) read, collated or received and (b) authorised civil servants or any other person to read, collate or receive copies of draft sections of Sir Richard Scott's report circulated by Sir Richard Scott to Government Ministers, civil servants and other persons. [10213]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 18 January 1996]: The handling of extracts of Sir Richard Scott's draft report, subject to guidance from the inquiry, is for those to whom they are sent. The Government do not disclose details of correspondence between the inquiry and individual witnesses.

  Mr. Cook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost of salaries since 1992 paid to persons in Her Majesty's Customs and Excise employed on a part-time or full-time basis in any connection in relation to the Scott inquiry. [10211]

  Mr. Clarke
  [holding answer 18 January 1996]: The staff costs of officials within HM Customs and Excise wholly employed on matters relating to the Scott inquiry since 1992 are approximately £443,000. The total staffing costs to date of the Department's Scott inquiry unit are estimated to be around £720,000. This does not include the unquantifiable costs of current and former Customs and Excise officials who acted as witnesses to the Scott inquiry who have been involved on an ad hoc basis.
  810
  Mr. Cook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown of the spending by his Department or by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise on external advice in relation to the Scott inquiry, including how much has been spent on legal advice and for whom. [10212]

  Mr. Clarke
  [holding answer 18 January 1996]: The amount so far spent by the Treasury on external advice in relation to Sir Richard Scott's inquiry is £2,468. Some £60,440 has been spent by HM Customs and Excise on external legal advice both for witnesses who are Customs officials and for independent counsel involved in the cases considered by the inquiry. The names of the individuals and their legal advisors are confidential to them.

  Self-employed People
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from self-employed people and their organisations in respect of his recent Budget proposals; what has been the nature of such representations; and if he will make a statement. [8561]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 15 January 1996]: My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has received a number of representations since the Budget, but it would not be practicable to identify separately those from self-employed people. The income tax measures in the Budget will cut tax for some 3 million self-employed taxpayers. The introduction of self-assessment will greatly simplify the current outdated and complex rules for taxation of the self-employed.

HEALTH

  Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning annually resulting in death and injury involve(a) persons over the age of 60 years and (b) students and persons under the age of 25 years. [9718]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  I have been asked to reply.

  The estimated annual average UK totals over the latest five years for non-fatal accidental carbon monoxide poisonings from all causes, but excluding work-related accidents, are as follows:

  Age

  Total

  Under 25 years

  272

  Over 60 years

  29

  The annual average numbers over the latest five years of accidental carbon monoxide fatalities from all causes in England and Wales, again excluding work related-accidents, are as follows:

  Age

  Total

  Under 25 years

  28

  Over 60 years

  44

  811
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning resulting in deaths and injury annually are caused by(a) live fuel effect gas fires, (b) gas water heaters, (c) gas central heating, (d) other gas appliances, (e) live fuel effect liquid petroleum gas fires, (f) liquid petroleum gas water heaters, (g) liquid petroleum gas central heating, (h) other liquid gas petroleum appliances, (i) solid fuel fires, (j) solid fuel central heating, (k) oil-fired central heating boilers and (1) other agents. [9705]

  Mr. Taylor
  I have been asked to reply.

  The estimated annual average UK totals for non-fatal accidental carbon monoxide poisonings from all causes, but excluding work-related accidents, are as follows:

  Number

  Live-fuel effect gas fires

  87

  Gas water heaters

  106

  Gas central heating

  19

  Other gas appliances

  n/a

  Live fuel effect liquid petroleum gas fires

  n/a

  Liquid petroleum gas water heaters

  n/a

  Liquid petroleum gas central heating

  n/a

  Other liquid gas petroleum appliances

  n/a

  Solid fuel cooking ranges

  51

  Solid fuel fires

  13

  Solid fuel central heating

  n/a

  Oil-fired central heating boilers

  n/a

  Non-appliance-related accidents

  169

  Unknown source

  85

  n/a—No data available.

  Coroners' returns of fatalities from carbon monoxide do not contain the degree of detail necessary for the categorisation specified in the question. However, the special report, "Poisoning by Carbon Monoxide from Domestic Heating Appliances", sponsored by the Department's consumer safety unit and published in 1995 by Metra-Martech Ltd., copies of which are available in the Library of the House, contains estimates of the annual totals of accidents and fatalities, classified separately by appliance and fuel type.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning resulting in deaths and injury annually are caused by(a) natural gas, (b) liquid petroleum gas, (c) solid fuel, (d) domestic fuel oil and (e) other agents. [9719]

  Mr. Taylor
  I have been asked to reply.

  The estimated annual average UK totals over the latest five years for non-fatal accidental carbon monoxide poisonings from all causes, but excluding work-related accidents, are as follows:

  Number

  Natural gas

  212

  Liquid petroleum gas

  1—

  Solid fuel

  64

  Domestic fuel oil

  1—

  Other agents

  1—

  1No accidents registered on the Home Accident Surveillance System.

  812
  The annual averages over the latest five years for accidental carbon monoxide fatalities from all causes in England and Wales, again excluding work-related accidents, are as follows:

  Number

  Natural gas

  25

  Liquid petroleum gas

  3

  Solid fuel

  7

  Domestic fuel oil

  1

  Unknown agents

  10

  Non-appliance

  79

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning resulting in deaths and injury there have been in the last 10 years. [9706]

  Mr. Taylor
  I have been asked to reply.

  The number of accidental injuries owing to carbon monoxide poisoning in Great Britain from home heating appliances is estimated as follows:

  1985: 215

  1986: 161

  1987: 176

  1988: 53

  1989: 130

  1990: 128

  1991: 228

  1992: 244

  1993: 105

  1994: 211

  Source: DTI report on Carbon Monoxide poisoning from Domestic Heating Appliances.

  The comparable figures for accidental figures owing to carbon monoxide poisoning from non-appliance-related cases are:

  1985: 151

  1986: 101

  1987: 59

  1988: 309

  1989: 74

  1990: 110

  1991: 285

  1992: 89

  1993: 42

  1994: 273

  The annual totals for fatalities from carbon monoxide poisoning from domestic heating appliances are:

  1985: 16

  1986: 76

  1987: 52

  1988: 39

  1989: 42

  1990: 46

  1991: 51

  1992: 50

  1993: 311

  1994: 301

  Note:
  1Flammable gas sources only.
  813
  The comparable figures for fatalities from carbon monoxide poisoning, from non-appliance-related cases, are:

  1985: 22

  1986: 249

  1987: 95

  1988: 122

  1989: 54

  1990: 102

  1991: 35

  1992: 30

  1993: n/a

  1994: n/a

  Note:
  n/a - No data available.

  Residential Care Homes
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 19 December,Official Report, column 1134, in what form information about residential geriatric beds is available. [8449]

  Mr. Bowis
  Information on the average daily number of available national health service beds, including those in wards classified as for the elderly is published in "Bed availability for England". Information on the number of beds in independent sector hospitals, nursing homes and clinics is published in "Private Hospitals, Homes and Clinics Registered under Section 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1994". Information on residential accommodation provided in staffed local authority accommodation, voluntary and private homes in England for elderly and for people who are physically or sensorily disabled is published in "Residential Accommodation for Elderly People and People with Physical and/or Sensory Disabilities". Copies of all these publications are available in the Library.

  Disability
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance he intends to issue to(a) Departments,(b) executive agencies,(c) non-departmental public bodies and (d) outside bodies and arm's-length organisations which he has responsibility for, or an interest in, regarding the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement. [9219]

  (2) what guidance he intends to issue to health authorities and trusts about the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement. [9241]

  Mr. Horam
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Minister for Disabled People gave to him on 15 January 1996,Official Report, column 417. I will ensure that my Department and any bodies for which it is responsible will be made aware of their responsibilities under the Act.

  Autism
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the services available to(a) children and (b) adults with autism; and what plans he has to enhance these services. [9254]

  Mr. Bowis
  Health and local authorities are responsible for the provision and development of appropriate services in their areas in the light of departmental guidance, "The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 6 Children with Disabilities", LAC(92)15 and HSG(92)42, copies of which are available in the Library. We are also funding a number of projects through the voluntary sector which will heighten awareness of the needs of people with autism and assist in the development of services.

  Hormone Replacement Therapy
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies his Department is undertaking into links between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer. [9490]

  Mr. Horam
  The Department of Health is currently discussing research into the long-term effects of hormone replacement therapy with the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

  Psychiatric Nurses
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses working in psychiatric areas in the community per thousand population were employed by the NHS in(a) south Birmingham, (b) north Birmingham in the most recent five years for which figures are available. [9400]

  Mr. Bowls
  The information is shown in the table.

  NHS hospital and community health services nursing and midwifery staff working within the community psychiatric nursing areas of work, excluding senior nurses and agency staff—by South Birmingham and North Birmingham district health authorities as at 30 September each year

  Per 1,000 head of population

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  South Birmingham DHA1

  0.134

  0.131

  0.127

  0.138

  0.140

  North Birmingham DHA2

  0.049

  0.056

  0.061

  0.061

  0.125

  Notes

  1The figure for 1990 includes data for Central Birmingham DHA which merged with South Birmingham in 1991 to form the current South Birmingham DHA.

  2The figures for 1990 to 1993 includes data for East Birmingham DHA and West Birmingham DHA which merged with North Birmingham DHA to form the current North Birmingham DHA. Community psychiatric nursing figures include qualified, unqualified and "other" nursing staff working within community psychiatric nursing area of work.

  All nursing data are rounded to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalents.

  Calculations are based on unrounded figures.

  Source:

  Nursing figures: Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

  Population figures: Office of Public Census and Surveys 1994 Mid-year estimates.

  Prescriptions (Sheffield)
  Sir Irvine Patrick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued in Sheffield health authority for each of the last three years; and what was the total cost for each year. [9544]

  Mr. Malone
  The figures relating to prescriptions written by general practitioners in Sheffield family health services authority and dispensed anywhere in England are shown in the table.

  Year

  Number of Items

  Cost in NIC £

  1992–93

  5,239,217

  31,052,082

  1993–94

  5,597,739

  34,109,947

  1994–95

  5,792,733

  37,224,212

  NIC="Net Ingredient Cost"—ie the cost of the drug excluding container costs and any discount obtained by the dispenser.

  Emergency Service
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency patients were transported more than 50 miles to receive hospital treatment in each month of 1995; and how many have subsequently died. [9825]

  Mr. Horam
  This information is not available centrally.

  NHS Chairmen and Non-executive Directors
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a list of current NHS chairmen and non-executive directors and the posts previously held by them. [9905]

  Mr. Malone
  A list of all appointments to national health service authorities and trusts will be published in the summer. It is not intended to include details of appointees' previous NHS posts.

  Probity Audits
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of NHS audit activity was devoted to probity audits in(a) 1985 and (b) 1995. [9835]

  Mr. Horam
  This information is not available centrally.

  Executive Directors (Severance)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if NHS trusts are required to obtain the approval of the NHS executive before agreeing severance settlements for executive directors. [9836]

  Mr. Malone
  No. The guidance TEL(94)3 does not require trusts to submit information regarding compensation payments to directors.

  Trainee Nurses
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the number of nurses in training. [9837]
  816
  Mr. Horam
  It is for local employers to determine the work force required to deliver the services that they have contracted to provide. They do this in the context of annual planning guidance issued by the National Health Service Executive, which maintains a national overview.

  Paracetamol
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to ensure the safety of the current formulation of paracetamol. [9910]

  Mr. Malone
  The current formulation of paracetamol is safe when the recommended dose is not exceeded. Labelling regulations require that all packs instruct the patient not to exceed the recommended dose, which is clearly stated. Legislation restricts the number of tablets in a pack that can be bought without a pharmacist's supervision.

  Attention Deficit Disorder
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those university teaching hospitals, medical colleges and other institutions involved in the training of medical doctors, indicating which of them include in their courses training in attention deficit disorder. [9017]

  Mr. Malone
  Each university medical school in the United Kingdom is responsible for setting its own undergraduate medical curriculum. It does so in the light of recommendations from the education committee of the General Medical Council which has the statutory responsibility for determining the skills and knowledge required for the granting of primary medical qualifications in the UK. Information on each medical school's curriculum is not available centrally.

  The medical royal colleges are responsible for determining the content of postgraduate and continuing medical education programmes for qualified doctors. The Royal College of Psychiatrists is currently responsible for accreditation of postgraduate training schemes in child psychiatry and aims to ensure that all trainee psychiatrists receive a broad training in all relevant assessment and treatment interventions which would include the assessment and management of attention deficit disorder.

