Written Answers of 21 June 1996

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Local Authority (Property)
  Mr. Trickett
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with the Coal Authority and English Partnerships in relation to the disposal of the Coal Authority's property portfolio. [33828]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I have had no such meeting.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Benefits Agency
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if a decision has been reached on the future of the Benefits Agency freeline telephone advice service; and if he will make a statement. [34398]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The Benefits Agency is committed to providing a more responsive service to customers and to getting benefit payments right first time. The agency has therefore been reviewing all of its activities to ensure that its activities are properly focused on delivery of such a service at the lowest possible cost. As part of this review, it has been decided that the agency's freeline service should close from 12 July 1996. The review has concluded that many of the customers who contact the freeline service subsequently have to make contact with

  C hild Support Agency Receipts

  Analysis of payments into client funds bank account (£'000s)

  April

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  January

  February

  March

  Total

  1993–94

  5

  2

  24

  115

  286

  524

  889

  1,432

  2,011

  2,353

  3,103

  4,148

  14,892

  1994–95

  4,165

  4,366

  4,890

  5,293

  5,753

  6,647

  8,859

  9,635

  10,417

  11,335

  12,190

  10,518

  94,068

  1995–96

  8,161

  9,215

  9,492

  9,279

  9,880

  10,499

  11,197

  11,657

  11,717

  14,467

  13,408

  14,604

  133,576

  1996–97

  15,000

  16,557

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  31,557

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the current(a) backlog and (b) waiting time in respect of cases to be dealt with by the Child Support Agency, Dudley office; and what plans he has to appoint extra staff. [32575]

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

  Letter from Steve Heminsley to Ms Joan Walley, dated 20 June 1996:
  In the absence of Miss Chant, the Chief Executive, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Dudley Child Support Agency Centre.
  622
  their local office to pursue their inquiry. This is because the freeline service has no direct access to customer records and cannot therefore give advice about a specific benefit inquiry. The closure of freeline will enable BA to refocus its resources to ensure that customers are put directly in contact with those dealing with their claims or who can link the benefits available to customer's own personal circumstances and thus reduce duplication of effort both for the customer and our staff. The very substantial investment made by BA in its telephone equipment in recent years means that customers will find it much easier to contact their own local office direct. However the benefit inquiry line service will be retained for people with disabilities, their carers and representatives because of their special requirements for advice and information.

  All staff currently employed on freeline duties will be redeployed elsewhere in the agency where their considerable skills will be put to good use.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Biffen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the monthly receipts to the Child Support Agency since April 1993. [32577]

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

  Letter from Steve Heminsley to Mr. John Biffen, dated 20 June 1996:
  In the absence of Miss Chant, the Chief Executive, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency receipts.
  The information requested is shown in the attached table and is an extract from the monthly analyses of the flow of funds through the Agency's Client Fund Bank Account. The figures represent the receipts paid into the Client Funds Bank Account. They do not include those contributions to maintenance which are deducted from absent parents on Income Support and offset against the parent with care on Income Support. The Agency is advised of these contributions on a regular basis by the Benefits Agency.
  I hope this is helpful.
  The Agency estimates that its normal head of work would be around 250,000 cases in the process of a maintenance assessment. As of 30 April 1996 the Agency was dealing with 422,454 cases in which action had not been fully completed. The Dudley Child Support Agency Centre had 66,097 cases awaiting action.
  Information on waiting times is not available in the format requested. The Agency does collect figures on the Secretary of State target to clear 60 per cent. of new maintenance assessments within 26 weeks. In April 1996, 53 per cent. of maintenance assessments had been cleared within 26 weeks.
  The Dudley Child Support Agency Centre, in line with all the Centres, recruits new staff on an ongoing basis to maintain staffing levels.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Compensation Recovery Unit
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will state the 10 highest sums recovered by the compensation recovery unit from the victims of illness, accident or disease in 1995–96 and the nature of their illness or disability; [33359]

  (2) what was the amount recovered by the compensation recovery unit in 1995–96; [33357]

  (3) what projection he has made of the amount of money pkely to be recovered by the compensation recovery unit in the present financial year; [33336]

  (4) how much money was recovered from sufferers from asbestos-related diseases by the compensation recovery unit in 1995–96. [33358]

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

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Tony Worthington, dated 20 June 1996:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking if he will state the 10 highest sums recovered by the Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) from the victims of illness, accident or disease in 1995–96 and the nature of their illness or disability; what was the amount recovered by the CRU in 1995–96; what projection he has made of the amount of money likely to be recovered by the CRU in the present financial year and how much money was recovered from sufferers from asbestos related diseases by the CRU in 1995–96.
  The 10 highest sums recovered from individual victims of illness and the nature of the injury/disease they relate to is provided in the table below.

  Amount £

  Injury/disease

  93,950.05

  Neck injury

  91,601.46

  Multiple injuries

  84,630.01

  Back/spinal injury

  79,186.77

  Multiple injuries

  73,217.08

  Head/facial injury

  72,337.38

  Arm injury

  70,756.37

  1Miscellaneous

  70,522.25

  Head/facial injury

  70,014.03

  1Miscellaneous

  69,945.16

  Multiple injuries

  1—miscellaneous injury is defined as lacerations, cuts, bruising or any combinatin whre no specific part of the body is mentioned.

  The total amount recovered during 1995/96 was £135.1M. If the current trend continues it is envisaged that the amount recovered during the present financial year will be in the region of £145M.
  Information relating to asbestos related diseases is not available. The system is not designed to identify these cases however, the amount recovered from asbestosis sufferers during 1995/96 was £1,507,320.58.
  Data is provisional and subject to change.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in the Benefits Agency districts serving the London borough of Wandsworth are receiving housing benefit. [33712]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  On 30 November 1995, the latest date for which information is available, there were 30,500 recipients of housing benefit in the London borough of Wandsworth.

  Notes:

  1. Housing benefit is administered by local authorities, consequently these data are not collected on a Benefits Agency district basis.

  2. A "recipient" may be a single person or a couple.

  Source:

  Housing benefit management information system quarterly case load counts.

  Benefit Statistics
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the total level of in-work benefits for each year since 1975(a) at current prices and (b) at constant 1996 prices; and if he will break down these figures for each year by family credit, housing benefit, income support and council tax benefit. [33920]

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

  Table 1: Expenditure on claimants who have income from work

  £ millions

  Housing benefit

  Community charge benefit/council tax benefit

  Cash terms

  1996–97 prices

  Cash terms

  1996–97 prices

  1990–91

  340

  416

  170

  208

  1991–92

  395

  455

  80

  92

  1992–93

  525

  581

  95

  105

  1993–94

  600

  645

  130

  140

  1994–95

  700

  739

  140

  148

  Notes:

  1. "In-work" includes claimants with earnings from employment and self-employment.

  2. Details not available before 1990.

  3. GDP deflator at market prices used in the calculation.

  4. Council tax benefit introduced in 1993–94.

  Source:

  Housing benefit management information system I per cent. sample.

  Table 2

  £ million

  Income Support

  Cash terms

  1996–97 prices

  1988–89

  355

  502

  1989–90

  371

  490

  1990–91

  448

  549

  1991–92

  577

  664

  1992–93

  677

  750

  1993–94

  590

  634

  1994–95

  564

  595

  Notes: 1

  "In-work" includes claimants with earnings from employment and self-employment.

  2. GDP deflator at market prices used in the calculation.

  Source:

  Income support annual statistical inquiries—May 1989 to 1992.

  Income support quarterly stastistical inquiries—February 1993 to 1995.
  625

  Table 3

  £ millions

  Family income supplement/family credit

  Year

  Cash price

  1996–97 prices

  1975–76

  12

  53

  1976–77

  18

  68

  1977–78

  25

  87

  1978–79

  24

  74

  1979–80

  27

  71

  1980–81

  42

  94

  1981–82

  66

  134

  1982–83

  94

  178

  1983–84

  123

  223

  1984–85

  126

  218

  1985–86

  130

  213

  1986–87

  161

  256

  1987–88

  180

  272

  1988–89

  394

  558

  1989–90

  425

  562

  1990–91

  494

  605

  1991–92

  626

  721

  1992–93

  929

  1,028

  1993–94

  1,208

  1,299

  1994–95

  1,441

  1,521

  Estimated annual expenditure on benefits paid to claimants with income from work in 1994–95

  Table 1: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

  £ millions

  Not in receipt of income support

  In receipt of income support

  All cases

  Housing benefit

  Council tax benefit

  Housing benefit

  Council tax benefit

  Housing benefit

  Council tax benefit

  Wales

  25

  3

  9

  2

  34

  4

  Scotland

  32

  1

  9

  3

  41

  4

  South East

  106

  14

  33

  8

  139

  22

  South West

  51

  9

  12

  4

  64

  13

  East Midlands

  31

  7

  14

  4

  45

  12

  West Midlands

  26

  7

  12

  4

  38

  11

  North West

  58

  17

  15

  5

  73

  23

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  46

  14

  14

  4

  59

  17

  North

  27

  8

  15

  4

  42

  13

  East Anglia

  16

  3

  19

  2

  25

  6

  London

  119

  12

  21

  4

  140

  16

  Total

  537

  95

  163

  45

  700

  140

  Notes:

  1. Tables include benefit units where either the claimant or partner has income from employment/self-employment.

  2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest million.

  3. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

  4. No information is available by constituency or travel-to-work area.

  Source:

  Estimates derived from the annual 1 per cent. housing benefit sample enquiry.

  Table 2: Family credit, disability working allowance and income support

  £ millions

  Family credit

  Disability working allowance

  Income support

  Midlands

  265

  2.0

  93.8

  North Eastern

  268

  2.0

  93.9

  London North

  170

  1.1

  96.3

  Wales and South Western

  194

  1.9

  94.2

  North Western

  241

  2.0

  64.9

  Scotland

  158

  1.1

  28.3

  London South

  146

  0.9

  92.2

  Great Britain

  1,441

  11.0

  563.7

  Notes:

  1. Figures for family credit have been rounded to the nearest million.

  2. Figures may not sum due to rounding.

  3. Areas are DSS administrative regions.

  Sources:

  1. Family credit statistics (5 per cent. sample of all awards)—February 1995.

  2. Disability working allowance statistics (all awards)—February 1995.

  3. Income support quarterly statistical inquiry—February 1995.

  626

  Table 3

  £ millions

  Family income supplement/family credit

  Year

  Cash price

  1996–97 prices

  1995–96

  1,683

  1,729

  Notes:

  1. GDP deflator at market prices used in the calculation.

  Source:

  1996 departmental report and its predecessors.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much was paid in in-work benefits in terms of(a) family credit, (b) housing benefit, (c) income support, (d) council tax benefit and (e) other in-work benefits (i) by region, (ii) by constituency and (iii) by travel-to-work-area in the last financial year. [33921]

  Mr. Evans
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the tables. The information given is for the financial year 1994–95, broken down by region.

  Severe Disability Allowance
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what circumstances the Department reclaims overpayments from the estates of deceased severe disability allowance beneficiaries; and what duty it has to make payments to estates in cases of underpayment. [33329]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  There are general principles governing the recovery of overpayments of benefit and the payment of arrears in cases where the claimant had died. Income support and the severe disability premium are covered by these principles.

  If an overpayment is caused by misrepresentation or failure to disclose a material fact, recovery is sought in appropriate cases. Recovery from the estate of a deceased claimant is considered only if a recoverable overpayment is outstanding or an overpayment is discovered due to non-disclosure of assets, after death.
  627
  Where arrears of benefit are identified as being due to a claimant but that claimant is deceased, provision exists for the arrears to be paid to the person who, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, is entitled to the payment.

  Family Expenditure Survey
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he has taken in the forthcoming 1996 report on households below average income to issue adjusted and unadjusted results to take account of the lack of representation of the homeless and the under-representation of(a) those aged 75 years and over, (b) those unemployed for six months and more and (c) the chronically sick and disabled, in the annual reports of the family expenditure survey. [33554]

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  The statistical series households below average income has been based on data from the family expenditure survey, which collects information on income only from people living in private households. The annual reports of the FES have not sought to correct for under or over-representation of various groups in the FES sample. However, HBAI statistics have always grossed the sample estimates to correct for variations in FES response rates and thereby to make the results more representative of the population living in private households. The Department's statisticians have reviewed the grossing of survey data and chosen a new grossing regime which will be adopted when HBAI switches to using data from the family resources survey. Details can be found in the HBAI methodological review report, a copy of which is in the Library.

