Written Answers of 8 May 1996

TREASURY

  Works of Art
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list those locations where the register of conditionally exempt works of art is available for inspection by(a) hon. Members and (b) the general public; [27115]

  (2) pursuant to his reply of 16 April, Official Report column 367, if he will as an interim measure place in the Library a printed copy of the register of conditionally exempt works of art. [27125]

  Mr. Jack
  The computerised register, which now has more than 16,500 entries, can be consulted at the national art library in the Victoria and Albert museum, London, the national library of Scotland, Edinburgh, the national museum of Wales, Cardiff, and the Ulster museum, Belfast. Copies of the register in computer-readable format may also be purchased from the capital taxes office of the Inland Revenue for £10. In addition, the register will be available on the Internet, and in a much improved and user-friendly form before the end of the year.

  European Union
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 22 April,Official Report, column 10–11, if he will list the total net contributions to the European union since 1973 in current terms. [28078]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The UK's net contributions to the EC budget since 1973, in current terms, are set out in the table.

  UK's net contribution to the EC budget, at current market prices

  Year

  Net contribution at 1995–96 prices (£ million)

  1973–74

  619

  1974–75

  -189

  1975–76

  69

  1976–77

  847

  1977–78

  1,861

  1978–79

  2,300

  1979–80

  2,268

  1980–81

  505

  1981–82

  445

  1982–83

  1,360

  1983–84

  1,695

  1984–85

  1,903

  1985–86

  1,580

  1986–87

  1,887

  1987–88

  2,658

  1988–89

  1,604

  1989–90

  3,153

  1990–91

  2,601

  1991–92

  1,057

  128

  UK's net contribution to the EC budget, at current market prices

  Year

  Net contribution at 1995–96 prices (£ million)

  1992–93

  2,334

  1993–94

  2,294

  1994–95

  1,686

  1995–96

  13,533

  1 Latest estimate.

  Office for National Statistics
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what appointments have been made to the statistics advisory committee and to the management board of the Office for National Statistics. [28586]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The statistics advisory committee advises the director of the Office for National Statistics on the statistical work of the office, on annual corporate targets and on his responsibilities as head of the Government statistical service. It comprises members who are customers, data suppliers or others with appropriate knowledge acting in a personal capacity. Members of the committee are:Dr. D. Holt (Chairman): Director of the Office for National Statistics, Registrar General for England and Wales, and head of the Government statistical service
  Mr. Khaquoted Aziz: Chairman, the Aziz Corporation
  Professor Jonathan Bradshaw: Director, Institute for Research in the Social Sciences, University of York
  Mr. Simon Briscoe: Chief UK economist, Nikko Europe plc
  Sir Samuel Brittan: Assistant editor, Financial Times
  Sir Kenneth Calman: Chief medical officer
  Mr. Alain Chantraine: Director of general matters, international and interinstitutional relations, and external and intra-community trade statistics, Eurostat
  Mr. Robert Clements: Head of social and general statistics, House of Commons Quotebrary
  Mr. Robert Cu1pin: Second permanent secretary, HM Treasury
  Professor Quoteam Donaldson: Regional director and director of pubquotec health, NHS Executive Northern and Yorkshire region
  Ms Teresa Graham: Partner, Baker Tilly, Chartered Accountants; member of the Government's deregulation task force
  Mr. Michael Jennings: Assistant chief executive, Surrey county council
  Mr. Mervyn King: Executive director, Bank of England
  Ms Ruth Lea: Head of the poquotecy unit, Institute of Directors; member of the Nurses' Pay Review Body; member of the Economic and Social Research Council research centres board
  Professor Denise Quoteevesley: Director, Economic and Social Research Council data archive
  Professor Howard Newby: Vice-Chancellor, University of Southampton
  Mrs. Bridget Rosewell: Joint managing director, Business Strategies Ltd; member of the Treasury's panel of independent forecasters
  Mr. Andrew Sentance: Director, centre for economic forecasting, London Business School
  Professor Adrian Smith: President, Royal Statistical Society
  Mrs. Aquoteson Wright: Director general, British Invisibles
  Secretary
  Mr. John Pulquotenger: Director of poquotecy and planning, Office for National Statistics.

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  The management board of the Office for National Statistics assists the director of policy development, strategic thinking, supervising the management of the office and external accountability. It comprises senior managers from the office and non-executive members. The two non-executive members of the board are:
  Mr. John Beaumont: Director of strategy and business development, Energis Communications Limited
  Mrs. Mary Berg: Independent consultant; equal opportunities commissioner.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers of treaty articles, regulations or directives of the European Community relating to VAT limit the discretion of national Governments or parliaments to determine the degree of retrospective application of judgments made in accordance with(a) treaty articles, (b) regulations, (c) national primary or secondary legislation, pursuant to directives and (d) the case of Primback v. Customs and Excise. [27572]

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 1 May 1996]: There are no treaty articles, regulations or directives of the European Community relating to VAT which specifically limit the discretion of national Governments or parliaments to determine the degree of retrospective application of judgments of the sort instanced above. Member states are entitled to operate national procedures limiting the number of years' overpaid tax which will be refunded, provided such rules do not discriminate between actions based on EC law and those based only on national law, or make it impossible in practice to exercise EC rights.

  Business Subsidies
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the grants and loans provided by his Department to businesses, and the criteria they have to meet in order to obtain the subsidy. [28193]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: The Treasury does not make grants or loans to businesses.

HEALTH

  GP Lists
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provisions in the patients charter offer(a) security, (b) reassurance, (c) appeal and (d) redress to elderly patients in respect of the possibility of being removed from their original general practitioner's list; and what representations he has received to amend (i) the charter and (ii) the law in these respects. [27246]

  Mr. Malone
  All patients, regardless of age, have a patients charter right to be registered with a general practitioner. Health authorities have a legislative responsibility to ensure that this happens. There are no provisions in the patients charter to prevent general practitioners from removing patients from their lists.

  Guidance issued by the General Medical Council in May 1992 makes it clear to general practitioners that it is unacceptable to discriminate against patients on grounds
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  of their age, sex, sexual orientation, race, colour, religious belief, perceived economic worth or the amount of work that they are likely to generate by virtue of their clinical condition. This guidance is intended to be read in conjunction with the booklet, "Duties of a Doctor". The GMC is the professional body for doctors and has a range of measures that it can take against a doctor who acts in a manner that it considers to be unacceptable.

  We have received a number of representations regarding the law in this respect.

  Silicone Implants
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies he has commissioned in the last five years, on the evaluation of symptomatic illness of British women who have silicone implants. [27774]

  Mr. Horam
  None.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what number of patients receive silicone implants annually in the United Kingdom; [27773]

  (2) how many British women have received silicone implants in the United Kingdom since 1970. [27775]

  Mr. Horam
  The information is not available centrally.

  Community Care
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to investigate the operation and resourcing of community care. [28160]

  Mr. Bowls
  We monitor the operation of community care on an on-going basis. This includes work by the social service inspectorate, the regular collection and publication of statistics and longer-term research to evaluate progress.

  Resources for community care are considered fully each year as part of the public expenditure process.

  Burnley Health Care NHS Trust
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what(a) basis and (b) calculation Burnley Health Care NHS trust was allocated 4.7 per cent. of the north western general purposes fund; and what sum this percentage represents. [28098]

  Mr. Horam
  Burnley Health Care national health service trust received £31,257 as its share of the regional general purpose trust fund held by the former western regional health authority. The sum is calculated, pro rata, on the trust's 1994–95 revenue figure.

  Residential Care
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has evaluated on the number of pensioners who have sold property to pay for residential care, broken down by health authority area. [28094]

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not available centrally.

  Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the management consultants used to prepare the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS trust's capital investment strategy; and what is the value of contracts awarded; [28158]

  (2) what plans the Dudley Group of Hospital NHS trust has to employ consultants to assist it further with its capital investment strategy; and what budget has been allocated for consultancy work during the 1996–97 financial year. [28159]

  Mr. Horam
  The employment of consultants by national health service trusts is a matter for them and no information is available centrally on such contracts.

  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the employment consequences of the implementation of Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS trust's proposed capital investment strategy option 3. [28092]

  Mr. Horam
  None. The employment consequences of a national health service trust's capital investment proposals are a matter for the trust's management.

  NHS Estates
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the key tasks and targets for 1996–97 for the NHS Estates agency. [28940]

  Mr. Horam
  I have today placed in the Library a copy of the key tasks and targets for 1996–97 for the NHS Estates agency.

  NHS Pensions Agency
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the key tasks and targets for 1996–97 for the NHS Pensions Agency. [28941]

  Mr. Horam
  I have today placed in the Library a copy of the key tasks and targets for 1996–97 for the NHS Pensions Agency.

  Deaf-blind People
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaf-blind people were resident in the area of each local authority in England and Wales at the latest date for which figures are available; how many local authorities do not currently offer basic rehabilitation and social work support services for deaf-blind people; what action he is taking to improve local provision for them; and if he will make a statement. [27144]

  Mr. Bowis
  Centrally available information about people registered with local authorities as being blind who are also deaf is published in "Registered Blind and Partially Sighted People at 31 March 1994, England", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Information about the number of local authorities that do not currently offer basic rehabilitation and social work support services for deaf-blind people is not available centrally. Under the community care arrangements, local authorities carry out individual assessments of need for people who may need community care services, including
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  those with dual sensory loss. Authorities will need to consider the needs of this client group when drawing up their community care plans.

  The Department of Health works closely with the Association of Directors of Social Services to promote awareness of the needs of deaf-blind people. Draft good practice guidelines for older people with dual sensory loss were published in November 1995 and are currently being piloted in selected local authorities. Support is provided under the section 64 general scheme of grants for Sense—the National Deaf-Blind and Rubella Association—and the National Deaf-Blind League, and project grants for Sense, the UK coalition on deaf-blindness, the NDBL and the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People.

  Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the present funding of the Liverpool school of tropical medicine. [28086]

  Mr. Horam
  The Liverpool school of tropical medicine is a registered charity which is part of the University of Liverpool. The hon. Member may wish to contact its director, Professor David Molyneux, for this information.

  Long-term Care
  Mr French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his consultative document on provision for long-term care is ready for publication; and if he will make a statement. [28285]

  Mr. Bowis
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced publication of the consultation paper in his oral statement yesterday,Official Report, columns 29–40.

  Depressive Illnesses
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the cross-departmental studies which have been undertaken into the economic cost of depressive illnesses; what plans he has to commission further studies; and if he will make a statement. [28351]

  Mr. Bowis
  The Department's policy research programme is currently commissioning research through its mental health research initiative. This includes evaluation of the economic costs of mental disorder, including depressive illness.

  Human Embryos
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many human embryos have been made available for artistic research in the last 30 years; what legal authority is required; if the embryos used in the project "Unnatural Selection" at the Barbican centre were obtained under a licence from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; and if he will make a statement. [28456]

  Mr. Horam
  The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1980 exists to regulate the creation and use of embryos for treatment and research purposes. Its licensing function came into operation on 1 August 1991.
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  The Barbican exhibition is the only event of its kind of which the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is aware.

  I understand that the embryos in question were, prior to the photographs being taken, donated by couples after their treatment cycles. I also understand that the couples involved had given their consent to photographs being taken and for the use of the photographs in the exhibition.

  Drug Guidelines
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines of best practice in local drugs health education programmes are being prepared; and when they will be(a) completed and (b) issued. [27424]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I have been asked to reply.

  In respect of those innovative drugs education projects supported by the Department for Education and Employment under GEST—grant for education support and training, 16 projects were funded in 1995–96. These are currently being evaluated and the findings will be circulated widely and made available to schools in the summer.

ENVIRONMENT

  Homeless Households
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the current number of homeless households in England and Wales which(a) have been accepted by local authorities, (b) are applying to be accepted by local authorities and (c) are outside the priority groups and have not applied to a local authority. [27497]

  Mr. Clappison
  In the quarter ending December 1995, local authorities in England accepted responsibility to secure accommodation for 27,490 households under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Act 1985. At the end of this period there were around 9,000 households in temporary accommodation awaiting the outcome of inquiries into their application for housing under the homelessness legislation.

  Households that are outside the priority groups and have not applied to local authorities under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Act 1985 are by definition not generally known to local authorities, nor do we have research information that provides estimates of their numbers.

  For information on Wales, I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Castle Cement
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will hold a public inquiry into the matters raised by Castle Cement in its appeal against the Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution directions concerning the plant at Clitheroe. [27340]

  Mr. Clappison
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has informed Castle Cement and the Environment Agency that he intends the appeal case to proceed by means of a public hearing. Details of the hearing will in 134
  due course be advertised locally, and interested parties will be able to submit evidence to the Secretary of State's inspector.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in what locations and in what quantities(a) the Atomic Energy Authority and (b) British Nuclear Fuels plc have been discharging radioactive waste into seas and estuaries through outfalls. [27344]

  Mr. Clappison
  Both the UKAEA and BNFL publish annual discharge reports, which include the location and quantities of discharged radioactive waste into seas and estuaries through outfalls. The most recent of these are(a) "Radioactive waste discharges from UKAEA establishments during 1994 and associated monitoring results" and, (b) "BNFL annual report on radioactive discharges and monitoring of the environment 1994: Vol 1: report on discharges and environmental monitoring; Vol 2: certificates of authorisation and environmental monitoring programmes". Both reports are available in the House of Commons Library.

  Basking Sharks
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his progress towards securing endangered species status for basking sharks. [27558]

  Mr. Clappison
  The basking shark is currently classified as "insufficiently known" in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature red data list.

  The Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the Government's statutory conservation adviser, is currently considering which species should be protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as part of the third quinquennial review. The commmittee's final recommendations to the Secretary of State are due to be submitted in October 1996; it is too early to say whether the basking shark will be listed.

  Housing (Coventry)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the financial allocation from his Department to housing associations in Coventry for 1996–97; and what is the estimated figure for 1997–98. [27910]

  Mr. Clappison
  In 1996–97 the Housing Corporation is allocating £3.6 million housing association grant to housing associations for new social housing schemes in Coventry. In addition, these schemes will make use of other public subsidy valued at £490,000, through discounted land sales by the local authority. Revenue grant of £51,248 is also being allocated for special needs schemes.