  Epilepsy
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated in the last five years into the effects on drivers who suffer from epilepsy of light emitting diodes bicycle lights. [8618]

  Mr. Bowis
  None. The use of flashing LED bicycle lights is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport.

  NHS Loto
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been received by the national health service from the NHS Loto(a) prior to and (b) since June 1995; and how much money has been spent. [8772]
  817
  Mr. Horam
  NHS Loto is a lottery run independently of the Government, the Department of Health, and the national health service by Pascal and Company on behalf of the National Hospital Trust, a registered charity. I understand that 25 per cent. of the income of NHS Loto is given to the National Hospital Trust to donate to NHS hospitals. The trust makes substantial donations directly to NHS hospitals for specific projects and not via the Department of Health. The hon. Member may wish to contact the National Hospital Trust at No. 2 Centric house, Shoreditch high street, London E1 6JD for a list of donations.

  Travel Vaccination
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is his Department's official policy regarding the provision of travel vaccines on the NHS; and if he is reviewing it; [9816]

  (2) what plans he has to make a statement about travel vaccines on the NHS. [9817]

  Mr. Horam
  The position of successive Governments has been that immunisations against some infectious diseases are provided free for travellers as a matter of public health policy. This is the case for diseases where immunisation benefits not only the recipient but also the community at large by helping to prevent the spread of disease in the United Kingdom. Not all diseases covered by travel vaccines present a similar public health risk. Advice about possible risks, and measures which can be taken to avoid illness abroad, including travel vaccines, continues to be available free from general practitioners.

  The Department of Health is currently considering the existing arrangements for travel vaccines in order to resolve the inconsistencies and ambiguities which have arisen over the years.

  Hospital Bed Occupancy Rates
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines his Department provides on hospital bed occupancy rates. [9818]

  Mr. Horam
  None.

  Young People (Secure Accommodation)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many young people(a) in total, (b) by age and (c) by gender were being held in local authority secure accommodation (i) on criminal grounds and (ii) on care grounds on the last date for which figures are available; [10147]

  (2) how many young people were held in local authority secure accommodation on criminal grounds, in total; and how many of them were (a) on remand, (b) sentenced using section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1993 and (c) on other grounds at the last date for which figures are available. [10148]

  Mr. Bowis
  The information requested is published in "Children accommodated in secure units during the year ending 31 March 1995, England, A/F 95/21", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which is his policy as to the acceptable level of(a) salmonella campylobacter, (b) E. coli and (c) cryptosporidium in potable water. [10340]

  Mr. Horam
  Standards are laid down in legislation for faecal coliforms, which would include E. coli. The legislation also requires that water does not contain any organism at a concentration detrimental to public health. Water which meets legislative requirements for faecal coliforms indicator organisms is unlikely to contain salmonella or campylobacter. Research has shown that well operated treatment plants reduce cryptosporidium to very low levels. If cryptosporidium is detected, water companies, in discussion with local public health and environmental health officials, are responsible for making decisions.

  Legionnaire's Disease, Turkey
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Public Health Laboratory Service was first informed about an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in Kusadasi, Turkey. [10443]

  Mr. Horam
  The Public Health Laboratory Service will consider that there may be an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease among residents of the United Kingdom only when two or more reported cases appear to be linked. The PHLS first became aware of a second case of Legionnaire's disease in a resident of the UK, associated with a recent stay in Kusadasi, Turkey, on 11 August 1995.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the report of the Public Health Laboratory Service into an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in Kusadasi, Turkey, during 1995. [10444]

  Mr. Horam
  The report entitled, "Outbreak of Legionnaire's Disease Associated with the Hotel Imbat, Kusadasi, Turkey—Final Report and Recommendations from the Epidemiological, Environmental and Microbiological Investigations carried out by the PHLS in conjunction with the Turkish Representative of the European Working Group for Legionella Infections" is currently in preparation. Copies of this report will be placed in the Library.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in respect of which TECs she considers monitoring systems are(a) adequate and (b) inadequate. [10413]

  Mr. Paice
  The Department assigns financial risk banding to each training and enterprise council after assessing whether it complies with financial control provisions contained in the TEC operating agreement. These require TECs to monitor their own activities, and those of subcontractors, as well as meeting a range of obligations to young people and adults participating in training programmes.
  819
  These assessment do not cover TECs' private income nor any other internal financial matter which fall outside their contracts with Government. Financial control risk banding are reviewed quarterly, but individual TEC results are confidential.

  The latest composite TEC risk banding results are for the quarter ended 30 September 1995, when all 74 English TECs fell within the Department's low risk band.

  Tree People(Benefit Claims)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will ensure that her officials enforce the availability for work rule on benefit claimants living in trees near the Newbury bypass; and if she will make a statement. [10526]

  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 Mike Fogden to Mr. David Nicholson, dated 19 January 1996:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about ensuring that officials enforce the availability for work rule on benefit claimants living in trees near the Newbury by-pass.
  It may help if I explain that the receipt of unemployment benefits is conditional upon a person being available for and actively seeking employment. This means that they must be available to start work immediately; must not place such restrictions on the work they are willing to do which would leave them with no real prospects of finding a job and must take those steps, each week, which offer them their best prospects of obtaining work.
  To satisfy the actively seeking employment condition, the steps an individual is required to take in any week are those which are reasonable in their case and which offer them their best prospects of receiving offers of employment. Steps may include applying for jobs, orally or in writing, looking in appropriate newspapers, trade magazines or other publications and following up possible job opportunities and canvassing employers. For the purposes of the actively seeking employment regulation, taking one step on a single occasion in a week is not enough to satisfy the condition unless that was all it was reasonable for the individual to do in that week.
  The onus is on the claimant to show what steps they have taken to seek work. The legislation does not require written evidence but claimants are advised to keep records of their jobsearch to help them. Evidence can therefore be given orally or in writing and may include names and addresses of empioyers approached, copies of any written applications made and replies received, details of advertised vacancies which have been applied for, list of Jobcentres visited and job enquiries made.
  I can assure you that my people in Newbury Jobcentre are applying the availability and actively seeking employment conditions to all claimants, including those who are taking part in the Newbury by-pass protest. My manager at Newbury has confirmed that, as with other claimants, protesters are seen regularly to check their jobsearch and some have applied for and been submitted to vacancies on display at the Jobcentre.
  If there are any doubts about whether an individual satisfies the entitlement conditions their claim is referred to the independent adjudicating authorities for a decision. A number of adjudication disallowances have been obtained on claims made by protesters.

  Out-of-school Child Care Initiative
  Mr. Chisholm
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the details of the new funding programme for out-of-school child care commencing April 1996 will be made available. [10339]

  Mr. Paice
  Officials are currently working, in consultation with training and enterprise councils, to develop planning guidance for the extension in England of this initiative announced following the Chancellor's Budget statement. I expect that this guidance will be issued to TECs in the next few weeks.

  Student Loans
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the Education (Students Loans) Bill allows higher education institutions to recover the costs of validating applications for private sector loans. [10294]

  Mr. Forth
  Our aim is that higher education institutions will receive payments in respect of the costs they incur in certifying loan applications, irrespective of whether these are for public or private sector loans. I am considering whether the Bill requires amendment to put this beyond doubt.

  I shall write to my right hon. Friend once I have taken a decision.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Claimants, Walthamstow
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of people in Walthamstow in receipt of income support.[8981]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The administration of income support is a matter for Peter Mathieson, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Neil Gerrard, dated 17 January 1996:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about what is his estimate of the number of people in Walthamstow in receipt of Income Support (IS)
  The information is not available in the format requested. This is because statistics are not kept which are specific to Parliamentary Constituencies, the borders of which are not the same as those of benefit offices. Statistics are kept on the IS computer system on the number of people claiming IS in each Benefit Agency District.
  The Lea Roding District comprises of the Ilford, Leytonstone and Walthamstow benefit offices. The number of people claiming income support from this District for the quarter ended 30 November 1995 was 62,777, this is a provisional figure which may be subject to amendment.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Benefits Agency (Assaults on Staff)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish for each standard region and for the United Kingdom the number of reported cases of assault on the staff of the Benefits Agency in their offices or in the course of their work for the last available three years; and if he will make a statement. [8687]

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

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Dafydd Wigley, dated 18 January 1996:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if he will publish for each standard region and for the United Kingdom the number of reported cases of assault on the staff of the Benefits Agency in their offices or in the course of their work for the last available three years; and if he will make a statement.
  The Benefits Agency produces annual statistics to show the reported numbers of assaults on its staff. These statistics are not available in the form requested. Annexe A gives details of the information available.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Annexe A: Reported cases of assault on the staff of the benefits agency

  Analysis by area directorate

  11992

  1993

  1994

  Scotland and Northern England

  Tyne Tees

  —

  5

  7

  South Yorkshire and Humberside

  —

  11

  8

  North and West Yorkshire

  —

  6

  7

  Glasgow and Paisley

  —

  2

  9

  North, Central and West Scotland

  —

  2

  3

  Eastern Scotland

  —

  1

  7

  Wales and Central England

  East Midlands

  —

  5

  11

  Midlands South West

  —

  5

  3

  West Mercia

  —

  5

  1

  Wales

  —

  4

  5

  Merseyside

  —

  9

  3

  Greater Manchester

  —

  2

  1

  Lancashire and Cumbria

  —

  6

  5

  Southern England

  Anglia

  —

  3

  4

  Chilterns

  —

  0

  12

  South London and West Sussex

  —

  4

  16

  West Country

  —

  7

  7

  East London and Essex

  —

  3

  5

  South East

  —

  6

  9

  Wessex

  —

  1

  3

  Totals

  108

  87

  126

  1Area details not available.

  Figures are provisional and subject to amendment.

  Habitual Residence Test
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people who have been tested by the Benefits Agency regarding their habitual residence in the common travel area have passed the habitual residence test since it introduction in August 1994; and how many were(a) European Economic Area nationals, (b) UK citizens and (c) others; [6812]
  822
  (2) if he will now update the information contained in his answer to the hon. Member for Dagenham (Ms Church) of 20 February 1995, Official Report, column 12, concerning the number of British citizens who have passed the habitual residence test since its introduction; [6998]

  (3) how many British citizens have passed the habitual residence test since its introduction. [10235]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information is set out in the table and covers the period August 1994 to November 1995. It relates only to income support. Housing benefit figures will not be available until December 1996 at the earliest.

  Pass

  EEA nationals

  11,660

  British citizens

  76,494

  Others

  14,323

  Total

  102,477

  The Benefits Agency has placed figures relating to the habitual residence test in the Library since April 1995.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people who have been tested by the Benefits Agency regarding their habitual residence have passed the test each month since its introduction, broken down into European Economic Area nationals, United Kingdom citizens and others. [10236]

  Mr. Heald
  The information is set out in the table.

  Number of claims which have passed the habitual residence test since introduction

  Month and year

  EEA nationals

  UK citizens

  Others

  August 1994

  286

  846

  249

  September 1994

  698

  2,680

  648

  October 1994

  932

  3,533

  876

  November 1994

  909

  4,251

  970

  December 1994

  513

  3,637

  729

  January 1995

  740

  4,664

  831

  February 1995

  774

  4,213

  950

  March 1995

  779

  4,755

  990

  April 1995

  668

  4,078

  845

  May 1995

  640

  5,417

  947

  June 1995

  726

  5,990

  1,065

  July 1995

  654

  6,424

  1,078

  August 1995

  779

  7,276

  873

  September 1995

  725

  6,526

  850

  October 1995

  930

  6,431

  822

  November 1995

  800

  6,085

  694

  December 1995

  371

  4,229

  459

  1. These figures are provisional and may be subject to change. From April 1995 onwards these figures are available in the Library.