  There are no current plans to extend the coverage of the FES or family resources survey or to set up a new survey to collect information from people who are homeless or who live in institutions. There would be considerable methodological difficulties in collecting representative income data for these people. The Department's statisticians judge that, in general, the picture presented by HBAI statistics would not be greatly altered by the inclusion of such groups.

  War Pensions
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are currently in receipt of(a) war widows pensions and (b) war pensions; and what were the equivalent figures (i) five years ago, (ii) 10 years and (iii) 15 years ago. [34043]

  Mr. Heald
  This information is in the table.

  As at 31 March 1996 a total of 57,497 war widows' pensions and 265,375 war disablement pensions were in payment.

  31 December 1980

  31 December 1985

  31 December 1990

  31 December 1995

  War Widows' Pension

  76,500

  64,859

  54,124

  49,726

  War Disablement Pension

  266,478

  220,256

  191,870

  264,597

  Mrs. Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from which organisations with regard to allowing(a) partial and
  628
  (b) total disregard of war pensions and war widows' pension, in the calculation of housing and other benefit entitlements. [34042]

  Mr. Heald
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 23 January 1996,Official Report, column 221.

  Since January 1996, this Department has received a further 71 letters from hon. Members, and 69 letters from members of the public, local authorities and other interested parties.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Mr. Brian Parsons
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Devon and Cornwall police as to when they completed their inquiry into the case of Mr. Brian Parsons arising from the recent submissions made by his solicitors to the Home Secretary; what further inquiries they have made; and when he expects to complete his consideration of the case. [32750]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  We received from Devon and Cornwall police in November 1995 a final report into certain matters raised in the representations which have been made on behalf of Mr. Parsons. Our provisional conclusion is that grounds have not emerged for referring the case to the Court of Appeal. I am writing today to the hon. Member and to others setting out the basis on which these provisional conclusions have been reached.

  Prisons (Computer Software)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if computer software equipment operated by prisons under private management has to be approved by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [33547]

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

  Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 21 June 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about what approval is required for computer software equipment operated by prisons under private management.
  contractual agreements for prisons under private management have no requirement for commercial software to be approved before installation and use.
  with prisons in the public sector, privately managed prisons are provided with the local inmate data system (LIDS). This system is run from a central processor in each prison. No prison management is authorised to load any other software onto this central processor.
  629

  Prisons (Education)
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money was spent on prison education in(a) cash and (b) real terms in 1978–79 and 1994–95; how much time was made available in each of these years; how many prisoners attended courses; and what was the cost per prisoner receiving education and the cost per prisoner whether or not receiving education in (i) Wales and (ii) the regions of England. [30709]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 4 June 1996]Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Win Griffiths, dated 21 June 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about spending on education in 1978–79 and 1994–95.
  The requested information is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost: prisons are operated on a national basis and separate statistics for England and Wales are therefore not available. The table below shows expenditure on education and cost per prisoner in cash and real terms for 1978–79 and 1994–95.

  Prison service expenditure on education

  Education expenditure

  Cost per prisoner—Education

  Average population

  Year

  Cash (£ million)

  Real terms £ million at 1994–95 prices

  Cash£

  Real terms £ at 1994–95 prices

  1978–79

  6.1

  17.8

  145.2

  423.7

  42,008

  1994–95

  36.7

  36.7

  744.3

  744.3

  49,308

  Prisons (Cells)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in gaols in England and Wales are currently doubling up in cells designed for one; what was the equivalent figure 12 months ago; and if he will make a statement. [33437]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 20 June 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 21 June 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of prisoners currently doubling up in cells designed for one.
  At the end of May 1996, there were 8,430 prisoners doubling up in cells designed for one. This represents 15.5. per cent of the total prison population. At the end of May 1995, there were 8,362 prisoners sharing accommodation designed for one. This represented 16.5 per cent of the total prison population.

  Prisons (Costs)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the methodology and research used to compare the cost of public and private gaols during 1993–94; and if he will make a statement. [33441]
  630
  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 20 June 1996]Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 21 June 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking if he will publish the methodology and research used to compare the cost of public and private jails during 1993–94.
  It is not possible to publish the study carried out by LEK Partnership comparing costs of private and public sector prisons using 1993–94 data, as it contains a considerable amount of commercially confidential information. This is because cost information was drawn from tender documents, as actual operating costs were not then available for the full year.

  Summary results: LEK study of private and public sector performance

  Percentage

  Private prison

  Public comparator group

  Cost1 per CNA lower by

  Blakenhurst

  Bullingdon Holme House Elmley

  14

  Doncaster

  Bullingdon Holme House Elmley

  14

  Buckley Hall

  Everthorpe Haverigg Ranby

  26

  Prisons (Staff)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of staff employed in the Prison Service headquarters and central services on 1 January; what is the estimated change in staff numbers over the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [33442]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 20 June 1996]Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from David Scott to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 21 June 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of staff employed at Prison Service headquarters.
  At the end of October 1995 (the latest date on which detailed figures are available) there were 2130 full time equivalent staff in post in Prison Service headquarters. The Service aims to reduce the number of staff in headquarters to around 1800 full time equivalents by October 1996 and to around 1450 by April 1999.

  Prisoners (Privileges)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have achieved(a) basic, (b) standard and (c) enhanced privilege status; and if he will make a statement. [33443]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 20 June 1996]Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
  631
  Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 21 June 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of prisoners who have achieved (a) basic, (b) standard and (c) enhanced privilege status.
  Information on the number of prisoners on the privilege levels of incentives schemes is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Nuclear Companies
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the external financing requirements of the nuclear companies have been adjusted for 1996–97; and what impact this has had on public expenditure. [34399]

  Mr. Lang:
  The external financing requirements have been adjusted to Electricity (England and Wales) £-42 million, Electricity (Scotland) £0 million and British Nuclear Fuels £-29 million to take account of the restructuring of the nuclear generating industry on 31 March 1996, agreed changes to provision of Nirex payments and the outcome of contractual negotiations between Nuclear Electric plc and British Nuclear Fuels. These changes have no impact on overall public expenditure.

ENVIRONMENT

  Satellite-derived Data
  Sir Michael Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the level of his Department's funding in current and future years for the purchase of satellite-derived data; [33254]

  (2) what current use is made of satellites to provide environmental data for his Department; and if he will make a statement. [33253]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Department uses Earth observation data from satellites directly and also indirectly through commissioned research. The advanced along track scanning radiometer, to be flown in 1999 to test for the onset of human-induced climate changes, is an unique example of instrument purchase. Funding will be £15 million between 1991 and 1999. Satellite-derived data contribute to commissioned research including the climate change predictions of the Hadley centre, the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology land cover map of Great Britain and the planned countryside survey 2000, north-east Atlantic rainfall and sea state climatology, and North sea plankton growth. Specific costs for the satellite data are not kept centrally. The Environment Agency uses satellite-derived data for water catchment management, diffuse pollution assessment and oil spill monitoring, and for research on flood defence. Specific future funding has yet to be identified. The Department keeps under review the further potential of satellite-derived data to provide information at an appropriate cost.
  632

  Air Pollution (West Midlands)
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which areas have been identified in the west midlands as registering a level of air pollution deemed detrimental to human health. [33341]

  Mr. Clappison
  A summary of exceedences of national and international guidelines and standards for air pollution levels across the United Kingdom, including the west midlands, is included in the Department of the Environment's "Digest of Environmental Statistics No. 18, 1996" and "Air Pollution in the United Kingdom: 1994", published on behalf of the Department by the National Environmental Technology Centre. Copies of both reports have been placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

  Noise Pollution
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of complaints received by the statutory authorities in respect of noise pollution by(a) metropolitan district and (b) region in each of the last five years. [33343]

  Mr. Clappison
  This information is not collected by my Department. However, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health carries out an annual survey of statistics of environmental noise complaints made to local authorities in England and Wales. I shall write to the hon. Member with further details

  Road Traffic (West Midlands)
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the level of road traffic and its effects on health in the west midlands. [33340]

  Mr. Clappison
  I have received a number of letters from Members of Parliament and the public concerning air quality, but I am not aware of any correspondence on this specific subject.

  Heavy Traffic (Health Problems)
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Enviroment what estimate has been made of the number of people suffering health problems caused by heavy traffic near their homes by(a) metropolitan district, (b) county council and (c) London borough. [33342]

  Mr. Clappison
  The scientific and technical basis for making such specific estimates is not available. However, the independent Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution and the Advisory Group on Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes, which advise the Governent on such matters, have published several reports on the impact on public health of emissions from road traffic and other sources in the United Kingdom as a whole.

  Copies of the reports have been placed in the Library of the House.
  633

TREASURY

  Prompt Payment Code
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Government Departments to date have not signed up to the Confederation of British Industry's prompt payment code; and if he will make a statement. [31431]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  None.

  Unemployment Statistics (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to improve the collection of statistics relating to unemployment in respect of black and other ethnic minority communities. [33602]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The collection and publication of unemployment and other labour market statistics relating to black and other ethnic minority groups were improved in 1992 with the introduction of the quarterly labour force survey. To obtain reliable figures for smaller sub-groups of the population surveyed, such as ethnic minority groups, the Office for National Statistics averages the data over several quarters. The ONS published a description of the methodology used and statistics produced in the June 1996 issue of "Labour Market Trends". ONS will publish further guidance for users in the autumn.

  Construction Industry
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people there are currently employed in the construction industry in the United Kingdom; and what were the corresponding figures five and 10 years previously. [33801]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  Information from the labour force survey is as follows:

  Employment' in construction: United Kingdom (thousands), not seasonally adjusted

  Winter 1995–96 1,819

  Spring 1995 1,835

  Spring 1990 2,141

  Spring 1985 1,804

  1Includes employees, self-employed, Government-supported training and employment programmes and, since 1992, unpaid family workers.

  Tax Offices (Yorkshire)
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, in ranked order, those tax offices in Yorkshire that have achieved the targets set by the taxpayers charter. [33622]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 20 June 1996]: The taxpayers charter sets out the general principles by which the Inland Revenue operates. To meet commitments under the charter, individual areas of work are targeted. The targets are published and included in the operating plan of each regional executive office. In order to achieve the performance set out in the operating plans, targets are set for each tax office. As these vary depending on the
  634
  individual circumstances in each office, it is not possible to draw any comparison between the performance of individual offices.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Walden
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what measures she intends to take to encourage applications from members of the public to take up appointments on her Department's public bodies. [34464]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I believe that it is very important to encourage a wide range of people with the right skills and experience to consider public service. I have commissioned advertisements in the national press, the first of which will appear in The Sunday Times on 23 June, inviting applications from members of the public willing to serve on one of the bodies sponsored by my Department when suitable vacancies arise.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Departmental Personnel
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many of the personnel employed by her Department work on the employment aspects of her responsibilities. [33549]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The following table gives staff numbers in the Department and its agencies on 1 April 1996. Policies and programmes for education, vocational training and employment are increasingly integrated following the merger of the old Education and Employment Departments. Except in the agencies, the duties of officials reflect this and in many cases it is not possible to make the distinction that the hon. Member seeks.

  DfEE staffing figures

  1 April 1996

  Full-time head count

  Part-time head count

  Full-time equivalent

  Permanent staff

  DfEE excluding agencies

  4,739

  473

  5,045.1

  Employment service agency

  30,215

  7,455

  34,911.6

  Teachers' pensions agency

  334

  62

  370.2

  Total DfEE including agencies

  35,288

  7,990

  40,327

  Casual staff

  DfEE excluding agencies

  175

  20

  187.5

  Employment service agency

  3,308

  179

  3,420.8

  Teachers' pensions agency

  30

  1

  30.5

  Total DfEE including agencies

  3,513

  200

  3,639

  All staff

  DfEE excluding agencies

  4,914

  493

  5,233

  Employment service agency

  33,523

  7,634

  38,332

  Teachers' pension agency

  364

  63

  401

  Total DfEE including agencies

  38,801

  8,190

  43,966

  635

  Judicial Review
  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on how many occasions in each Session since 1991–92 legislation has been introduced into Parliament by her Department, with the purpose of(a) removing the effects of a judicial review decision or (b) implementing a judicial review decision; and if she will list the relevant legislative provisions. [33584]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  No central record of this is retained, but the Department is not aware of any such in respect of either the DFEE or the former Departments in relation to current functions.

