Written Answers of 15 November 1996

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Tea Room
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will set out the costs of the reconstruction, refurbishment and re-equipment of the House of Commons Tea Room. [4374]

  Sir Raymond Powell
  The cost of the new serveries in the Tea Room was £85,000. The refurbishment was carried out in conjunction with the construction of the new Terrace Cafeteria kitchen which also serves the Tea Room and it is not possible to allocate the costs of the various elements of the project meaningfully between the two areas.

WALES

  Housing
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the role of low-impact and self-built accommodation in the provision of affordable housing; and if he will make a statement. [3372]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  I encourage energy efficiency in homes, the tackling of empty houses and the use of redundant buildings for housing. The Welsh Office encourages and supports local authorities to facilitate self-building of affordable homes, but this forms a small part of the total affordable home programme.

  Wrexham Central Station
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list(a) the value of and (b) the number of grants to Trinity Investments and Railtrack to develop land surrounding Wrexham Central station; what tendering procedures have been followed; and for how long the grant is available. [4290]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Trinity Investments has been awarded, in principle, an urban investment grant not exceeding £3.5 million. The grant is subject to the conclusion of a legal agreement between the Welsh Development Agency and Trinity Investments.

  Railtrack is not in receipt of grant.

  Trinity Investments is responsible for the appointment of contractors to undertake the scheme. The tendering procedures do not involve the Department. Offer of grant is conditional upon a start on site by 31 March 1997. If the developer fails to start then, the project is subject to review.

  Transport Policy
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to publish a strategic transport policy for Wales. [4292]

  Mr. Hague
  I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer given to the hon. Member for Swansea, East (Mr. Anderson) on 4 November,Official Report, column 896.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  EDS Ltd.
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts his Department, agencies and associated bodies have had with EDS for each year since 1985; what was the value of each contract; if he will indicate for each contract(a) if it was completed, (b) what modifications were made at the request of (i) the company and (ii) the Department and (c) if work under contract is being undertaken in-house; and if he will make a statement on the number of job reductions in his Department arising from the contracting out of work by EDS. [3816]

  Mr. Hanley
  We have placed 33 contracts with EDS since 1985, individual values as follows:

  1. £8,114.00

  2. £17,881.00

  3. £604.00

  4. £3,376.00

  5. £80,760.00

  6. £13,832.00

  7. £4,682.00

  8. £4,682.00

  9. £82,746.00

  10. £8,788.00

  11. £72,950.00

  12. £7,562.50

  13. £11,950.00

  14. £2,100.00

  15. £8,200.00

  16. £58,990.00

  17. £16,784.00

  18. £17,881.00

  19. £1,254.00

  20. £35,762.00

  21. £11,000.00

  22. £4,885.00

  23. £4,500.00

  24. £54,000.00

  25. £4,720.00

  26. £4,682.00

  27. £9,265.00

  28. £10,000.00

  29. £1,900.00

  30. £7,000.00

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  31. £7,500.00

  32. £12,000.00

  33. £2,100.00.

  (a) All contracts were completed to the satisfaction of this Department.

  (b)(i) and (ii) No significant modifications were made by either party.

  (c) It has not been possible to identify whether any jobs were done in-house; and there have been no quantifiable job reductions arising from the above contracts.

  Pakistan
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the change of Government in Pakistan on relations with the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [3912]

  Mr. Liam Fox
  We have good relations with Pakistan, and look forward to them continuing under the current Government and in the future. We continue to follow developments in Pakistan closely.

  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when an application to reside in the United Kingdom was made by(a) Mrs. Benazir Bhutto and (b) her husband. [3986]

  Dr. Fox
  We treat in confidence all information given in connection with visa and immigration matters. It is our practice not to reveal whether such applications have been made, or any information about such applications.

LORD CHANCELLORS'S DEPARTMENT

  Marriage and the Family (Support)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the scope and conditions of his proposed consultation regarding the strengthening and support of marriage and the family. [3543]

  Mr. Streeter
  The marriage task force, which was set up by the Lord Chancellor in April 1995, recently completed a consultation exercise on the most effective ways of supporting marriage. Forty eight marriage support agencies have now been invited to submit proposals for pilot projects under a programme to be funded by the Lord Chancellor's Department. The award of contracts under the programme will be announced early in 1997, and the projects are expected to start in April. The exact number and coverage of the projects will not be known until all the bids have been evaluated.

TREASURY

  ECOFIN
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the recent Council meeting of the Economic and Finance Ministers of the European Union. [4625]
  360
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I represented the UK at the Economic and Finance Council—ECOFIN—of the European Union in Brussels on 11 November.

  The Council considered a draft report to the Dublin European Council on reinforced convergence procedures and a new exchange rate mechanism in third stage of EMU.

  The Council considered a report from the Commission on the stability pact for ensuring budgetary discipline in the third stage of EMU. This will be discussed again at the December Council.

  The Council took note of progress in the working group which is preparing Community regulations to form the legal framework which will govern how the single currency will be introduced and used. This work will be considered again at the December Council.

  The Council took note of Commissioner Monti's report on taxation in the European Union. It was agreed that a high-level tax policy group should continue to examine taxation issues.

  Commissioner Liikanen presented the report of the high-level group which has been looking at sound and efficient management 2000—the Commission's programme of financial management reform. The report will be discussed again at the December Council.