  2. The figures for "UK Citizens" and "Others" may include repeat claims.

  3. "Others" include foreign nationals who have been given indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK by the immigration authorities.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of those who failed the habitual residence test in its first year were United Kingdom citizens; what was the total estimated savings from the test in its first year; what proportion of the savings was owing to failure by United Kingdom citizens; and if he will set out the basis of his calculation. [10237]
  823
  Mr. Heald
  Twenty one per cent. of income support claimants who failed the habitual residence test were British citizens. The total estimated income-related benefits savings from the test in its first year is £28 million. The proportion of savings owing to failure by British citizens is 53 per cent. of this figure. These savings are calculated on the basis that European Union citizens would have received income-related benefits, including income support, averaging £104.95 a week for an estimated period of 13 weeks before going off benefit. British citizens are assumed to have received the same amount for an estimated 26 weeks. The amount of benefit is based on the income support personal allowance for single claimants aged over 25 plus the average amount of housing benefit and council tax benefit paid in the London area. Figures relating to failures arising out of housing benefit without receipt of income support will not be available until late 1996.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on(a) the operation of and (b) the forecasting procedures for cold weather payments. [9624]

  Mr. Heald
  The cold weather payments scheme, which runs from 1 November to 31 March each year, works very well: payments are made automatically; current arrangements are sensible, responsive, and are based on the best scientific information from the Meteorological Office. Extra help is focused on the most vulnerable groups receiving income support, when there is a sustained period of very cold weather in their area. So far this winter, 3.8 million payments worth almost £32 million have been made.

  In 1991, when the cold weather payment scheme was reviewed, we built into its operation the facility for the Meteorological Office to forecast periods of cold weather in advance. This enables the payment process to start more quickly as payments can be decided on the basis of forecasts without having to wait for seven days of recorded data. If the recorded data which follows do not confirm the forecast, the payments are not recalled. All forecasts used so far this winter have been confirmed by recorded data.

  Reduced Earnings Allowance
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what are the principal prescribed diseases for which reduced earnings allowance is currently claimed; [10120]

  (2) what were the principal prescribed diseases for which reduced earnings allowance was claimed for the first time including back-dating claims in 1994 and 1995;[10121]

  (3) how many (a) men and (b) women over pensionable age in receipt of reduced earnings allowance at the end of (i) 1994 and (ii) 1995 were in paid employment in each region; [10125]

  (4) how many people were awarded, and how much money was paid in, claims, backdated more than 12 months, of reduced earnings allowance in 1994 and 1995, in each region; [10126]
  824
  (5) what was the average backdating of those claims backdated more than 12 months for reduced earnings allowance in 1994 and 1995. [10127]

  Mr. Heald
  The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were awarded reduced earnings allowance for the first time in each of the months in(a) 1994 and (b) 1995. [10122]

  Mr. Heald
  The available information is in the table:

  Awards1 of reduced earnings allowance commencing in the year ending 31 March 1994 analysed by month of commencement

  Number

  All months2

  2,953

  April 1993

  623

  May 1993

  382

  June 1993

  376

  July 1993

  282

  August 1993

  141

  September 1993

  268

  October 1993

  423

  November 1993

  141

  December 1993

  80

  January 1994

  94

  February 1994

  94

  March 1994

  47

  1A customer may be in receipt of more than one award.2 Figures may not sum due to calculation of allowance for late returns.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) men and (b) women are currently in receipt of reduced earnings allowance in each region. [10123]

  Mr. Heald
  The latest available information is in the table.

  Awards1 of reduced earnings allowance current at 2 April 1994 analysed by region

  Men

  Women

  Great Britain2

  115,367

  27,428

  England

  92,313

  23,415

  Northern

  20,871

  2,886

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  12,430

  2,066

  East Midlands

  10,540

  1,987

  East Anglia

  2,317

  1,177

  South-East

  15,704

  5,282

  South-West

  5,548

  1,625

  West Midlands

  9,291

  3,012

  North-West

  15,613

  5,381

  Scotland

  9,412

  1,710

  Wales

  12,922

  2,095

  Overseas

  721

  208

  1A customer may be in receipt of more than one award.

  2Figures may not sum due to calculation of allowance for late returns.

  Figures include frozen reduced earnings allowance.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) men and (b) women in receipt of reduced earnings allowance were over pensionable age, in each region, at the end of (i) 1994, and (ii) 1995. [10124]
  825
  Mr. Heald
  The information requested is not available. The latest available information is in the table.

  Awards2 of reduced earnings allowance current at 2 April 1994 for those over pensionable age1 analysed by region.

  Men3

  Women4

  Great Britain5

  42,744

  12,089

  England

  32,538

  10,013

  Northern

  7,352

  1,166

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  5,148

  920

  East Midlands

  3,922

  751

  East Anglia

  810

  416

  South East

  4,629

  2,303

  South West

  1,966

  633

  West Midlands

  3,456

  1,087

  North West

  5,254

  2,738

  Scotland

  3,360

  771

  Wales

  6,660

  1,186

  Overseas

  188

  119

  Note:

  1Age at 31 March 1994

  Includes frozen or restricted reduced earnings allowance.

  2A customer may be in receipt of more than one award.

  3Age 65 and over.

  4Age 60 and over.

  5Figures may not sum due to calculation for late returns.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total amount currently paid in reduced earnings allowance each(a) week, (b) month, and (c) year to people over pensionable age. [10128]

  Mr. Heald
  The table gives current estimates of the amount paid.

  £ million

  Estimated amount currently paid to reduced earnings allowance recipients over pensionable age

  Total

  (a) each week

  2

  (b) each month

  8

  (c) each year

  85

  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1 million, but are not accurate to that degree.

  2. The figures for each month are based on a standard month of 4.33 weeks.

  3. Figures are given at 1995–96 prices.

  4. Includes frozen or restricted reduced earnings allowance payable to those who had retired before 10 April 1989.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of(a)the numbers of people who would be affected by, and (b) the cost of, extending the four-week extended payments of housing benefit to people who start work having been on (i) incapacity benefit, (ii) severe disablement allowance, (iii) income support disability premium and (iv) in receipt of incapacity benefit within 26 weeks of starting a job. [10141]

  Mr. Heald
  It is not possible to estimate the number of people who would be affected by, or the cost of extending, the four-week extended payments of housing benefit to those moving directly into work from incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance or income support disability 826
  premium. In 1996–97, the cost of extending the scheme to people in receipt of incapacity benefit within 26 weeks of starting a job is estimated to be £2 million1 with around 15,000 people affected.
  Note:1Estimate applies only to people registering as unemployed after leaving the short term higher or long term rate of incapacity benefit.

  Income Support Disability Premium
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of(a) the costs of and (b) the number of people who would benefit from increasing the £15 earnings disregard for claimants of the income support disability premium to £24.50 per week. [10136]

  Mr. Heald
  The information is in the table:

  Effect of increasing the earnings disregard for those with the IS disability premium, from £15 to £24.50 per week.

  Total cost

  £5 million

  Gainers

  10,000

  1. The estimate assumes an increase in the earnings disregard in Income Support only. Costs include increased costs of housing benefit and council tax benefit due to increased entitlements to those benefits.

  2. Modelled using the 1991–1992 and 1993 Family Expenditure Surveys, and the May 1994 Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, uprated to 1996–97 levels. Costs rounded to the nearest £5 million, gainers to the nearest 5,000.

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people currently claiming incapacity benefit are(a) single, (b) in a couple, (c) in a couple with children and (d) single with children. [10138]

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

  Number of beneficiaries of incapacity benefit on 31 May 1995

  Number

  All beneficiaries

  1,846,000

  No dependency increases

  1,373,000

  Adult dependency increase only

  345,000

  Child dependency increase only

  54,000

  Both adult and child dependency increase

  72,000

  Figures taken from a 5 per cent. sample of the incapacity benefit computer system, rounded to the nearest thousand, and excludes a small number of cases paid clerically. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

  Severe Disablement Allowance
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people currently claiming severe disablement allowance are(a) single, (b) in a couple, (c) in a couple with children and (d) single with children. [10143]
  827
  Mr. Heald
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

  Number of beneficiaries of severe disablement allowance on 31 May 1995

  Number

  All beneficiaries

  324,000

  No dependency increases

  317,000

  Adult dependency increase only

  2,000

  Child dependency increase only

  4,000

  Both adult and child dependency increase

  2,000

  Figures taken from a 5 per cent. sample of the incapacity benefit computer system, rounded to the nearest thousand, and excludes a small number of cases paid clerically. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the numbers of appeals currently lodged against a decision that the claimant is capable of work; what is the average waiting time for appeals to be heard; and in how many appeals the claimant has been represented. [10132]

  Mr. Heald
  The information requested is not currently available. However, provisional figures show that there are currently 17,649 appeals outstanding against the incapacity benefit all-work test.

  Disability Working Allowance
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are currently claiming disability working allowance; and what are(a) the total administration costs and (b) the average weekly administration cost per beneficiary. [10174]

  Mr. Heald
  The number of people in receipt of disability working allowance at the end of December 1995 was 7,388

  The latest information on administration costs is for the year 1994–95. In 1994–95, the average number of people claiming disability working allowance was 5,000 and the total administration costs were £5.7 million. This gives an average weekly cost per beneficiary of £23.08.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of disability working allowance receive housing benefit; and what is the average amount payable. [10131]

  Mr. Heald
  On 31 May 1994, 1,000 housing benefit recipients declared disability working allowance as income. The average weekly amount of housing benefit payable was £30.19.

  Notes:

  1. Figures refer to benefit units which may be a single person or a couple. In the case of a couple, either the claimant or partner was in receipt of disability working allowance.

  2. Recipients have been rounded to the nearest thousand and the average amount to the nearest penny.

  3. The information given is based on a very small number of sample cases and is therefore subject to a high degree of variance.

  Source:

  Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample enquiries taken at the end of May 1994.
  828
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average gross weekly earnings received by claimants of disability working allowance who also receive(a) invalidity benefit, (c) incapacity benefit, (c) disability living allowance, (d) disability premium in income support, (e) disability premium in housing benefit, (f) disability premium in council tax benefit and (g) severe disablement allowance. [10135]

  Mr. Heald
  A person in work cannot be in receipt of invalidity benefit, incapacity benefit, income support1 or severe disablement allowance while in receipt of disability working allowance.

  The information in the table shows the average gross weekly earnings, by main qualifying benefit, of people in receipt of disability working allowance at the end of July 1995:

  Numbers in receipt of benefit on 31 July 1995

  Average gross weekly earnings £

  All cases

  6,544

  82.12

  Main qualifying benefit

  Invalidity benefit

  1,052

  71.72

  Incapacity benefit

  132

  78.33

  Disability living allowance

  4,210

  88.72

  Disability premium in income support

  668

  66.85

  Disability premium in housing benefit

  19

  90.87

  Disability premium in council tax benefit

  18

  61.35

  Severe disablement allowance

  445

  68.76

  Notes:

  1. There are some infrequent circumstances in which income support and disability working allowance may be paid together.

  2. Claimants can be in receipt of more than one qualifying benefit and therefore actual numbers in receipt of each qualifying benefit may be higher.

  Source:

  Disability working allowance computer system (100 per cent. of all awards)

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claims for the disability living allowance mobility component in(a) 1992–93, (b) 1993–94, (c) 1994–95 and (d) 1995–96, were accompanied by (i) both supporting statements, (ii) only statement 1, (iii) only statement 2 and (iv) neither statement; [10455]

  (2) what was the number and percentage of decisions for the disability living allowance mobility component where the adjudication officer (a) required an examining medical officer's report, (b) required a general practitioner's factual report, (c) required any other evidence and (d) relied on the claim pack alone, in (i) 1992–93, (ii) 1993–94, (iii) 1994–95 and (iv)1995–96. [10456]

  Mr. Heald
  The information is not available in the format requested. Claims for disability living allowance are for the benefit as a whole and not for individual components. Statistics are not routinely kept on the number of supporting statements supplied with claims.

  The figures in the table cover decisions made on initial awards where a mobility component was awarded.
  829

  Evidence used in initial awards1

  Year

  Claim pack alone

  GP's factual report

  Examining medical practitioner report

  Any other evidence

  Total2

  1992–933,4

  157,000

  64,000

  56,000

  9,000

  287,000

  (Per cent.)

  (55)

  (22)

  (20)

  (3)

  (100)

  1993–943

  72,000

  55,000

  39,000

  7,000

  173,000

  (Per cent.)

  (42)

  (32)

  (22)

  (4)

  (100)

  1994–95

  70,000

  69,000

  36,000

  10,000

  185,000

  (Per cent.)

  (38)

  (37)

  (19)

  (5)

  (100)

  1995–965

  48,000

  58,000

  33,000

  8,000

  148,000

  (Per cent.)

  (33)

  (39)

  (22)

  (6)

  (100)

  Notes:

  1Omits decisions made on review or appeal.

  2Figures may not sum due to rounding.

  3Omits decisions where evidence type not known.

  41992–93 data includes decisions made from February 1992.

  51995–96 includes data upto and including December 1995.