  Allocation details will be published shortly in the Housing Corporation's regional allocations statements. No firm estimates are available for 1997–98 allocations.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many social dwellings in Coventry are in need of repairs(a) in real terms and (b) as a percentage of the total social housing stock in Coventry; and if he will estimate the cost of such repairs; [27911]
  135
  (2) how many households were moved out of social housing in Coventry in 1995 as a result of the state of repair of their homes. [27913]

  Mr. Clappison
  Local authorities in England are asked to provide estimates of the numbers of their own dwellings and dwellings owned by housing associations in their area in need of renovation on 1 April in their annual housing investment programme HIP1 returns. The estimates given in Coventry's 1995 return were as follows:

  Unfit dwellings

  Dwellings not unfit but in need of renovation

  Local authority

  Number

  646

  20,393

  Proportion of stock

  3.1 per cent.

  96.9 per cent.

  Housing associations

  Number

  10

  126

  Proportion of stock

  0.2 per cent.

  2.5 per cent.

  The figures reported by authorities on the HIP1 return are their own estimates and are not necessarily complied on a consistent basis.

  Information is not held centrally on the costs of renovating these dwellings nor on the numbers of households moved out of social housing because of the state of repair of the dwelling.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many social dwellings in Coventry will be demolished in 1996–97. [27912]

  Mr. Clappison
  There is a phased programme of demolitions on the Willenhall estate involving 136 local authority owned properties which will commence in 1996–97. These dwellings will be replaced with a mixture of dwellings which will be available for sale, shared ownership and rent. There is no known programme for the demolition of housing association dwellings.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average cost of building a new(a) social dwelling and (b) specialised social dwelling in Coventry. [27909]

  Mr. Clappison
  In Coventry the average cost in 1995–96 of a new general needs housing association home, with funding from the Housing Corporation, was £52,800. The average cost of a new special needs housing association home in 1995–96 was £53,700.

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was his Department's financial allocation to housing associations in each year since 1990(a) in real terms and (b) as a percentage change on the previous year. [27907]

  Mr. Clappison
  The public resources provided to housing associations through the Housing Corporation's approved development programme and through revenue grants and subsidies since 1990–91 are shown in my Department's annual report for 1996. A copy is in the Library of the House.
  136
  In addition, local authorities have provided funding to housing associations for the provision of new social housing.

  Projected Housing Requirements
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the projected requirements for new house starts over the next(a) 10, (b) 15 and (c) 20 years; and what methodology is used to determine housing needs by (a) county and (b) region. [28287]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Department of the Environment's household projections provide estimates of the future number of households by region, county and metropolitan and London boroughs. These are the starting point for developing housing needs requirement figures in regional planning guidance.

  Regional conferences of planning authorities consider the revised projections and advise the Secretary of State of the number and distribution. This process has started in a number of regions and will lead to proposals for changing the housing figures in regional planning guidance. Once agreed, the new figures will be tested in alterations to structure plans and unitary development plans and, in turn, in alterations to local plans. Regional planning guidance usually looks ahead 15 years, structure plans 10 to 15 years and unitary development plans and local plans 10 years.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the discussion paper being prepared by his Department on the impact of population trends on housing construction requirements over the next 15 years. [28286]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  We hope to publish a discussion paper on the latest household projections before the summer recess.

  Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to hand over the operation of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre to the private sector. [28284]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the chief executive of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Mr. M. C. Buck. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from M. C. Buck to Mr. Den Dover, dated 8 May 1996:

  I would refer to your Parliamentary Question, "To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, if he has plans to hand over the operation of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre to the private sector."

  The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre has been market tested during the last twelve months and the in-house team bid was successful in winning this test.

  Environment Secretary John Gummer announced on 13 February 1996 that he had accepted the in-house team bid in a market test of the management of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre.
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  In a Parliamentary Written Answer to Nigel Evans MP (Ribble Valley) on the result of the market test, Mr. Gummer said:
  "I have now decided to award a five-year service level agreement to the in-house team, based on the existing Executive Agency for the Conference Centre. It will take effect from I April 1996. Having considered the advice of the steering group and of consultants, KPMG, I am satisfied that the hid submitted by this team offers better value for money than those received from elsewhere. It also satisfied the quality and the security requirements set for the test".

  Village Shops
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to consult on the details of the proposed rate relief scheme for village shops; and if he will make a statement. [28842]

  Mr. Gummer
  I have today published a consultation paper setting out proposals for a new rate relief scheme for village shops. As foreshadowed in the White Paper, "Rural England: A Nation Committed to a Living Countryside", the proposals will help certain small general stores and post offices in rural villages. They mean that such businesses will see a reduction of at least 50 per cent. in their rates bills. Local authorities will be able to top this up to 100 per cent. and, in addition, will be able to grant relief to other rural shops and businesses which are of benefit to the community.

  These proposals will provide significant help to small general stores and post offices, which are a feature of village life and which provide an invaluable service to local people who do not have cars or ready access to public transport. They will also give local authorities wide discretion to reduce the rates bills of other rural businesses, thereby helping to safeguard rural communities and preserve the fabric of village life.

  Advisory Committee on Packaging
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the role and purpose of the advisory committee on packaging. [28882]

  Mr. Gummer
  In the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 7 May,Official Report, column 73 I set out some of the background to the Government's decision to follow a shared approach as the basis for regulations which would give effect to the producer responsibility initiative and to the EC directive on packaging and packaging waste. Continuing partnership with industry is critical to success in this area and, following the agreement reached on 15 December, I have asked Sir Peter Parker to chair an advisory committee on packaging comprising some of the senior business representatives most closely involved in this initiative.

  The external members of the committee are:

  Sir Peter Parker KBE LVO: Chairman

  Dr. Bill Cook: British Gas

  Mr. Brian Curtis: CarnaudMetal Box—Foodcan UK

  Mr. Peter Lipscomb: Guinness plc

  Mr. John Longworth: Tesco plc

  Mr. John Turner: Coca-Cola Schweppes Beverages

  Mr. Keith Stenning: British Polythene Industries plc

  Mr. Peter Williams: David S. Smith (Holdings) plc

  Mr. Martin van Zwanenberg: Marks & Spencer plc

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  For its initial work the committee is supported by a technical working group of experts with particular experience of packaging and related issues.

  In addition to the work it has already undertaken, the committee will continue to provide guidance on the introduction and implementation of regulations, based on the 15 December agreement, and will advise me, the President of the Board of Trade, the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales, the chairman of the Environment Agency and the chairman of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

  The committee will advise on the effectiveness of regulations in delivering the EC directive targets and will help to monitor their operation. In particular, it will advise on arrangements for carrying out a review of the legal obligation, in the light of data submitted after the regulations have come into force, including consideration of the actual burden on individual companies.

  In carrying out its work, the committee will keep in mind the Government's tests for the approach to legislation as set out in the Official Report on 2 February 1995, columns 762–64, the requirements placed on the Secretary of State by the enabling powers in the Environment Act 1995 and Ministers' emphasis on the desirability of maintaining a consensual approach for the development of an effective business-led initiative for the recovery and recycling of packaging waste in the UK.

  I am grateful for the work already carried out by Sir Peter Parker and members of the advisory committee and the supporting technical group. I intend to publish the committee's preliminary advice to accompany the issue of draft regulations for consultation and at appropriate stages in the future.

  Commission on Sustainable Development
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Commission on Sustainable Development meeting in New York between 18 April and 3 May, with particular reference to ocean pollution; [28124]

  (2) who represented the United Kingdom Government at the Commission on Sustainable Development meeting in New York between 18 April and 3 May. [28123]

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: I led the United Kingdom's delegation to the fourth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development. As well as my Department, the delegation included officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Overseas Development Administration and the Department of Trade and Industry, and representatives from the non-governmental sector and local government. The commission agreed recommendations on a range of topics including oceans, atmosphere, finance, consumption and production, trade and environment and education.

  In particular, we were successful in reaching agreement on the need for changes in the international machinery for taking decisions at the global level on the world's oceans so that environmental concerns are fully taken into account, and to promote the sustainable use of marine resources. The international workshop on the oceans which the UK and Brazil governments co-hosted in London last November played a major role in paving the

  139
  way for the agreement. We also set in hand preparations for the 1997 special session of the General Assembly, which reviews progress since the Rio earth summit. I emphasised that it was essential that the special session should decide on the key issues which CSD should address in its future work.

  I am placing in the Library copies of the chairman's summary of the meeting and of my speech to the session.

TRANSPORT

  Vehicle Weight Limits
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has to extend the 44-tonnes lorry limit to piggyback wagons; and if he will make a statement; [28553]

  (2) what plans he has to extend the 44-tonnes lorry limit to interchange with ports; and if he will make a statement. [28558]

  Mr. Norris
  We shall consider over the next few months whether to propose any wider use of six-axled lorries with a maximum permitted gross weight of 44 tonnes.

  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve enforcement of the 44-tonnes lorry limit; and if he will make a statement. [28560]

  Mr. Norris
  I am not aware of any problems of enforcement in connection with the present restricted use of the 44-tonnes lorry weight limit, and therefore have no plans to change present arrangements.

  Railway Penalty Payments
  Ms Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much Railtrack has received in penalties from(a) South West Trains and (b) all other train operating companies in the period 1 February to 31 March; [28551]

  (2) how much Railtrack has paid in penalties to (a) South West Trains and (b) all other train operating companies in the period 1 February to 31 March. [28550]

  Mr. Watts
  These are commercial matters between Railtrack and the companies concerned.

  British Rail Symbol
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future use of British Rail's double arrow symbol. [28686]

  Mr. Watts
  On 7 May British Rail transferred the ownership of the double arrow symbol, and all common law trade marks and rights, to the ownership of the Secretary of State, who will in future license it for use in connection with the Great Britain rail network. Licences will be granted to British Rail, so that the symbol can continue to be used as its corporate logo.

  The symbol will also be licensed to Railtrack and to other railway operators where it is to be used to indicate access to the national railway network—for example at stations and on most tickets and on the national railway timetable. The symbol will continue to be used as a traffic sign. Royalties will not be charged.
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  Minicabs (London)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what new measures the Government propose to regulate minicabs within Greater London. [28337]

  Mr. Norris
  In our response to the Transport Select Committee, Cm 2715, the Government agreed in principle with the Committee's recommendation that all private hire vehicles—minicabs—in London should be regulated.

  It remains the Government's policy to introduce legislation to this effect when parliamentary time permits.

  Business Subsidies
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the grants and loans provided by his Department to businesses, together with the criteria they have to meet in order to obtain the subsidy. [28194]

  Mr. Norris
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: The following grants were paid to businesses other than public sector bodies in 1995–96. The main conditions relating to the issue of these grants are contained in the relevant statute.

  Grant name

  Statutory authority

  Freight Facilities grant

  Railways Act 1993

  Industrial Development Act grant

  Industrial Development Act 1982

  The Department does not provide loans to such businesses.

  Civil Engineering Contracts
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had with the director of the Highways Agency concerning the scrapping of the contractor self-certification system for quality assurance on(a) bridge steelwork and (b) other critical areas on civil engineering contracts. [28398]

  Mr. Watts
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: The agency does not recognise self-certification quality assurance, except where there is a requirement-provision in a European standard for self-certification, and requires that an element of second party quality control is implemented on contracts. The agency reserves the right to instigate second-third party quality control procedures on its contracts. There has been no discussion of action to scrap contractor self-certification quality assurance, but where a third party quality assurance scheme is introduced this will effectively supersede any self-certification that may exist in the area.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Office Space
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the square footage and cost of office space rented by his Department and its agencies and the number of his Department or agencies' buildings partly or fully unoccupied together with the square footage of that
  141
  unoccupied office space and its estimated rental value where available in each of the past five financial years. [27725]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The information shows the area and rental cost of the LCD estate for the period requested. The figures available are shown in square metres rather than square feet and represent the agents lettable area of the building rather than the whole building.

  Square metres

  £

  1991–92

  616,790

  64,314,423

  1992–93

  632,181

  69,451,866

  1993–94

  663,871

  77,575,962

  1994–95

  668,295

  79,268,717

  1995–96

  629,087

  69,324,056

  1996–97

  45,948

  9,184,904

  The LCD Estate includes the Public Trust Office and the Court Service estate, with the exception of the figures for 1996–97 which exclude accommodation covered by the Court Service following agency status. The chief executive of the Court Service will respond separately in respect of that period. The chief executives of Her Majesty's Land Registry and the Public Record Office will also reply separately.

  The estate occupied by the Lord Chancellor's Department and its agencies has many types of building: offices, courts, residential properties, storage facilities and offices converted into courtrooms. The majority of the buildings have a combination of uses and our records, prior to the current year, do not distinguish between the different types. For the current year, the LCD HQ estate has a total of 1,783 sq m of vacant office space, which is encompassed in an overall review of office space currently being undertaken. The vacant space has an approximate rental value of £286,275.

  Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mrs. Bridget Prentice, dated 8 May 1996:
  The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about rented office space on the Court Service estate. As you know, the Court Service was established as an Executive Agency of the Lord Chancellor's Department in April 1995 and it is, therefore, only possible to supply figures from that date.
  The approximate area of the Court Service estate is 6,771,430 square feet. This figure represents the entire agency estate and includes courtrooms, office accommodation, judges' lodgings, storage space etc. It would only be possible to obtain the percentage of office space in this figure at disproportionate cost. The rental value of the estate for the financial year 1995/96 was approximately £69,342,056. This figure includes actual rent paid on leasehold properties and nominal rent paid on freehold properties held on the Common User Estate. As both types of rent were paid to the Department of the Environment it is not possible to identify what amount relates solely to leasehold properties.
  The Court Service does not keep comprehensive financial records for empty office space on the estate and the information required could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Letter from John Manthorpe to Mrs. Bridget Prentice, dated 8 May 1996:
  I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question on rented office space.
  142
  The square footage of office space rented by H M Land Registry at 31 March 1996 was 770,649 sq. ft at a cost of £4,646,813. The details of square footage and cost of unoccupied leasehold office space over the past five financial years is as follows:

  Year

  Space—sq. ft

  Rent £

  Number of buildings

  1991–92

  —

  —

  —

  1992–93

  11,480

  127,634

  Part only of one building

  1993–94

  19,002

  204,587

  Parts only of two buildings

  1994–95

  19,002

  221,729

  Parts only of two buildings

  1995–96

  32,657

  305,559

  One entire building and parts only of two buildings

  Surplus accommodation has arisen in the Land Registry following reductions in its staff of some 3,400 from the 1989–90 peak. Disposals of 297,105 square feet of rented accommodation have taken place since 1989 and further major disposals are being negotiated.