  School Funding
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what additional resources her Department has made available under the headings of school improvement and school effectiveness in recent years to(a) local education authorities and (b) grant-maintained schools; and, in each case, under what headings resources have been reduced to meet the additional costs. [33747]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Support for school improvement and effectiveness is available to LEA-maintained schools through the grant for education support and training programme. With this programme, total expenditure on school effectiveness grants supported in 1995–96 was £121.5 million; this has risen to £134 million in the current financial year.

  Support for the same purposes is available to grant-maintained schools through special purpose grants (development). It is for the schools themselves, as self-governing institutions, to decide how best to target these and other resources. The grants are paid by the Funding Agency for Schools, and I have asked the chairman of the Funding Agency for Schools to write to the hon. Member.

  Resources for school effectiveness and improvement for publicly funded schools are provided within the totals provided by Parliament for education, and not at the expense of other headings.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what funding is provided by her Department specifically for governor training and support to enhance school effectiveness in(a) local education authority schools and (b) grant-maintained schools. [33745]

  Mr. Squire
  As regards local education authority schools, the school effectiveness grant within the grant for education support and training programme includes governor training and support to enhance effectiveness. It is for individual local education authorities and schools to determine how to apportion expenditure between the eligible categories defined in regulations (No. 734) and described in the Department's circular 8/95, in the light of local priorities.

  As regards grant-maintained schools, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier. These schools may use special purpose grants (development) to support governor training as well as school effectiveness.
  636

  Ethnic Minorities
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to improve the targeting of resources to assist the(a) black and (b) other ethnic minority unemployed. [33600]

  Mrs. Gillan
  The targeting of all the Department's programmes and services, including those delivered by training and enterprise councils and the Employment Service, is kept under regular review.

  Student Drop-out Rates
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what are the latest available statistics for student drop-out rates from higher education. [33718]

  Mr. Forth
  Our latest estimate of the drop-out rate of students from full-time and sandwich first degree courses is 17 to 18 per cent. in the academic year 1993–94. A range is given because the introduction of a new data source has made it difficult to measure drop-out accurately. Drop-out covers all those leaving degree courses because of exam failure, ill health, personal and other reasons. It includes those switching to a lower level course, but excludes students transferring between degree courses or subjects at the same university. The rate reflects the progression of students through the whole length of the course.

  National Vocational Qualifications
  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the advantages of reducing the priority accorded to workplace competence assessments in the design and delivery of national vocational qualifications. [33739]

  Mr. Paice
  Demonstration of competence in the workplace will remain a key feature of national vocational qualifications. As stated in our action plan in response to the Beaumont report, published on 27 March, the Government believe that a combination of assessment methods is desirable.

  Mr. Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the progress of reform of the system of vocational qualifications. [33738]

  Mr. Paice
  Following the Government's action plan in response to the Beaumont review, the National Council on Vocational Qualifications has been asked to undertake a review of each NVQ in line with its 1995 criteria and guidance and the points in the action plan. That review has now started and NVQs will be reviewed on a rolling basis until April 1998.
  637

  Class Sizes
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average class size for the most recent year for which information is available at(a) key stage 3, (b) key stage 4 and (c) sixth forms in city technology colleges. [33919]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The available information is shown in the following list:

  Average size of one teacher classes in city technology colleges in England—January 1995

  Pupils aged mainly under 14: 23.0

  Pupils aged mainly 14 and 15: 20.0

  Pupils aged mainly 16 and over: 10.5

  Source Schools Census

TRANSPORT

  Aviation Standards
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 30 April,Official Report, columns 443–44, (1) on what basis the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria were selected for an inspection by the Civil Aviation Authority, [33291]

  (2) if he will place in the Library copies of the results of the inspections carried out in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. [33290]

  Mr. Norris
  The disruption in the former Yugoslavia raised doubts as to that state's ability to comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation safety standards. In the case of Bulgaria, the assessment of compliance with ICAO standards was undertaken following a number of safety-related complaints received from passengers travelling on Bulgarian registered aircraft.

  In both cases, the Department of Transport felt that an independent assessment was necessary to ensure that ICAO standards were being adhered to. The reports of such inspections are commercially confidential and could be released only with the consent of the country involved.

  Satellite Navigation
  Sir Michael Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies his Department has made of the potential benefits for the United Kingdom in the transition to the future global navigation satellite system. [33257]

  Mr. Norris
  The Department of Transport has not carried out any studies of the potential benefits to the UK in the transition to the future global navigation satellite system. However, officials from the Department and the Civil Aviation Authority are participating in various European and international forums, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation, Eurocontrol, the European Space Agency, the International Maritime Organisation and the European Union. One of the main issues currently being examined in these forums is the benefits of future GNSS.
  638
  Sir Michael Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will indicate the levels of his Department's funding allocated in current and future years to support United Kingdom participation in the European Space Agency satellite navigation development programme. [33256]

  Mr. Norris
  My Department has allocated £1.043 million per year for 1996–97, 1997–98 and 1998–99 for satellite navigation development work. The proportion of this to be allocated to UK participation in the European Space Agency's satellite navigation development programme has yet to be decided.

  Train Arrivals and Departures
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he collates relating to trains leaving and arriving at domestic destinations; and if he will make a statement on trends over the last five years. [33110]

  Mr. Watts
  My Department receives summary information concerning passenger train punctuality and reliability, collated by British Rail for the services under its overall control and by the franchising director for franchised services. The present arrangements were introduced with the British Rail passengers charter in 1992; annual results are therefore available only from 1992–93 onwards The data show that while there was deterioration during 1994, in part due to the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers strike, overall there has been a slight improvement in both punctuality and reliability.

  Transport Supplementary Grant
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out for each local authority in England the value of the bids made in their 1995 transport policies and programmes submissions for the award of transport supplementary grant for 1996–97 and the value of transport supplementary grant awarded by his Department for(a) major highway schemes eligible for transport supplementary grant, (b) major highway schemes not eligible for transport supplementary grant, (c) structural maintenance on carriageways, (d) structural maintenance on bridges, (e) major public transport projects, (f) minor works: highways, (g) minor works: public transport, and (h) minor works: local safety schemes and (i) parking. [33301]

  Mr. Norris
  Department of Transport support for local authority capital expenditure on transport infrastructure may be given as transport supplementary grant, TSG, grant under section 56 of the Transport Act 1968, or credit approvals.

  TSG is given for major highway scheme on roads of more than local importance, structural maintenance on the

  639
  carriageways of principal roads and assessment, strengthening and other structural maintenance of bridges and highway structures. It is payable at a rate of 50 per cent. of accepted expenditure. Section 56 grant is given to major public transport schemes only. Credit approvals are given to match TSG and section 56 payments and for any worthwhile expenditure ineligible for grant.

  Local transport capital settlement 1996–97

  All figures in £000

  Major highway schemes

  Structural maintenance

  TSG Eligible

  Non-eligible

  Principal RDS

  Bridges

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  (d)

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  City of London

  —

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,067

  622

  Barking

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,000

  178

  284

  146

  Barnet

  960

  0

  0

  0

  500

  178

  555

  140

  Bexley

  8,439

  7,650

  840

  150

  1,500

  720

  633

  458

  Brent

  0

  0

  399

  300

  1,000

  516

  725

  220

  Bromley

  500

  0

  17,245

  9,135

  650

  265

  930

  180

  Camden

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4,335

  794

  1,711

  320

  Croydon

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,431

  794

  1,130

  225

  Ealing

  50

  0

  0

  0

  142

  142

  373

  123

  Enfield

  521

  400

  1,541

  0

  2,912

  794

  2,885

  1,070

  Greenwich

  9,245

  5,500

  0

  0

  698

  345

  674

  284

  Hackney

  1,052

  0

  0

  0

  629

  284

  1,975

  245

  Hammersmith

  0

  0

  3,631

  1,667

  1,025

  450

  597

  530

  Haringey

  1,350

  0

  2,453

  450

  625

  328

  1,027

  416

  Harrow

  5,540

  4,400

  0

  0

  481

  292

  1,295

  395

  Havering

  0

  0

  0

  0

  115

  102

  277

  277

  Hillingdon

  3,669

  2,010

  0

  0

  673

  216

  2,826

  1,030

  Hounslow

  1,586

  1,100

  0

  0

  1,860

  436

  1,808

  790

  Islington

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,542

  543

  1,007

  907

  Kensington

  1,344

  400

  133

  133

  301

  266

  967

  300

  Kingston

  1,600

  1,050

  4,012

  4,000

  1,037

  510

  5,562

  2,560

  Lambeth

  0

  0

  300

  125

  727

  351

  765

  585

  Lewisham

  5,864

  3,300

  1,411

  58

  1,052

  310

  650

  410

  Merton

  44

  0

  0

  0

  200

  177

  120

  120

  Newham

  2,180

  1,250

  800

  800

  390

  345

  4,360

  1,600

  Redbridge

  0

  0

  0

  0

  800

  356

  200

  150

  Richmond

  0

  0

  650

  650

  239

  211

  387

  185

  Southwark

  2,923

  306

  258

  50

  1,375

  577

  1,758

  747

  Sutton

  1,850

  200

  0

  0

  183

  161

  1,074

  244

  Tower Hamlets

  0

  0

  263

  200

  1,050

  323

  1,390

  734

  Waltham Forest

  111

  100

  0

  0

  400

  354

  556

  382

  Wandsworth

  0

  0

  780

  108

  1,013

  427

  1,715

  765

  Westminster

  750

  490

  5,760

  125

  383

  306

  6,650

  2,786

  Bolton

  0

  0

  388

  243

  1,208

  546

  4,530

  990

  Bury

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,089

  524

  1,400

  484

  Manchester

  8,664

  3,575

  1,100

  0

  2,719

  767

  3,303

  1,266

  Oldham

  2,608

  2,000

  0

  0

  1,842

  638

  4,736

  1,190

  Rochdale

  0

  0

  0

  0

  902

  474

  2,872

  2,392

  Salford

  9,673

  4,950

  0

  0

  1,924

  682

  1,595

  910

  All figures in £000

  Major highway schemes

  Structural maintenance

  TSG eligible

  Non-eligible

  Principal RDS

  Bridges

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  (d)

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Stockport

  200

  200

  0

  0

  2,704

  766

  4,805

  1,378

  Tameside

  770

  0

  0

  0

  1,240

  566

  1,520

  584

  Trafford

  13,409

  11,403

  0

  0

  723

  244

  1,400

  1,134

  Wigan

  1,798

  0

  0

  0

  1,266

  441

  1,038

  510

  Knowsley

  5,500

  4,500

  0

  0

  3,650

  692

  390

  322

  Liverpool

  3,425

  0

  0

  0

  2,100

  936

  1,725

  726

  St. Helens

  1,967

  947

  0

  0

  200

  134

  1,883

  715

  Sefton

  2,560

  1,960

  0

  0

  658

  192

  1,479

  510

  Wirral

  325

  325

  0

  0

  400

  264

  1,985

  583

  Barnsley

  4,588

  4,444

  0

  0

  1,860

  669

  2,275

  562

  Doncaster

  12,447

  2,850

  0

  0

  928

  502

  1,497

  1,162

  640
  The introduction of the package approach means that resources allocated for minor works may be used flexibly for either highway or public transport infrastructure works. No allocations were made specifically for parking.