  Source:

  Analytical Services Division 100 per cent. data.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of(a) the cost of and (b) the numbers of claimants who would be entitled to disability working allowance by (i) raising the applicable amounts by 5 per cent., (ii) increasing the maximum disability working allowance by 5 per cent., (iii) disregarding in full any income from a spouse or partner and (iv) reducing the hours of work from 16 to 10. [10137]

  Mr. Heald
  The information is in the table.

  The costs are given at 1995–96 prices and are net of income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit offsets

  1995–96

  Net cost £million

  Gainers

  (i) Raising applicable amounts by 5 per cent.

  1

  8,000

  (ii) Raising maximum DWA by 5 per cent.

  2

  8,000

  (iii) Disregarding spouse earnings

  40

  10,000

  (iv) Reducing hours rule

  2

  1,000

  Notes:

  Estimates for (i), (ii) and (iv) are given at 1995–96 prices rounded to the nearest Elm and 1,000 gainers, (iii) is rounded to nearest £5 million and 5,000 gainers.

  1. Information from the Family Expenditure Survey 1991, 1992 and 1993 is used to estimate the effects of these changes. The data contains insufficient disability working allowance cases to allow direct modelling, therefore the changes have been modelled using proxy groups. These have been calibrated to the 1995–96 disability working allowance forecast caseload.

  2. The use of proxy groups means that these estimates are subject to wide margins of error and should be treated with considerable caution.

  Source:

  Family Expenditure Survey.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of(a) the cost of raising the £3,000 lower capital threshold for disability working allowance to (i) £4,000, (ii) £5,000, (iii) £6,000, (iv) £7,000 and (v) £8,000 and (b) the numbers of claimants who would become entitled to increased benefit in each case. [10175]

  Mr. Heald
  The estimated effects are given in the table. Costs are given at 1995–96 prices rounded to the nearest £1 million, and are net of housing benefit/council tax benefit offsets. Gainers are rounded to the nearest 1,000 and include people who would float on to the benefit.
  830

  Increase capital limits to:

  Net cost £ million

  Gainers

  £4,000

  1

  8,000

  £5,000

  1

  8,000

  £6,000

  2

  9,000

  £7,000

  2

  9,000

  £8,000

  3

  9,000

  Note:

  1. Information from the Family Expenditure Survey 1991, 1992 and 1993 is used to estimate the effects of these changes. The data contains insufficient disability working allowance cases to allow direct modelling, therefore the changes have been modelled using proxy groups. These have been calibrated to the 1995–96 disability working allowance forecast caseload.

  2. The use of proxy groups means that these estimates are subject to wide margins of error.

  Source:

  Family Expenditure Survey.

  Family Credit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 24 November,Official Report, column 357, if he now has provisional figures for July 1995 for the numbers of people receiving the £10 weekly allowance with (i) family credit and (ii) disability working allowance for working more than 30 hours per week. [10176]

  Mr. Heald
  As at 31 July 1995, the number of family credit and disability working allowance recipients who were benefiting from the 30-hour premium was 25,000 and eight respectively. By 31 August 1995, the latest date available, these had risen to 87,000 and 45. Claimants working 30 hours or more a week, who were in receipt of benefit when the premium was introduced on 17 July 1995, will receive the additional benefit when they renew their claims.
  Sources:Family credit 5 per cent. sample of awards.Disability working allowance 100 per cent. count of awards.

  Disability Premium
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average amount of income support received by claimants who are entitled to the disability premium. [10134]
  831
  Mr. Heald
  At February 1995, the latest date for which figures are available, the average amount of income support received by claimants who are entitled to the disability premium was £58.94 a week.

  Source:

  Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry February 1995.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many additional claims have been made to the social fund by ex-prisoners not in their own home. [10453]

  Mr. Heald
  The information is not available in the format requested. The available information about applications to the social fund by all ex-prisoners in Great Britain is in the table. The information relates to community care grants for 1995–96.

  Month

  Decisions

  Refusals

  Awards

  April

  3,229

  1,762

  1,467

  May

  2,637

  1,418

  1,219

  June

  2,525

  1,319

  1,206

  July

  2,181

  1,155

  1,026

  August

  2,127

  1,083

  1,044

  September

  2,146

  1,156

  990

  October

  2,085

  1,078

  1,007

  November

  2,057

  1,057

  1,000

  December

  1,689

  790

  899

  Total

  20,676

  10,818

  9,858

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what steps have been taken to monitor the change in housing benefit regulations on the additional benefits claimed by prisoners on their release after losing their entitlement to housing benefit under the new regulations; [10451]

  (2) how much has been saved in housing benefit since the implemention of the new regulations reducing the period of entitlement for prisoners' claims from 52 to 13 weeks. [10452]

  Mr. Heald
  New rules concerning the treatment of temporary absence from the home were introduced in housing benefit from April 1995. Information about the number of prisoners affected by the new rules will be available around the end of 1996. While benefit savings arising from the change to prisoners are estimated to be up to £10 million in a full year, the difficulty in quantifying behavioural effects prevents more robust estimates being made.

  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish his report of the review of the accuracy of housing benefit claims. [11314]

  Mr. Lilley
  I am today publishing the main report of this review which shows that housing benefit fraud costs the taxpayer £1 billion a year. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library. I am grateful to the 52 local authorities and their staff who carried out the field work. The results establish for the first time the amount of loss through fraud, abuse and error and indicate where the highest risks of such losses lie.
  832
  This level of fraud is clearly unacceptable. Local authorities which are not putting effort into tackling fraud and abuse must address the problem urgently. We already give local authorities financial incentives to detect fraud, rewarding success and penalising those who do too little. The success of this scheme has doubled savings from 00A3;92 million in 1993–94 to 00A3;171 million in 1994£95.

  It is the responsibility of each local authority to protect taxpayers' money and not allow fraud to go unchecked. The results of the new review will enable them to concentrate their efforts on high risk categories of claimants and tenants.

  Using this information, I am developing a five-year strategy which will crack down on this unacceptable level of fraud effectively and efficiently.

  I will be strengthening the financial incentives for local authorities to detect fraud by increasing the rewards for success and the penalties for those who do too little.

  I will be making funds of up to £10 million available specifically to enable local authorities to develop innovative ideas to tackle fraud.

  I will be launching a national register of housing benefit and council tax benefit. This will match data across local authorities against departmental fraud detection systems£catching people claiming from more than one local authority.

  We will be working closely with the Audit Commission to tighten up local authority methods of preventing fraudulent claims getting into the system.

  Income Support
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people currently claiming income support with a disability premium are(a) single, (b) in a couple, (c) in a couple with children and (d) single with children. [10139]

  Mr. Heald
  The information is in the table:

  Number

  Total number of income support recipients with the disability premium

  722,000

  Of which:

  Single

  534,000

  Single with children

  56,000

  Single without children

  477,000

  Couples

  189,000

  Couples with children

  108,000

  Couples without children

  80,000

  Note:

  Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

  Source:

  Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry February 1995.

  Benefit Levels
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the average amounts currently payable to claimants of(a) severe disablement allowance, (b) unemployment benefit and (c) incapacity benefit. [10142]

  Mr. Heald
  The information is in the table:
  833

  £

  Average weekly amount of severe disablement Allowance1

  44.60

  Average weekly amount of unemployment benefit2

  49.02

  Average weekly amount of incapacity benefit1, 3

  83.48

  1Figure taken as at 31 May 1995, a small number of clerical cases were excluded from the sample.

  2Figure taken as at 11 May 1995.

  3Figure is an average of all the rates of incapacity benefit. A breakdown by amounts of short-term and the long-term 1B rates is not currently available.

  Most recent figures from a 5 per cent. sample of claims to benefits in Great Britain taken from the relevant computer scans.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Concessionary Television Licences
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many people qualified for a concessionary television licence in each year since 1990 in the area covered by Easington district council. [9512]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 15 January 1996]The numbers of concessionary television licence beneficiaries in the Easington district council area for each financial year since 1990 were:

  1990–91: 2,665

  1991–92: 2,477

  1992–93: 2,161

  1993–94: 1,995

  1994–95: 1,878

  1995–96: 1,817 (to date)

WALES

  Public Opinion Surveys
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all qualitative and quantitative research projects and surveys carried out for his Department into aspects of public attitudes and opinons(a) in general and (b) in relation to specific policy proposals in each of the past three years to December 1995, indicating for each project or survey (i) the date on which the research was commissioned, (ii) the amount which his Department spent, (iii) who carried out the research, (iv) the number of people surveyed or taking part, (v) the location and time scale and (vi) which individuals and organisations have been given access to the findings. [5976]

  Mr. Hague
  [holding answer 14 December 1995]The information requested is as follows. The total cost of the surveys listed was approximately £420,000. The cost of individual contracts is confidential.

  In addition to the items listed, the Welsh Office commissions statistical surveys which sometimes include questions seeking the views of respondents. particular cases include the 1995 Welsh health survey, which contained some questions about public attitudes to services provided by the national health service and social services and the 1994 Welsh employer survey, which among other things, sought the views of employers on
  834
  reasons for problems in filling vacancies and opinions of the service provided by various organisations. The marginal costs of including these questions in statistical surveys cannot readily be calculated. Reports on all such surveys are published.
  Welsh office THE PATIENTS CHARTER FOR WALES

  To provide information on public view of the Charter prior to re-issue of the Charter in Summer 1994.

  Research commissioned: February 1994.

  Conducted by: Durdle Davies Business Research.

  Number surveyed/taking part:35.

  Location: rural and coastal North Wales and an urban district of South Wales.

  Timescale: two months.

  Individuals/organisations given access to findings: internal use used within the Department.

  THE PATIENTS CHARTER FOR WALES

  To assess awareness and views on the Charter.

  Research commissioned: January 1995.

  Conducted by: Community Health Councils Wales Development Unit.

  Number surveyed/taking part: 100.

  Locations: Swansea and Caernarfon.

  Timescale: two months.

  Individuals/organisations given access to findings: All Community Health Councils in Wales.

  HOSPITAL AND AMBULANCE SERVICES

  To assess ways in which the NHS performance tables could be made more user friendly and more easily understood by the general public.

  Research commissioned: February 1995.

  Conducted by: BIM Research and Consultancy Ltd.

  Numbers surveyed/taking part: 70.

  Location: Cardiff, Newport, Carmarthen, Bala, Bethesda.

  Timescale: two months.

  Individuals/organisations given access to findings: internal use within the Department.

  OUT OF SCHOOL CHILDCARE GRANT INITIATIVE IN WALES

  Evaluation of the grant scheme in Wales.

  Research commissioned: October 1995.

  Conducted by: University of Glamorgan.

  Numbers surveyed/taking part: 625.

  Location: all Wales.

  Timescale: four weeks.

  Individuals/organisations given access to findings: final report yet to be produced.

  ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROMOTION

  To assess effectiveness of energy efficiency promotion in Wales.

  Research commissioned: January 1993.

  Conducted by: William Battle and Associates.

  Numbers surveyed/taking part: 286 companies.

  Locations: all Wales.

  Timescale: January to November 1993.

  Individuals/organisations given access to findings: internal use the Welsh Office and the Department of the Environment.

  PARENTS CHARTER

  To assess awareness of the Charter.

  Research commissioned: October 1994.

  Conducted by: Beaufort Research.

  Numbers surveyed/taking part: 1,021.

  835

  Location: all Wales.

  Timescale: November 1994.

  Individuals/organisations given access to findings: copies of the
  report have been placed in the House of Commons Library

  RESEARCH INTO BUS-BACK ADVERTISING

  To evaluate the effectiveness of bus-back advertising, both in general and in response to Drink-Drive advertising campaign.

  Research commissioned: December 1993.

  Conducted by: William Battle and Associates.

  Numbers surveyed/taking part: 700.

  Location: all Wales

  Timescale: February-March 1994.

  Individuals/organisations given access to findings: internal use in the Welsh Office and the Department of Transport.

  ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION

  To evaluate the effectiveness of theatre tours in road safety education.

  Research commissioned: June 1994 (jointly with the Scottish Office)

  Conducted by: The Scottish Council for Research in Education.

  Numbers surveyed/taking part: 712 pupils.

  Location: Dyfed.

  Timescale: October 1994.

  Individuals/organisations given access to findings: summaries given to county councils in Wales, the schools which took part and Dyfed-Powys police.

  GENERIC PRESCRIBING AND PATIENTS ATTITUDES

  To estimate the influence of generically written prescription by GPs.