  Letter from Duncan Simpson to Mrs. Bridget Prentice, dated 8 May 1996:
  In the absence of the Chief Executive, who is away from the Office on official business, I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about rented and unoccupied office space.
  The Public Record Office rented no office space in the commercial property market in the past five financial years.
  The Public Record Office's buildings form part of the Common User Estate and are primarily devoted to storing the public records. Office space within them over the past five financial years was about 177,540 square feet. The rental for office space, paid through the Property Repayment Service System, was:

  1991–92: £1,170,880

  1992–93: £1,424,896

  1993–94: £1,403,981

  1994–95: £1,305,736

  1995–96: £1,274,621.

  None of the Office's buildings has been partly or fully unoccupied over the past five financial years.

  Doncaster Crown Court
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how long on average elapses between the date of a person being charged with an offence and the date of(a) arraignment and (b) conclusion of case at Doncaster Crown court for each of the main categories of serious crime. [27633]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked him to reply direct.

  Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 8 May 1996:
  The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department. has asked me to reply to your question about the average duration of criminal proceedings at Doncaster Crown Court. In preparing my reply, I have liaised with colleagues the Lord Chancellor's Department who are responsible for proceedings in the magistrates courts.

  143
  The average period between the date on which an offence takes place and the case being committed to Doncaster Crown Court by the magistrates court from 1994 to the present is 26.1 weeks. The figure is based on a survey done in three sample weeks each year and the number of cases on which the average is based is 39.
  The average period from committal to arraignment or start of trial at Doncaster Crown Court in 1995 was 17.9 weeks. You asked for figures relating to the most serious cases. Doncaster does not however deal with the most serious offences, such as murder, which are instead committed to Leeds Crown Court. Figures for individual offences are not available in any event and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Doncaster Magistrates Court
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the chief inspector of magistrates court services last conducted an inspection into the efficiency of the Doncaster court; when the court will be next inspected; what assessment she made of the efficiency of the Doncaster court; and if he will send the hon. Member a copy of the report on the latest and all subsequent inspections. [27636]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  HM magistrates courts service inspectorate was established in January 1993 to inspect and report to the Lord Chancellor on the administration and organisation of all the magistrates courts committees in England and Wales, and is currently undertaking its first cycle of inspections. Doncaster MCC will be inspected, on dates yet to be arranged, between April 1997 and December 1998, with a post-inspection review to follow no later than 18 months from the end of the inspection. The hon. Member will receive a copy of the inspection report, once published.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to reduce the budget of the Crown Prosecution Service; and if he will make a statement. [28233]

  The Attorney-General
  The budget for the Crown Prosecution Service agreed in the 1995 public expenditure survey is, in cash terms, in 1996–97 and in the following two years, £288 million, £286 million and £286 million respectively. Future spending plans will be the subject of discussion in this year's survey.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Lebanon
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the prospects for peace in the Lebanon. [27210]

  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the present attacks in Lebanon by Israel. [27214]

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Members to the oral answer given in the House earlier today by my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary.

  China
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Britain's relations with China. [27211]

  Mr. Rifkind
  Our relationship with China is of great importance, particularly because of our shared interest in the successful transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong next year.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese authorities about strengthening trade relations after the transfer of Hong Kong. [27220]

  Mr. Hanley
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary had wide-ranging discussions with Chinese leaders during his visit to China in January, and with the Chinese Foreign Minister in The Hague on 20 April.

  EU Institutions
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to increase the involvement of national parliaments in decision-making in EC institutions. [27212]

  Mr. David Davis
  We are looking at a number of proposals to increase the involvement of national parliaments in the European Union, such as a minimum period for documents and in particular draft legislation to be available for parliamentary scrutiny before these are discussed in the Council, and written Council reports to national parliaments on justice and home affairs and common foreign and security policy.

  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his proposals for reforming the institutions of the European Union. [27222]

  Mr. Davis
  We have set out our approach to the IGC on many occasions, and notably in the White Paper, "A Partnership of Nations", which was debated on 21 March.

  Intergovernmental Conference
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which EU member states attending the intergovernmental conference are supporting the United Kingdom Government's opposition to a further extension of qualified majority voting. [27224]

  Mr. David Davis
  Most other member states support some extension of qualified majority voting. However, they do not all agree where specifically it should apply. Some link extension to other issues, such as EC payment for policies which may be foisted upon them in consequence—for example, in the environmental area—and reweighting of votes. The position is therefore complex and will no doubt develop as the negotiations continue.

  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will meet the new Italian Prime Minister to discuss the Italian presidency of the intergovernmental conference. [27218]
  145
  Mr. Davis
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary expects to meet the new Italian Prime Minister soon after he has been sworn in.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report on the progress of the intergovernmental conference. [27221]

  Mr. Davis
  The second ministerial session of the IGC took place on 22 April. There have been six working group sessions to date. The next ministerial session is on 13 May.

  Western Sahara
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on the future of Western Sahara. [27215]

  Mr. Hanley
  We continue to believe it essential that Morocco and Polisario co-operate fully with the UN operation in the Western Sahara. We await the Secretary-General's full report on 15 May.

  Land Mines
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent undertakings he has given about United Kingdom policy on land mines; and if he will make a statement. [27216]

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to achieve an international ban on the sale and production of land mines. [27230]

  Mr. David Davis
  I set out recent changes to UK policy in my written answer to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 23 April,Official Report, column 84.

  Commercial Sections
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role of commercial sections in assisting British manufacturing industry in north American markets. [27217]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  Commercial staff at posts throughout north America provide a large range of services to support British manufacturing and other industries.

  Iraq (UN Sanctions)
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on UN sanctions on Iraq. [27219]

  Mr. Hanley
  The purpose of sanctions is to ensure that Iraq complies with its obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Iraq remains a long way from compliance. UN Security Council resolution 986 is intended to alleviate the suffering of the Iraq people. We hope that the current discussions will succeed and that Iraq will implement the resolution.
  146

  Brazil
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations with Brazil. [27225]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  Relations remain excellent, particularly on the economic front, and continue to improve. My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary had a most successful visit to Brazil in April.

  EU Enlargement
  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the prospects for enlargement of the European Union. [27226]

  Mr. David Davis
  Britain wants enlargement to take place as soon as the candidates are ready to join. We are working hard to create the conditions in which enlargement can take place successfully.

  Middle East Peace Process
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning the middle east peace process. [27227]

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer given in the House earlier today by my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of the State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans next to visit Madrid to discuss the cross-border enforcement of European rules and regulations. [27228]

  Mr. David Davis
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary hopes to meet his new Spanish opposite number at the earliest opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues.

  UN Commission on Human Rights
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the conclusions of the 52nd session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva; and if he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government on each of the conclusions. [27229]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  The UN Commission on Human Rights adopted more than 100 resolutions and decisions on human rights thematic subjects and individual country situations. Voting details of the United Kingdom and other Commission members are contained in UN reports, copies of which will be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Diplomatic Missions
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many additional diplomatic missions have been established in the region of the former Soviet Union and former Yugoslavia; at what cost; and if he will make a statement. [27412]
  147
  Mr. Hanley
  Between 1991 and 1995, 13 additional diplomatic missions were opened in the former Soviet Union, including one trade office, and four in the former Yugoslavia. The latest detailed cost figures available are for 1994–95. The cost of nine of the 13 missions in the FSU in that year was £5,646,352. The remaining four were opened since 1994–95. The costs of the missions in former Yugoslavia in 1994–95 were £2,245,698. All of this expenditure was covered by redeployment of existing resources.

  United Nations (Budget Deficit)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with officials of the United Nations and the United States about the UN budget deficit. [28242]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  We are in close and regular contact with both partners in the UN and with UN officials. A package of measures, including UK proposals for reform of the UN's scales of assessment, has been adopted by the EU and put forward in UN discussions.

  Mr. Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the UN budget deficit. [28243]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  In a recent update of his forecast of the UN financial situation for the rest of the year, Under Secretary-General Joseph Connor predicted an overall positive cash balance of $388 million for the end of 1996. In the meantime, pending receipts of arrears promised for the autumn, it will, however, be necessary for the UN to cross-borrow again from its peacekeeping accounts to finance regular budget activities.

  European Parliament
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place at the intergovernmental conference on the powers of the European Parliament. [27203]

  Mr. David Davis
  The IGC working group discussed the powers of the European Parliament on 22–23 April.

  Saudi Arabia
  Lady Olga Maitland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Kingdom relations with Saudi Arabia. [27213]

  Mr. Hanley
  Saudi Arabia is a country of great importance to the stability of the middle east and to the economic prosperity of the UK and the industrialised world. I believe that our relations are excellent.

  Kashmir
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of India over the International Committee of the Red Cross being required to withdraw from Indian-occupied Kashmir. [28441]

  Mr. Hanley
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: We understand that the ICRE is now operating, at its own suggestion, a reduced programme in Kashmir for the duration of the election period.
  148
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of India calling for an investigation into the killing of the chairman of the Kashmir Commission of Justice. [28449]

  Mr. Hanley
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: Our high commission in New Delhi has raised our concern at Mr. Andrabi's death with the Indian authorities on a number of occasions and has pressed for an inquiry. We understand that the Jammu and Kashmir high court has ordered a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Andrabi's death. The Indian National Human Rights Commission has also announced an investigation.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Nursery Voucher Scheme
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to allow nursery vouchers to be redeemed in respect of provision during school holidays. [28084]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The voucher will cover a minimum of 36 weeks spread over three terms. In maintained schools it will cover the full school term. Where providers in the private and voluntary sectors do not operate termly, it is intended that from September 1996 the voucher should cover broadly equivalent termly periods. Beyond the minimum of 36 weeks, providers can offer additional service, but parents will be expected to meet the cost.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many applications for nursery vouchers she has received from providers on behalf of parents of four-year-olds in the pilot authorities, who had not applied for a voucher before term began. [28085]

  Mr. Squire
  Seven such applications have been received.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 22 April,Official Report, column 48, how many places are available for voucher-bearing four-year-olds in (a) the private and voluntary sector providers and (b) the maintained sector providers that have been initially validated. [28087]

  Mr. Squire
  All maintained schools in the phase one local education authorities have been initially validated. The estimated number of places available for four-year-olds in the maintained sector as at January 1995 is given in the following table. The number of places in the private and voluntary sectors taken up by voucher-bearing four-year-olds will be available once the voucher returns have been analysed.

  LEA

  Estimated number of four-year-olds in maintained provision at January 1995

  Kensington and Chelsea

  800

  Wandsworth

  2,600

  Westminster

  1,100

  Norfolk

  6,300

  149
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 22 April,Official Report column 48, how many of the 40 providers that have been initially validated, but did not have any four-year-olds on the roll at the time of registration are in (i) the maintained sector, (ii) the voluntary sector and (iii) the private sector; and how many places for voucher-bearing four-year-olds are being offered by each category. [28133]

  Mr. Squire
  The 40 providers referred to in the earlier answer are all from the private and voluntary sectors. It is not possible to differentiate between private and voluntary sector providers. Information on the number of places provided will be available once vouchers returned from providers have been analysed.

  Access to Work
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Eduction and Employment if she will make a statement on the help to be made available from the access to work programme to disabled people who are self-employed. [28881]

  Mr. Paice
  In her statement on 26 March,Official Report, column 489, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced an increase in the budget and operational arrangements for the access to work programme in 1996–97. She also said that particular factors applied in the case of the self-employed, and that the help to be provided to them would be considered further.
  150
  From 1 June, access to work will meet up to 90 per cent. of approved costs over a threshold of £100 per year for all new applications. This means that a greater proportion of costs will be met than for employees generally. The programme will also provide 100 per cent. of all approved costs in excess of £10,000 over three years. In addition to this, existing commitments for the self-employed will continue to be met for a transitional period of three years.

  All other arrangements will be in line with the announcement made on 26 March.

  Business Subsidies
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the grants and loans provided by her Department to businesses, together with the criteria they have to meet in order to obtain the subsidy. [28187]

  Mr. Paice
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: The Department has a number of initiatives aimed directly at employers of all sizes. These provide financial assistance, some of which is matched by employers' own contributions, to achieve a variety of business objectives. The initiatives, together with the source of the published criteria are listed as follows:

  Initiative

  Eligible firms

  Published criteria

  Employer investment in people programme

  all firms

  TEC operating agreement (copy in Library)

  Skills for small businesses

  under 50 employees

  TEC operating agreement

  Small firms training loans

  up to 50 employees

  Small firms training loans booklet

  Skills challenge

  under 200 employees

  Skills challenge prospectus

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Office Space
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the square footage and cost of office space rented by his Department and its agencies and the number of his Department or agencies' buildings partly or fully unoccupied together with the square footage of that unoccupied office space and its estimated rental value where available in each of the past five financial years. [27720]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Prior to 1 April 1996, Property Holdings—part of the Department of the Environment—was responsible for the vast majority of office space, including any vacant space, rented as part of the Government's civil estate. Retrospective information on the past five years is therefore not readily available and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

  Within my Department, management of property is now delegated to a series of property centres to maximise synergy with business operations. Rent, rates and service charges for office accommodation rented by DTI headquarters' property centres are forecast to cost £36 million in 1996–97 in respect of 1,257,000 sq. ft. Of this area, 24,000 sq. ft., or 2 per cent., in two partly occupied buildings, is empty and available for sub-letting, with an associated pro rata rent of £0.26 million. Identical information for agencies is not yet readily available except at disproportionate cost.

  Taiwanese Companies
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list each Taiwanese company that has invested in the United Kingdom over the last 10 years, indicating the date and location of investment; and if he will make a statement. [27902]

  Mr. Oppenehiem
  The information is as follows:

  Name

  Date

  Location

  Lite-On

  1991

  Ashington, Northumberland

  Synpac Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

  1991

  Bedlington, Northumberland

  Europa Magnetics Corporation

  1993

  Cramlington, Northumberland

  Ringtel Electronics (UK) Ltd.

  1995

  Cwmbran, Wales

  Mitac Europe Ltd.

  1988

  Telford, Shropshire

  Enta Technologies

  1990

  Telford, Shropshire

  Teco Electric Europe

  1993

  Trafford Park, Manchester

  Wan Hai Steamship Co.

  1990

  Chorley, Lancashire

  William and Jones

  1995

  South Liverpool

  Chunghwa Picture Tubes Co. Ltd.

  1995

  Lanarkshire, Scotland

  Chicony

  1995

  Greenock, Scotland

  Hon Hai Precision Co. Ltd.