  The Council discussed further lending to Ukraine, including the disbursement of the second tranche of the 200 mecu loan agreed in 1995 with a view to its disbursement when the loan conditions have been met.

  The Council also discussed the renewal of the European investment bank's lending mandates. The mandates are due to be agreed by the Council by the end of the year and will therefore be discussed again in December.

  The Council considered convergence reports from the Commission and the European Monetary Institute, as required by article 109j of the Treaty on European Union, and agreed that a majority of member states did not satisfy the criteria and that the Community should therefore not move to the third stage of economic and monetary union in 1997. A final decision on the issue will be taken by the Council meeting as Heads of State and Government in December. This decision is a legal formality as the European Council at Florence has already ruled out a 1997 start date for the single currency.

  Building Societies
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rules govern the payment of bonuses by building societies converting to banks in respect of individuals who have two building society accounts in their names; and if he will review the rules to ensure that charitable organisations that hold building society accounts in the name of an individual who also has a personal account receive bonus payments made when a building society converts to a bank. [3517]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 12 November 1996]: The Building Societies Act 1986 gives converting building societies considerable discretion in structuring their distribution schemes. A society could propose to

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  confer a benefit on each account held by an individual. The structure of distribution schemes is a matter for the societies concerned, and for their members.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Non-taught School Activities
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment to what extent areas intended to be used for communal non-taught school activities are taken into account when calculating the adequacy of classroom provision in relation to the number of pupils attending a school. [4056]

  Mrs. Gillan
  Decisions about the size of individual classrooms and other areas within schools are a matter for local education authorities and grant-maintained school governing bodies.

  Hendon School
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils sought to enter Hendon school in September 1996; and what was the figure in September 1987. [3890]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I understand that, in 1987, 146 applications were made for a place at Hendon school, and that this year the number was 462.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the change in the number of pupils seeking to attend GM schools since they attained GM status. [3946]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Dyslexia
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to liaise with employers to enable those with dyslexia to obtain jobs; and if she will make a statement. [4202]

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

  Letter from D. J. L. Grover to Mr. Barry Jones, dated 15 November 1996:
  The Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me, in the absence of the Chief Executive, to reply to you about proposals to liaise with employers to enable those with Dyslexia to obtain jobs.
  As part of the Employment Service's national job broking role, specialist Placing, Advice and Counselling Teams (PACTs) already liaise with employers to encourage good practice in recruiting and
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  employing people with disabilities, to promote better understanding of disabled people's potential in work, including those with dyslexia, and specifically to place disabled people in jobs.
  The Employment Service's disability symbol initiative helps employers to implement good practices. PACTs' continuing work in influencing employers' practices, both to adopt the Disability Symbol and more widely, will support the new Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) the employment provisions of which come into effect on 2 December this year.
  The specialist Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) who work within the PACTs are specifically trained so that they are able to provide assessment, tailored employment rehabilitation (including employer placements) and advice on aids and special equipment as well as directly finding employment opportunities for people with disabilities, including those with dyslexia. Additionally the ES also produces a booklet "Sources of Information and Advice". This gives employers information about organisations which can offer advice or services covering a variety of disabilities and includes the British Dyslexia Association and the Dyslexia Institute.
  I hope this is helpful.

  School Class Sizes
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 11 November,Official Report, column 76, on school class sizes, what proportion of primary schools and secondary schools in 1979 had classes of more than 30 pupils. [4390]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Fifty nine per cent. of primary schools and 74 per cent. of secondary schools had at least one class of more than 30 pupils taught by one teacher in January 1979.

  Preston School, Stockton-on-Tees
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what were(a) the initial assessments and (b) the consultations reached by the Department's inspection team which visited Preston school, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees. [4481]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Officials from the Department visited Preston school in September following an invitation from the head of the school. They did not inspect the school—that would be for the Office for Standards in Education. They were accompanied by officers from Stockton local education authority, who explained that the LEA intended to include improvement work at the school in a capital bid, to be made in the autumn of 1997 for the financial year 1998–99. That is a matter for the LEA.

  Teacher Education
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) when she intends to publish the summary of the first draft report of the primary sweep inspection of teacher education departments; [4375]

  (2) if she will list the head teachers who will be responsible for conducting the re-inspection of teacher education departments; and if she will publish their CVs. [4377]
  363
  Mr. Forth
  These are matters for Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools, who heads the Office for Standards in Education. I have asked Mr. Chris Woodhead to write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she intends to publish her proposals for a national curriculum for teacher education. [4376]

  Mr. Forth
  In her announcement on 18 September, my right hon. Friend made it clear that the first stage of the national curriculum would be primary English and mathematics. The proposals on this will be published for consultation early in 1997.

  Proposals on the curriculum for secondary English and mathematics, and primary and secondary science, will be published later.

  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received from the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals on the issue of the re-inspection of teacher education departments. [4389]

  Mr. Forth
  None. My right hon. Friend expects all providers of initial teacher training to give inspectors access; that is a condition of their public funding.

  Teacher Training Agency
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people are employed in the Teacher Training Agency; and what is the total salary bill. [4378]

  Mr. Forth
  This is a matter for the Teacher Training Agency. I will ask the chairman of the agency, Mr. Geoffrey Parker, to write to the hon. Member direct.