  Research commissioned: December 1992.

  Conducted by: The Welsh School of Pharmacy.

  Numbers surveyed/taking part: 750.

  Locations: Mid Glamorgan and Gwent.

  Timescale: December 1992—December 1993.

  Individuals/organisations given access to findings: the NHS in Wales.

  CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments Executive Agency

  VISITOR SURVEYS OF MONUMENTS IN STATE CARE

  To provide information on visitor origins, characteristics and economic status; and to assess levels of satisfaction.

  and to monitor satisfaction levels.

  Research commissioned: Spring 1991.

  Conducted by: Beaufort Research.

  Numbers surveyed/taking part: 2,229.

  Location: various monuments in Wales.

  Timescale: July-August 1993.

  Individuals/organisations given access to findings: findings are in the public domain.

  VISTfOR SURVEYS OF MONUMENTS IN STATE CARE

  To provide up to date visitor profiles; to establish awareness of CADW and to monitor satisfaction levels.

  Research commissioned. June 1994.

  Conducted by Hall, Harrison and Cowley.

  Numbers surveyed/taking part: 1,500 people.

  Location: various monuments in Wales.

  Timescale: August-September 1994; and August-September 1995.

  Individuals/organisation given access to findings: findings are in the public domain.

  836 VISITOR SURVEYS OF MONUMENTS IN STATE CARE

  To provide up to date profiles visitor profiles; to establish awareness of CADW and to monitor satisfaction levels.

  Research commissioned: June 1994.

  Conducted by: Hall Harrison and Cowley. Numbers surveyed/taking part: 1,500 people. Locations: various monuments in Wales. Timescale: August-September 1995.

  Individuals/organisations given access to findings: findings are in the public domain.

  Gross Domestic Product
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing the latest estimate of the gross domestic product per head in each of the eight Welsh counties, for each of the last 10 years, at constant prices. [9340]

  Mr. Hague
  The latest available information, at current prices, is shown in the following table. There are no official estimates of county GDP at constant price.

  Gross domestic product per head (£) by county at factor cost: current prices

  1981

  1984

  1987

  1989

  1991

  Clwyd

  2,638

  3,869

  5,451

  6,876

  7,848

  Dyfed and Powys

  3,080

  3,848

  5,194

  5,871

  6,402

  Gwent

  2,972

  3,836

  5,185

  6,524

  7,288

  Gwynedd

  2,863

  3,500

  4,760

  5,967

  6,477

  Mid Glamorgan

  2,774

  3,227

  4,432

  5,598

  5,883

  South Glamorgan

  3,797

  5,094

  6,328

  8,022

  9,409

  West Glamorgan

  3,434

  3,744

  5,273

  6,526

  7,493

  Source:

  Central Statistical Office.

  Nursery Vouchers
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has had from Wales concerning nursery vouchers; and if he will make a statement. [9329]

  Mr. Richards
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Ceredigion and Pembroke, North (Mr. Dafis) on 15 January 1996,Official Report, column 379.

  Heart Surgery
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the current availability of cardiac surgical facilities in Wales; and what representations he has received on this matter in the past year. [10337]

  Mr. Richards
  Cardiac surgery in Wales is currently provided by an adult unit and a paediatric unit at the University hospital of Wales. A second adult unit will open at Morriston hospital in the late summer of 1997.

  My right hon. Friend and I have not received any representations on the availability of these facilities in the past year.

  Children with Special Needs
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by local education authority and for Wales as a whole for each year since 1985(a) the number of education psychologists employed, (b) the ratio of education psychologists to school children, (c) the number of children with statements and (d) the ratio of children with statements to the schools age population per 10,000 pupils. [8916]

  Mr. Richards
  Information about the number of education psychologists prior to January 1992 is not centrally available. The available information is shown in the following tables.

  Number of children with statements of special educational needs1

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Clwyd

  1,287

  1,665

  1,528

  1,877

  2,328

  2,512

  2,553

  2,244

  3,219

  2,321

  2,370

  Dyfed

  497

  643

  701

  487

  561

  648

  830

  1,066

  1,319

  1,667

  2,024

  Gwent

  1,722

  1,801

  1,817

  1,571

  1,693

  1,978

  2,116

  1,957

  2,297

  2,489

  2,475

  Gwynedd

  969

  889

  896

  815

  722

  744

  814

  860

  865

  872

  1,087

  Mid Glamorgan

  3,988

  3,766

  3,983

  3,396

  2,828

  3,282

  3,103

  3,944

  4,016

  4,234

  1,539

  Powys

  232

  236

  744

  218

  264

  293

  327

  518

  517

  594

  647

  South Glamorgan

  1,170

  1,255

  1,268

  1,249

  1,129

  613

  2,175

  2,361

  2,33

  2,598

  2,629

  West Glamorgan

  1,968

  1,959

  2,226

  2,115

  2,129

  613

  2,175

  2,361

  2,333

  2,598

  2,629

  Wales

  11,833

  12,214

  13,163

  11,728

  11,742

  11,393

  13,275

  14,297

  15,940

  16,300

  14,521

  Note:

  1 At January each year. Children are shown against the authority in which they are registered, irrespective of where they are educated.

  Source:

  Forms 21M and STATS2.

  Ratio of education psychologists to school children1

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Clwyd

  1:3,704

  1:3,542

  1:4,163

  1:4,214

  Dyfed

  1:7,236

  1:5,796

  1:4,470

  1:4,513

  Gwent

  1:4,234

  1:3,687

  1:3,940

  1:3,819

  Gwynedd

  1:6,013

  1;7,362

  1:6,130

  1:5,347

  Mid Glamorgan

  1:6,388

  1:6,478

  1:6,589

  1:7,124

  South Glamorgan

  1:7,002

  1:7,142

  1:7,263

  1:7,366

  West Glamorgan

  1:6,152

  1:6,209

  1:5,241

  1:5,274

  Wales

  1:5,411

  1:5,188

  1:5,082

  1:5,093

  Note:

  1At January each year. The ratio of the number of full time equivalent education psychologists to the number of full time and part time children in maintained and independent schools.

  Source:

  STATS2 form and Schools Census (STATS1).

  Number of children with statements per 10,000 school children1

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Clwyd

  175

  231

  215

  269

  334

  362

  367

  319

  454

  328

  331

  Dyfed

  87

  114

  125

  87

  98

  114

  145

  184

  228

  287

  345

  Gwent

  219

  234

  240

  211

  228

  265

  281

  257

  297

  316

  309

  Gwynedd

  235

  220

  227

  212

  191

  200

  225

  238

  235

  237

  290

  Mid Glamorgan

  398

  382

  411

  357

  300

  347

  327

  412

  413

  428

  154

  Powys

  117

  122

  389

  115

  140

  155

  173

  272

  269

  308

  329

  South Glamorgan

  171

  185

  189

  186

  181

  196

  198

  192

  192

  210

  238

  West Glamorgan

  306

  312

  360

  347

  350

  101

  356

  384

  376

  413

  415

  Wales

  235

  247

  270

  244

  244

  237

  276

  294

  323

  327

  288

  Note:

  1At January each year. Calculated as the number of children with statements of special educational needs divided by the number of full time and part time children in maintained and independent schools, multiplied by 10,000.

  Source:

  Forms 21M, STATS2 & STTS1.
  838

  Number of education psychologists1

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Clwyd

  19

  20

  17

  17

  Dyfed

  8

  10

  13

  13

  Gwent

  18

  21

  20

  21

  Gwynedd

  6

  5

  6

  7

  Mid Glamorgan

  15

  15

  15

  14

  Powys

  4

  4

  5

  5

  South Glamorgan

  10

  10

  10

  10

  West Glamorgan

  10

  10

  12

  12

  Wales

  90

  95

  98

  99

  Note:

  1Full time equivalent education psychologists as at January each year.

  Source: STATS2 form.

  Severn Estuary
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with(a) the chairman of the National Rivers Authority, Wales and (b) other relevant environmental protection bodies as regards the designation of the Severn estuary west of the Severn bridge as a coastal water within the meaning of the European Union municipal waste water treatment directive. [10658]

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Surbiton (Mr. Tracey) on 18 May 1994,Official Report, columns 511–12, by the then Minister of State for the Environment and Countryside.

  Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what estimates he has made of the incidence of MRSA in Welsh hospitals; when he last issued guidelines with respect to information to be supplied between hospitals as regards incidence of MRSA when patients are being transported between hospitals and in other circumstances relevant to the spread of infection; and if he will make a statement; [10656]

  (2) what guidelines he has issued to hospitals, as regards the information to be supplied to (a) health authorities, (b) fundholders and (c) community health councils concerning (i) the incidence of MRSA, (ii) precautionary measures to be taken with respect to reducing the spread of MRSA and (iii) prescribing policies of general practitioners and hospital physicians; and what other steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of the MRSA virus. [10657]

  Mr. Hague
  Last year, the Chief Medical Officer in the Welsh Office invited the Public Health Laboratory Service in Wales to undertake a surveillance project on MRSA in Wales.

  Revised guidance on hospital infection control management arrangements, which includes new advice on the surveillance of MRSA, was issued to the NHS in Wales in June 1995.

  My Department has commended to the NHS guidance issued in 1986 and 1990, by the Hospital Infection Society and the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy on methods for the control of the spread of MRSA. This emphasises the need for effective communication between relevant parties when managing an infectious disease.

  The Department has not issued any formal prescribing guidelines regarding MRSA. However, policies and procedures developed at health authority level are available to all provider units.

  Rented Housing (Consultation)
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what response he has received to the consultation document. "More Choice in the Rented Sector," issued on 4 August 1995; and if he will make a statement. [11463]

  Mr. Hague
  The consultation paper set out Government proposals to increase competition in the rented sector by removing current restrictions on who 840
  should be able to compete for housing association grant or take on transferred local authority housing. It argued that new forms of non-profit landlord should be able to register with Housing for Wales, and that a licensing system should be established to enable profit-making landlords to receive grant and transferred stock. A series of proposals regarding the monitoring and regulation of social housing were put forward, including rent controls and provisions to recoup excessive surpluses. The paper also sought views on the establishment of a statutory ombudsman for the independent rented sector; and on the appropriate approach to determining the standards to which housing schemes must conform.

  Forty-seven responses were received. A list of respondents has been placed in the Library of the House. Copies of individual responses may be obtained through the Library. One response was submitted on a confidential basis.

  These replies have been considered carefully. The Government have decided to proceed at once with proposals to allow new forms of non-profit landlord, such as local hosing companies, to register with Housing for Wales. I have also decided to take statutory powers to establish an ombudsman service in due course. The necessary provisions are contained in the Housing Bill which was published today. The Bill also provides new powers for Housing for Wales to protect publicly funded stock and tenants' interests in the event of a landlord becoming insolvent.

  In order to facilitate transfers of local authority stock to these and other registered landlords, the Government will adopt a flexible approach to the size limit for transfers. My Department intends to issue guidance on hosing transfers incorporating advice on this and other policy changes.

  The Government also intend to take forward its proposals to introduce profit-making landlords to the sector, with the, associated controls over rents and surpluses. Because of the urgent need to deal with leasehold issues in a Bill of manageable size, legislation to effect this proposal will be deferred. My Department will consult on draft clauses for these provisions, with a view to including them in future legislation. Given the postponement of legislation on opening up competition on housing association grant to profit-making companies, the Government do not intend to abolish tax relief grant at this stage.

  On scheme development standards, Housing for Wales will retain the present approach for the time being. The Department of Environment and the Housing Corporation are commissioning a study into the feasibility of developing a series of housing quality indicators. A report is expected in May. I shall consider the results of the study and make a further statement on scheme development standards in due course.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much each local authority took from its reserves to fund their budgets for 1995–96. [10283]
  841
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  [holding answer 18 January 1996]: The amounts local authorities budgeted, at the beginning of the year, to take from their reserves to fund expenditure in 1995–96 are given in the following table.