  1995

  Erskine, Scotland

  To our knowledge, 12 of the 15 Taiwanese companies manufacturing in Europe are in the UK. Many of these companies have expanded their operations since their first investment, demonstrating the excellence of the UK as a base for overseas investment.
  152
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people are employed by companies from Taiwan in(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [27944]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The numbers of people employed by Taiwanese manufacturing companies in the UK are as follows:

  England: 2,010

  Wales: 100

  Scotland: 60

  Northern Ireland: 0

  The figure for Scotland is likely to increase by 3,300 jobs within the next three years due to the recent Chunghwa Picture Tubes investment.

  Her Majesty's Government welcome inward investment from Taiwan. We firmly believe that the UK remains the ideal base for Taiwanese and other overseas investors to tackle the wider European market. Our outstanding record of attracting inward investment from all over the world bears this out.

  Computers
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of his Department's survey of the effect of the turn of the century on the computers of United Kingdom organisations; what is his assessment of the availability of skills required to respond to the problem and the cost concerned; and what action is being taken to alert and help businesses of all sizes. [27921]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The survey revealed a high level of awareness amongst IT directors of organisations. The technical skills required are not demanding, but the scale of an organisation's problem can be reliably assessed only if an audit is carried out. The cost of fixing the problem depends on the size and age of an organisation's software portfolio. My Department will provide information on our world wide web site, and through the business links, and will be persuading senior management to take the problem seriously. There is time to deal with it if tackled now. The longer it is left, the higher the likely cost of remedial work. I am urging all chief executives to discover now for themselves the extent of the problem in their companies.

  Personal Injury Insurance Compensation
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures he proposes to reduce the time personal injury insurance compensation takes to be processed. [27905]

  Mr. Nelson
  This is a matter primarily for the insurance industry. The Association of British Insurers, the industry's principal trade association, has a code of practice which requires member insurers to settle valid claims without delay.

  Not only is it in policyholders' interests for claims to be dealt with swiftly, it is also in the interest of insurers. By settling claims quickly they reduce their administrative costs. Failure to do so will encourage customers to turn to insurers offering a better service.
  153
  Some claim disputes cannot be resolved other than by a legal action. Lord Woolf has already published an interim report addressing cost, delay and complexity associated with the civil justice system. He is due to publish a final report in July this year.

  Business Links
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list for each business link(a) its location and (b) the number of staff employed. [28533]

  Mr. Page
  I am placing a list of business link addresses in the Library of the House.

  Business links are partnerships involving all the main business support organisations. As such, their services are provided by staff who are employed by those organisations but co-located in or seconded to the business links, as well as by staff who are directly employed by the business link itself. There is no central record of the numbers of staff employed in each business link and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many DTI civil servants are currently employed in the business links. [28537]

  Mr. Page
  A total of 107 DTI staff are currently co-located in business links.

  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many civil servants from his Department have been seconded to business links; and where each of them is currently situated. [28154]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: A total of 107 DTI staff were co-located in business links on 1 May 1996. They are located as follows:

  Number

  Abingdon

  1

  Aykley Heads

  2

  Barnsley

  2

  Barrow in Furness

  1

  Birkenhead

  1

  Birmingham

  6

  Blyth

  2

  Bradford

  1

  Brighouse

  1

  Burgess Hill

  2

  Cannock

  2

  Carlisle

  1

  Chelmsford

  1

  Chester

  1

  Chesterfield

  2

  Coventry

  4

  Derby

  2

  Dudley

  2

  Edwinstowe

  3

  Fareham

  1

  Gateshead

  3

  Histon

  1

  Ipswich

  1

  Leeds

  1

  Leicester

  3

  Lincoln

  2

  Liverpool

  2

  Luton

  1

  Manchester

  5

  Middlesborough

  3

  154

  Number

  Newport

  1

  Northampton

  2

  Nottingham

  2

  Oxford

  1

  Peterborough

  1

  Plymouth

  2

  Poole

  2

  Redditch

  1

  Redruth

  2

  Rotherham

  1

  Sandwell

  2

  Sheffield

  1

  Slough

  2

  Solihull

  1

  St. Helens

  1

  St. Albans

  1

  Stoke on Trent

  3

  Sunderland

  3

  Telford

  3

  Wakefield

  1

  Walsall

  2

  West Malling

  2

  Wigan

  3

  Woking

  2

  Wolverhampton

  1

  Worcester

  3

  Wyre Forest

  1

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what contacts his Department has had with Belgrade with a view to promoting British trading interests since the official recognition of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. [27968]

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was recognised officially on 9 April, but my Department began promoting actively British interest in the market on 22 November, when UN trade sanctions were suspended. Officials had discussions on promoting UK-Federal Republic of Yugoslavia trade with senior ministers in Belgrade in December. My Department has prepared information on the market which it sends out to interested companies; it also worked closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in arranging the mission of senior business executives which my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign Office led to Belgrade in February. A trade mission from Montenegro will be visiting the UK in July and there are plans for a major event in London to promote trade with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In taking such measures, and others, to promote British interests my Department has been working closely with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia embassy in London and the British embassy in Belgrade.

  Research Establishments
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what conclusions he has reached on the first tranche of public sector research establishments being considered under the prior options review. [28259]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: The Government are currently considering the outcome of these reviews and conclusions will be announced as soon as possible.

  Defence Exports (China)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what(a) strategic and (b) regulatory considerations are taken into account in deciding whether to grant a licence for the export of airborne early warning sensors and scanners to China. [27371]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 30 April 1996]: Export licences are considered on a case-by-case basis in the light of our national and international commitments.

  Since 7 June 1989, the UK has enforced an EU embargo on the sale to China of "weapons and equipment which could be used for internal repression". The current embargo guidelines were announced by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on 4 April 1995, Official Report, column 979.

  Those defence and defence-related goods requiring an export licence are listed in the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended.

PRIME MINISTER

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Prime Minister what evidence he has evaluated proving a link between BSE and(a) Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and (b) other human diseases. [28542]

  The Prime Minister
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health made a statement on 20 March,Official Report, columns 375–76, relating to the expert scientific advice received from the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee about the previously unrecognised form of CJD. SEAC's advice is that, although there is no direct evidence of a link, on current data and in the absence of any credible alternative, the most likely explanation at present is that these cases are linked to exposure to BSE before the introduction of the specified bovine offals ban in 1989. The findings of the national CJD surveillance unit, on which that advice was based, have since been published in The Lancet of 6 April 1996.

  We have not yet received any advice to suggest that BSE might be linked to other human diseases.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Hong Kong (Overseas Public Servants) Act
  Mr. Coe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements have been made in respect of new expenditure under the Hong Kong (Overseas Public Servants) Act 1996. [28911]

  Mr. Hanley
  The Hong Kong (Overseas Public Servants) Act 1996, which received Royal Assent in February, provides for a compensation and pension package involving compensation and resettlement payments to Hong Kong overseas civil service officers.
  156
  Parliamentary approval of this new expenditure is being sought in the 1996–97 main estimate for ODA's overseas superannuation vote, class II, vote 6. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £3 million is being met by a repayable advance from the contingency fund.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Metropolitan police officers were(a) prosecuted and (b) disciplined in each of the last five years arising from cases where awards of damages or out-of-court settlements had been made; and in cases where officers were disciplined what form the discipline took. [27154]

  Mr. Maclean
  The figures given are for cases where disciplinary action was taken and where the civil action or settlement was over £10.000. The figures for 1991 and 1992 do not include cases where informal disciplinary action only was taken.

  Year

  Cases

  Action

  Penalty

  1992

  Case 1

  1 officer

  Substantiated by Police Complaint Authority Tribunal

  Reprimanded

  Case 2

  7 officers

  Formal discipline

  Dismissed

  Case 3

  1 officer

  Formal discipline following a criminal conviction

  Dismissed

  1 officer

  Informal discipline

  Words of advice following an acquittal

  1 officer

  Informal discipline

  Word of advice

  1993

  Case 1

  1 officer

  Formal discipline

  Fined

  1 officer

  Formal discipline

  Cautioned

  1994

  Case 1

  1 officer

  Informal discipline

  Admonished/ words of advice

  Case 2

  1 officer

  Informal discipline

  Admonished/ words of advice

  1995

  Case 1

  3 officers

  Informal discipline

  Strictly admonished

  1 officer

  No action as he had already left the service

  Case 2

  2 officers

  Acquitted of criminal charges

  Not yet settled

  In addition there were two further cases which, although it cannot be confirmed from the available information, appear to relate to civil actions involving payments of over £10,000. Each case involved an officer who was subject to informal discipline and given words of advice or admonished.

  Legal Actions
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to his Department of each legal case against the Department since 23 May 1993 where the case has(a) been judged against his Department and (b) settled before court judgment; and if he will make a statement. [27559]

  Mr. Howard
  It is estimated that since 23 May 1993 there have been over 4,000 legal cases against the Home Office, for judicial review and

  157
  claims for personal injuries. No central record is kept of the outcome of these cases and it is not therefore possible to provide the information in the form requested.

  Metropolitan Police (Racial Discrimination)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many instances of racial discrimination in employment in the Metropolitan police service were dealt with under their disciplinary procedures in(a) 1994–95 and (b) 1995–96 and with what outcomes, broken down by ethnic origin of alleged victim and perpetrator; [27871]

  (2) what was the total number of complaints of racial discrimination in (a) employment made by police officers against the Metropolitan police service in 1994–95 and 1995–96; (b) and how many were dealt with and disposed of at (i) the informal stage, (ii) following a formal complaint under the internal grievance procedure and (iii) following an application to an industrial tribunal indicating for (i) to (iii) (1) the types of complaint, (2) their outcomes including the terms of any settlements and disciplinary action taken and (3) the time taken to deal with them from receipt to disposal, broken down by (A) gender and (B) ethnic origin of complainant. [27870]

  Mr. Maclean
  I understand from the commissioner that there are no instances of racial discrimination in employment in the Metropolitan police recorded by the complaints investigation bureau or personnel management branch between 1994 and the present. The commissioner informs me that there were 17 allegations of race discrimination dealt with under the Metropolitan police internal grievance procedure in 1994, one in 1995 and none so far in 1996. The informal stage of this procedure was not introduced until 1 April 1996. All these allegations were made by male officers. The results of such cases were not recorded centrally until 1995. The one case for that year was resolved, but, in accordance with the grievance procedure, results are confidential. The ethnic origin of the complainant, the types of complaint made and the time taken to deal with these complaints are not recorded centrally, although the Metropolitan police sets a standard for dealing with all grievance procedure within seven weeks.

  As regards cases taken to industrial tribunal, there are no figures available for 1994. Since 1995, there have been 15 cases which involved an allegation of racial discrimination within the Metropolitan police. Of these, two were withdrawn and two have been settled, the details of which are confidential. The remaining 11 are still to be resolved. Six of the complainants were female and nine male. The ethnic origin of the complainant, the time taken to deal with the cases and the types of allegations are not recorded centrally.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made to date by the Metropolitan police service in implementing the equal opportunities strategy developed in 1994. [27872]

  Mr. Maclean
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that results so far include the creation of a positive action team within the Metropolitan police's personnel department, which concentrates on 158
  boosting recruitment from ethnic minorities; more recruitment advertising in minority press; regular meetings between police and representatives of minority groups; the inclusion of equal opportunities issues in all management development training courses; and the introduction of a new grievance procedure. A steering committee chaired by the Metropolitan police's director of personnel oversees these initiatives, and a revised equal opportunities statement will be published shortly by the Commissioner.

  Electro-shock Equipment
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licences have been issued by his Department for the handling, storage, distribution or manufacture of electro-shock devices to(a) companies or (b) individuals; and if he will list the companies involved. [27718]

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) on 28 March at column 678.

  Remand Prisoners
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners held on remand have received custodial sentences in each of the last five years. [28110]

  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. Butler to Mr. Ian Pearson, dated 8 May 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 proportion of prisoners held on remand who have received custodial sentences in each of the last five years.
  The available information on the proportion of remand prisoners in England and Wales subsequently receiving a custodial sentence is given in successive volumes of 'Prison statistics England and Wales' (Table 2.6 of the 1994 edition, Cm 3087), copies of which are in the Library. Information for 1995 is not yet available.

  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost of remand prisoners to the Prison Service in each of the last five years. [28112]

  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. Butler to Mr. Ian Pearson, dated 8 May 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 cost of remand prisoners to the Prison Service in each of the last five years.

  159
  Information is not available in the form requested as it is not possible to distinguish the cost of keeping different types of offender in custody when held within the same establishment.
  The average number of untried, unconvicted and unsentenced prisoners held in custody over the last five years is:

  1991–92: 10,630

  1992–93: 9,862

  1993–94: 11,235

  1994–95: 12,361

  1995–96: 11,200

  The net operating cost per prisoner per year over the same period is:

  1991–92: £23,047

  1992–93: £25,759

  1993–94: £21,587

  1994–95: £22,128

  1995–96: Not yet available

  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of prisoners held on remand, by region, in each of the last five years. [28107]

  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. Butler to Mr. Ian Pearson, dated 8 May 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 held on remand, by region, in each of the last five years.
  The requested information is given in the attached table.