TRANSPORT

  Buses (Rotherham)
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to encourage national bus companies to serve Rotherham. [3891]

  Mr. Watts
  The Government are working with bus operators and local authorities on a national basis to encourage the development of bus services and promote their use. However, the provision of services in Rotherham, as elsewhere, is primarily a matter for the commercial judgment of bus operators and for the local authority, which has power to subsidise socially necessary services which are not being provided commercially.

  Office of Passenger Rail Franchising
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what redress is available to Opraf in the event of a rail franchise operator(a) failing to comply with the terms of the passenger service requirement for the franchise and (b) failing to complete the full time scale of the franchise. [4051]
  364
  Mr. Watts
  The passenger service requirement—PSR—forms part of the franchise agreement. Franchisees are required, within their access agreements with Railtrack, to ensure that the services set out in the PSR are in the timetable. Failure to use all reasonable endeavours do so is an event of default. Franchisees may also commit either a breach of the franchise agreement or an event of default if they fail to meet thresholds for reliability set out in the agreement. In addition, some operators will be penalised under the incentive regime for delays or cancellations for commuter and regional services.

  If there is a breach of the franchise agreement, the franchising director may serve an enforcement order requiring compliance. Failure to comply is an event of default. If an event of default occurs, the franchising director has the power to terminate a franchise and to call the performance bond. All franchisees are required to subscribe a percentage of the initial level of capital required by the franchising director to underwrite the franchise to fund a performance bond. The performance bond will be used to contribute to any additional costs or liabilities which the franchising director or a successor operator may incur due to, among other things, premature termination of the franchise.

  Traffic Area Offices
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he proposes to close the traffic area offices in Manchester and Cardiff. [4116]

  Mr. Bowis
  We plan to complete the closure of the traffic area offices in Manchester and Cardiff by the end of the current financial year.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to lay a statutory instrument before the House to redefine traffic area office boundaries. [4117]

  Mr. Bowis
  I expect to make an announcement shortly.

  EDS Ltd.
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many contracts his Department, agencies and associated bodies have had with EDS for each year since 1985; what was the value of each contract; if he will indicate for each contract(a) if it was completed, (b) what modifications were made at the request of (i) the company and (ii) his Department and (c) if work under contract is being undertaken in-house; and if he will make a statement on the number of job reductions in his Department arising from the contracting out of work by EDS. [3805]

  Mr. Bowis
  The information requested is set out in the table. The value of each contract has not been revealed on the grounds that this information is commercially confidential.
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  Year

  Number of contracts

  Contract completed

  Modifications made at the behest of EDS

  Modifications made at the behest of the Department

  Work under contract being undertaken in-house

  Number of job reductions arising from contracting out work

  1991

  1

  Yes

  None

  None

  No

  None

  1993

  1

  No

  None

  None

  No

  None

  1993

  1

  No

  None

  None1

  Yes2

  None3

  1993

  1

  No

  None

  None

  No

  None

  1993

  1

  No

  None

  None

  Yes4

  None

  1994

  1

  Yes

  None

  None

  No

  None

  1996

  1

  No

  None

  None

  No

  None

  Information on contracts awarded before 1991 is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Notes:

  1 EDS has been asked to provide prices for the development of new systems to meet legislative requirements.

  2 Three EDS members of staff form part of a joint account management unit at DVLA.

  3 No job reductions, but 320 DOT staff working for DVOIT transferred to EDS on the sale of the organisation to that company.

  4 Ten EDS members of staff are engaged on a project for the provision of a new booking system at DSA.

  Publicity
  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was his Department's expenditure on consultants to assist with information, publicity, press and media in(a) 1995–96, (b) 1994–95 and (c) 1993–94. [3580]

  Mr. Bowis
  The information is as follows:

  Press and Media

  1993–94: £007,000

  1994–95: £330,000

  1995–96: £930,000.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  National Lottery (Feasibility Studies)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many feasibility studies have been funded from the proceeds of the national lottery; at what cost; and how many have produced completed projects. [3988]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 14 November 1996]: To date, the national lottery distributing bodies have made 168 awards for feasibility studies for a total of £15,313,311. Many of these are still being carried out, and some will have resulted in full applications which will need to be considered by the distributing bodies. My officials have asked the distributing bodies to confirm how many of these studies have produced completed projects and will write to the hon. Member with this information.

  Sex and Violence
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what discussions she has had with television, satellite and cable companies regarding the introduction of a non-statutory system for publicly rating their television output for sex and violence; [3541]

  (2) if she will make it her policy to encourage television, satellite and cable companies to introduce a system for publishing a rating for sex and violence with their television schedules. [3542]
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  Mr. Sproat
  As part of its research into the V-chip, the Department has consulted broadcasters and other organisations, including those representing viewers, on the feasibility and desirability of a ratings system for television programmes. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State also expects to explore this and other ideas with the chairmen of the BBC, the Independent Television Commission and the Broadcasting Standards Council when she meets them next month to discuss public concern about violence on television.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Local Councillors (Benefits)
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what proposals he has to extend the UB40 exclusion of basic allowances to apply to income support for people who serve on local authorities; and if he will make a statement; [3181]

  (2) what plans he has to update the benefits payable to people who are elected to local councils and are unemployed; [3182]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  We have no plans to change the rules that currently apply to local authority councillors who are receiving income support or jobseeker's allowance.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are currently receiving housing benefit in the United Kingdom; and what is the breakdown of these figures by region or local authority. [3803]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information relating to Great Britain has been placed in the Library.