  Budgeted appropriations from/to financial reserves

  £ thousands

  1995–96 Appropriations from/ to financial reserves

  District Councils

  Alyn and Deeside

  871

  Colwyn

  452

  Delyn

  1,349

  Glyndwr

  1,272

  Rhuddlan

  100

  Wrexham Maelor

  623

  Carmathen

  3,639

  Ceredigion

  512

  Dinefwr

  239

  Llanelli

  2,652

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  3,580

  South Pembrokeshire

  570

  Blaenau Gwent

  1,906

  Islwyn

  4,770

  Monmouth

  1,548

  Newport

  2,339

  Torfaen

  400

  Aberconwy

  301

  Arfon

  831

  Dwyfor

  2,046

  Meirionnydd

  712

  Ynys Mon

  2,513

  Cynon Valley

  1,582

  Merthyr Tydfil

  142

  Ogwr

  379

  Rhondda

  5,833

  Rhymney Valley

  95

  Taff Ely

  1,233

  Brecknock

  1,268

  Montgomeryshire

  180

  Radnorshire

  0

  Cardiff

  1,960

  Vale of Glamorgan

  1,010

  Port Talbot

  4,753

  Lliw Valley

  306

  Neath

  4,046

  Swansea

  2,291

  County Councils

  Clwyd

  3,690

  Dyfed

  6,437

  Gwent

  5,914

  Gwynedd

  3,297

  Mid Glamorgan

  11,379

  Powys

  4,189

  South Glamorgan

  3,238

  West Glamorgan

  3,617

  Police Authorities

  Dyfed/Powys Police Authority

  -400

  Gwent Police Authority

  0

  North Wales Police Authority

  0

  South Wales Police Authority

  -3,000

  Source: Local authority returns.

DEFENCE

  Coastal Arms Dumps
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what United Kingdom coastal areas have been used by his Ministry as arms dumps in addition to Beaufort's dyke. [9459]
  842
  Mr. Soames
  Complete records of past MOD sea-dumping operations are not available. However, from surviving records it has been established that, apart from Beaufort's dyke, the following approximate areas were designated as conventional explosive dumping grounds around the UK coast before 1973. Many of the sites listed may have been used for emergency purposes only, if at all.

  Area

  Position

  Hurds Deep

  49 30 00 N

  3 34 00 W

  East of Orford Ness

  52 07 00 N

  1 55 00 E

  Inner Sound of Raasay

  57 19 00 N

  5 51 00 W

  Isle of May, Firth of Forth1

  56 10 45 N

  2 30 15 W

  Isle of May, Firth of Forth1

  56 11 24 N

  2 29 00 W

  St. Catherines Deep

  50 35 00 N

  1 12 00 W

  East Swin—Kings Channel

  51 47 30 N

  1 30 00 E

  North West of Alderney1

  49 50 00 N

  2 18 00 W

  North West of Alderney1

  49 47 00 N

  2 17 00 W

  South South West of Guernsey

  49 18 00 N

  2 42 00 W

  Whitesand Bay, Playmouth

  50 18 45 N

  4 16 00 W

  Milford Haven2

  51 34 30 N

  5 01 00 W

  Milford Haven2

  51 38 00 N

  5 20 00 W

  Milford Haven2

  51 43 30 N

  5 33 45 W

  Sound of Mull

  56 30 00 N

  5 37 00 W

  East of Aberdeen

  57 09 00 N

  1 58 30 W

  Loch Linnhe

  56 30 00 N

  5 37 00 W

  Firth of Clyde

  55 37 00 N

  4 59 30 W

  1Two sites.

  2Three sites.

  The adoption of the London and Olso Conventions in 1972 ended sea dumping of conventional munitions on the UK continental shelf. With one exception of an emergency dumping in 1976 at Beaufort's dyke, dumping was restricted from 1973 to an area some 400 miles south west of Land's End around the approximate co-ordinates of 48 20 00 N 13 40 00 W.

  Records show that the dumping of chemical munitions ended in 1957. Dump sites were located in the northern Atlantic between 50 and 100 miles west of the Hebrides, 80 miles north-west of Northern Ireland, and 250 miles south-west of Land's End in the western approaches. A small quantity of chemical munitions was disposed of in Beaufort's dyke.

  Combined Heat and Power Schemes
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many of his Department's sites combined heat and power has been installed; and on how many further sites and over what period it is planned to install combined heat and power. [10096]

  Mr. Soames
  Of the 19 sites considered for combined heat and power:

  (a) six were discarded as not providing value for money;

  (b) combined heat and power has been installed on eight sites;

  (c) the remaining five sites are included in MOD's future works programme for funding of combined heat and power projects.

  First Aid Training
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy regarding the marketing of training in first aid by the armed forces to outside organisations. [10032]
  843
  Mr. Soames
  No specific first aid training is marketed or provided to outside organisations by the Ministry of Defence. However, first aid training modules are included in some specialist training courses undertaken by outside agencies.

  Contract Power
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those of his Department's sites in which his Department is examining contract power. [10098]

  Mr. Soames
  The five sites are:

  RAF Fylingdales

  Aldershot military power station

  RAF Saxa Vord

  HM naval base Portsmouth

  British forces Falkland Islands

  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many of his Department's sites contract energy management has been implemented. [10097]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Two contracts for contract energy management have been placed, along with three water management contracts which were tendered simultaneously; 28 sites are still under consideration.

  Helicopter Flight School
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what offset arrangements are being made in respect of the order of helicopters for the Defence helicopter flight school. [10031]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  There are no offset arrangements being made in respect of the order of helicopters for the DHFS because the aircraft will be purchased and owned by the contractor, not the MOD.

  Energy Conservation
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British Gas awards have been made to his Department's units or establishments which have achieved significant savings in fuel consumption in each of the last eight years. [10095]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Under the British Gas awards for defence energy efficiency, four awards per year have been made. From time to time, MOD establishments have entered for the gas energy management awards, a British Gas award scheme open to all organisations. In 1992, MOD's best year, establishments won one national GEM award and four regional GEM awards.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the relationship between British forces serving in Bosina-Herzegovina and the third corps of the Bosnian army. [10288]

  Mr. Soames
  British forces in Bosnia are liaising closely with all of the former warring factions and are operating from bases on both sides of the ceasefire line as part of the implementation process.
  844
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what practical steps are being taken by British military units in Bosnia-Herzegovina to prevent attacks made upon them by Mujaheddin fighters; and if he will make a statement. [10289]

  Mr. Soames
  UK troops are well trained and equipped for the demands of their mission and are alert to all potential risks. Measures are taken to ensure the protection of our forces, but it would not be appropriate to go into detail.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who was responsible for attacking British troops in Sanski Most and Bosanska Krupa on Saturday 6 January; and if he will make a statement. [10293]

  Mr. Soames
  Bosnian Government soldiers were responsible for the incident at Bosanska Krupa on 6 January when shots were fired at a British base. Although no fire was returned, British troops adopted a high state of readiness and there were no further attacks. In a second incident later that day near Sanski Most, a British vehicle came under sustained fire from a Bosnian Serb army bunker and escorting troops returned small arms fire. No British troops were injured.

  Ammunition
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average budget allocation for the purchase of 155mm ammunition for(a) 1979 to 1985, (b) 1986 to 1990 and (c) 1991 to 1995. [10584]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The average annual budget allocation for the period(c) 1991–1995 is £10.04 million. Complete figures for the earlier periods are no longer available.

  Mr. Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many 155mm Howitzers of all types are currently in use and in storage for Her Majesty's forces; what is the current average annual training allocation of live 155 mm rounds per 155mm Howitzer; and what is the average annual number of rounds per gun used in training for(a) 1979 to 1985, (b) 1896 to 1990 and (c) 1991 to 1995. [10586]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Of the two types of 155mm Howitzer currently in service, the AS90 and FH70, 205 are currently in use and 25 are held in storage. The current annual training allocation of live 155mm rounds per 155mm Howitzer is 167 rounds per gun. From 1993 to 1995, the average number of rounds per gun used in training was 286 rounds. Records are not available for the period up to 1993.

  Mr. Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what length of time it was his Department's policy to retain production and storage records of 155mm shells, including X-ray records from(a) 1966 to 1979, (b) 1979 to 1985, (c) 1986 to 1990 and (d) 1991 to 1995. [10652]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Data record cards are held for the life of the stored ammunition. This has been a consistent policy over recent years.

  Mr. Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rounds of 155mm ammunition were produced in the United Kingdom in each of the years 1990 to 1995
  845
  which were for (a) his Department and (b) export. [10654]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The number of 155mm rounds purchased by my Department and manufactured in the United Kingdom during the stated years are:

  1990: 0

  1991: 1,000

  1992: 10,000

  1993: 0

  1994: 14,590

  1995: 14,590

  The production of 155mm ammunition for export is a matter for individual companies.

  Mr. Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rounds of 155mm ammunition were(a) purchased by his Department in 1980 and (b) sold by his Department in 1980. [10655]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Purchase records dating back to 1980 are no longer available. With regard to sales in 1980, the relevant files were transferred when the Royal Ordnance factories were vested in British Aerospace plc in 1985.

  Mr. Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rounds of 155mm ammunition were, in addition to normal requirements,(a) acquired for use in the Gulf conflict and (b) actually used during the Gulf conflict. [10583]

  Mr. Soames
  Some 70,000 additional rounds of 155mm ammunition were acquired from allies for use in the Gulf conflict. Some 13,000 rounds of ammunition were fired, including ammunition used in training in the theatre of operations.

  Mr. Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the value of the number of 155mm rounds written off or otherwise destroyed in(a) 1979 to 1985, (b) 1986 to 1990 and (c) 1991 to 1995. [10585]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  No 155mm rounds were written off or otherwise destroyed during the stated periods.

  Mr. Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rounds of 155mm ammunition were(a) purchased by his Department in each year since 1990 and (b) sold as surplus or disposed of by his Department for any other reason in each of the same years. [10587]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The following numbers of 155mm ammunition rounds have been purchased since 1990:

  1990: 15,676

  1991: 28,072

  1992: 46,820

  1993: 30,002

  1994: 51,438

  1995: 14,590

  No rounds have been sold or disposed of since 1990.

  Mr. Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons records of 155mm shell sales and records for the disposal of surplus 155mm shells between 1985 and 1990 by his Department are not available as indicated in his answer of 7 November 1995,Official Report, column 666. [10651]
  846
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  My previous answer related to the sale by MOD of surplus 155mm ammunition and not disposal of such ammunition by other means, in the period between 1985 and 1990. Papers relating to such sales, from which the information sought could be obtained, are routinely archived and destroyed when no longer current. Residual file lists suggest that no sales of surplus 155mm ammunition were made by my Department in that period.

  Mr. Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is(a) the maximum safe storage time of 155mm artillery shells used by his Department and (b) the recommended safe storage time; if he will list (a) and (b) for (i) 1980, (ii) 1985 and (iii) 1990; and what factors underly differences between (a) and (b) for each year. [10653]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Since 1980, all 155mm ammunition procured by the MOD is designed to provide a service life of 10 years. No distinction is made between maximum and recommended safe storage. For each nature, the service life may be extended subject to appropriate tests and trials being concluded satisfactorily.

  Mobile Phones
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what agreements his Department and its executive agencies have with companies for the provision of mobile and car phones; and if he will list the companies having these contracts, the duration of the contracts, the number of phones covered by each agreement and the cost to public funds of each agreement; [9734]

  (2) what costs his Department and executive agencies have incurred as a result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones are provided; and if he will list the companies concerned; [9736]

  (3) what procedures were used by his Department in awarding contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones to his Department and its executive agencies; and which companies were involved in tendering for these contracts. [9735]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  [holding answers 17 January 1996]: My Department has an enabling arrangement with Motorola Telco to provide mobile and car phones. A number of our agencies in the UK make use of this enabling arrangement which runs from 1 October 1994 to 30 November 1996. A total of 554 phones has been supplied via this arrangement. The total cost to public funds, which would include rental and call charges, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  My Department is not liable to cancellation charges under its enabling arrangement if the contract for an individual phone is cancelled after 12 months. The minimum contract period is twelve months. No figures are held centrally for the number of cancellations and this information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  My Department's enabling arrangement with Motorola Telco was awarded after a public competition under EC rules during 1994 which included Hutchison Ltd. and Vodaphone Ltd. A fresh public competition under EC rules is underway for a new enabling arrangement to take effect from 1 December 1996.
  847
  Where these matters fall to the chief executives of my Department's agencies, I have asked the chief executives to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from J. R. Drew to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about mobile phones and car phones in Defence agencies.
  The Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO), an agency with some 3,300 staff spread over 20 sites throughout the UK, currently has agreements covering the use of 23 mobile phones. The majority of the phones were procured using the rates centrally negotiated with Motorola Ltd. by the MOD Information and Communications Services. Some ABRO workshops have sought to obtain value for money by using their local purchase authority to negotiate their own rates. One took advantage of preferential rates already negotiated by other MOD users, single tender action was taken by another and one ran a competition involving the Mobile Phone Centre, Colchester, Mercury, Vodaphone and the winners, Securicor Cellular Services.
  A summary of the arrangements within ABRO is provided on the attached sheet. The agreements cover a variety of hardware and tariffs, depending on the individual requirements of each part of the business. Total costs only have been provided in order to avoid breaching commercial confidences with the individual suppliers.
  None of the contracts are for fixed periods and no costs have been incurred as result of withdrawing from contracts.
  I hope that this is helpful.