  Average population1 of remand prisoners in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales by county, 1991–1995

  County

  1995

  1994

  1993

  1992

  1991

  Avon

  257

  283

  226

  172

  181

  Bedfordshire

  151

  174

  132

  127

  151

  Berkshire

  128

  132

  133

  111

  161

  Buckinghamshire

  283

  294

  240

  49

  0

  Cambridgeshire

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Cheshire

  116

  130

  130

  58

  67

  Cleveland

  220

  227

  254

  106

  0

  Cumbria

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Derbyshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Devon

  226

  249

  209

  209

  219

  Dorset

  116

  127

  102

  118

  133

  Durham

  453

  513

  478

  506

  573

  East Sussex

  199

  203

  193

  212

  274

  Essex

  211

  233

  201

  220

  251

  Gloucestershire

  135

  151

  116

  93

  108

  Greater Manchester

  581

  485

  275

  301

  200

  Gwent

  9

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Hampshire

  219

  178

  148

  193

  254

  Hereford and Worcester

  282

  311

  114

  0

  202

  Hertfordshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Humberside

  328

  443

  408

  270

  341

  Isle of Wight

  16

  16

  10

  6

  5

  Kent

  390

  441

  376

  367

  373

  Lancashire

  689

  751

  717

  507

  542

  Leicestershire

  597

  639

  511

  455

  413

  Lincolnshire

  249

  312

  317

  308

  295

  London

  2,228

  2,411

  2,093

  2,259

  2,474

  Merseyside

  469

  536

  663

  464

  422

  Norfolk

  189

  257

  204

  194

  221

  160

  Average population1 of remand prisoners in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales by county, 1991–1995

  County

  1995

  1994

  1993

  1992

  1991

  North Yorkshire

  119

  122

  27

  1

  0

  Northamptonshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Northumberland

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Nottinghamshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Oxfordshire

  143

  154

  124

  98

  0

  Shropshire

  149

  202

  218

  170

  229

  Somerset

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  South Glamorgan

  280

  274

  221

  179

  171

  South Yorkshire

  506

  494

  364

  363

  123

  Staffordshire

  260

  264

  239

  216

  29

  Suffolk

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Surrey

  178

  203

  179

  45

  25

  Warwickshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  West Glamorgan

  165

  160

  176

  148

  146

  West Midlands

  278

  286

  369

  413

  402

  West Sussex

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  West Yorkshire

  487

  576

  489

  433

  494

  Wiltshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Total2

  11,306

  12,228

  10,660

  9,374

  9,474

  1 Excludes persons held in police cells.

  2 The components may not add to totals because they have been rounded independently.

  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current rate of suicides among(a) remand prisoners and (b) the rest of the prison population. [28111]

  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. Butler to Mr. Ian Pearson, dated 8 May 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 current rate of suicides among remand prisoners and the rest of the prison population.
  The number of self-inflicted deaths to date in 1996 is 25. Twelve of these were deaths of sentenced prisoners and thirteen were prisoners on remand. The inquests have not yet taken place into any of these deaths and I am therefore unable to confirm any verdicts.

  Life Prisoners (Personal Possessions)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the personal possessions that a prison inmate, serving a life sentence in a prison in England or Wales, is allowed to have in the cell; and if he will make a statement. [27957]

  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. Butler to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 8 May 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 personal possessions that life sentence prisoners are allowed to have in their cells.
  The personal possessions that prisoners, including those serving life sentences, are allowed to have in their cells varies between establishments and are listed in each prison's published statement of facilities. Prison Standing Orders specify a number of personal

  161
  items which prisoners may have in their possessions, which can be added to at the governor's discretion. The type of items permitted are determined by considerations such as security; health and safety; and by how appropriate they are to the custodial sentence the prisoner is serving.
  The overall amount of property prisoners are allowed in their cells is subject to volumetric controls, currently being introduced in all prisons in England and Wales.

  Prisoners (Education and Training)
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours of education and training were available to prisoners at Highpoint gaol in the last full year for which figures are available. [27941]

  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. Butler to Mrs. Anne Campbell, dated 8 May 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 hours of education and training available to prisoners at Highpoint prison.
  The number of hours available to prisoners for education and training at Highpoint prison, from 1 March 1995 to 29 February, 1996, was 16,061 hours for education and 8,096 hours for training.

  Mr. Norman Manning
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current position with regard to(a) the Prison Service investigation and (b) the investigation of the chief officer of the West Mercia constabulary into the death of Mr. Norman Manning in Long Lartin prison on 29 September 1994; when he expects these investigations to be concluded; if the reports will be made public; and if he will make a statement. [28142]

  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.

  Two year reconviction rates1 for sentenced prisoners discharged from Prison Service establishments between 1983 and 1992

  England and Wales

  Age at sentence

  1992

  1991

  1990

  1989

  1988

  1987

  21986

  21985

  21984

  21983

  Adults

  45

  45

  45

  45

  47

  48

  42

  44

  46

  48

  Aged 14–16

  89

  87

  89

  85

  83

  83

  75

  75

  74

  77

  Aged 15–17

  81

  81

  83

  81

  80

  79

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Aged 16–18

  75

  76

  77

  75

  74

  75

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Aged 18–203

  68

  69

  68

  66

  65

  67

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Aged 18–21

  65

  67

  65

  64

  63

  66

  —

  —

  —

  —

  All young offenders

  71

  72

  72

  71

  70

  71

  62

  64

  65

  67

  Total

  51

  53

  52

  53

  55

  57

  50

  52

  54

  56

  1 Relates to convictions for "standard list" offences only. These offences include all indictable offences and some of the more serious summary offences. Rates are based on samples of prisoners.

  2 Reconviction rates for those discharged prior to 1987 are not directly comparable with those for earlier years due to a change in methodology. Prior to 1987 the overall rates will be lower by around 5 to 6 percentage points due to this change; further details are given on page 6 of the Home Office publication 'Prison statistics, England and Wales, 1994' (Cm. 3087). Information is not available for some of the age groups requested and the figure for 14 to 16-year-olds relates to male prisoners only.

  3 Figures are supplied for those aged 18 to 20 in addition to those aged 18 to 21 as prisoners aged 21 at sentence are included among adults.

  162
  Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 8 May 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 investigations by the Prison Service and the West Mercia Constabulary into the death of Mr. Norman Manning in Long Lartin prison on 29 September 1994.
  The Prison Service investigation has been concluded and no evidence was found to indicate that procedures had failed to meet the need to care for Mr. Manning. After enquiries by the West Mercia Constabulary, two prisoners have been charged with the murder of Mr. Manning. Until the court case is resolved the reports will not be made public.

  Reconviction Rates
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of offenders are(a) convicted of further offences during the two-year period following the completion of the custodial section of prison sentences and (b) convicted of further offences which were committed during the two-year period following the completion of the custodial section of prison sentences. [27611]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The most recent available information relates to a sample of sentenced prisoners discharged from prison in 1992. The percentage who were convicted of a further offence during the two-year period following release was 51 per cent. There is no information centrally available on how many of those offences were committed during this period.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what have been the reconviction rates for(a) two years and (b) five years after release for (i) adults, (ii) 14 to 16-year-olds, (iii) 15 to 17-year-olds, (iv) 16 to 18-year-olds and (v) 18 to 21-year-olds in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [28236]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is available only for all the age bands requested for those released between 1987 and 1992. Reconviction rates within five years of release from prison are currently available only for those released during 1987.

  The available information is as follows:

  163

  Five year reconviction rates1 for sentenced prisoners discharged from Prison Service establishments during 1987

  England and Wales Age at sentence

  Percentage

  Adults

  62

  Aged 14–16

  91

  Aged 15–17

  89

  Aged 16–18

  86

  Aged 18–203

  81

  Aged 18–21

  77

  All young offenders

  83

  Total

  70

  1 Relates to convictions for "standard list" offences only. These offences include all indictable offences and some of the more serious summary offences. Rates are based on samples of prisoners.

  2 Reconviction rates for those discharged prior to 1987 are not directly comparable with those for earlier years due to a change in methodology. Prior to 1987 the overall rates will be lower by around 5 to 6 percentage points due to this change; further details are given on page 6 of the Home Office publication 'Prison statistics, England and Wales, 1994' (Cm. 3087). Information is not available for some of the age groups requested and the figure for 14 to 16 year olds relates to male prisoners only.

  3 Figures are supplied for those aged 18 to 20 in addition to those aged 18 to 21 as prisoners aged 21 at sentence are included among adults.

  Probation Service
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the probation service's record against its key performance indicators. [28227]

  Mr. Sackville
  The latest available information is contained in annexe I to the three-year plan for the probation service, published by the Home Office on 30 January, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been allocated to the probation service in each of the last six years; and if he will make a statement. [28231]

  Mr. Sackville
  This information is given in the Home Office annual report for 19961, page 65, table 8.i, a copy of which was placed in the Library.

  1Cm 3208, published March 1996.

  Prisons (Drugs)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures and actions are taken against prisoners found positive through mandatory drug testing for, or found in possession of, each type of mainstream illegal drug; and if he will make a statement. [28240]

  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. Butler to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 8 May 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 procedures and actions taken against prisoners found positive through mandatory drug testing or found in possession of drugs.
  164
  Offences relating to drugs within prison are pursued either through internal disciplinary and administrative procedures or by referral to the police for consideration for prosecution. It is for the prison governor to decide, in the light of the seriousness of an alleged offence of possession or supply, whether it should be referred to the police or dealt with through internal disciplinary procedures.
  The full range of disciplinary sanctions is available to governors in dealing with drug offences. The most common disciplinary response when a prisoner is found guilty at adjudication of drug misuse, possession or supply is the addition of up to 42 days to the sentence. Cautions and suspended punishments are also available where there are mitigating circumstances.

  When found guilty of drug misuse, the prisoner may also be required to undergo a repeat test or a programme of frequent tests. Other responses to drug offences may include their consideration as a factor when re-categorisation is considered; in the restriction of release on temporary licence and other privileges; and the imposition of closed visits.

  Prison Population
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the numbers for the(a) male, (b) female and (c) total prison population in England and Wales for the last day in each of the past 24 months; and if he will make a statement. [28241]

  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. Butler to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 8 May 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking, what were the numbers for the (a) male, (b) female and (c) total prison population in England and Wales for the last day in each of the past 24 months; and if he will make a statement.
  The requested information is given in the attached table.

  Prison population1 in England and Wales, by sex, on the last day of the month, May 1994 to April 1996

  Date

  Males

  Females

  Total

  1994

  May

  46,887

  1,788

  48,675

  June

  47,125

  1,804

  48,929

  July

  47,310

  1,859

  49,169

  August

  47,494

  1,898

  49,392

  September

  47,863

  1,949

  49,812

  October

  47,946

  1,905

  49,851

  November

  48,657

  1,908

  50,565

  December

  45,839

  1,772

  47,611

  1995

  January

  47,675

  1,867

  49,542

  February

  48,641

  1,930

  50,571

  March

  49,585

  2,009

  51,594

  April

  48,809

  1,978

  50,787

  May

  48,661

  1,982

  50,643

  June

  49,086

  1,998

  51,084

  July

  49,335

  1,944

  51,279

  August

  49,296

  1,969

  51,265

  September

  49,277

  2,009

  51,286

  October

  50,009

  2,018

  52,027

  November

  50,430

  2,110

  52,540

  December

  48,019

  1,930

  49,949

  1996

  January

  49,922

  2,025

  51,947

  February

  51,101

  2,077

  53,178

  165

  Prison population1 in England and Wales, by sex, on the last day of the month, May 1994 to April 1996

  Date

  Males

  Females

  Total

  March

  51,617

  2,123

  53,740

  April2

  52,028

  2,183

  54,211

  1 Includes those held in police cells.

  2 Provisional figures

  John Blair
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when John Blair, detained in Her Majesty's prison Wakefield, applied to be repatriated to the Republic of Ireland; [28447]

  (2) on what date John Blair, detained in Her Majesty's prison Wakefield, applied to be transferred to another prison; and when a decision is to be taken on his application. [28448]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: Mr. Blair, who is at present serving a prison sentence in Wakefield prison, registered an interest in repatriation to the Republic of Ireland in November of last year, when detained at Whitemoor prison. His case is at present under consideration.

  Mr. Blair has not applied formally to transfer to another prison in England or Wales, so this information cannot be provided. Mr. Blair requested a transfer verbally and his request will be considered as soon as a vacancy arises.

  Gang Violence
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what role has been played to date by MI6 in respect of gang violence; [28461]

  (2) if he will commission an inquiry into the desirability of establishing a special national unit to tackle violent crime with particular reference to gang activity; [28463]

  (3) what steps are being taken to investigate whether there is a link between organised crime, protection rackets and companies which supply bouncers and doormen to nightclubs and public houses; [28455]

  (4) what steps are being taken to address the incidence of violence linked with gang activity; [28460]

  (5) what percentage of violent crime can be attributed to organised gangs. [28466]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: I will write to the hon. Member.

  Patrick Kelly
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when Patrick Kelly applied to be repatriated to prison in the Irish Republic; in which prison he was detained when his application for repatriation was accepted; and if he will make a statement; [28439]

  (2) if he will list the names of those individuals and organisations who have submitted representations urging him to authorise the transfer to the Irish Republic of Patrick Kelly. [28440]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: Mr. Kelly first requested to be repatriated to the Republic of Ireland on 27 January 1994 at Parkhurst prison.
  166
  Consideration could not be given to this request until the Republic of Ireland ratified the Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons. The convention came into force for the Republic of Ireland on 1 November 1995.

  Thirty-one representations have been received from members of the clergy, Members of Parliament, Members of the Irish Parliament, prisoner support groups and members of the public.

  Scotland v. England Football Match
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure the safety of Scottish supporters at the Scotland v. England match at Wembley on 15 June, with particular reference to the segregation of rival supporters; and if he will make a statement. [28263]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: The overall policing strategy for Euro 96 is aimed at ensuring the safety and well being of all genuine and law-abiding football supporters who will be coming to England to enjoy Euro 96. The hon. Member can be assured that adequate security arrangements will be in place for the England v. Scotland match on 15 June both inside and outside Wembley stadium.

  The football authorities have taken account of the importance of segregating rival fans in their plans for allocating seats.

  Anyone intending to disrupt Euro 96 matches, and so spoil the enjoyment of others, can expect to be swiftly dealt with by the police, prosecuting authorities and the courts.

  Boot Camps
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what means he will evaluate the effectiveness of the boot camp experiment; and if he will make a statement. [27923]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 7 May 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. Butler to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 8 May 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 means used to evaluate the effectiveness of the boot camp experiment.
  We will assess changes in the attitudes and behaviour of the young offenders sent to Colchester young offender institution and the high intensity training centre at Thorn Cross young offender institution. We will also monitor re-convictions after release. The results will be compared with those from a control group of similar young offenders who will experience conventional young offender institution regimes.

  Mr. Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research is available within the Prison Service on the probable reconviction rates from the high impact or boot camp regimes; and if he will make a statement. [27926]
  167
  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 7 May 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. Butler to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 8 May 1996:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about research available within the Prison Service on the probable reconviction rates from the high impact or boot camp regimes.
  The two initiatives which we have announced, namely High Intensity Training and Colchester young offender institution, are both pilots. They themselves will be providing evidence of the effectiveness of the new approaches adopted, and there are no directly parallel initiatives to provide evidence at present on likely reconviction rates.
  There is limited relevance in research on other schemes. Copies of readily available published research into American boot camps were placed in the Library of the House last year.
  I must stress however that our two regimes are not copies of American boot camps.