  I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for the Northern Ireland figures.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated cost to the Government of funding housing benefit in the current year; and if he will make a statement.[3804]
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  Mr. Evans
  The information is set out in the table.

  Planned cost to central government of housing benefit 1996–97

  Expenditure type

  Amount £million

  Rent allowances

  5,135

  Discretionary rent allowances

  18

  Non-HRA rent rebates

  87

  Rent rebates (England)

  3,114

  Rent rebates (Wales)

  192

  Rent rebates (Scotland)

  531

  Administration

  186

  Anti-fraud incentives

  22

  Challenge funding

  8

  Total

  9,293

  Sources:

  1. Table 1 of the Social Security departmental report: the government's expenditure plans 1996–97 to 1998–99.

  2. Local government finance report 1996–97 (Department of the Environment).

  3. Spending working group paper: SSASG (96)97 (Department of the Environment).

  4. Finance circular 8/1996 (Scottish Office).

  Fishermen
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what entitlement fishermen from other member states have for(a) social security or (b) unemployment benefit while in the United Kingdom; and how many such claims have been dealt with in the last 12 months. [3657]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Only fishermen from other member states who have paid United Kingdom national insurance contributions would have entitlement to United Kingdom contributory benefits, including contribution-based jobseeker' s allowance.

  Fishermen from other member states would qualify for income-related benefits available to unemployed people, including income-based jobseeker's allowance only if they were habitually resident in the United Kingdom.

  We have no information on the number of claims made by fishermen from member states.

  Benefits Agency (Emergency Services)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reasons the Benefits Agency out-of-office hours emergency telephone service in Bradford was closed before a national review of the service had been completed; what consultations took place before the Bradford emergency service closed; if he will restore the emergency service in Bradford; and if he will make a statement. [4133]

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

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Max Madden, dated 14 November 1996:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for what reasons the Benefits Agency out-of-hours emergency telephone service in Bradford closed down before a national review of the service had
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  been completed; what consultations took place before the Bradford emergency closed; if he will restore the emergency service in Bradford; and if he will make a statement.
  There has been no closure of the Out-of-Hours Service in the Bradford area. The service continues to operate from Monday to Sunday and for the four week period ended 3.11.96 there were 63 referrals.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what have been the costs incurred by his Department in publicising the introduction of the jobseeker's allowance, by region. [3919]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on 14 November,Official Report, column 338.

  War Pensions
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many London boroughs(a) fully and (b) partially disregard war pensions when assessing housing benefit. [3889]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information is not collected centrally. Any decision concerning the enhancement of the mandatory disregards of a war disablement pension or war widow's pension is entirely for individual local authorities.

HEALTH

  Human Blood and Blood Products
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the costs of(a) collecting, (b) testing, (c) processing and (d) storing human blood and human blood products; and what studies he has commissioned to establish the costs involved. [3422]

  Mr. Horam
  These are matters for the National Blood Authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman, Sir Colin Walker.

  Prescribing Practices
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is issued to general practitioners by(a) his Department and (b) health authority pharmaceutical advisers in cases where branded medicine is available only by private prescription and a patient suffers adverse reactions to the generic alternatives. [3423]

  Mr. Malone
  No specific guidance is issued. Clinicians may prescribe any medication available on the national health service which is appropriate to meet patients' needs. Where products are not prescribable, alternatives are available to meet clinical needs. Any adverse reaction to a product would normally be expected in both a branded product and a generic equivalent.

  GPs (Payments for Elderly Patients)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he is making to the British Medical
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  Association's proposals that GPs should seek extra payments in respect of elderly patients in care homes. [3765]

  Mr. Malone
  The Department regularly meets the British Medical Association to discuss relevant matters including the remuneration system for general practitioners.

  Hospitals (Leeds)
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the capital spending on hospitals in Leeds in each year since 1980. [3865]

  Mr. Horam
  Information available centrally on capital schemes with a value over £1 million shows that, since 1980, we have invested over £133 million to improve health facilities in Leeds. This figure does not include spending on smaller schemes or block capital spending.

  Public Expenditure
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of gross domestic product public expenditure on health constitutes in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) Germany, (c) France, (d) Spain, (e) Switzerland, (f) United States of America and (g) Japan. [3884]

  Mr. Malone
  National health service expenditure in the United Kingdom in 1995–96 was £41,292 million—forecast outturn—which is 5.8 per cent. of gross domestic product. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development publishes figures for health spending, but these are not on a fully comparable basis.

  MRSA
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what requirement there is on NHS trusts to notify cases in their hospitals of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus; and in how many hospitals cases have been reported in the last 10 years. [3922]

  Mr. Horam
  There is no requirement on national health service trusts to notify cases of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus—MRSA. However, the public health laboratory service maintains aggregate data on MRSA as part of its national surveillance of communicable disease and infection.

  Smoking-related Diseases
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the NHS of smoking-related diseases. [3933]

  Mr. Horam
  Treatment costs to the national health service are not available on a year-by-year basis. Based on 1990 figures, the Health Education Authority's report "The Smoking Epidemic—A Prescription for Change" estimated that the annual cost to the NHS of treating smoking-related diseases is £610 million.