  Army base repair organisation: mobile phone agreements

  Number of phones

  Agreement with

  Cost of purchase and connection (VAT exc.)

  Rental costs to date in FY 1995–96 (VAT exc.)

  16

  Motorola Ltd. through MOD Information and Communication Services

  £2,2645

  £2,535

  5

  Motorola Ltd.—locally negotiated

  £2,2645

  £2,535

  1

  BT Mobile—locally negotiated

  £2,2645

  £2,535

  1

  Securicor Cellular Services—locally negotiated

  £2,2645

  £2,535

  Letter from Kevin Goad to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the use of mobile telephones as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Army Base Storage and Distribution Agency (ABSDA).
  I confirm that within UK all mobile telephones owned by ABSDA have been purchased under central MoD arrangements negotiated by Director General Information and Communication Services (DGICS). I am sure that Directorate will be responding to your question with regard to that contract.
  To address specially, the points you raise:
  First, in answer to your enquiry about the provision of mobile telephones, ABSDA currently has 13 units, purchased under the central MoD agreement, with Motorola Telecommunications. A further 15 telephones were purchased locally in Germany (for use by staff in the ABSDA depots in Germany) through Headquarters United Kingdom Support Command (Germany) as the UK central agreement does not cover telephone equipments that are compatible with the German telecommunications system. As with the UK purchases, however, ABSDA was not involved with the tendering process. The cost to ABSDA of these agreements is:

  a. 13 Mobile phones in UK purchased from Motorola Telecommunications annual charges: £5100 per annum

  b. 15 Mobile phones purchased in Germany from Hutchinson Mobilfunk: £4310 per annum

  848
  Secondly, regarding your point about the cost of withdrawal from contracts. As we have not withdrawn from any of our contracts to date, no costs have been incurred.
  I hope that this reply answers your questions. If you require further clarification or information please come back to me.

  Letter from Danny Thomas to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  You asked the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures were used by his Department in awarding contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones to his Department and its executive agencies; and which companies were involved in tendering for these contracts. I am replying on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Defence Accounts Agency who is away at present.
  All contracts for the provision of mobile phones used by the Defence Accounts Agency were negotiated centrally within the Ministry of Defence and I understand that these will be covered in the reply from the Minister of State for Defence Procurement.

  Letter from Danny Thomas to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  You asked the Secretary of State for Defence what costs have been incurred to his Department and executive agencies as a result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones are provided. I am replying on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Defence Accounts Agency who is away at present.
  The Defence Accounts Agency has not incurred any charges as a result of cancelling any contract or agreement with a mobile phone supplier. But all contracts for the provision of mobile phones used by the Defence Accounts Agency were negotiated centrally within the Ministry of Defence and I understand that these will be covered in the reply from the Minister of State for Defence Procurement.

  Letter from Danny Thomas to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  You asked the Secretary of State for Defence what agreements his Department and its executive agencies have with companies for the provision of mobile car phones; and if he would list the companies having these contracts, the duration of the contract, the number of phones covered by each agreement and the cost to public funds of each agreement. I am replying on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Defence Accounts Agency who is away at present.
  The six mobile phones held by the Defence Accounts Agency were purchased centrally within the Ministry of Defence and I understand that these will be covered in the reply from the Minister of State for Defence Procurement.

  Letter from Paul Altobell to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your three recent questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about mobile phones as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Analytical Services Agency.
  The Defence Analytical Services Agency has no agreement with any companies for the provision of mobile and car phones. The Defence Analytical Services Agency has incurred no costs as a result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones are provided.
  The Defence Analytical Services Agency has awarded no contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones. The Agency would follow the procedures laid down by our parent Department (MoD) should such a contract arise.

  Letter from Andrew Roache to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  As Chief Executive of the Defence Animal Centre (DAC) I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence regarding what costs his Department and its executive agencies have incurred as a result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones are provided; and a list of those companies concerned.

  849
  The DAC has no involvement with the arrangements required should it be necessary to withdraw from such a contract and therefore is not aware of the costs involved or the companies concerned. This matter is dealt with by Divisional Headquarters at York.

  Letter from Andrew Roache to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  As Chief Executive of the Defence Animal Centre (DAC), I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence concerning what agreements his Department and its executive agencies have with companies for the provision of mobile and car phones; the list of the companies having these contracts, the duration of the contracts, the number of phones covered by each agreement and the cost to public funds of each agreement.
  The DAC has no involvement with agreements regarding the provision of mobile and car phones and consequently has no knowledge of the companies who have the contracts, their duration, the number of phones covered or the cost to public funds of each agreement. This matter is dealt with by Divisional Headquarters at York.

  Letter from Andrew Roache to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  As Chief Executive of the Defence Animal Centre (DAC) I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence with regard to what procedures his Department and its executive agencies use in awarding contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones to his Department and executive agencies; and the names of the companies concerned in tendering for these contracts.
  The DAC has no involvement with the awarding of such contracts and is not aware of the companies concerned in tendering for these contracts. This matter is dealt with by Divisional Headquarters at York.

  Letter from M. J. Roycroft to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about mobile and car telephones, as they are used in the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency, in my capacity as its Chief Executive.
  This Agency currently has 5 separate agreements, all with Motorola Telecommunications Limited, covering a total of 6 telephones. Each agreement is for an initial contract period of 12 months, after which withdrawal can occur at any time without a cost penalty. The costs of each agreement vary, dependent upon the number of calls made, the date that the telephone was first taken into use and the purchase price of the equipment. For this Agency, the costs to public funds, inclusive of VAT, are as follows:

  Agreement 1 (2 telephones): £3,068.28

  Agreement 2 (1 telephone): £455.61

  Agreement 3 (1 telephone): £1,643.67

  Agreement 4 (1 telephone): £649.21

  Agreement 5 (1 telephone): £892.87

  To date we have not withdrawn from any mobile telephone contracts and therefore no costs have been incurred.
  All our mobile telephones are ordered from a contract let by MOD's Director General, Information and Communications Services, whose organisation determines the procedures for the awarding and tendering of such contracts.

  Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying on behalf of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about agreements with companies to provide mobile and car telephones, the procedures used to award initial contracts and the costs in subsequently withdrawing from these agreements. I am answering all three questions in this letter.
  850
  In April 1993 the Defence Research Agency (DRA) sought quotations for the provision of mobile telephones from industry in line with MOD Procurement Procedures. The following companies were invited to tender for the contract. In the event only the first four responded.

  Mercury Mobile

  British Telecom

  Direct Mobile Communications

  Vodac

  Motorola

  Hutchison

  Cellular Communications Corp. plc

  Tenders were evaluated against the published Statement of Requirements (SOR) and a 3 year enabling contract was eventually awarded to Mercury Mobile.
  On its formation in April 1995 DERA inherited a range of additional mobile telephone contracts and related support services from organisations joining the DRA that were already in place. These telephones had been supplied as a result of many competitive tender procurements for small numbers of telephones with the exception of a single tender to Hutchison who was the sole known supplier providing access to the Orange Network at the time of purchase. The companies listed below (but excluding Mercury Mobile and Hutchison) were invited to tender for each of these individual procurements. These existing contracts will continue for the useful life of the mobiles or until a more cost effective means of service provision is identified.
  In summary DERA now therefore has in place the following contracts at the costs shown:

  Supplier

  Number of mobiles

  Purchase cost £

  Running costs £

  Mercury Mobile

  675

  198,000

  424,000

  British Telecom

  63

  —

  28,000

  Hutchison

  26

  —

  11,000

  Motorola

  28

  —

  20,000

  Orange

  14

  —

  7,000

  Talkland

  3

  —

  1,000

  Mobile Telecom

  4

  —

  2,000

  Peoples Phone

  2

  —

  700

  Vodafone

  19

  —

  6,000

  Uniqueair

  2

  —

  700

  Our policy is not to withdraw from contracts until any guaranteed rental period with the original supplier has expired thus ensuring there is a cost benefit for DERA in making a change. At that stage the only costs incurred for withdrawing from contracts have been for the connection charge to transfer existing mobiles from one service supplier to another. The connection charge is £45 per telephone and a total cost of £1,600 has been incurred for such changes during the last three years.I hope this is helpful.
  Letter from T. McG. Brown to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your three Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about mobile telephones as I am responsible for their procurement and use within my agency, the Defence Postal & Courier Services Agency (DPCSA).
  Taking each question in turn, the information you have requested is as follows:
  PQ9927G—DPCSA currently operates 47 mobile phones, the large majority of which are used by Defence Couriers and drivers of MoD Mail Service delivery vans. DPCSA operates mobile phones under three agreements. Most are supplied by Peoples Phone, but we also use a small number of phones from BT Cellphone Services and Mercury One-2-One. The agreements are not fixed term. They continue until either DPCSA or the supplier chooses to terminate

  851
  them. The cost to public funds is dependent on the use of each individual phone. The rates charged are those available under existing MoD contracts.
  PQ9928G—DPCSA has not incurred any costs as a result of withdrawing from a mobile phone contract.
  PQ9930G—DPCSA obtained phones from Peoples Phone after soliciting tenders from 4 companies, Peoples Phone, Vodaphone Centre, Hutchinson Telecom and Tancroft Phones. Normal MoD tendering rules applied. BT Cellphone Services and Mercury one-2-One phones were obtained under individual contracts as required. Any future requirements will be met from an MoD enabling contract established to allow MoD Agencies and other organisaitons to obtain mobile phones at preferential rates.
  I hope you find this information helpful.

  Letter from M. G. R. Hodson to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Questions (9927G, 9928G and 9930G) to the Secretary of State for Defence, about mobile telephones, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Transport and Movements Executive Agency (DTMX).
  A new contract for three mobile telephones has been let through the Ministry of Defence Information and Communciations Services (MOD ICS), to Motorola. This is an existing MOD contract which is due to run out during March 1996, however, existing subscribers will not be affected. The estimated costs over a one year period are in the region of £850.
  DTMX cancelled an existing contract with Hutchison Telecom, at the end of a contract period, having given the required notice. The four telephones owned by DTMX will be withdrawn on 28 January and replaced by three new telephones supplied by Motorola.
  As I have pointed out above, DTMX used the existing MOD ICS contract and was not involved in any tendering process. I view this switch of contracts as good housekeeping, bringing as it will, a financial saving.

  Letter from Keith Ellender to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about mobile and car phones, as these matters fall within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Disposal Sales Agency.
  My Agency has two agreements for the provision of mobile phones. The agreement with Hutchison covers 8 phones, costing £25 each per month plus calls, less a 10% overall discount. The agreement with Motorola covers a phone, costing £22.50 per month plus calls, less a 10% discount on calls only. Both contracts are ongoing. My Agency does not have any agreements for the provision of car phones.
  My Agency has not withdrawn from any contracts under which mobile phones are provided.
  The contracts to supply mobile phones to my Agency were awarded by the Directorate General Information and Communications Services (DGICS). They will be able to advise on what procedures were used and which companies were involved in tendering for the contracts.

  Letter from G. H. Wilson to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence concerning agreements with companies for the provision of mobile and car phones as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of this Agency.
  My Agency has no agreements with companies for the provision of mobile and car phones.

  Letter from M. R. Pack to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  1. Your Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about the provision of mobile and car telephones and related contractual aspects have been referred to the Chief Executive of the
  852
  Hydrographic Office for reply. Unfortunately Admiral Essenhigh is, at present, absent from the Office on official duty so I am replying to you on his behalf.
  2. In so far as the Hydrographic Office Defence Agency is concerned we currently possess a total of 15 mobile telephones and 2 car telephones. The phones were procured from British Telecom (2 mobile phones) and Motorola (13 mobile phones and 2 car phones). The estimated costs of procurement was £360 in respect of British Telecom and £2,300 in respect of Motorola. These phones, apart from the cost of purchase obviously incur both a line rental charge and a cost in respect of usage. It is estimated that in the current financial year (FY 95/96) the rental and usage charges will amount to £8,600; we estimate this total would be apportioned as follows:

  (i) 2 x BT mobile phones—£3,500

  (ii) 13 x Motorola mobile phones—£4,020

  (iii) 2 x Motorola car phones-£1,080

  3. In purchasing these phones the Hydrographic Office did not enter into any contractual arrangements with either British Telecom or Motorola.
  4. Turning now to the questions about withdrawing from mobile phone contracts, no such contracts have been entered into by the Hydrographic Office and consequently we have not withdrawn from any contract.
  5. Finally in regard to your questions about the procedures used in awarding contracts for the supply of phones, the Hydrographic Office did not enter into any form of competitive tender action. The cost of the equipment fell within local purchase arrangements.
  6. I hope this information has been of assistance.