  Tables showing the bids from, and allocations of grants and credit approvals to, the local authorities in England for 1996–97 have been placed in the Library.
  641

  All figures in £000

  Major highway schemes

  Structural maintenance

  TSG eligible

  Non-eligible

  Principal RDS

  Bridges

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  (d)

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Rotherham

  0

  0

  300

  200

  806

  426

  1,760

  984

  Sheffield

  7,731

  4,375

  5,400

  4,300

  4,110

  1,334

  5,334

  1,945

  Gateshead

  10

  0

  1,000

  400

  430

  286

  631

  308

  Newcastle

  6,940

  2,640

  0

  0

  2,450

  740

  3,341

  1,514

  North Tyneside

  250

  0

  0

  0

  1,500

  549

  1,183

  557

  South Tyneside

  0

  0

  100

  100

  276

  184

  1,066

  496

  Sunderland

  3,116

  850

  0

  0

  2,810

  878

  1,260

  582

  Birmingham

  32,541

  24,572

  604

  0

  6,000

  1,258

  3,770

  1,084

  Coventry

  11,010

  11,010

  0

  0

  535

  305

  868

  741

  Dudley

  15,600

  0

  7,190

  2,000

  1,722

  692

  1,300

  454

  Sandwell

  1,840

  1,300

  0

  0

  3,705

  953

  5,087

  1,105

  Solihull

  1,900

  900

  0

  0

  750

  200

  281

  271

  Walsall

  9,212

  3,304

  0

  0

  1,073

  522

  4,226

  986

  Wolverhampton

  6,814

  4,535

  0

  0

  3,620

  898

  3,300

  1,100

  Bradford

  1,690

  0

  0

  250

  3,782

  1,271

  8,569

  1,106

  Calderdale

  200

  0

  0

  0

  3,626

  1,306

  1,826

  494

  Kirklees

  50

  0

  80

  0

  6,095

  1,550

  2,100

  556

  Leeds

  10,185

  8,220

  2,926

  1,650

  3,000

  1,306

  4,814

  1,020

  Wakefield

  4,809

  2,535

  15

  0

  2,016

  765

  2,434

  680

  Isle of Wight

  0

  0

  0

  0

  866

  461

  430

  197

  Bath and North

  East Somerset

  0

  0

  0

  0

  695

  277

  1,263

  735

  Bristol

  3,156

  58

  681

  600

  552

  312

  2,156

  934

  North Somerset

  479

  469

  0

  0

  1,133

  287

  390

  304

  South Gloucester

  11,321

  4,155

  2,683

  1,500

  740

  294

  175

  162

  Hartlepool

  0

  0

  4,156

  1,500

  289

  282

  10

  18

  Middlesbrough

  0

  0

  0

  0

  291

  144

  1,013

  702

  Redcar and Cleveland

  2,265

  1,500

  503

  200

  1,152

  542

  265

  237

  Stockton

  8,823

  986

  0

  0

  716

  247

  220

  200

  East Riding

  1,200

  0

  675

  550

  3,055

  1,430

  700

  518

  All figures in £000

  Major schemes Public transport

  Minor works

  Other minor works

  Local safety schemes

  Parking

  (PT)

  Packages

  Roads

  PT

  Roads and PT

  (e)

  (parts f and g)

  Roads (part f)

  (part g)

  (parts f and g)

  (h)

  (i)

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  City of London

  0

  0

  0

  0

  885

  0

  66

  0

  0

  5

  Barking

  0

  0

  0

  0

  174

  0

  175

  507

  262

  100

  Barnet

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3,177

  150

  375

  1,155

  318

  0

  Bexley

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,446

  0

  263

  750

  387

  65

  Brent

  0

  0

  879

  0

  4,117

  0

  578

  2,880

  537

  0

  Bromley

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,480

  135

  370

  335

  255

  171

  Camden

  0

  0

  1,140

  0

  2,053

  95

  603

  771

  318

  516

  Croydon

  0

  0

  1,050

  0

  4,653

  0

  541

  1,408

  655

  0

  Ealing

  0

  0

  2,021

  0

  1,975

  0

  325

  150

  150

  184

  Enfield

  0

  0

  290

  0

  1,200

  0

  326

  921

  502

  0

  Greenwich

  0

  0

  77

  0

  2,912

  1,055

  513

  856

  387

  150

  Hackney

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4,060

  275

  277

  644

  468

  0

  Hammersmith

  0

  0

  4,468

  0

  1,776

  0

  348

  700

  387

  800

  Haringey

  0

  0

  653

  0

  2,111

  0

  359

  425

  337

  260

  Harrow

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2,046

  0

  291

  300

  268

  0

  Havering

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,064

  0

  281

  550

  214

  1,074

  Hillingdon

  200

  0

  0

  0

  1,995

  0

  443

  1,229

  223

  500

  Hounslow

  0

  0

  2,200

  0

  2,293

  100

  363

  869

  576

  690

  Islington

  0

  0

  513

  0

  5,734

  150

  453

  1,040

  262

  230

  Kensington

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2,234

  300

  178

  390

  227

  0

  Kingston

  0

  0

  0

  0

  342

  0

  342

  683

  343

  1,170

  Lambeth

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3,290

  10

  341

  392

  165

  200

  Lewisham

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,561

  150

  327

  1,338

  300

  0

  Merton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2,344

  450

  452

  960

  270

  300

  Newham

  0

  0

  0

  0

  808

  50

  453

  742

  657

  0

  642 643

  All figures in £000

  Major schemes Public transport

  Minor works

  Other minor works

  Local safety schemes

  Parking

  (PT)

  Packages

  Roads

  PT

  Roads and PT

  (e)

  (parts f and g)

  (part f)

  (part g)

  (parts f and g)

  (h)

  (i)

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Redbridge

  0

  0

  0

  0

  6,543

  0

  254

  534

  380

  40

  Richmond

  0

  0

  430

  0

  732

  171

  253

  389

  342

  145

  Southwark

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,554

  640

  266

  750

  304

  0

  Sutton

  0

  0

  620

  0

  3,342

  70

  488

  994

  345

  550

  Tower Hamlets

  0

  0

  1,102

  0

  1,503

  90

  268

  450

  218

  1,000

  Waltham Forest

  0

  0

  540

  0

  1,314

  0

  385

  570

  246

  25

  Wandsworth

  0

  0

  0

  0

  6,625

  3,970

  513

  1,780

  421

  500

  Westminster

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3,022

  0

  330

  940

  368

  855

  Bolton

  0

  0

  2,719

  311

  0

  15

  0

  393

  248

  0

  Bury

  0

  0

  1,368

  418

  0

  0

  0

  340

  247

  150

  Manchester

  0

  0

  9,887

  1,219

  0

  0

  0

  1,300

  788

  338

  Oldham

  0

  0

  5,003

  351

  1,952

  0

  0

  680

  429

  130

  Rochdale

  0

  0

  1,967

  549

  0

  0

  0

  275

  268

  0

  Salford

  0

  0

  4,695

  409

  0

  0

  0

  713

  630

  0

  All figures in £000

  Major schemes Public transport

  Minor works

  Other minor works

  Local safety schemes

  Parking

  (PT)

  Packages

  Roads

  PT

  Roads and PT

  (e)

  (parts f and g)

  (part f)

  (part g)

  (parts f and g)

  (h)

  (i)

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Stockport

  0

  0

  7,790

  320

  0

  0

  0

  1,017

  234

  0

  Tameside

  0

  0

  3,122

  329

  0

  0

  0

  360

  310

  0

  Trafford

  0

  0

  1,847

  203

  2,000

  0

  0

  356

  242

  100

  Wigan

  0

  0

  2,501

  391

  0

  0

  0

  250

  214

  0

  Knowsley

  0

  0

  2,995

  900

  400

  0

  0

  419

  294

  0

  Liverpool

  0

  0

  5,080

  1,720

  0

  0

  0

  1,200

  614

  150

  St. Helens

  0

  0

  1,561

  540

  0

  0

  0

  175

  110

  15

  Sefton

  0

  0

  2,798

  1,000

  0

  0

  0

  525

  200

  100

  Wirral

  0

  0

  3,655

  870

  0

  0

  0

  400

  400

  0

  Barnsley

  3,500

  0

  2,875

  711

  595

  0

  0

  310

  250

  0

  Doncaster

  250

  0

  3,125

  936

  0

  0

  0

  600

  262

  0

  Rotherham

  0

  0

  2,020

  816

  135

  90

  0

  170

  170

  0

  Sheffield

  150

  0

  4,680

  1,662

  4,770

  0

  0

  550

  417

  0

  Gateshead

  0

  0

  1,635

  460

  1,820

  0

  0

  400

  325

  350

  Newcastle

  0

  0

  2,207

  565

  0

  0

  0

  400

  325

  0

  North Tyneside

  0

  0

  2,249

  440

  450

  0

  0

  300

  195

  0

  South Tyneside

  0

  0

  1,032

  355

  0

  0

  0

  378

  310

  600

  Sunderland

  100

  0

  2,840

  680

  428

  15

  0

  530

  375

  340

  Birmingham

  0

  0

  7,802

  3,085

  65

  0

  0

  2,350

  1,150

  340

  Coventry

  0

  0

  785

  413

  20

  0

  0

  308

  200

  0

  Dudley

  0

  0

  0

  994

  2,115

  0

  0

  750

  370

  1,000

  Sandwell

  0

  0

  3,432

  945

  0

  0

  0

  441

  240

  130

  Solihull

  0

  0

  695

  658

  0

  0

  0

  1,205

  530

  425

  Walsall

  0

  0

  4,010

  988

  0

  0

  0

  852

  460

  400

  Wolverhampton

  0

  0

  5,200

  956

  0

  0

  0

  690

  370

  300

  Bradford

  20

  0

  5,694

  1,450

  0

  0

  0

  1,076

  750

  0

  Calderdale

  750

  0

  1,670

  1,350

  0

  0

  0

  330

  326

  0

  Kirklees

  0

  0

  3,012

  950

  845

  0

  0

  864

  520

  100

  Leeds

  35,500

  0

  5,875

  3,800

  6,147

  0

  0

  1,400

  747

  909

  Wakefield

  0

  0

  3,947

  700

  2,230

  0

  0

  589

  347

  106

  Isle of Wight

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4,590

  10

  1,952

  486

  264

  100

  Bath and North East Somerset

  1,176

  0

  1,186

  500

  0

  0

  0

  375

  150

  0

  Bristol

  670

  0

  3,039

  850

  0

  0

  0

  617

  325

  0

  North Somerset

  0

  0

  1,736

  400

  0

  0

  0

  50

  20

  0

  South Gloucester

  236

  0

  2,015

  850

  0

  0

  0

  345

  182

  0

  Hartlepool

  0

  0

  413

  150

  0

  0

  0

  30

  20

  0

  Middlesbrough

  0

  0

  903

  355

  0

  0

  0

  445

  275

  0

  Redcar and Cleveland

  0

  0

  704

  280

  0

  0

  0

  93

  55

  0

  Stockton

  0

  0

  1,186

  465

  0

  0

  0

  79

  50

  0

  East Riding

  0

  0

  301

  0

  613

  10

  100

  140

  137

  0

  644 645

  All figures in £000

  Major highway schemes

  Structural maintenance

  TSG eligible

  Non-eligible

  Principal RDS

  Bridges

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  (d)