  Ambulance Services (Yorkshire)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to evaluate the 370
  comparative records of providers of ambulance services in North Yorkshire, Humberside and West Yorkshire. [4001]

  Mr. Horam
  The performance of all national health service trusts is monitored by the NHS executive.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to investigate allegations concerning the ambulance service in North Yorkshire made in the Channel 4 "Despatches" programme of 14 November a transcript of which has been sent to him; and if he will make a statement. [4159]

  Mr. Horam
  The national health service executive and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS trust will review the contents of this programme and consider any action as appropriate.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  EDS Ltd.
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many contracts his Department, agencies and associated bodies have had with EDS for each year since 1985; what was the value of each contract; if he will indicate for each contract(a) if it was completed, (b) what modifications were made at the request of (i) the company and (ii) the Department and (c) if work under contract is being undertaken in-house; and if he will make a statement on the number of job reductions in his Department arising from the contracting out of work by EDS. [3800]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  According to central records, my Department has not placed any contracts with EDS since 1985, although orders for IT goods have been placed under the Government catalogue—GCAT—contract with CCTA let with EDS earlier this year.

  Opencast Coal Mining
  Ms Walley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the (i) size, (ii) tonnage and (iii) depth conditions of each licence issued by the Coal Authority for opencast mining in each of the last five years, giving in each case the location by Parliamentary constituency. [3929]

  Mr. Page
  A list of opencast sites and their location was provided in my answer to the hon. Member for Barnsley, West and Penistone (Mr. Clapham) on 11 November 1996,Official Report, columns 16-17. Specific licence data are a matter for the Coal Authority.

  UKAEA (Loans)
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what factors led him to terminate the loans to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority under the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (Extinguishing of Liabilities) Order 1996. [4147]

  Mr. Richard Page
  [holding answer 14 November 19961: The loans in question were taken out from the national loans fund by the UK Atomic Energy Authority following the Atomic Energy Authority Act 1986, which enabled it to act as a trading fund, borrowing to finance

  371
  its commercial activities and servicing the loans out of commercial revenues. Following the successful privatisation of the commercial parts of the authority as AEA Technology plc on 26 September 1996, the remaining authority exists principally to manage nuclear decommissioning and radioactive wastes. My Department now provides most of its funding, and the authority does not have the independent commercial profits that would be needed to service the loans. No purpose would be served by our using public expenditure to enable the authority to service national loans fund loans. We therefore extinguished the loans, which we were able to do under the powers given last year by the Atomic Energy Authority Act 1995 because the sale proceeds from the privatisation of AEA Technology plc were larger than the total of the outstanding loans and commencing capital debt of the authority.

DEFENCE

  Contaminated Land
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what environmental impact assessment has been conducted in respect of contaminated land at(a) RAF Lakenheath, (b) RAF Molesworth, (c) RAF Valley, (d) RAF Aberporth, (e) RAF Brawdy, (f) RAF St. Athan, (g) Llangennech and Brecon barracks and (h) RAF Caerwent. [3835]

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 November,Official Report, column 219.

  Depleted Uranium Shells
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what facilities have been used for the construction of depleted uranium shells; and what environmental audit has been conducted at these facilities since 1979. [3924]

  Mr. Soames
  My Department possesses no facilities for the construction of depleted uranium ammunition. In 1982, my Department developed the royal ordnance speciality materials facility at Featherstone, near Wolverhampton, for the manufacture of depleted uranium components for 120mm main battle tank ammunition. The manufacture of Challenger l components was carried out there between 1985 and 1990. Former royal ordnance factories Birtley, County Durham, and Glascoed, Gwent, were involved in the assembly of those components into full rounds.

  The speciality materials facility became part of Royal Ordnance plc in 1989. It is now owned by British Aerospace plc. Throughout its operational life, the facility has followed National Radiological Protection Board advice and fully complied with legislation on radiological site licensing, including environmental audit. Information on the environmental audit records for the speciality materials facility, RO(Birtley) and RO(Glascoed) is a matter for Royal Ordnance plc.

  Radium Luminising
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's programme to clean up and restore sites where radium 372
  luminising has taken place, indicating the location of each site, the steps taken to decontaminate the site and the cost to date of restoration work. [3979]

  Mr. Soames
  Radium luminising took place during the 1940s and 1950s prior to the introduction of controls under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. No record of facilities or sites specifically engaged in this work were therefore maintained, but where past practices involving the use of radium luminised materials have resulted in contamination of the site, this is addressed as part of the land quality assessment—LQA—process with decontamination being undertaken where necessary.

  A prioritised LQA programme for the Defence estate is being prepared, with high priorities assigned to sites where there are plans for significant change of use, including sale, or where contamination is suspected. Where radium contamination is identified in an LQA, the need for clean-up and remediation will be determined, taking into account the future use of the site. This will be undertaken on a case-by-case basis.

  The steps to decontaminate a site will depend on the circumstances, but in all cases such work is in accordance with relevant legislation. Contaminated arisings are disposed of in accordance with letters of agreement issued by the environmental agencies and their predecessors.