  Forensic Science Service
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many laboratories will close and how many jobs will be lost as a result of the merger of the Forensic Science Service with the Metropolitan police forensic science laboratory and if he will make a statement. [27925]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: Restructuring proposals within the Forensic Science Service will result in the closure of one laboratory at Aldermaston, at the end of 1996. Possible closure of a further two laboratories is subject to further consultation. The merger with the Metropolitan police forensic science laboratory has allowed the restructuring to be planned on a national basis throughout England and Wales, but the need for major restructuring to streamline the service had been identified prior to the decision for the two organisations to be merged. All present scientific caseworking staff will be offered jobs in the FSS, but there will be some reduction in support staff.

  Mr. Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when plans to merge the Forensic Science Service with the Metropolitan police forensic science laboratory will become operable; what safeguards will be put in place to ensure the impartiality of the new service; and if he will make a statement. [27927]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]The Metropolitan police forensic science laboratory merged with the Forensic Science Service on 1 April 1996 to make the new FSS a national service throughout England and Wales. It remains a Home Office executive agency and the chief executive continues to have delegated authority for its operation under the terms of its framework agreement and within the policies determined by the Secretary of State. These include maintenance of the required impartiality and quality of its work, including its science. The FSS leads the way for forensic science organisations in external accreditation of its procedures to NAMAS M10 and ISO 9000 standards.
  168

  Police Information Technology Organisation
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the police information technology organisation will become operable; what plans he has to contract it out; and if he will make a statement. [27928]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Lady Olga Maitland) on 1 April at column 60. There are no plans to contract out the police information technology organisation, although many of the information technology services it provides will continue to be delivered under contract by private sector suppliers.

  Recidivision
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what percentage of offenders are(a) convicted of further offences during the two-year period following the completion of a probation order and (b) convicted of further offences which were committed during the two-year period following the completion of a probation order; [27573]

  (2) what percentage of offenders are (a) convicted of further offences during the two-year period following the completion of a community service order and (b) convicted of further offences which were committed during the two-year period following the completion of a community service order. [27608]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]The most recent available information relates to samples of offenders who commenced orders in 1987. The percentage of offenders who were convicted of a further offence during the two-year period following the completion of a probation order was 44 per cent. and the corresponding percentage for community service was 47 per cent. These figures were first published in table 4.3 of the Home Office publication "Probation Statistics, England and Wales, 1994".

  Completion of an order does not necessarily imply completion without reoffending and a proportion of those completing orders will be reconvicted on the date of termination. If the termination date is included in the two-year follow-up period, the reconviction rates for probation and community service are then 49 and 52 per cent. respectively.

  Reconviction rates that are usually quoted relate to reconviction during the two-year period following commencement of orders. The most recent information relates to samples of offenders commencing orders in 1992. The percentage of offenders reconvicted within two years of commencement of a probation order was 58 per cent. and the corresponding percentage for community service was 55 per cent.

  There is no information available centrally on the percentages convicted of further offences which were committed during the two-year period following the completion of orders.

  Ministry of Defence Police Officers
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the Home Office constabularies
  169
  in England and Wales whose control rooms can broadcast to and receive calls from the personal radios of Ministry of Defence police officers. [27807]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: Where necessary, local arrangements exist to enable Ministry of Defence police officers to be in two-way radio contact with Home Office constabularies. I am aware that the following forces in England and Wales have entered into such local arrangements:

  Avon and Somerset

  Cheshire

  Devon and Cornwall

  Dorset

  Essex

  Gloucestershire

  Gwent

  Hampshire

  Kent

  Lancashire

  Merseyside

  Metropolitan

  North Wales

  North Yorkshire

  South Wales

  Staffordshire

  Suffolk

  Surrey

  Sussex

  Thames Valley

  Wiltshire

  Kashmir
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans Her Majesty's Government have to encourage the Government of India to enter into negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations, to secure a settlement of the Kashmir dispute based on self-determination for the people of Kashmir. [28450]

  Mr. Hanley
  I have been asked to reply.

  We continue to believe that the best way forward on Kashmir should involve simultaneous progress on dialogue between India and Pakistan, as provided for under the 1972 Simla agreement; improvement in human rights in Kashmir and a genuine political process there; and a clear cessation of external support for violence in Kashmir.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Historic Buildings (Disrepair)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to her answer of 29 April,Official Report, column 371, if she will list (a) the 31 historic buildings known to be in disrepair and at risk and (b) the 17 for which Departments have disposal proposals, indicating for each the Department involved. [27874]

  Mr. Sproat
  Details of the historic buildings on the Government estate which are known to be in disrepair and at risk are given in annexe 3 to the conservation unit's170
  annual conservation report on the Government's historic estate 1994–95, published in March; copies are available in the Library. Some entries on this list cover more than one building.

  Most of these buildings at risk are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, who has informed my Department's conservation unit of disposal plans for at least 17 of them. Information about these and other historic buildings on the defence estate proposed for disposal are contained in the Defence Estate Organisation's annual report for 1994–95, "Defending our Heritage", copies of which are available in the Library.

  National Lottery Funding
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much national lottery funding has been allocated to the South Bank Centre and its environs by each of the funds. [27427]

  Mr. Sproat
  There have been three awards, to date, allocated to the South Bank and its environs. The information is as follows:

  Body

  Announced

  Recipient

  Amount £

  Arts

  30 March 1995

  South Bank Centre

  980,000

  Arts

  21 September 1995

  British Film Institute

  250,000

  Arts

  16 April 1996

  Royal National Theatre

  31,590,000

  Total

  32,820,000

  Broadcasting Complaints Commission
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans she has to amend the Broadcasting Act 1990 to set a time limit within which the Broadcasting Complaints Commission is required to answer complaints; and if she will make a statement. [27937]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Government have no plans to amend the Broadcasting Act in this way. Although the commission strives to process complaints speedily, some cases, whether they concern allegations of unfairness or infringement of privacy or both, may deal with particularly complex issues and involve delays beyond the commission's control, and it is right that the commission should consider carefully all elements of such cases before making its adjudication.

  Museums and Galleries (Attendances)
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will publish the attendance figures for the financial year ended 31 March reported by the national museums and galleries for which she is responsible, broken down into the individual institutions, but including their outstations, with figures in each case of the percentage increase or decrease on the attendance figures for the preceding year. [25517]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 22 April 1996]: The British Museum, national gallery, national portrait gallery, Wallace collection, Tate gallery, though it charges for admission to St. Ives, national museums, and Galleries on

  171
  Merseyside, though it charges for admission to two of its seven sites, and Victoria and Albert Museum do not charge for admissions, and therefore the number of visits is only an estimate, or counted by other means.

  Number of visits in 1994–95 (million)

  Forecast number of visits in 1995–96 (million)

  Provisional percentage increase/decrease over the previous year

  British Museum

  6.24

  6.14

  -1.6

  Imperial War Museum

  1.27

  1.31

  +3.1

  National Gallery

  4.36

  4.46

  +2.3

  National Maritime Museum

  0.62

  0.58

  -6.5

  National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside

  1.34

  1.23

  -8.2

  National Portrait Gallery

  0.93

  0.82

  -11.8

  Natural History Museum

  1.64

  1.46

  -11.0

  National Museum of Science and Industry

  2.51

  2.70

  +7.6

  Tate Gallery

  2.75

  2.86

  +4.0

  Victoria and Albert Museum

  1.57

  1.49

  -5.1

  Wallace Collection

  0.15

  0.16

  +6.7

  Total

  23.38

  23.21

  -0.73

  It is not possible to identify separately the number of visits to the royal armouries in the Tower of London. However, a new royal armouries artillery museum opened in 1995—from April to October only—at Fort Nelson near Portsmouth, to which there were an estimated 23,000 visits. Additionally, a new royal armouries museum was opened in Leeds on 30 March 1996 and data on the number of visits to this site will be available next year.

  Business Subsidies
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the grants and loans provided by her Department to businesses, together with the criteria they have to meet in order to obtain the subsidy. [28191]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: My Department has not provided any businesses with grants or loans.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Child Support Agency
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what provision there is to prevent absentee fathers from changing their circumstances in order to inhibit the ability of the CSA to claim maintenance payments from them. [27642]

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  Maintenance assessments are intended to reflect the ability of parents to contribute to their children's support. Assessments may be revised following a change in the circumstances of either parent and will be effective only from the date the change was reported. The Child Support Agency will take action to collect any outstanding arrears as well as current 172
  maintenance. This may include the imposition of deduction from earnings orders and applications for liability orders.

  Provisions already exist that enable a child support officer to include notional income as part of a parent's resources where he is satisfied that a parent has intentionally deprived himself or failed to secure income or capital with the intention of avoiding or reducing his child support liability.

  In addition, the new departure system that is currently being piloted with a view to its introduction later this year will include further measures to prevent absent parents from manipulating the system to reduce their maintenance liability. Parents will be able to apply for a departure from the standard formula assessment where it is unrealistically low because an absent parent is diverting income to another person or for another purpose; has assets which are not producing or sufficient income; or otherwise has a life style which is inconsistent with the level of income on which the maintenance assessment is based.

  Finally, there are sanctions in the benefit system against people who give up work voluntarily.

  Reduced Earnings Allowance
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advance warning was given to former claimants of reduced earnings allowance no longer entitled to benefit before the changes to the reduced earnings allowance which came into force from 24 March. [27977]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  In his statement of 29 November 1995, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security announced his intention to introduce measures to correct anomalies in reduced earnings allowance being paid past pensionable age to individuals who did not continue in regular employment. The individuals affected have been identified by the Benefits Agency and are being advised of the effect of the 1996 amendment regulations, following review of their awards of reduced earnings allowance and retirement allowance.

  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated number of people over pension age who will cease to receive reduced earnings allowance following the new rules for reduced earnings allowance which came into force on 24 March; and what is the average amount that was paid weekly to the disentitled claimants of the reduced earnings allowance. [27976]

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

  However, on 2 April 1994 19,250 recipients of reduced earnings allowance were over pensionable age and not being paid at a protected rate following the introduction of retirement allowance in 1989. Their average weekly rate was £36.05. The estimated effect of the 1996 amendment regulations is to transfer the vast majority of pension age reduced earnings allowance recipients who are not in regular employment to retirement allowance.

  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the payment of the retirement allowance at 25 per cent. of the reduced earnings

  173
  allowance rate with particular reference to the reduced pension entitlement caused by lower earnings during the claimant's working life. [28132]

  Mr. Evans
  None. The introduction of retirement allowance was enacted by Parliament in the Social Security Act 1988.

  Adjudication and Child Support Regulations
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place in the Library a copy of the response made on 11 December 1995 by the president of the Independent Tribunal Service to the proposed Social Security (Adjudication) and Child Support Amendment Regulations 1996. [28689]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  A copy has been placed in the Library.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Office Space
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and food if he will list the square footage and cost of office space rented by his Department and its agencies and the number of his Department or agencies' buildings partly or fully unoccupied together with the space footage of that unoccupied office space and its estimated rental value where available in each of the past five financial years. [27732]

  Mr. Boswell
  The Ministry occupies both freehold and leasehold—rented—accommodation. On 1 April 1996, the Ministry rented some 580,000 sq ft. of office accommodation for its own use at a rental cost of approximately £8 million per annum.

  Of this area, some 33,700 sq ft. of accommodation with a rental cost of £334,000 was vacant pending disposal.

  Owing to changes in responsibility for management of the Crown estate which came into effect on 1 April 1996 and changes in the way that Departments have been charged for leasehold accommodation, comparable details for previous years could be made available only at disproportionate cost.

  Beef Exports
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a breakdown of British beef exports by(a) weight, (b) value and (c) destination for the year ended 31 December 1995. [28077]

  Mr. Boswell
  Exports of beef from the UK for 1995 as recorded in the overseas trade statistics are as follows:

  000's tonnes

  £ million

  France

  106.2

  239.4

  Italy

  30.7

  93.3

  Irish Republic

  29.3

  57.2

  South Africa

  27.1

  23.8

  Netherlands

  23.9

  68.0

  Denmark

  7.1

  17.5

  Spain

  7.0

  18.5

  Belgium-Luxembourg

  4.1

  16.2

  Portugal

  3.3

  8.5

  174

  000 's tonnes

  £ million

  Germany

  2.8

  8.9

  Mauritius

  2.5

  3.8

  Ghana

  2.4

  2.5

  Angola

  1.8

  1.5

  Malta

  1.7

  2.2

  Saudia Arabia

  1.7

  1.7

  Hungary

  1.6

  1.8

  Philippines

  1.6

  1.5

  Gabon

  1.6

  1.7

  Hong Kong

  1.3

  1.8

  Greece

  1.2

  2.6

  Other Countries

  13.7

  21.8

  Total

  594.1

  271.8

  All figures are proviasional.

  Commercial Whaling
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is Her Majesty's Government policy on the resumption of commercial whaling. [28843]

  Mr. Baldry
  The United Kingdom has strongly supported the International Whaling Commission's moratorium on commercial whaling since it came into force in 1986. Commercial whaling meets no pressing nutritional, economic or social needs and, as the growing global demand to watch whales in the wild demonstrates, it is possible for local communities to derive substantial benefits from whales without the need to kill them. Commercial whaling is opposed by the vast majority of our citizens and by Parliament, as well as by many of the countries concerned with the conservation and management of whales through the International Whaling Commission. Accordingly, the UK will oppose any move to end the current moratorium on commercial whaling.

  Cattle Slaughter
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many days per week he estimates will be devoted by each slaughterhouse to the slaughter of cattle over the age of 30 months. [28324]

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: This will vary from slaughterhouse to slaughterhouse. Some will devote their full capacity to the slaughter of these cattle while others will slaughter them on different numbers of full days each week.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many slaughterhouses he estimates will be involved in the slaughter of cattle over the age of 30 months. [28322]

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: We expect 40 to 50 slaughterhouses to be involved initially. If necessary, this number will be increased in the light of experience.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which officials will be responsible for supervising the slaughter of cattle over the age of 30 months. [28323]

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: Officials of the Meat Hygiene Service will supervise the slaughter of these animals.

SCOTLAND

  Enterprise Companies
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has completed his review of the performance of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise; and if he will make a statement. [28168]

  Mr. Kynoch
  No. My right hon. Friend announced the review on 7 February. Comments were invited by 31 March, but a number of organisations asked for and were given an extension of the deadline to end April. The responses are being analysed and the first stage of the review, which is proceeding to schedule, should be completed this summer.

  Deaf-blind People
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many deaf-blind people were resident in the area of each local authority at the latest date for which figures are available; how many local authorities do not currently offer basic rehabilitation and social work support services for deaf-blind people; what action he is taking to improve local provision for them; and if he will make a statement. [27142]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The table shows the number of blind and partially sighted people with deafness as an additional disability, resident in each local authority region as at 31 March 1995.