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Hull

  4,500

  4,500

  436

  350

  500

  145

  2,000

  538

  North East Lincoln

  4,223

  1,000

  0

  0

  1,085

  516

  200

  176

  North Lincoln

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,915

  322

  720

  402

  North Yorkshire

  7,532

  2,777

  0

  0

  10,606

  1,382

  6,300

  1,744

  York

  2,262

  2,262

  0

  0

  1,021

  100

  221

  206

  Bedfordshire

  3,087

  1,567

  0

  0

  2,560

  815

  3,585

  986

  Berkshire

  7,447

  998

  0

  0

  2,260

  722

  2,665

  1,114

  Buckinghamshire

  10,361

  5,204

  0

  0

  2,100

  922

  2,500

  758

  Cambridgeshire

  7,114

  4,571

  0

  0

  3,668

  1,150

  5,622

  1,433

  Cheshire

  23,610

  17,820

  1,300

  0

  11,155

  3,090

  6,265

  2,341

  Cornwall

  5,098

  3,386

  0

  0

  3,202

  946

  4,610

  1,340

  Cumbria

  4,550

  2,830

  0

  0

  3,000

  796

  3,300

  1,256

  Derbyshire

  3,631

  3,541

  0

  0

  2,469

  750

  1,996

  1,294

  Devon

  4,932

  2,689

  82

  0

  6,203

  1,633

  4,519

  1,290

  Dorset

  4,850

  451

  0

  0

  1,005

  587

  2,735

  1,160

  Durham

  9,670

  3,233

  1,519

  700

  2,210

  904

  3,700

  1,727

  East Sussex

  9,291

  6,330

  2,290

  1,500

  4,786

  1,013

  3,365

  1,144

  Essex

  5,950

  431

  695

  200

  6,300

  1,551

  4,967

  1,540

  Gloucestershire

  6,843

  3,763

  0

  0

  2,854

  799

  1,900

  1,030

  Hampshire

  13,518

  10,679

  2,210

  2,000

  10,386

  2,064

  3,027

  1,331

  Hereford/Worcestershire

  12,014

  8,817

  0

  0

  5,400

  1,122

  1,490

  759

  Hertfordshire

  6,800

  4,800

  400

  200

  4,000

  1,050

  4,500

  1,286

  Kent

  128,902

  71,242

  4,198

  2,000

  16,168

  3,752

  7,550

  1,456

  Lancashire

  12,056

  6,375

  203

  0

  10,202

  2,010

  17,995

  2,356

  Leicestershire

  7,529

  516

  0

  0

  4,482

  1,067

  2,374

  922

  Lincolnshire

  8,158

  6,837

  75

  75

  3,050

  992

  3,590

  1,261

  Norfolk

  6,756

  2,651

  2,843

  1,000

  8,741

  1,600

  7,669

  2,021

  Northants

  4,183

  3,023

  42

  0

  5,260

  1,129

  2,350

  890

  Northumberside

  9,685

  4,005

  0

  0

  5,000

  1,189

  6,000

  1,548

  Nottinghamshire

  6,472

  2,655

  235

  175

  6,977

  1,435

  6,124

  1,580

  Oxon

  3,442

  336

  7,852

  0

  3,987

  1,354

  2,544

  1,071

  Shropshire

  6,638

  0

  0

  0

  4,520

  1,009

  3,082

  1,055

  Somerset

  9,135

  7,332

  200

  200

  2,390

  886

  3,396

  1,487

  Staffordshire

  22,442

  14,364

  0

  0

  8,000

  1,786

  2,400

  964

  Suffolk

  3,288

  340

  1,360

  1,000

  6,447

  1,500

  5,000

  1,249

  Surrey

  24,627

  9,680

  0

  0

  8,694

  2,473

  10,152

  1,641

  Warwicks

  579

  0

  0

  0

  3,234

  956

  3,470

  1,270

  West Sussex

  4,863

  2,171

  2,507

  0

  2,428

  776

  1,622

  951

  Wiltshire

  991

  291

  0

  0

  2,295

  734

  2,937

  1,165

  All figures in £000

  Major schemes Public transport

  Minor works

  Other minor works

  Local safety schemes

  Parking

  (PT)

  Packages

  Roads

  PT

  Roads and PT

  (e)

  (parts f and g)

  (part f)

  (part g)

  (parts f and g)

  (h)

  (i)

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Hull

  0

  0

  3,039

  1,200

  150

  0

  0

  647

  322

  0

  North East Lincoln

  0

  0

  0

  0

  917

  70

  151

  341

  197

  211

  North Lincoln

  0

  0

  0

  0

  820

  150

  149

  129

  129

  0

  North Yorkshire

  0

  0

  2,261

  0

  1,774

  0

  725

  1,726

  772

  0

  York

  0

  0

  1,918

  600

  329

  0

  0

  249

  172

  120

  Bedfordshire

  1,110

  500

  4,416

  800

  563

  135

  456

  1,542

  780

  0

  Berkshire

  0

  0

  4,974

  700

  3,032

  159

  451

  1,607

  785

  0

  Buckinghamshire

  0

  0

  753

  450

  2,035

  200

  827

  1,000

  634

  720

  Cambridgeshire

  0

  0

  4,212

  1,500

  1,378

  339

  685

  3,551

  1,180

  115

  Cheshire

  0

  0

  706

  450

  3,545

  381

  118

  900

  716

  0

  Cornwall

  0

  0

  865

  300

  2,592

  45

  722

  900

  609

  562

  Cumbria

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4,985

  165

  813

  600

  450

  260

  Derbyshire

  12,128

  0

  1,977

  100

  5,306

  250

  568

  1,837

  770

  750

  Devon

  70

  0

  5,234

  1,700

  5,238

  118

  1,126

  1,373

  722

  372

  Dorset

  0

  0

  1,230

  500

  2,726

  0

  1,036

  464

  244

  0

  Durham

  0

  0

  2,671

  0

  2,463

  0

  534

  540

  320

  100

  East Sussex

  4,000

  0

  1,985

  850

  2,005

  0

  368

  870

  628

  0

  Essex

  0

  0

  4,612

  1,300

  8,281

  0

  1,050

  4,690

  1,557

  0

  Gloucestershire

  0

  0

  2,311

  650

  1,935

  350

  114

  1,189

  358

  254

  Hampshire

  0

  0

  7,775

  1,500

  2,470

  540

  689

  2,359

  1,420

  2,500

  646 647

  All figures in £000

  Major schemes Public transport

  Minor works

  Other minor works

  Local safety schemes

  Parking

  (PT)

  Packages

  Roads

  PT

  Roads and PT

  (e)

  (parts f and g)

  (part f)

  (part g)

  (parts f and g)

  (h)

  (i)

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Hereford/Worcestershire

  0

  0

  1,728

  350

  3,919

  0

  114

  540

  320

  108

  Hertfordshire

  0

  0

  4,067

  1,000

  3,815

  1,475

  925

  2,500

  1,030

  0

  Kent

  0

  0

  3,067

  650

  4,953

  227

  1,286

  5,779

  1,223

  0

  Lancashire

  1,215

  1,000

  5,034

  900

  6,457

  1,140

  1,153

  2,796

  1,497

  60

  Leicestershire

  2,148

  125

  6,841

  2,600

  3,988

  124

  710

  1,937

  753

  0

  Lincolnshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3,315

  525

  1,556

  750

  484

  300

  Norfolk

  0

  0

  3,251

  1,300

  4,727

  602

  730

  3,565

  870

  846

  Northants

  0

  0

  1,235

  450

  1,715

  35

  120

  1,100

  775

  495

  Northumberside

  0

  0

  380

  0

  2,335

  0

  369

  790

  490

  385

  Nottinghamshire

  5,351

  0

  4,085

  1,300

  5,409

  1,317

  988

  1,607

  870

  324

  Oxon

  0

  0

  0

  1,100

  1,722

  993

  561

  2,179

  639

  238

  Shropshire

  0

  0

  2,297

  750

  5,893

  275

  1,114

  873

  400

  0

  Somerset

  0

  0

  136

  0

  3,779

  0

  632

  955

  502

  0

  Staffordshire

  0

  0

  3,305

  800

  3,495

  0

  1,058

  1,000

  600

  0

  Suffolk

  0

  0

  3,880

  1,300

  6,420

  1,480

  1,187

  1,250

  780

  195

  Surrey

  0

  0

  2,152

  500

  8,023

  717

  1,181

  10,022

  1,460

  4,244

  Warwickshire

  0

  0

  1,235

  350

  563

  210

  419

  1,500

  910

  4

  West Sussex

  0

  0

  1,200

  350

  2,787

  734

  551

  1,781

  668

  2,603

  Wiltshire

  0

  0

  954

  300

  3,096

  63

  495

  1,314

  528

  0

  All figures in £000

  Major highway schemes

  Structural maintenance

  TSG eligible

  Non-eligible

  Principal RDS

  Bridges

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  (d)

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Greater Manchester PTE

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Merseyside PTE

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  South Yorkshire PTE

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Tyne and Wear PTE

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  West Midlands PTE

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  West Yorkshire PTE

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  All figures in £000

  Major schemes Public transport

  Minor works

  Other minor works

  Local safety schemes

  Parking

  (PT)

  Packages

  Roads

  PT

  Roads and PT

  (e)

  (parts f and g)

  (part f)

  (part g)

  (parts f and g)

  (h)

  (i)

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Accepted

  Bid

  Greater Manchester PTE

  19,940

  0

  9,250

  4,500

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  540

  Merseyside PTE

  9,423

  809

  15,550

  4,970

  0

  8,338

  0

  0

  0

  0

  South Yorkshire PTE

  13,828

  1,876

  0

  1,375

  0

  1,150

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Tyne and Wear PTE

  1,047

  693

  5,769

  2,000

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  West Midlands PTE

  54,860

  25,000

  13,170

  2,961

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  West Yorkshire PTE

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  200

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Mr. Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many package bids for transport supplementary grant have been submitted to his department since their introduction; how many of these bids have been successful; and what is the total level of package-based funding awarded to date. [33302]

  Mr. Norris
  The figures are given in the table.

  Settlement Year

  Number of package bids submitted

  Number of package bids accepted

  Funding for package minor works (£ million)

  1994–95

  46

  13

  13

  1995–96

  82

  39

  64

  1996–97

  83

  53

  79

  648
  In addition to the funding for package minor works, we expect all new major schemes in package areas to be justified in the context of the package. Total package funding—including new major schemes—comes to £79 million in 1995–96 and £119 million in 1996–97.

  Air Operations International
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what applications have been made by Air Operations International to operate flights in and out of the United Kingdom. [33283]

  Mr. Norris
  No applications to operate flights to the UK have been made to the Department of Transport by Air Operations International, which does not possess an operating licence or an air operator's certificate. I
  649
  understand that the Swedish aeronautical authorities are currently considering an application for an air operator's certificate by Air Operations International. The Department has asked for a copy of the operating licence if and when one is issued.

  The terms of EC regulations 2407/92 and 2408/92 on, respectively, the licensing of air carriers and access for Community carriers to intra-Community air routes mean that carriers with a valid operating licence granted by a country in the European Economic Area are not required to apply for permission to operate services from the UK to a destination inside the EEA.

  Air Operations International would, however, need to apply to the Department for permission to operate flights from the UK to destinations outside the EEA.

  Air Operations of Europe
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the occasions when permits to operate to and from the United Kingdom were issued by (i) the Civil Aviation Authority and (ii) his Department to Air Operations of Europe after 10 October 1994. [33531]

  Mr. Norris
  The Department of Transport is the responsible body for issuing permits to operate to and from the UK. Since 10 October 1994 the Department has granted permission to Air Operations of Europe to operate in its own right to and from the UK on the following dates: 26 May 1995, 10 August 1995, 22 September 1995 and on 17 April.

  Red Routes
  Mr. Forman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the impact of red routes on small retail businesses along such routes. [33616]

  Mr. Norris
  I am determined that the needs of local businesses are considered fully before red routes are introduced. The Traffic Director for London, who is responsible for co-ordinating the introduction of the red route network, gives full consideration to how these needs can best be met. The traffic director monitors the effects of red routes on businesses and his executive summary of the first study, "Red Routes and Retailing", published in October 1995, has been placed in the Library.

  Driving Theory Test Centre, Doncaster
  Sir Harold Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the application of the service specification in order to institute a driving theory test centre for Doncaster. [33638]

  Mr. Norris
  Proposals for theory test centres in the Doncaster area comply with the service specification for the theory test service delivery contract. I believe that the announced plans reflect a realistic balance between cost, the travelling distances to centres for candidates, and the frequency at which test sessions would be available.

  For an additional test centre to be sited in the Doncaster area, a robust case would need to demonstrate that special circumstances or difficulties applied in the case of this area.
  650
  Sir Harold Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what population figures and densities he has used for the towns of(a) Doncaster, (b) Southport and (c) Scunthorpe in deciding that Doncaster should be treated differently from (b) and (c) in respect of driving theory tests. [33637]

  Mr. Norris
  The population figures used in determining the network of driving theory test centres were taken from table 15.1 of a Central Statistical Office publication "Regional Trends—1994" published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office. The figures for the districts in which the following towns are located are:

  (a) Doncaster—population density 505 persons per sq. km. Candidates should be within a 20-mile radius of the nearest theory test centre;

  (b) Southport—population density 1,929 persons per sq. km. Candidates should be within a five-mile radius of the nearest theory test centre; and

  (c) Scunthorpe—population density 1,836 persons per sq. km. Candidates should be within a five-mile radius of the nearest theory test centre.