  The cost restoration work could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  RAF Stafford
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what quantities of radioactive materials are currently stored at RAF Stafford; what plans have been developed for the disposal of this material; what are the estimated costs of the storage and disposal of the materials; and what environmental audit his Department has conducted of the site. [3984]

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

  RAF Carlisle
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to which sites the contaminated wastes removed from RAF Carlisle have been taken; in what way the wastes were packed and transported; what environmental assessment has been conducted of the disposal sites in regard to their long-term security; what has been the cost to date of the decontamination programme at RAF Carlisle; when he expects it to be completed; and at what final cost. [3920]

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

  Special Air Service
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the shortfall at 1 November in the Special Air Service. [4068]

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 January 1996,Official Report, column 735.

  Female Service Personnel
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many female service personnel were in the armed forces on 1 October 1991 and 1 October 1996. [4451]

  Mr. Soames
  This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Analytical Services Agency, DASA, under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Paul Altobell to Dr. David Clark, dated 15 November 1996:
  I have been asked to reply to your question to the Secretary of State for the Armed Forces about the number of female service personnel in the armed forces as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Analytical Services Agency.
  The number of female service personnel in the armed forces on 1 October 1991 is 19,262.
  The number of female service personnel in the armed forces on 1 October 1996 is 15,259. This figure does not include 494 females serving in the Royal Irish Regiment—in 1991 such personnel were members of the Ulster Defence Force for which no details are available.
  This information is published monthly by Defence Analytical Services Agency in Tri-Service Personnel Statistics (TSP)1 and is available in the House of Commons library.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many female officers are currently in the armed forces. [4427]

  Mr. Soames
  This is a matter for the Defence Analytical Services Agency—DASA—under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Paul Altobell to Dr. David Clark, dated 15 November 1996:
  I have been asked to reply to your question to the Secretary of State for the Armed Forces about the number of female officers in the armed forces as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Analytical Services Agency.
  The most recent return of armed forces personnel strength is at situation date 1 October 1996. The number of female officers in the armed forces at 1 October 1996 is 2,398. This figure does not include 17 female officers serving in the Royal Irish Regiment.
  This information is published monthly by Defence Analytical Services Agency in Tri-Service Personnel Statistics (TSP)1 and is available in the House of Commons library.

  Channel Islands (War-time Occupation)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 12 November,Official Report, column 113, on records relating to the war-time occupation of the Channel Islands, if he will make a statement on the particular contents of the files to be made available at the Public Record Office; and what factors underlay the delay in their release. [4428]

  Mr. Soames
  The files to be released are already held by the Public Record Office and the information sought will be readily gleaned from an examination of the papers on their release next week. The files in question were originally closed under the provisions of the Public Record Act 1958 for reasons of personal sensitivity. That sensitivity having lapsed, the files are now being released under the open government initiative.

  Tanks
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the techniques and equipment used by the armed services to transport tanks. [4426]

  Mr. Soames
  This is a matter for the Defence Transport and Movements Executive—DTMX—under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Michael Hodson to Dr. David Clark, dated 15 November 1996:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence, about the transportation of tanks, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Transport and Movements Executive Agency.
  Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) may be moved by three means: road, rail and sea, depending on the location and destination. Within the UK, transportation is by road, either on military owned and operated tank transporters or, when Service resources are fully tasked, by commercial heavy lift hauliers. Rail cannot be utilized due to the limitations of the UK 'loading gauge'.
  On the continent, MBTs are moved by both road and rail. Military tank transporters are used within Germany but their axle weights exceed the limits for the Low Countries and there, commercial road hauliers or rail are employed. Train movement may comprise just individual tanks or an entire squadron of tanks and other armoured vehicles, and be on either military or commercial rolling stock.
  MBTs move by sea to other parts of the world, e.g. Canada, where they are on-moved by rail. The vessels can be either Service or commercial, chartered from the international market. The preferred type is the Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro Ro), as this allows for quicker loading and discharge, compared to the Lift-on/Lift-off (Lo Lo) freighters.

  Royal Navy
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the role of the Royal Navy will be affected by withdrawal from Hong Kong. [4493]

  Mr. Soames
  The UK's wider interest in security in the region will not diminish when the sovereignty of Hong Kong is transferred to China next year. The Royal Navy will continue to deploy to the far east, as it has done traditionally. In addition to our continuing commitment to the five powers defence agreement—FPDA—we will continue our programme of bilateral defence contacts with our friends in the region.

  Reserve Forces Call-out
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons those members of the reserve forces whose main qualifications are in transporting nuclear weapons have been sent letters asking them to volunteer to be considered for call-out for service in the former Republic of Yugoslavia. [4291]

  Mr. Soames
  Volunteers from the reserve forces, in particular the Territorial Army, continue to make a significant contribution in support of British operations in the former Yugoslavia. In line with this, volunteers are being sought to fill eight posts in December this year for which the driver qualification C + E—heavy goods
  375
  vehicles—is required. Letters have therefore been sent to some 50 members of the Regular Reserve who hold this qualification. There is no specific qualification within the British Army relating to the transport of nuclear weapons, and none of those to whom letters have been sent were selected on the basis of previous experience in this field.