  Persons registered blind who are also deaf: 31 March 1995

  Region

  Registered blind with deafness as an additional disability

  Registered partially sighted with deafness as an additional disability

  Borders

  22

  9

  Central

  100

  27

  Dumfries and Galloway

  31

  21

  Fife

  27

  26

  Grampian

  257

  142

  Highland

  129

  45

  Lothian

  114

  71

  Strathclyde

  720

  204

  Tayside

  43

  25

  Orkney

  13

  7

  Shetland

  0

  0

  Western Isles

  4

  1

  Scotland

  1,460

  578

  Information about the number of local authorities that do not currently offer basic rehabilitation and social work support services for deaf-blind people is not held centrally.

  Under our community care arrangements, local authorities are required to tailor services to individual needs through comprehensive multi-disciplinary assessments, including the appointment of a care manager. This results in significant scope for local authorities to provide rehabilitation and social work support services themselves or, where this is not possible, to purchase these from the independent sector, particularly voluntary organisations.
  176
  The Government have identified people with sensory impairments as a priority for grant funding. Grants have been awarded to voluntary organisations including Sense and the National Deaf-Blind and Rubella Association and the National Deaf-Blind League to provide assistance with awareness training for staff working with deaf-blind adults and children and to improve the provision of rehabilitation, information, support and communication systems.

  Local authorities are required to develop joint plans for the provision of services to disabled people, including those with a sensory impairment, and in doing so to consult them, their carers and those voluntary agencies which represent their interests. We are closely monitoring these plans to ensure that adequate progress is being made in developing services for deaf-blind people.

  Forest Enterprise Agency
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the mechanisms for accountability and responsibility of the chief executive of the Forest Enterprise Agency in relation to(a) Forestry Commission and (b) Ministers. [28409]

  Mr. Kynoch
  These are set out in the agency's framework document, copies of which are in the Library.

  Scottish Grand Committee
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee he plans to hold up to April 1997; and how many times(a) the Prime Minister and (b) other Cabinet Ministers will attend. [25491]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 16 April 1996]: Last Session, there were four meetings of the Grand Committee in Scotland. So far this Session there have been eight meetings of the Grand Committee in Scotland and I hope that there will be a further four or five before the summer recess. As for next Session, I hope that up to eight meetings will take place in Scotland before April 1997. I acknowledge that the hon. Lady and her party have an excellent record of attendance at meetings of the Grand Committee and I would be happy to discuss with her any suggestions she has for venues and subjects to debate.

  Following the Chancellor of the Exchequer's successful visit to Aberdeen in February, I expect that other members of the Government will participate as appropriate.

  Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what issues of public policy are the responsibility of the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department marine laboratory in Aberdeen. [25769]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 24 April 1996]: The marine laboratory in Aberdeen is part of the Scottish Office, and contributes to the advice to Ministers on a range of issues affecting fisheries and the marine environment.

  Crofting
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he is taking to support crofters(a) in respect of (i) arterial drainage and (ii) hill drainage projects, (b) to provide stock grids, (c) in respect of the planting of shelter belts, (d) to provide or improve their mains electricity, gas connection and electrical equipment and (e) in respect of projects to improve roads, bridges, culverts or boat slips. [28199]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: The crofting counties agricultural grants scheme currently provides grants to crofters towards the costs of all these measures. The agricultural business improvement scheme currently offers grants in respect of the planting of shelter belts; provision, replacement or improvement of electricity supplies; and the provision of stock grids on croft roads. The farm woodland premium scheme and the Forestry Commission's woodland grant scheme currently provide support in respect of the planting of shelter belts.

WALES

  Consultants
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many consultants there were in(a) urology, (b) ear, nose and throat, (c) paediatrics, (d) ophthalmology and (e) anaesthetics for the years (i) 1990, (ii) 1992 and (iii) 1995; and if he will make a statement. [27891]

  Mr. Richards
  The information is given in the table:

  Consultants in post at 30 September (excluding locums)

  1990

  1992

  1995

  Number

  1Wte

  Number

  1Wte

  Number

  1Wte

  Urology

  10

  10.0

  11

  11.0

  15

  13.7

  Ear, Nose andthroat

  25

  22.4

  27

  25.3

  27

  26.0

  Paediatrics

  41

  38.2

  47

  43.8

  65

  60.8

  Ophthalmology

  28

  25.7

  29

  27.0

  35

  28.5

  Anaesthetics

  125

  121.6

  134

  131.0

  144

  139.8

  1 Whole-time equivalent.

  Salaries
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the(a) lowest and (b) highest full-time salary paid to an employee in his (i) Department, (ii) agencies and (iii) non-departmental public bodies in (1) 1994–95 and (2) 1995–96; and if he will make a statement. [27892]

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 1 November 1995 at column 301.

  School Transport
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest estimate of the costs of school transport in each of the former counties of Wales. [28068]

  Mr. Richards
  The costs of the home-to-school transport, net of parental contributions, in each of the former counties in Wales for 1994–95 is given in the table.178

  000's

  Clwyd

  5,182

  Dyfed

  6,707

  Gwent

  4,484

  Gwynedd

  3,283

  Mid Glamorgan

  7,112

  Powys

  3,304

  South Glamorgan

  2,392

  West Glamorgan

  3,906

  Uniform Business Rates
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the figures arising from research undertaken by his Department indicating the proportion of turnover represented by uniform business rates, analysed by size of enterprise. [27950]

  Mr. Hague
  The figures were published in 1995 in the Department of the Environment document, "The Impact of Rates on Businesses", covering both England and Wales. A copy is in the Library of the House.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he proposes to increase the competitiveness of small businesses in Wales. [28072]

  Mr. Richards
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 2 May 1996 at column 624. The Government will outline their latest policies for the support of small firms in this year's White Paper on competitiveness, to be published this summer.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff are currently employed at the Welsh Office; and what the level is expected to be by April 1997. [27901]

  Mr. Hague
  The number of full-time equivalent staff employed in my Department at 1 April 1996 was 2,295. Staff levels are expected to fall to some 2,100 in the year beginning April 1997.

  Play Schemes
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the factors which led him to conclude that Play Wales would be a more effective organisation when funded by local authorities as proposed in his consultation paper, "The Welsh Office and Local Government—Redefining the Relationship". [27393]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My right hon. Friend and I have yet to reach any conclusions about future funding arrangements for Play Wales. Devolving responsibilities for funding Play Wales to local government is one of the options we will be considering.

  Mr. Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for how long, on what basis and for what purpose the Welsh Office provided funding for Play Wales; and what plans he has to ensure that local authorities will maintain this provision. [27394]
  179
  Mr. Jones
  Direct government financial support for Play Wales has been provided by the Welsh Office since 1988. The grant, which is provided under the appropriation legislation, supports the development of children's play by funding the staffing and administration of Play Wales. If it is decided that this funding should be devolved to local government it will be for councils to decide on levels of provision in the light of their priorities.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to introduce legislation to remove the registration and inspection requirements for the provision of supervised activities used by children under the age of eight years and to relax the registration requirements for holiday play schemes in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [28235]

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health gave to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 18 March 1996 at column 82.

  Mr. Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the reviews carried out in respect of Play Wales in 1993 and 1995; and which conclusions from these reviews led to his present proposal to carry out a further review of Play Wales. [27396]

  Mr. Jones
  Following the reviews carried out in 1993 and 1995, the then Secretaries of State and I concluded that the best way forward would be the continuation of the existing funding arrangements for Play Wales. In doing so, however, we made clear our intention to look again, after local government reorganisation, at whether the Welsh Office should continue to be responsible for direct funding of Play Wales.

  Public Funding
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the voluntary organisations and non-departmental public bodies that have received funding from the Welsh Office in the last five years, indicating how often each has been subject to specific reviews by the Welsh Office, including those for which reviews are currently being proposed. [27395]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  All executive public bodies that have received Welsh Office funding in the last five years are listed in "Public Bodies 1995", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  The Welsh Office carries out a financial management and policy review of each executive public body at least every five years.

  Reviews are currently proposed of the Welsh Development Agency, the Development Board for Rural Wales and the Land Authority for Wales.

  I have arranged for lists of the voluntary organisations that have directly received funding from the Welsh Office for each of the years 1990–91 to 1994–95 to be placed in the Library of the House. An exercise to collate a comprehensive list of all voluntary organisations that have received funding in 1995–96 is currently being undertaken.
  180
  The Welsh Office has carried out reviews of the following grant schemes under which voluntary organisations have received funding during the last five years:

  Scheme

  Year

  Care and Repair grants

  1993–94

  Child and Family Service

  1995–96

  Environment Wales

  1995–96

  Section 73 Homelessness grants

  1990–91

  Special Grants Environmental Programme

  1990–91

  Support for Voluntary Intermediary Services

  1995–96

  Groundwork Trusts

  1995–96

  UK2000

  1990–91

  Voluntary Youth Services, Village Halls and Community Centres Programme

  1994–95

  Welsh Archaeological Trusts

  1995–96

  In addition, the following individual organisations have been reviewed by the Welsh Office:

  Organisation

  Year

  Standing Council of Voluntary Organisations

  1991–92

  South Wales Association for the Prevention of Addiction

  1991–92

  Swansea Drugs Project

  1990–91

  Youthlink

  1993–94

  School Admissions
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answers of 16 April,Official Report, column 426, and 24 April, Official Report, column 179, in respect of which schools he has received information on variations between their approved admissions number and their proposed admissions for September 1996. [27740]

  Mr. Richards
  Grant-maintained schools must set as their planned admissions limit a number no smaller than the current approved admission number. They are not, however, required to inform the Welsh Office when the proposed admissions in any school year exceeds the approved admission number. I am, however, aware that Stanwell school in Penarth has set an admissions figure for September 1996 of 264, which exceeds its AAN of 182. This was not made clear in my reply of 16 April.

  Cadw
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what targets he has set for Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments Agency. [28685]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Cadw has been set the following key targets for 1996–97:

  1. To complete 90 per cent. of the approved conservation maintenance programme.

  2. To complete 60 resurvey lists.

  3. To resolve 75 per cent. of ad hoc listing cases within 17 weeks.

  4. To complete 100 scheduling actions, of which at least 70 per cent. involve additional protection.

  5. To resolve 75 per cent. of listed building consent cases within 4 weeks and 90 per cent. of cases in 6 weeks.

  6. To resolve 75 per cent. of scheduled monument consent cases within 13 weeks and 90 per cent. of cases within 17 weeks.

  181

  7. To resolve 80 per cent. of Historic Buildings grant applications in 18 weeks.

  8. To resolve 80 per cent. of Ancient Monument grant applications within 6 weeks.

  9. To pay 90 per cent. of properly presented claims for Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments grants within 5 weeks of receipt.

  10. To achieve a market share of 63 per cent. of the number of visitors to the top twenty heritage sites in Wales.

  11. To reduce direct net cost per visitor at Cadw's sites to an average of 40p.

  12. To operate within allocated programme and running cost budgets.

  13. To achieve efficiency gains of at least 3 per cent.

  Full details of Cadw's performance against its targets for 1996–97 will be published in the agency's annual report.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  YG-I Tool Company
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the impact on job prospects in the engineers' cutting tool sector of the establishment of a new facility in Belfast by YG-I Tool Company of Korea. [27097]

  Mr. Ancram
  The establishment of this facility is unlikely to impact on job prospects in the engineer's cutting tool sector. In all cases where Government assistance is given to inward investors, an assessment is made of the risk of job displacement. This was done in the case of the European Tool company, the Northern Ireland subsidiary of YG-I Tool Company of Korea.

  Mrs. Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultation he had with the Federation of British Engineers' Tool Manufacturers prior to approving a grant to the Korean company YG-I Tool Co. of Korea to set up a manufacturing base in Belfast.

  Mr. Ancram
  No direct consultation was sought with the Federation of British Engineers' Tool Manufacturers, though information published by the federation was used during the course of the appraisal.

  Multiple Births
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many sets of(a) twins, (b) triplets, (c) quadruplets, (d) quintuplets and (e) sextuplets were born in Northern Ireland in each year from 1990 to 1995; and if he will make a statement. [27436]

  Mr. Moss
  The information requested is set out in the table:

  Sets of

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  11995

  Twins

  267

  315

  258

  280

  289

  327

  Triplets

  5

  6

  8

  9

  6

  7

  Quadruplets

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  Quintuplets

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Sextuplets

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1 Provisional.

  182

  Office Space
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the square footage and cost of office space rented by his Department and its agencies and the number of his Department or agencies' buildings partly or fully unoccupied together with the square footage of that unoccupied office space and its estimated rental value where available in each of the past five financial years. [27724]

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

  Irish Republic (Constitution)
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will next meet the Foreign Secretary of Eire to discuss constitutional matters in Eire; and if he will make a statement. [27223]

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  I have no specific plans to meet the Irish Foreign Minister to discuss constitutional matters in the Republic of Ireland. Constitutional matters relating to Northern Ireland may be part of the negotiations starting on 10 June.

  School Transport
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the children of the United Kingdom go to school in Northern Ireland; what percentage of the expenditure on school transport in the United Kingdom is spent in Northern Ireland; and what factors underlie the level of expenditure. [27741]

  Mr. Ancram
  In 1993–94, the last year for which comparative figures are available, 4 per cent. of school children in the United Kingdom attended school in Northern Ireland. School transport expenditure in Northern Ireland was 7.9 per cent. of the school transport bill for the United Kingdom. In Northern Ireland school transport is currently provided where a pupil gains admission to a school outside statutory walking distance from home—defined as two miles for pupils under 11 and three miles for other pupils—and provided that a public or board transport service to or in the vicinity of the school is already available. Transport arrangements in other areas of the United Kingdom are the responsibility of the relevant Secretaries of State.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the current expenditure on school transport in Northern Ireland; and what is the projected expenditure over the next five years. [27742]

  Mr. Ancram
  Recurrent expenditure on home-to-school transport in Northern Ireland in 1994–95, the latest year for which actual expenditure is available, was £34.7 million. If present transport arrangements were to continue, it is estimated that annual expenditure would rise to more than £41 million by 1998–99. Projections of expenditure beyond 1998–99 are not yet available.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his proposals for school transport and the administrative and legislative mechanisms that will be used to implement them. [27743]
  183
  Mr. Ancram
  A consultation paper outlining a number of options for reducing the escalating costs of transport was issued in December 1995. As a result of the views expressed, I have asked education and library boards to take forward further detailed consideration of the options, including consultation with schools and other interests. That process is still on-going and in the interim the existing arrangements remain unchanged.