  The criteria used for located driving theory test centres are set out in my reply today to the right hon. Member, Ref. 33639.

  Sir Harold Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what criteria he used to determine that residents of Doncaster, Central should travel to Scunthorpe or Sheffield for driving theory tests; [33639]

  (2) what distances he has used between Doncaster and Scunthorpe and Doncaster and Sheffield to determine that Doncaster should not have a driving theory test centre. [33640]

  Mr. Norris
  The criteria for locating theory test centres across Great Britain were determined in order to give a balance between costs, the travelling distances to centres for candidates and the frequency with which test sessions would be available.

  Theory tests will be available:

  within five miles in districts—usually towns or cities—with population density of greater than or equal to 1,250 persons per sq. km;

  within 40 miles in sparsely populated districts with a population density of less than 100 person per sq. km;

  within 20 miles in other districts where population density lies between these limits.

  Doncaster lies in a district in the third category and within a 20-mile radius of both Sheffield and Scunthorpe driving theory test centre.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the advantages of banning the use of asbestos in vehicle brakes and clutches; and if he will make a statement. [33631]

  Mr. Norris
  In 1994, a survey of companies producing asbestos products found that 4,5000 tonnes of chrysotile asbestos was used in friction materials, such as brakes and clutches, mainly for heavy goods vehicles. There is good evidence that, under conditions of use in brakes and clutches, chrysotile asbestos breaks down to less harmful products.
  651
  The Health and Safety Executive participated in a 1988 study by the International Programme on Chemical Safety—which comes under the auspices of the UN Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organisation—which found the following:

  (a) production workers who make the brakes and clutches, have since the 1940s had generally low exposure and low risk compared to other asbestos workers;

  (b) mechanics who maintain/replace brake linings have low exposure and risk, particularly if HSE's advice is followed;

  (c) ambient exposure levels in areas where increased braking of vehicles occur, generally show either no increase, or only a very small increase, in the background level of asbestos fibres in the air. Any risk from environmental brake emission is therefore very small.

  Nevertheless agreement has been reached within the United Nationals Economic Commission for Europe to prohibit the use of asbestos in the brake linings of vehicles first used on or after 1 October 1998. Discussions to align EU braking requirements with those of the UNECE are schedule for later this year.

  School Transport
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for the Environment dispensation in respect of capping limits on expenditure to end the practice of seating three children to two seats in school transport. [33716]

  Mr. Norris
  The costs of ending the practice of seating three children to two seats in school transport were taken into account in deciding the education standard spending assessments. Increases in those assessments were taken into account in the capping guidelines for 1996–97. All local authority budgets for 1996–97 are now set.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the costs to local education authorities and schools of ending the practice of seating three children to two seats in school transport. [33717]

  Mr. Norris
  The costs associated with changes to the construction and use regulations to require seat belts in coaches and minibuses specifically used for the transport of children were given in the compliance cost assessment which accompanied the amended regulations in February. The costs associated with the consequential amendments to the Public Service Vehicle (Carrying Capacity) Regulations to remove the three for two concession where seat belts are fitted were included in the assessment.

  My Department has not considered the costs of further changes to remove the three for two concession completely, as there is no safety justification for doing so, and this is therefore a matter for local authorities to consider in relation to their specific school transport provisions.

  London Transport Buses
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the grant to London Transport Buses in 1995–96, and how it was spent. [33609]
  652
  Mr. Norris
  In 1995–96 London Transport Buses received grant from London Transport amounting to £44.3 million. This comprised £30.4 million in support of bus operations, £8.9 million on investment and £5 million working capital.

  Office of Passenger Rail Franchising
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the annual running costs of Opraf. [33813]

  Mr. Watts
  The annual running costs of Opraf for 1996–97 are £7.6 million for which the Government have sought approval in the Supply estimates laid before Parliament.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what total costs, including external costs and external costs for advice, have been incurred by the Rail Regulator to date in respect of rail privatisation; and what are the estimates for the current financial year. [33797]

  Mr. Watts
  I am advised by the Office of the rail regulator that its expenditure from the time of its establishment in 1993–94 has been as set out in the following table, which includes a column showing planned expenditure in the current year. The 1995–96 figures are provisional.

  £ million

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Consultancy

  0.6

  2.9

  3.0

  1.2

  Running costs

  0.6

  4.7

  5.7

  6.6

  Capital

  0.2

  1.4

  0.3

  0.4

  Total

  1.4

  9.0

  9.0

  8.2

  A64
  Mr. Alison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish the draft orders under the Highways Act 1980 for the Highways Agency's proposals for improving the A64 at its junction with Top lane, Copmanthorpe. [33888]

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

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Michael Alison, dated 21 June 1996:
  As you know, the Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking when he will publish the draft Orders under the Highways Act 1980 for the Highways Agency's proposals for improving the A64 at its junction with Top Lane, Copmanthorpe.
  You are aware that we held a public exhibition into the proposals in December 1995 and that we intended to publish draft Orders later this year. However, the Highways Agency Business Plan for 1996/97 has been agreed with Ministers and unfortunately we have no programme of local safety or small improvement schemes this year. The position for 1997/98 and beyond is of course unclear, and I am afraid that I cannot give any assurances about precisely when funds may be available to progress this scheme.
  I know that you and your constituents will be very disappointed with this news, but our programmes have to reflect the current constraints on public expenditure.

  British Rail Maintenance Depots
  Mr. Barry Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when Ernst and Young's report of its study of the sale of four ex-British Rail Maintenance Ltd. depots, two level 5 depots and the Swindon electronic service centre will be available; and if he will list the names of the purchasers and prices paid for the seven sales. [34491]

  Mr. Watts
  I have today placed a copy of the report in the Library. The total sale proceeds of £29.69 million, subject to final post completion adjustments, are divided as follows:

  Depots

  Purchaser

  Proceeds (£ million)

  Chart Leacon, Ilford and Doncaster

  ABB Customer Support Ltd.

  17.74

  Wolverton and Springburn

  Railcare Ltd.

  6.0

  Eastleigh

  Wessex Traincare Ltd.

  5.60

  Electronic Service Centre, Swindon

  ABB Customer Support Ltd.

  0.35

  Copyright
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department intends to complete its review of copyright law to ensure compliance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. [33763]

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 20 June 1996]It is intended that the review be completed in September.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Bosnia
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements the Government are making to ensure that refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina are able to vote in the forthcoming elections for the new Mostar local authorities and in the planned nationwide elections in September. [33777]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  For the Mostar municipal elections due to be held on 30 June, the European Union has undertaken to designate one refugee voting centre in each of the four countries outside former Yugoslavia where the majority of Mostar refugees live, and to support financially bus transport to Mostar for refugees who wish to participate in the elections.

  The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the International Organisation of Migration will organise registration and voting for the nationwide elections for Bosnians resident in third countries. As a voluntary contribution to this process, Her Majesty's Government have made available office facilities for a registration and voting centre to be run under IOM supervision and have helped with the distribution of information to refugee populations.
  654

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Postage Costs
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on postage in the financial years 1994–95 and 1995–96; and how many items were posted during these periods. [32849]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The amount spent on postage by the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments was as follows:

  1994–95: £6,879,578

  1995–96: £6,789,781

  No statistics are available on the number of items posted.

  Teachers
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teachers were made redundant(a) voluntarily and (b) compulsorily, at primary, secondary and further levels in each year since 1990. [33310]

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

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to what extend schools with similar enrolments can employ differing numbers of teachers under present financial arrangements for schools. [33311]

  Mr. Ancram
  The employment of teaching staff is a matter for the board of governors of each school with a delegated budget to decide, within the constraints of the school's annual budget allocation.

  Schools Expenditure
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the amount spent, in cash and constant price terms, excluding funding for special projects, per primary and post primary pupil in Northern Ireland in each year since 1989–90. [33312]

  Mr. Ancram
  The information is as follows:

  Primary

  Post-primary

  1992–93

  Cash

  1,427

  2,234

  Constant

  1,362

  2,132

  1993–94

  Cash

  1,480

  2,286

  Constant

  1,453

  2,245

  1994–95

  Cash

  1,554

  2,369

  Constant

  1,554

  2,369

  1994–95 prices

  Information is not available for 1989–90 to 1991–92.

  School Starting Ages
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the long-term impact of the earlier school starting age in Northern Ireland upon school pupils' attainments; and what were the findings. [33313]

  Mr. Ancram
  No research into the earlier school starting age in Northern Ireland has been specifically commissioned. However, there is a range of research providing evidence of the long-term benefits of an early start in education.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost in each of the past five years of rectifying working conditions that were the responsibility of his Department and its agencies, to bring them up to acceptable health and safety standards, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33507]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Next Steps Agencies
  Mr. Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Government agencies he estimates will be in place by the end of 1996; and if he will list them and their functions. [33540]

  Sir John Wheeler
  It is expected that there will be 24 next steps agencies in Northern Ireland by the end of 1996. A list of the existing and anticipated agencies and their functions is set out.

  Further and more detailed information about existing agencies can be found in the respective corporate and business plans which are published documents, copies of which are in the Library.

  Compensation Agency
  Function: Administration of three statutory compensation schemes; the criminal injuries compensation scheme, the criminal damage compensation scheme and the emergency provision compensation scheme.

  Construction Service
  Function: Design, construction, maintenance management, environmental quality and safety standards of work undertaken for Government Departments, agencies and other public bodies.

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing (Northern Ireland)
  Function: Issue of driving licences; registration and licensing of vehicles in Northern Ireland and collection and enforcement of vehicle excise duty.

  Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency
  Function: Examines vehicles to make sure they are roadworthy, conducts driving tests and approves registration of new driving instructors.

  Environment and Heritage Service
  Function: Protection and conservation of the natural and built environment.

  Forensic Science Agency of Northern Ireland
  Function: Provision of effective scientific advice and support to enhance the delivery of justice.

  Government Purchasing Agency (GPA)
  Function: Provision of a professional procurement service.
  656
  Health Estates
  Function: Provision of policy advice, guidance and support on estate matters to bodies responsible for the health and personal social service estate in Northern Ireland.

  Industrial Research and Technology Unit
  Function: Promotion of industrial research, development and technology transfer in Northern Ireland.

  Land Registers of Northern Ireland
  Function: Records details of legal rights to land, provides information for land and property conveyancing and has a judicial role in resolving disputes about registered land.

  Northern Ireland Child Support Agency
  Function: Operation of the system created by the Child Support Act 1991 in Northern Ireland.

  Northern Ireland Prison Service
  Function: To serve and protect the community by holding in secure and humane confinement persons given into custody by the courts and by encouraging offenders to address their offending behaviour.

  Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)
  Function: Provision of a statistical and research service.

  Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland
  Function: Is responsible for producing maps and related information services which are used in paper and computer form by public bodies, companies and private individuals.

  Planning Service
  Function: Prepares development plans, decides planning applications and provides a property certificate service for people involved in conveyancing.

  Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
  Function: Identification and preservation of Northern Ireland's archival heritage.

  Rate Collection Agency
  Function: Collection of rates and administration of the housing benefit scheme for owner-occupiers.

  Roads Service
  Function: Provision and maintenance of the road network throughout Northern Ireland.

  Social Security Agency (Northern Ireland)
  Function: Administration of social security benefits, national insurance contributions and other health and welfare-related functions.

  Training and Employment Agency (Northern Ireland)
  Function: Administration of employment and training services in Northern Ireland.

  Valuation and Lands Agency
  Function: Maintenance of the valuation list for rating purposes in Northern Ireland.

  Water Service
  Function: Provision of water and sewerage service in Northern Ireland.

  AGENCIES PREPARING FOR LAUNCH DURING 1996

  Watercourse Management
  Function: Provision of services dealing with flood protection, river drainage and navigation on certain inland waterways.

  Business Development Services
  Function: Provision of business support services to Government Departments.