  Armed Forces (Deaths)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces have died in each of the last five years. [4422]

  Mr. Soames
  This is a matter for the Defence Analytical Services Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Paul Altobell to Dr. David Clark, dated 15 November 1996:
  I have been asked to reply to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of service personnel who have died since 1991 as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of Defence Analytical Services Agency.
  The number of tri-service deaths (including Gurkhas) reported to DASA as at 13 November 1996 is as follows:

  Year

  Army

  Navy

  RAF

  1991

  192

  53

  65

  1992

  155

  48

  64

  1993

  133

  44

  64

  1994

  130

  37

  52

  1995

  114

  31

  62

  19961

  69

  20

  32

  Total

  773

  233

  339

  1Reported up to 13 November 1996.

  Army Recruitment
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the current year's recruitment targets for each Army regiment. [4423]

  Mr. Soames
  Recruiting targets are set not by regiment, but by arm and service. In the case of the infantry, soldier targets are set by divisions of infantry. The targets for 1996–97 are shown in the table:

  Arm/service

  Officers

  Soldiers

  Apprentices

  H Cav/RAC

  69

  800

  —

  RA

  88

  1,400

  —

  RE

  62

  960

  234

  R Signals

  49

  1,040

  200

  Infantry

  234

  —

  —

  Household Division

  —

  800

  —

  Scottish Division

  —

  800

  —

  Queen's Division

  —

  800

  —

  King's Division

  —

  800

  —

  Prince of Wales Division

  —

  1,020

  —

  Light Division

  —

  580

  —

  Royal Irish (GS)

  —

  140

  —

  Parachute Regiment

  —

  460

  —

  AAC

  —

  24

  160

  RAChD

  —

  10

  0

  RLC

  82

  2,400

  186

  376

  Arm/service

  Officers

  Soldiers

  Apprentices

  RAMC

  54

  200

  —

  REME

  36

  640

  450

  AGC

  53

  760

  —

  RAVC

  2

  32

  —

  SASC

  10

  0

  —

  RADC

  10

  40

  —

  INT CORPS

  9

  100

  —

  APTC

  10

  0

  —

  QARANC

  20

  120

  —

  CA Mus

  10

  120

  —

  Total

  802

  214,172

  21,070

  1Officer entry only through late entry commission and SNCO/VVO commissioned on transfer from other arms and services.

  1Soldiers and apprentices combined = 15,242.

  Training Areas
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the training areas available for use by British forces in the world. [4425]

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

ENVIRONMENT

  House Building (South-East)
  Mr. Renton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to revise the predict and provide assumption for house building in the south-east of England. [3096]

  Mr. Clappison
  One of the objectives of the town and country planning system is to provide houses in a way which is consistent with sustainable development. In planning for future housing, and where it should go, planning authorities need to look 10 to 15 years ahead. Projections of future household formation are just one of the factors that need to be considered by the regional planning conferences when advising the Secretary of State on future housing requirements to be included in regional planning guidance. These figures are subsequently tested in development plans. The process, therefore, is not one of predict and provide.

  Restricting the amount of additional housing to reduce consumption would make housing more expensive and mean that those on medium and low incomes were less able to afford a satisfactory quality of housing. There is little evidence that the availability of housing leads people to set up new households: social factors appear to be stronger.

  The Government recognise that development pressures have been most intense in the south-east. The need to steer growth towards previously developed land and areas in need of economic regeneration, and to take advantage of the increasing European orientation of the regional economy, has led the Government to produce sub-regional planning guidance in the form of the Thames gateway planning framework. The Government are also committed to the target set in the housing White Paper—that, by 2005, half of all new homes will be built on reused sites.
  377
  The Government are also looking at policies which could reduce the impact or pattern of household formation on the current planning policies for housing and will shortly be publishing a Green Paper to take this discussion forward.

  Household and Household Structure Projections
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he has commissioned into the reliability of future household and household structure projections, with particular reference to changes in external immigration assumptions. [3065]

  Mr. Clappison
  The most recent household projections have been subject to considerable public scrutiny since their publication in March 1995, in particular by the Environment Committee in evidence for its report on housing need. While generally endorsing the projections, the Committee recommended that the Department continue to examine the extent to which household formation is affected by economic and social factors. This is currently being addressed in a research project with the department of applied economics, Cambridge university, the results of which should be available early in the new year.

  One of the assumptions underlying the household projections concerns the future pattern of migration between England and the rest of the world. In recent years, international migration has departed from established patterns and become increasingly variable from year to year. Against this background, in 1992 the Government Actuary's Department, in collaboration with other Departments, undertook a thorough review of the methods used to set international migration assumptions. This led to a new methodology which was used for the first time in the preparation of the 1991-based national population projections. As with previous projections, the assumed level of migration over the projection period takes into account information from a run of previous years in order to even out the fluctuations from year to year. The robustness of sources of information on migration is kept under regular review by the Office for National Statistics.

  Packaging Waste
  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what plans he has to meet representatives of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents to discuss the directive on producer responsibility for packaging waste; and if he will make a statement; [3666]

  (2) what steps he is taking to mitigate the impact of the directive on producer responsibility on packaging waste on small businesses with particular reference to newsagents; and if he will make a statement. [3665]

  Mr. Clappison
  We published in July a consultation document and draft regulations which would require businesses in the packaging chain to contribute on a shared basis to the recycling and recovery targets for waste packaging set by the EC directive on packaging and packaging waste. Among other issues, we sought views on the proposed treatment of small businesses that might be affected on such matters as the size of threshold proposed and whether it should be expressed in terms of 378
  turnover as well as, or in place of, packaging handled and an alternative means of assisting recycling and recovery. The National Federation of Retail Newsagents was one of over 100 trade associations and industry bodies to give us its views. I understand that the federation has also met my officials. We shall take the views of all those concerned into account in considering the final form of regulations.