  Class Sizes
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many classes for the first three years of primary school in Northern Ireland have more than 30 children; how many children are involved; and what would be the cost in teachers' salaries to ensure that the maximum class size for the first three years of school is 30. [27745]

  Mr. Ancram
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  Schools and Colleges (Expenditure)
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 12 March,Official Report, column 543–44, if he will list the applications that he received for capital projects in the last financial year and the priority ratings he assigned to them. [27746]

  Mr. Ancram
  The planning of major building schemes for schools and colleges in Northern Ireland is an on-going process. The selection of schemes for inclusion in the Department's capital building programme takes account of the priority rating of individual schemes, their state of planning readiness and the availability of resources in any year.

  At present there are 121 major schemes in the top three priority categories in the schools planning list. These are at various stages of planning. Twelve high priority building schemes for further education colleges are also in planning.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he collates relating to the percentage of budget increase passed on to schools in each of the education and library board areas; and if he will make a statement. [27750]

  Mr. Ancram
  My Department collates a range of financial information from boards on school funding and keeps a check on percentage increases in aggregated schools budgets each year.

  Teachers
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many retirements there have been by teachers on the grounds of ill health in Northern Ireland in each of the past 10 years. [27747]

  Mr. Ancram
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 28 March,Official Report, column 741.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many redundancies of teachers are projected to occur in the current financial year in each of the five education and library boards in Northern Ireland. [27749]
  184
  Mr. Ancram
  The information sought is not available. Under local management of schools, the number of teachers to be employed is a matter for school boards of governors.

  Cross-community Contact Scheme
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 29 March,Official Report, column 755, if he will make a statement on the reasons for a decrease in the number of secondary schools participating in the cross-community contact scheme. [27748]

  Mr. Ancram
  Participation in the cross-community contact scheme is entirely voluntary. It is therefore inappropriate to ask individual schools about their reasons for non-participation.

  Health and Social Services Estates Agency
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Northern Ireland Health and Social Services Estates Agency. [28687]

  Mr. Moss
  The following targets have been set for the Northern Ireland Health and Social Services Estates Agency for 1996–97. The targets are in line with the Government's policy of seeking to improve the service provided to clients in terms of both quality and value for money. I am satisfied that the targets present a demanding challenge for the agency.

  Delivery of services

  To ensure the specification as to quality and quantity of services defined in the Service Level Agreement with the Health and Social Services—Executive is fully met.

  To set in place service-level agreements with the remainder of the client bodies for the provision of services.

  To develop a customer charter in line with the ethos of the Northern Ireland citizens charter.

  Efficiency of services

  To carry out appropriate in-year efficiency reviews including the continuous market testing of design and consultancy functions to ensure that the most efficient and effective use is made of the agency's resources.

  To carry out a review of the agency's senior management structure by 31 March 1997.

  To ensure the achievement of an in-house 3 per cent. efficiency saving.

  To develop a programme for the measurement and management of productive to non-productive staff time.

  Financial management

  To manage the agency's resources so as to deliver the business plan within a total budget of £4,004 million.

  To implement the requirements of the health estates resources accounting systems by 31 March 1997.

  A copy of the targets is being placed in the Library of the House.

  Military Complaints Assessor
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to lay before Parliament Mr. David Hewitt's third annual report as independent assessor of military complaints procedure in Northern Ireland. [28688]
  185
  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  Yesterday, I arranged for the third annual report of the independent assessor of military complaints procedures in Northern Ireland to be laid before each House of Parliament. I am grateful to the assessor for his report for 1995, a year in which the Army's role of providing support to the Royal Ulster Constabulary had been greatly reduced following the announcement by the paramilitary organisations of the cessations of military operations and which saw only 19 formal non-criminal complaints made against members of the armed forces.

  The assessor notes that there is now a general acceptance that the Army's processing of complaints has been done reasonably well in difficult situations. I fully concur with this and I am pleased that the general officer commanding has been able to accept both of the assessor's recommendations.

  The post of independent assessor remains important and will continue for as long as there is a need for the Army to patrol in support of the RUC in Northern Ireland.

  Oral Contraceptives
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he was consulted in his capacity as a member of the Licensing Authority prior to the issuing of a letter dated 18 October 1995 relating to oral contraceptives containing desogestrel and gestodene. [26576]

  Mr. Moss
  [holding answer 25 April 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Health on 25 April, Official Report, column 281.

DEFENCE

  Meterological Office
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key performance targets have been set for the Meteorological Office for the financial year 1996–97. [28585]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The Meteorological Office has been set a range of quality, financial and efficiency targets to ensure that it delivers progressive improvements in the provision of weather-related services in 1996–97.

  The key quality target set for the Meteorological Office during financial year 1996–97 is to achieve 80 per cent. of the designated business plan external targets for customer satisfaction, forecast accuracy and timeliness. Additionally, the agency is to devise a value for money index to measure the quality of its services. The accuracy of the agency's numerical weather prediction model is to be improved by at least 2 per cent. in 1996–97, as measured by an index of internationally exchanged model performance data.

  The Meteorological Office was established as a trading fund on 1 April 1996 with a financial target to achieve an overall return on capital employed of at least 7 per cent. A target of £3.3 million has been set for the net contribution to the agency's core costs and central overheads from the provision of commercial services to
  186
  the public, industry and commerce, excluding the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department of the Environment.

  The 1996–97 efficiency target is to meet the key quality target within gross expenditure, before interest charges, of £140.3 million. For future efficiency targets the agency is to develop an auditable efficiency index.

  Operation Purple Star
  Mr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution Britain has made to Operation Purple Star; what is the purpose of the exercise; and if he will make a statement. [28277]

  Mr. Soames
  Exercise Purple Star is the culmination of a four-year cycle of purple exercises. The UK is contributing some 12,000 forces to what is the largest combined UK-US deployment since the Gulf crisis in 1991.

  The UK commitment includes a maritime task force of some 30 ships, led by HMS Illustrious and including an escort force of six destroyers-frigates and two nuclear-powered attack submarines. Sixty RAF aircraft are to take part, including a force of 20 Harrier and Tornado fast jets in the offensive air role and 18 troop-carrying helicopters. In addition, 3 Commando Brigade and 5 Airborne Brigade, key elements of the joint rapid deployment force, will also participate.

  The purpose of the exercise is to give UK and US forces practice in operating together in a force of this size. The UK is also using the exercise to provide useful operational experience to the newly formed permanent joint headquarters, and to examine the strategic deployment, command, control and maintenance of JRDF elements.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long it took HMS Fearless to travel from Britain to Operation Purple Star. [28279]

  Mr. Soames
  The journey took 10 days—from 16 to 26 April—as planned.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what problems were experienced in the sea journey of HMS Fearless to Operation Purple Star; and what assessment he has made of her performance. [28278]

  Mr. Soames
  No problems were experienced in the sea journey of HMS Fearless to Operation Purple Star. This mission was assessed as satisfactorily completed.

  Porton Down Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 February,Official Report, columns 354–55, for what reason the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment introduced formal written protocols in 1990; and in what form protocols for trials and studies were kept before that time. [28134]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  This is a matter for the chief executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member.
  187
  Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 8 May 1996:
  I have been asked to reply to your question about written protocols for the service volunteer programme at the former Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment since this falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which includes CBD within one of its divisions.
  Procedures for standardised, formal written protocols were implemented in 1991 during the establishment of the Independent Ethics Committee. This followed from the recommendations of the Royal College of Physicians' Guidelines for Ethics Committees (updated in 1990) and was introduced as part of Porton Down's continuing commitment to follow best practice for carrying out their work. For many years prior to the introduction of these new arrangements scientific staff produced written protocols of the studies they proposed conducting but these were not constructed to a standard pattern.
  I hope this information is helpful.

  Sarin
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been carried out by the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment to evaluate the long-term health effects of short-term exposure to the nerve agent Sarin; when these studies were carried out; and what were the conclusions of these studies. [28135]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  This is a matter for the chief executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 8 May 1996:
  I have been asked to reply to your question about studies on health effects after exposure to Sarin carried out by the former Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment since this falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which incudes CBD Sector in one of its divisions.
  No studies have been carried out by the Porton Down specifically to evaluate the long-term health effects on humans of short-term exposure to the nerve agent Sarin.
  As part of the research programme to develop improved methods for providing protection and therapy against the effects of chemical warfare agents a study has been conducted using the technique of single fibre electromyography (SFEMG). This study involved taking SFEMG measurements at intervals up to 30 months after the exposure of volunteers to a low level of the nerve agent Sarin.
  Small changes in SFEMG were seen at 3 hours and 3 days after exposure to a level of Sarin which caused a reduction in the volunteers' red cell acetyl cholinesterase activity to 60% of normal levels. The SFEMG changes were not accompanied by any clinical neuromuscular symptoms or signs and had returned to normal two years after exposure.
  This work, which began in 1983, involved eight volunteers. The results of the study have been submitted for publication in the open literature.
  I hope this information is helpful.

  Devonport Dockyard
  Mr. Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he plans to finalise the contract for the building and construction work at Devonport dockyard to accommodate the refitting of Trident submarines; when he expects this work to commence; and what is the estimated cost; [28052]
  188
  (2) when he plans to finalise the contract for the refitting of Trident submarines at Devonport dockyard. [28053]

  Mr. Arbuthnot: We plan to finalise the contract for construction of the future nuclear refitting facilities at Devonport by the end of the summer; construction is scheduled to start in early 1998. Certain contractual details, including price, remain subject to negotiation and are commercially confidential. Contracts for individual refits of Vanguard class submarine will be negotiated with the dockyard operator in advance of the commencement of each refit. The Vanguard class refitting programme is planned to commence around the turn of the century.

  Rosyth Dockyard
  Mr. Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of providing facilities at Rosyth dockyard for the refitting of aircraft carriers. [28054]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The existing facilities at Rosyth are suitable for refitting aircraft carriers without significant additional expenditure; further discussions about precise requirements will take place with the dockyard operator well in advance of the first refit.

  HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid to be permanently taken out of service. [28283]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The timing of the decommissioning of HMS Fearless and Intrepid has yet to be finalised. A decision will not be made until the conclusion of the current negotiations with VSEL for the design and build of up to two new amphibious ships.

  Landing Platform Docks
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the reasons for the time taken to order two landing platform docks; and if he will make a statement. [28281]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The "no acceptable price no contract" negotiations for an order for up to two LPD(R) are continuing with VSEL. The size and timing of any order is dependent upon a satisfactory outcome to these negotiations.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of Britain's amphibious capability; [28280]

  (2) what assessment he has made of his Department's provision of an amphibious capability until the landing platform docks come into operational service. [28282]

  Mr. Soames
  The Royal Navy retains a substantial capability to conduct amphibious operations in support of our defence policy objectives. Our amphibious forces are supported by specialist ships which are regularly maintained to sustain their operational capability. Both HMS Fearless and Intrepid have recently completed maintenance periods. Our amphibious capability will be significantly enhanced by the new helicopter carrier, HMS Ocean, which is currently fitting out, and by the refit of the landing ship logistic Sir Bedivere.

  Louise Jensen
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received, and from whom, in relation to the death in Cyprus of Louise Jensen. [28412]

  Mr. Soames
  My Department has received a number of representations from hon. Members and others relating to this terrible incident.

  Ministry of Defence Police (Radios)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the control rooms in each police constabulary which Ministry of Defence police may(a) broadcast to and (b) receive calls from, via their personal radios. [27808]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 7 May 1996]: I have between asked to reply.

  Where necessary, local arrangements exist to enable Ministry of Defence police officers to be in two-way radio contact with Home Office constabularies. I am aware that the following forces in England and Wales have entered into such local arrangements:

  Avon and Somerset

  Cheshire

  Devon and Cornwall

  Dorset

  Essex

  Gloucestershire

  Gwent

  Hampshire

  Kent

  Lancashire

  Merseyside

  Metropolitan

  North Wales

  North Yorkshire

  South Wales

  Staffordshire

  Suffolk

  Surrey

  Sussex

  Thames Valley

  Wiltshire

  190

  CORRIGENDUM
  This question and answer should have appeared in the Official Report for Friday 26 April.
NORTHERN IRELAND

  Elections
  Mr. Coe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking for the holding of elections in Northern Ireland for the purpose of providing delegates to the proposed forum for the discussion of issues relevant to promoting dialogue and understanding in Northern Ireland. [27148]

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  Now that the Northern Ireland (Entry to Negotiations, etc.) Bill has received its Second Reading in the House of Commons, on 18 April, thereby indicating parliamentary support for the Bill, I have informed the chief electoral officer for Northern Ireland and my officials that they may commence preparations for the proposed elections on 30 May.

  This will involve urgent expenditure to meet the cost of conducting the elections, including the recruitment of staff, staff training and equipment as well as costs associated with advertising and publicity for the elections. It will also cover the initial costs of setting up and servicing the forum and negotiations as well as expenditure on allowances for delegates. Its urgency arises from the need to commence, at the earliest opportunity, preparations for the successful conduct of these elections.

  Parliamentary approval for this new service will be sought in a summer supplementary estimate for the Northern Ireland Office's administration, law, order, protective and miscellaneous services vote, class XV, vote 1. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £1,790,000 will be met be repayable advances from the contingencies fund.

  Hong Kong: Payments to Public Servants
  Hong Kong: Payments to Public Servants
  Israel: Foreign Workers
  Israel: Foreign Workers
  Lebanon: Israeli Occupation
  Lebanon: Israeli Occupation
  UN Human Rights Committee: Membership
  UN Human Rights Committee: Membership
  Housing: UN Special Rapporteur's Report
  Housing: UN Special Rapporteur's Report
  St. Helena: Air Service
  St. Helena: Air Service
  Rolling Stock Safety Assessment Procedures
  Rolling Stock Safety Assessment Procedures
  Access to Work Programme
  Access to Work Programme
  Self-destruct Landmines
  Self-destruct Landmines
  Defence against Ballistic Missiles
  Defence against Ballistic Missiles
  Combined Joint Task Force Concept
  Combined Joint Task Force Concept
  Oftel
  Oftel
  Mental Health Initiatives: Review
  Mental Health Initiatives: Review
  Millennium Exhibition
  Millennium Exhibition
  House of Lords: Peers' Attendance
  House of Lords: Peers' Attendance