DEFENCE

  Contracting Out
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those functions of the armed services which have been(a) contracted out and (b) given agency status since 1979. [33074]
  657
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I am writing to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Sea King Helicopters
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 4 June,Official Report, columns 339–40, if he will list for the Sea Kings currently in service the number which have suffered cracking to the lift frame (a) once and (b) more than once, by the year in which they entered service; how many repairs to Sea King lift frames have been carried out in each of the last 10 years; what are the reasons for the cracking; what measures have been taken (i) before delivery and (ii) for helicopters already in service, to prevent cracking; and how many helicopters have been taken out of service prematurely because of cracking to the lift frame. [32820]

  Mr. Soames
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Royal Marines (Landing Craft)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to purchase air-cushioned landing craft for the Royal Marines. [34047]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  We have no such plans at present. The Royal Marines 539 Squadron currently operates four Griffon 2000 hovercraft.

  Married Quarters
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many married housing quarters his Department possesses in(a) Wiltshire, (b) Kent and (c) Surrey. [34048]

  Mr. Soames
  My Department currently owns 6,271 family quarters in Wiltshire, 3,046 in Kent, and 1,798 in Surrey.

  Retraining Advice
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what retraining advice and assistance is provided to(a) officers and (b) other ranks of the armed forces who are leaving the service; and if he will make a statement. [34011]

  Mr. Soames
  Appropriate resettlement advice is available to all service personnel throughout their careers. A comprehensive programme of career and specialist briefings, training courses and elements of outplacement is also available to eligible personnel during their final two years, Training may be undertaken either in-house—two main resettlement centres and nine regional centres—or externally. External training, for which a grant is available, may be through commercial providers, educational and training institutions. Service leavers may also undertake familiarisation attachments or spend time with companies to gain work experience or on-the-job training. Help with job finding is provided through the services employment network.

WALES

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost in each of the past five years of(a) sick pay and (b) compensation paid to employees of his Department or their families, or members of the public, as a result of (i) minor, (ii) major and (iii) fatal injuries related to the work of his Department, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33526]

  Mr. Hague
  (a) Expenditure on sick pay as a result of injuries related to work is not separately recorded and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  (b) Compensation paid as a result of injuries related to work was as follows:

  Financial year

  Minor injury

  Major injury1 £

  Fatal injury

  1995–96

  nil

  nil

  nil

  1994–95

  nil

  3,650

  nil

  1993–94

  nil

  nil

  nil

  1992–93

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Figures prior to 1992–93 are unavailable.

  1 Cases which are required to be reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions in each of the past five years health and safety problems in his Department and its agencies have been reported via internal monitoring; and on how many occasions the Health and Safety Commission has become involved. [33524]

  Mr. Hague
  Internal health and safety monitoring and reporting is a continuous process within the Department. Many minor matters are reported in the course of a year and action taken. The Health and Safety Commission, through the Health and Safety Executive. has become involved on one occasion in the last five years.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost in each of the past five years of rectifying working conditions that were the responsibility of his Department and its agencies, to bring them up to acceptable health and safety standards, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33527]

  Mr. Hague
  The information requested is not available. Prior to 1 April 1996, responsibilities for accommodation matters were divided between Property Holdings and the Department. Health and safety costs related to accommodation are not kept separately, but are subsumed within the cost of maintaining the Department's premises generally.

  Gwent Health Authority
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what consultations he has had with the chairman of Gwent health authority concerning the provision of(a) a draft and (b) a final report of the investigation by the authority's board into the appointment in January

  659
  1996 of a senior manager who was made redundant in December 1995 from Gwent Community Healthcare NHS trust; [34058]

  (2) if he will place a copy in the Library of the report of the board of Gwent health authority into its investigation into the appointment of a senior manager in January 1996; [34051]

  (3) what consultations he had had with the independent representative he appointed to the inquiry by the special sub-committee of the board of Gwent health authority to investigate the appointment of a senior manager in January 1996. [34050]

  Mr. Hague
  My Department is being kept informed of progress but I have not had any consultations with the chairman or the independent adviser who was appointed by the authority. I understand that, following a meeting of the authority on 17 June, the sub-committee undertaking the inquiry has been asked to carry out further work. I also understand that when it is completed the authority will publicise the findings of the review and any action it proposes to take.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many secured jobs have been created since 1975 by the Welsh Development Agency; [33884]

  (2) what quantities of land have been (a) auctioned off or otherwise sold and (b) acquired in each year since 1975 by the Welsh Development Agency; and if he will make a statement on the employment impact of the land sales. [33887]

  Mr. Hague
  These are operational matters for the Welsh Development Agency. I will arrange for the chief executive to write to the hon. Member and for a copy of his letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what benefits he expects will accrue in respect of the creation of jobs from the recent sale of land owned by the Welsh Development Agency. [33885]

  Mr. Hague
  I have set the agency a target for 1996–97 of creating or safeguarding 12,500 jobs in Wales. This will be achieved through a variety of programmes which are to be funded by some £80 million in receipts—excluding receipts from European programmes—and £40 million in grant in aid; the property disposal programme will contribute towards the receipts total.

HEALTH

  Oral Contraceptives
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on whose authority the special meeting of the Committee on Safety of Medicines on 11 October 1995 was called. [31897]

  Mr. Malone
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 19 December 1995,Official Report, columns 1150–51.
  660
  Mr. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Committee on Safety of Medicines has issued a letter relating to desogestrel and gestodene in terms of paragraph 6(1)(c) of schedule 2 to the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations Etc.) Regulations 1994 since 18 April. [31858]

  Mr. Malone
  Communications between the committee and licence holders are confidential.

  Mr. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) of 19 December 1995,Official Report, columns 1150–51, if the United Kingdom representatives on the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products communicated to Ministers the results of the CPMP deliberations on 18 October prior to the issuing of the "dear doctor" letter of the same date. [31894]

  Mr. Malone
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 30 April,Official Report, column 499.

  Mr. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) of 19 December 1995,Official Report, columns 1151–52, what factors have prevented the Licensing Authority from reinforcing the advice of the Committee on Safety of Medicines on desogestrel and gestodene. [31863]

  Mr. Malone
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 19 December 1995,Official Report, column 1149.

  Mr. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis the special meeting of the Committee on Safety of Medicines held on 13 October was called. [31859]

  Mr. Malone
  The meeting of 13 October was called because there was an urgent need to obtain independent expert advice on important new evidence concerning the safety of oral contraceptives.

  Heart Surgery
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many persons over the age of 65 years received major heart surgery at hospitals covering the Greater London area during 1995. [33705]

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not available.

  St. George's Hospital, Tooting
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private hospital beds there are currently at St. George's hospital, Tooting. [33707]

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Dr. Elizabeth Valiance, chairman of St. George's Healthcare national health service trust, for details.

  Unique Patient Numbers
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what procedure a hospital will be able to access the unique number for an NHS patient; if all hospitals will have such a procedure in place before the launch date of the project; and if he will make a statement. [33989]
  661
  Mr. Horam
  An acute hospital will obtain the new national health service number for a patient from one of three possible sources: the number will be included in the general practitioner's referral letter; the number will already be present on the hospital's database if this is not the first referral; or the number will be accessed via a tracing service.

  It is planned for all acute hospitals to have access to these facilities by April 1997.

  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of hospitals, and the number and proportion of general practitioner practices, which now have systems in place to handle the unique NHS patient number. [33990]

  Mr. Horam
  No detailed estimates have been prepared of the number of hospitals which have systems in place to handle the new national health service number. It will not be possible to produce reliable estimates until suppliers of hospital patient administration systems have been able to respond to the statement of requirements which will be issued shortly.

  All general practitioner practices that have been linked electronically to their health authorities now have systems in place which handle the new NHS number. At the end of May 1996, the number of practices with this capability was 5,700, which is 67 per cent. of all practices.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many parliamentary questions to his Department were referred for answer to the chief executive or other senior official of a non-departmental agency for which he has responsibility for the 1994–95 parliamentary Session. [34331]

  Mr. Horam
  Following a search of the parliamentary on-line information service database, we have identified a total of 56 such parliamentary questions which were answered during the 1994–95 parliamentary Session. This represents around 1 per cent. of the total.

  Children (Employment)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of young people in the United Kingdom(a) under 15 years working (i) less than and (ii) more than 10 hours per week, and (b) under 13 years in paid employment. [33862]

  Mr. Bowis
  Such information as is available centrally was published in the April 1995 edition of the Employment Gazette, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Osteopathy
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to make osteopathy services available on the national health service. [33809]

  Mr. Horam
  It is for local purchasers to decide, in the light of available resources and competing priorities, on the purchase of the most appropriate forms of treatment to meet the assessed health needs of their population. The reforms we have introduced in the national health 662
  service have made it easier for those doctors who would like to provide osteopathy services for their patients to do so.

  In April, a two-year pilot project commenced to assess whether osteopathy and chiropractic should be added to the standard list of goods and services which general practice fundholders can purchase on behalf of their patients.

  Smoking
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his most recent estimate of the number of deaths in the United Kingdom per annum caused by secondary smoking. [34045]

  Mr. Horam
  In its fourth report, published in 1988, the Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health estimated the number of lung cancer deaths in non-smokers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke over most of their lives as "several hundred deaths per year".

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the total annual cost to the NHS arising from illnesses caused by tobacco smoking. [34046]

  Mr. Horam
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West (Mr. Jones) on 12 June,Official Report, columns 187–88.

  Childhood Cancer
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the conclusions of(a) the fourth report by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment and (b) the National Radiological Protection Board R-276 report, in respect of childhood leukaemia and domestic radon; and what estimate he has made of the reduction in incidence of childhood leukaemia if the radon action limit were reduced to 200 bq per cubic metre. [34056]

  Mr. Horam
  The Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment's fourth report concluded that there was a continuing excess of leukaemia and other cancers in Seascale ward over four decades. This excess is unlikely to be due to chance alone. A number of possible factors which might have caused the excess have been considered but none of them, alone, could account for the increase. COMARE advised against further work specifically addressing the Seascale cluster until research indicates a new hypothesis to test. The Government accepted these conclusions.

  The National Radiological Protection Board report R-276 was designed to provide input for COMARE. Its main conclusions were that the total number of fatal radiation induced leukaemias and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in the period 1945 to 1992 was 0.36, of which most—78 per cent.—were caused by natural radiation.

  The United Kingdom action level for radon is already at 200 bq per cubic metre.

  Electro-magnetic Fields
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the findings of the national control case
  663
  study of childhood cancer with regard to the effect of radon and electro-magnetic fields; and what recommendations the National Radiological Protection Board has made arising therefrom. [34053]

  Mr. Horam
  The United Kingdom childhood cancer study organised by the United Kingdom Co-ordinating Committee on Cancer Research commenced in April 1992, following preliminary studies from 1 January 1992 to 31 March 1992.

  Field work and the collection of data are expected to be completed by the end of 1997 with subsequent analysis of the data.

  The findings of the whole report will be submitted for publication in peer reviewed scientific journals. The UKCCCR will also disseminate the results more widely after publication.

  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what studies the National Radiological Protection Board has undertaken relating to the effects of electric railway conductors; and what were its findings; [34067]

  (2) what studies of the effects of exposure to electric fields have been undertaken by the National Radiological Protection Board; and with what results; [34055]

  (3) if he will make a statement on the current assessment of the National Radiological Protection Board advisory group in respect of non-ionising radiation and the epidemiological evidence of a link between exposure to electro-magnetic fields and the incidence of leukaemia; what recent studies it has undertaken; and what were its findings. [34504]

  Mr. Horam
  The National Radiological Protection Board undertakes research into the effects of electro-magnetic fields on human health to support its advice to the Government and the publication of guidance. It has not carried out any specific studies relating to the effects of fields from electrified railway lines, although a review of magnetic fields associated with electrical transport has been published by NRPB which indicated that such exposure would not result in exceeding NRPB guidelines.

  Of two studies on rodents exposed to electric fields, one found no significant effects on two indices of central nervous system arousal and the other found that mains frequency fields had no effect on electrical activity in the rat brain. Further studies on high-level electric fields did not have a mutagenic effect on male germ cells.