  Letter from A. W. Pollard to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19th January 1996:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence Procurement about various aspects of the hire by executive agencies of mobile and car phones. As Chief Executive this falls within my area of responsibility for the Logistic Information Systems Agency (LISA).
  LISA currently hires a total of 37 mobile phones. Details of the number of telephones hired from specific companies and their respective costs are attached at Annex A. No contracts are negotiated on a "fixed-period" basis. Therefore no costs have been incurred as a result of withdrawal from contracts. LISA adopts the standard procedures contained within the Director General Information and Communications Systems (DGICS) Catalogue to procure its requirements.
  If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

  Annex A: LISA mobile phone hire

  Serial

  Hire company

  Numbers hired

  Cost per month £

  1

  4U Ltd.

  6

  25

  2

  British Telecom

  1

  12

  1

  27

  3

  Peoples Phone

  4

  53

  4

  Motophone

  13

  15

  5

  Hutchinson

  1

  11

  6

  Motorola

  11

  22

  Total

  6

  37

  165

  Letter from J. C. R. Hunt to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about the provision and use of mobile and car phones in the Meterological Office as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Agency.

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  I attach at Annex details of our current contracts for the provision of these services. The majority of the equipment is needed to gather observations and to maintain operational services. Since April 1995 only two contracts have been terminated. During 1994–95 five were terminated and in the previous year three. The penalty in each case has been no more than £67.50 per mobile.
  With the exception of a very small number of specialised equipments the Meteorological Office procures its mobile phones under a contract negotiated centrally by the DGICS organisation in the Ministry of Defence.
  We currently have agreements with 5 (five) companies:

  Annex: Mobile phones

  Hire company

  Numbers hired

  Cost per annum £

  Total cost per annum £

  BT Cellnet

  10

  270.00

  3,700.00

  Vodafone Government

  6

  270.00

  1,620.00

  Hutchison

  5

  270.00

  1,350.00

  Phones 4U

  3

  270.00

  810.00

  Motorola

  59

  270.00

  15,930.00

  Motorola

  4

  138.00

  552.00

  Motorola

  2

  162.00

  324.00

  Total

  23,286.00

  All contracts are for a minimum of one year.

  Letter from A. J. Hoon to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence aboutcosts incurred as a result of withdrawal from mobile telephone contracts as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Military Survey Defence Agency.
  Military Survey has incurred no costs as a result of withdrawing from mobile telephont contracts.

  Letter from A. J. Hoon to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the procedures used in the award of contracts to supply mobile telephones as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Military Survey Defence Agency.
  Recent purchases of mobile telephones have been made from the selection available in the catalogue issued by the central MOD authority responsible for telecommunications equipment. The catalogue is produced following a competitive process to identify the most cost-effective solutions to a range of requirements.
  Earlier purchases were made after locally arranged competitive tendering with a number of suppliers. A list of companies invited to tender is attached. I regret that the list may not be exhaustive as details of tendering exercises are not normally retained for longer than three years.

  Military Survey Defence Agency

  List of Companies invited to tender for mobile telephones

  1. Alpha Mega Services

  2. Axon Systems

  3. British Telecom

  4. Callmaster Telecommunications

  5. Ford Airtime Operations

  6. Hutchinson Telecom

  7. Peoples Phone

  8. Vodaphone

  854
  Letter from A. J. Hoon to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about agreements for the provision of mobile telephones as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Military Suryey Defence Agency.
  Military Survey has no agreements as such with mobile telephone companies as all instruments have been purchased outright. Information regarding the contracts for telephones in use in the Agency is attached. You also asked for details of the costs involved; I regret that it is not our practice to divulge this commercially sensitive information.

  Military Aurvey Defence Agency Details of Mobile Telephone Contracts

  Serial

  Supplier

  Quantity

  1.

  British Telecom

  2

  2.

  British Telecom

  4

  3.

  British Telecom

  4

  4.

  Callmaster Telecommunications

  16

  5.

  Motorala1

  7

  6.

  Motorala1

  14

  7.

  Motorala1

  3

  8.

  Motorala1

  5

  9.

  Vodaphone

  5

  1Procured via central MOD catalogue.

  Letter from W. S. Graham to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  1. I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence, that sought details of procedures used bythe"NavalAircraftRepairOrganisation(NARO)"in awarding contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones as the matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the NARO.
  2. A number of local companies are approached by phone for costs and the one with the best deal at the time is selected.
  3. Only 2 companies have been used to date:
  Hutchison telecom and The People Phone Company.

  Letter from W. S. Graham to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  1. I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence, that asked for details of costs, if any, incurred by the "Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation (NARO)" as a result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones have been provided as the matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the NARO.
  2. No costs incurred.

  Letter from A. D. Ferguson to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 18 January 1996:
  I am replying on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency (NRTA) to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Decence about what agreements the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency (NRTA) has with companies for the provision of mobile and car phones; a list of those companies, the duration of the contracts, the number of phones covered by each agreement and the cost to public funds of each agreement.
  The details requested are as follows:

  Company

  Duration of contract

  Number of telephones

  Annual cost £

  BT

  12 months

  4

  948

  Cellnet

  12 months

  15

  1,668

  Cell Phone Direct

  12 months

  1

  201

  Mercury

  12 months

  1

  153

  855

  Company

  Duration of contract

  Number of telephones

  Annual cost £

  Mercury

  12 months

  1

  457

  Talkland

  12 months

  7

  1,914

  Vodac

  12 months

  3

  864

  You will also wish to be aware that the NRTA has 80 telephones that were provided by MOD DGICS prior to Agency status at a total cost of £26456 per annum.
  Letter from A. D. Ferguson to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 18 January 1996:
  I am replying on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency (NRTA) to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about what procedures were used in awarding contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones to the NRTA; and asking for a list of the companies involved.
  The procedures used were a mixture of competitive tendering under government contracting rules or by local purchase action as appropriate. The companies involved were as follows:

  BT

  Cellnet

  Cell Phone Direct

  Mercury

  Talkland

  Vodac

  Letter from A. D. Ferguson to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 18 January 1996:
  I am replying on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Naval Recruiting Agency (NRTA) to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about what costs NRTA has incurred as a result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones are provided; and the companies concerned.
  We have withdrawn from one agreement to date, with Talkland. There was no cost penalty. None of the agreements will attract a cost on withdrawal provided the required notice is given, 30 days in the majority of cases and 3 months the remainder.

  Letter from B. Raine to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence/Her Majesty's Government about mobile car phones as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of Queen Victoria School.
  We have had no agreement with any company to provide a mobile and car phone, nor have we awarded any contracts. Therefore, we have incurred no costs as a result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones are provided nor were we involved in any procedures to award such contracts.

  Letter from R. H. Kyle to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  You asked the Secretary of State for Defence a number of questions concerning agreements and related costs of providing mobile and car telephones. I am replying as the Chief Executive of the Royal Air Force Maintenance Group Defence Agency.
  I understand that you will be receiving a separate reply direct from the Secretary of State covering mobile and car telephones which have been provided under departmental arrangements. This reply therefore only covers those instruments which have been obtained under delegated contractual authority. You will appreciate that my Agency comprises a number of Royal Air Force stations across the country, each of which enjoys the appropriate delegated authority in its own right. For simplicity of presentation a
  856
  consolidated response to your various questions has been prepared and is attached to this letter.
  I hope that this information is helpful.
  Royal Air Force Maintenance Group Defence Agency Mobile and Car Telephones

  1. Companies from which mobile and car telephones in use have been obtained:

  British Telecom

  Challenger Communications Ltd.

  Hutchison Telecommunications

  People's Phone

  Roadphone

  Securicor

  2. Challenger Communications Ltd. has provided 4 mobile telephones on a short term, contract for a specific operational requirement. All other telephones, which have been purchased, involve running contracts and related costs for line rental.

  3. The total number of telephones concerned is 56. The total of instrument purchase costs is £724.38 (inc. VAT). The total of monthly rental costs is £1,205.29 (inc. VAT).

  4. No costs have been incurred as a result of withdrawing from contracts.

  5. Where mobile telephones have been obtained under delegated contractual authorities the standard published Royal Air Force and Ministry of Defence procedures have been followed.

  6. The following companies have been involved in tendering:

  British Telecom

  Challenger Communications Ltd.

  Co-Channel Elec Ltd.

  Hutchison Telecommunications

  K - Phones

  LEBA Engineering

  Mercury Telecommunications

  People's Phone

  Roadphone

  Securicor

  Letter from P. C. Ayee to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the costs that have been incurred as a result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones are provided, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Royal Air Force Signals Engineering Establishment Defence Agency.
  No costs have been incurred by the Agency as the result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones have been provided

  Letter from P. C. Ayee to Mr. Brian Dohohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the agreements his Department and its Executive Agencies have with companies for the provision of mobile and car phones, the companies having those contracts, the duration of the contracts, the number of phones covered by each agreement and the cost to public funds of each agreement, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Royal Air Force Signals Engineering Establishment Defence Agency.
  This Agency has annual rental agreements with Hutchinson Telecom for 4 mobile phones at a cost of £3600 per annum and Peoples Phone Company for 18 phones at a cost of £5040 per annum. All the contracts are of one year's duration with an option of cessation after 3 months notice.
  857
  Letter from P. C. Ayee to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the procedures were used in awarding contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones, and what companies were involved in tendering for those contracts, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Royal Air Force signals Engineering Establishment Defence Agency.
  Standard Ministry of Defence procedures for the procurement of mobile phones were used. The companies involved in tendering for the contracts were British Telecom, Hutchinson Telecom and The Peoples' Phone Company.

  Letter from A. A. Nicholson to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the procedures used in awarding contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones.
  The contracts to supply mobile phones to the Royal Air Force Training Group Defence Agency are dealt with centrally within the Ministry of Defence.
  I am sending a copy of this letter to the Agency's owner, the Air Officer Commanding-in-chief Personnel and Training Command.

  Letter from I. S. Mitchelson to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about provision of mobile and car phones in so far as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of Service Children's Schools (North West Europe) Agency.
  Service Children's Schools (NWE) currently operates 7 mobile phones. These were procured on our behalf by Headquarters United Kingdom Support Command (Germany), who are responsible for the provision of telecommunications equipment and related services within British Forces Germany. This is the normal procedure, and for the Agency to seek to set up separate arrangements for such limited requirements would not make any real sense. This of course means the Agency has not withdrawn from any mobile or car phone contracts.
  I understand that the Department will cover the procurement arrangements.
  858
  Letter from J. R. Prince to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 19 January 1996:
  I am replying to your questions to the Secretary of State for Defence about the use of mobile and car phones, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Army Technical Support Agency (ATSA).
  The information you have requested is set out below (please note that it relates to mobile phones only; ATSA does not possess any car phones):

  Company

  Number of phones

  Callmaster

  5

  Motorola

  23

  Unique Air

  9

  Hutchinson Telecom

  3

  Total

  40

  The cost of the phones amounted to £3,100, and the estimated annual cost, including line rental, calls and VAT is £13,700. Lines are rented from BT, Motorola, Unique Air and Hutchinson Telecom.The majority of the phones were purchased through existing Departmental enabling agreements, which were approved only after competitive tendering had been undertaken. Those agreements that have been made within the last 12 months require 1 years notice to terminate; those more than 12 months old require 90 days notice. One agreement has been terminated, with Unique Air, incurring a charge of £30.

  Training
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 9 January,Official Report, column 101, what is his calculation of the sums spent by regiments and groups other than his Department on training for each service in each of the past five years. [9725]

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 16 January 1995]: Any such expenditure, if it occurs, would be from non-public funds and therefore would fall outside the accountability of my Department. Consequently, the information requested is not collected centrally.