  The Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation concluded in its 1992 report that human health—epidemiological—findings provided no firm evidence of the existence of a cancer hazard from exposure to power frequency EMF that may be associated with residence near major sources of electricity supply.

  Following a review of subsequent findings, the group concluded that, although the studies did not establish that exposure to power frequency EMF is a cause of cancer, they provided weak evidence to suggest that the possibility exists. Recommendations for further research were made and the advisory group is currently carrying out a further assessment taking into account studies which have been published since its last report.

  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health 664
  what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the attraction of radon decay product aerosols to electro-magnetic field sources. [34057]

  Mr. Horam
  A study has recently been commissioned to investigate the concentration and transport of radon daughter nuclei near sources of power frequency electro-magnetic fields. This is being carried out under the Department's radiation protection research programme.

  Judicial Review
  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many decisions by his Department were challenged by way of judicial review in each Session since 1991–92; and if he will list in how many cases(a) the Department's decision was upheld by the court, (b) the court found for the applicant, (c) the Department submitted to the judgement and (d) the Department appealed successfully against the judicial review decision; [33570]

  (2) on how many occasions in each Session since 1991–92 legislation has been introduced into Parliament by his Department, with the purpose of (a) removing the effects of a judicial review decision or (b) implementing a judicial review decision; and if he will list the relevant legislative provisions. [33587]

  Mr. Horam
  [holding answer 19 June 1996]Information in the form requested is not available. Since April 1994,23 decisions have been challenged by way of judicial review. In 11 cases, the Department's decision was upheld by the court; in four cases, the court found for the applicant, and in none of those cases did the Department appeal against the judicial review decision. Four cases were settled out of court; and four cases are on-going. In that time, one piece of legislation—the NHS (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1995—has been introduced in order to implement a judicial review decision.

  Information for any period before April 1994 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Correspondence
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Lord President of the Council when he will be replying to the letter he received from the right hon. Member dated 19 December 1995, acknowledged by his private secretary on 21 December 1995 and to the further letter dated 3 April 1996 he received from the right hon. Member asking for a reply. [33993]

  Mr. Newton
  I regret the delay in replying to my right hon. Friend, and am writing to him today.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Know-how Fund
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total spending on know-how fund projects in each country benefiting from the fund in each of the past three years. [34044]
  665
  Mr. Hanley
  Spending for each country was set out in the table.

  £ million

  Country

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  Bulgaria

  1.857

  2.179

  2.968

  Hungary

  6.281

  4.599

  4.804

  Poland

  11.878

  10.973

  11.787

  Romania

  3.741

  4.829

  6.424

  Albania

  0.361

  0.723

  0.947

  Slovenia

  0.492

  0.935

  0.858

  Macedonia

  0.174

  2.251

  0.559

  Czech Republic

  2.768

  2.544

  2.806

  Slovak Republic

  2.569

  2.405

  2.722

  Estonia

  0.310

  0.691

  0.856

  Latvia

  0.259

  0.915

  0.632

  Lithuania

  1.058

  0.900

  0.605

  Pan Baltic

  0.627

  0.603

  0.108

  Russia

  17.098

  28.738

  27.392

  Russia Chancellor's Scheme

  0.953

  1.350

  2.225

  Ukraine

  3.265

  5.330

  8.919

  Kazakhstan

  1.012

  1.909

  2.649

  Belarus

  0.086

  0.616

  1.147

  Moldova

  0.040

  0.124

  0.382

  Armenia

  0.025

  0.079

  0.347

  Azerbaijan

  0.122

  0.441

  0.677

  Georgia

  0.071

  0.496

  1.004

  Kyrgyztan

  0.093

  0.436

  0.407

  Turkmenistan

  0.001

  0.038

  0.126

  Tajikistan

  —

  0.081

  0.122

  Uzbekistan

  0.266

  0.302

  0.587

  Regional

  2.433

  2.799

  4.200

  HOUSE OF COMMONS

    Oral Questions
    Mr. Winnick
    To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list each hon. Member who has had an oral question in the top six to the Prime Minister indicating for each hon. Member the number of times on which this has occurred in the current Session. [33994]

    Mr. Newton
    The information requested is as follows:

    Member

    Number of times member has had oral question in top six to Prime Minister

    Mrs. Irene Adams

    1

    Mr. Nick Ainger

    1

    Mr Richard Alexander

    1

    Mr. David Amess

    3

    Ms Janet Anderson

    1

    Hilary Armstrong

    2

    Mr. Jacques Arnold

    4

    Mr. Matthew Banks

    2

    Mr. Robert Banks

    2

    Mr. Tony Banks

    4

    Mr. Harry Barnes

    1

    Mr. John Battle

    1

    Mr. Hugh Bayley

    1

    Mr. Roy Beggs

    1

    Mr. Roger Berry

    1

    Mr. Hartley Booth

    1

    Sir Graham Bright

    1

    Mr. Michael Brown

    3

    Mr. Ian Bruce

    1

    Mr. Malcolm Bruce

    2

    Mr. Richard Burden

    1

    Mr. Peter Butler

    5

    666

    Member

    Number of times member has had oral question in top six to Prime Minister

    Mrs. Anne Campbell

    3

    Mr. Ronnie Campbell

    3

    Mr. D. N. Campbell-Savours

    1

    Mr. Dennis Canavan

    2

    Mr. Matthew Carrington

    2

    Mr. David Chidgey

    1

    Mr. Malcolm Chisholm

    1

    Mr. Michael Clapham

    1

    Mr. Michael Clark

    1

    Mr. David Clelland

    1

    Mr. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown

    4

    Ann Clwyd

    2

    Mr. Harry Cohen

    3

    Mr. David Congdon

    4

    Mr. Simon Coombs

    3

    Mr. Robin Corbett

    1

    Mr. Jeremy Corbyn

    1

    Jean Corston

    1

    Mr. Tom Cox

    1

    Mr. John Cummings

    1

    Mr. Jim Cunningham

    1

    Roseanna Cunningham

    2

    Mr. Tam Dalyell

    3

    Mr. Ian Davidson

    2

    Mr. Bryan Davies

    3

    Mr. Chris Davies

    2

    Mr. John Denham

    1

    Mr. Jim Dowd

    2

    Mr. Bob Dunn

    2

    Mr. Hugh Dykes

    1

    Ms Angela Eagle

    1

    Mr. David Evans

    1

    Mr. Nigel Evans

    1

    Mr. David Evennett

    1

    Mrs. Margaret Ewing

    2

    Mr. Michael Fabricant

    2

    Mr. Paul Flynn

    2

    Mr. Don Foster

    1

    Mr. George Foulkes

    3

    Mr. Phil Gallie

    1

    Mr. Mike Gapes

    3

    Mr. Neil Gerrard

    1

    Mr. Christopher Gill

    2

    Dr. Norman A. Godman

    3

    Dr. Charles Goodson-Wickes

    4

    Mrs. Teresa Gorman

    1

    Mr. Harry Greenway

    2

    Mr. Nigel Griffiths

    1

    Mr. John Gunnell

    3

    Mr. Peter Hain

    2

    Mr. Mike Hall

    2

    Sir John Hannam

    3

    Mr. David Hanson

    2

    Mr. Peter Hardy

    2

    Sir Alan Haselhurst

    3

    Mr. Nick Hawkins

    1

    Mr. Charles Hendry

    2

    Mr. Keith Hill

    2

    Mr. David Hinchliffe

    1

    Kate Hoey

    1

    Mr. Jimmy Hood

    1

    Mr. Geoffrey Hoon

    3

    Mr. Doug Hoyle

    2

    Mr. Robert G. Hughes (Harrow West)

    2

    Mr. Roy Hughes

    1

    Mr. Simon Hughes

    2

    Mr. Eric Illsley

    4

    Glenda Jackson

    1

    Mr. David Jamieson

    2

    Mr. Bernard Jenkin

    2

    Mr. Toby Jessel

    1

    Mr. Barry Jones

    3

    667

    Member

    Number of times member has had oral question in top six to Prime Minister

    Mr. Jon Owen Jones

    2

    Mr. Martyn Jones

    2

    Jane Kennedy

    3

    Mr. Piara Khabra

    1

    Mr. Peter Kilfoyle

    1

    Mr. Archie Kirkwood

    1

    Sir Ivan Lawrence

    1

    Mr. Ken Livingstone

    2

    Mr. Peter Luff

    2

    Ms Liz Lynne

    4

    Mr. John McAllion

    1

    Mr. Thomas McAvoy

    3

    Mr. John McFall

    3

    Mr. Andrew Mackinlay

    1

    Mr. Kevin McNamara

    1

    Mr. Denis MacShane

    2

    Mr. Max Madden

    3

    Alice Mahon

    2

    Lady Olga Maitland

    1

    Mr. David Marshall

    3

    Mr. John Marshall

    1

    Mr. Michael J. Martin

    1

    Mr. Alun Michael

    1

    Mr. Bill Michie

    4

    Mr. Andrew Miller

    1

    Mr. Austin Mitchell

    1

    Sir Roger Moate

    1

    Sir Fergus Montgomery

    2

    Mr. Rhodri Morgan

    1

    Mr. George Mudie

    1

    Mr. Chris Mullin

    4

    Sir Michael Neubert

    4

    Mr. Mike O'Brien

    4

    Mr. William O'Brien

    1

    Mr. Edward O'Hara

    1

    Mrs. Elizabeth Peacock

    3

    Mr. Ian Pearson

    1

    Mr. Colin Pickthall

    2

    Mr. Peter L. Pike

    2

    Bridget Prentice

    2

    Mr. Gordon Prentice

    1

    Mr. Ken Purchase

    1

    Ms Joyce Quin

    1

    Mr. Tim Rathbone

    2

    Mr. Nick Raynsford

    1

    Mr. David Rendel

    1

    Mr. Graham Riddick

    3

    Sir Wyn Roberts

    2

    Mr. Mark Robinson

    1

    Mrs. Barbara Roche

    1

    Mr. Alex Salmond

    1

    Mr. David Shaw

    2

    Mr. Barry Sheerman

    2

    Sir Colin Shepherd

    1

    Mr. Alan Simpson

    1

    Sir Roger Sims

    1

    668

    Member

    Number of times member has had oral question in top six to Prime Minister

    Mr. Dennis Skinner

    2

    Mr. Llew Smith

    1

    Rev Martin Smyth

    1

    Mr. Nigel Spearing

    1

    Mr. John Spellar

    1

    Mr. Richard Spring

    1

    Mr. Anthony Steen

    2

    Mr. Michael Stephen

    1

    Mr. George Stevenson

    1

    Mr. Allan Stewart

    1

    Mr. David Sumberg

    1

    Mr. Gerry Sutcliffe

    1

    Mr. Walter Sweeney

    1

    Sir Peter Tapsell

    1

    Mr. Matthew Taylor

    2

    Sir Teddy Taylor

    3

    Mr. Roy Thomason

    1

    Mr. Patrick Thompson

    2

    Mr. Stephen Timms

    1

    Mr. Paddy Tipping

    1

    Mr. Don Touhig

    1

    Mr. John Townend

    1

    Mr. Dennis Turner

    2

    Dr. Ian Twinn

    1

    Mr. Paul Tyler

    1

    Mr. Bill Walker

    1

    Mr. Robert N. Wareing

    2

    Mr. Nigel Waterson

    2

    Mr. Andrew Welsh

    1

    Mr. John Whittingdale

    1

    Mr. Malcolm Wicks

    1

    Mr. Dafydd Wigley

    1

    Mr. John Wilkinson

    3

    Dr. Alan W. Williams (Carmarthen)

    3

    Mr. Nicholas Winterton

    1

    Dr. Tony Wright

    1

  ATTORNEY-GENERAL

    Lenient Sentences
    Mr. Cox
    To ask the Attorney-General how many sentences were referred to the Court of Appeal as being too lenient in 1995; and in how many cases the sentence was increased. [33715]

    The Attorney-General
    In 1995, 77 cases were referred to the Court of Appeal in England and Wales and four in Northern Ireland. Three were subsequently withdrawn in England and Wales. To date, 64 of those cases have been heard by the Court of Appeal. Sentence was increased in 58 cases out of 64 or 91 per cent.