  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he proposes to report on the packaging waste regulations; and if he will make a statement; [3658]

  (2) what replies he has received to the consultation document published by his Department on waste packaging; and if he will make a statement; [3660]

  (3) if he will make a statement on the packaging materials currently used by United Kingdom industry; and if he will indicate the percentage of each which require to be recycled to achieve his targets. [3661]

  Mr. Clappison
  My Department proposes to bring forward the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations for the House to consider in the very near future. On 11 July, we issued for consultation draft proposals to be contained in the regulations; 6,000 copies were circulated, initially to an established list of consultees consisting of businesses, trade bodies, local authorities, consumer groups and individuals. A further 5,000 copies were distributed on request and leaflets summarising the proposal were sent to over 50,000 businesses, together with 8,000 computer discs to illustrate the principles involved. More than 40 events were held with industry and trade bodies to explain the proposals and the role of collective business schemes such as VALPAK. My Department has received 448 responses, of which 100 were from trade bodies from the materials and other sectors most closely concerned, which together represent over 53,000 member businesses.

  The principal packaging materials currently used UK industries are glass, paper/board, plastics, aluminium and steel. The United Kingdom is required, by 2001 to have recycled a minimum of 15 per cent. by weight of each material and to recover 50 per cent. of all packaging waste. In practice, most of this is likely to be by materials recycling.

  Natural Environment Research Council
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Natural Environment Research Council's terrestrial initiative in global environmental research—TIGER—programme; and what plans he has to commit new resources to the initiative. [4126]

  Mr. Clappison
  The terrestrial initiative in global environmental research—TIGER—is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council. It is, therefore, for the council to assess the effectiveness of its own programme, and to consider the case for supporting further work in the same field.

  Local Government Boundaries
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue a reworked index of local conditions to cover authorities which have had major boundary changes. [4052]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Department intends to let a contract in December of this year which will include adjusting the index of local conditions to reflect all major local authority boundary changes. The work will also involve updating the non-census-based indicators where more up-to-date statistical information is available. The results of this work will be available in the Summer 1997.

  Capital Challenge
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the local authority associations concerning capital challenge; and if he will make a statement. [3087]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  My right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Urban Regeneration met the leaders of the local authority associations on 18 March to discuss their response to the Government's proposals for a pilot scheme. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State holds regular meetings with the local authority association chairmen, at which progress with the capital challenge pilot has been raised.

  North Sea Conference
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has made in ensuring that

  In-patient discharges from Scottish hospitals with a diagnosis of injury (excluding death) resulting from an assault by a cutting or piercing instrument

  Number of victims of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in which a knife or sharp instrument was used

  Total

  1991

  1,208

  34

  1,242

  1992

  1,486

  70

  1,556

  1993

  988

  44

  1,032

  1994

  1,191

  58

  1,249

  1995

  1,526

  59

  1,585

  Total

  6,399

  265

  6,664

  EDS Ltd.
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts his Department, agencies and associated bodies have had with EDS for each year since 1985; what was the value of each contract; if he will indicate for each contract(a) if it was completed, (b) what modifications were made at the request of (i) the company and (ii) the Department and (c) if work under contract is being undertaken in-house; and if he will make a statement on the number of job reductions in his Department arising from the contracting out of work by EDS. [3818]

  Lord James Douglas Hamilton
  The Scottish Office has had no contracts with EDS since 1985.
  380
  (a) fisheries conservation and (b) industrial fishing in particular is put on the agenda of the intermediate ministerial meeting of the North sea conference. [4102]

  Mr. Clappison
  The North sea intermediate ministerial meeting is to consider all aspects of fisheries and the environment. The UK delegation to the preparatory meetings has made it clear that both fisheries conservation and industrial fisheries should be specifically considered.

  Public Income and Expenditure (London)
  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the consultation paper on public income and expenditure in London. [4998]

  Mr. Gummer
  I have today placed a copy of this consultation paper entitled "Public Finances in Londonan—Methods and Estimates" in the Library of the House. Copies have been sent to a number of London organisations for comment.

SCOTLAND

  Knives (Assaults)
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many assaults with knives there were in Scotland in the last five years. [3384]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information on the total number of assaults with knives in that period is not available. The combined number of recorded victims of homicide and in-patient discharges from Scottish hospitals as a result of assaults with a knife or pointed article in the five years from and including 1991 was 6,664. The table gives a breakdown of this figure.

  Argyll and the Islands Enterprise
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the total number of(a) grants and (b) loans paid to Mondial Business Information Systems and Channel 11 Ltd. by Argyll and the Islands Enterprise; and when these sums were paid; [4176]

  (2) what conditions were attached to the (a) grants and (b) loans paid to Mondial Business Information Systems and Channel 11 Ltd. by Argyll and the Islands Enterprise;[4175]

  (3) what measures were undertaken by Argyll and the Islands Enterprise to assess the suitability of Mondial Business Information Systems and Channel 11 Ltd. to receive public money; and if he will make a statement. [4178]
  381
  Mr. Kynoch
  Argyll and the Islands Enterprise operates under contract with Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I shall ask the chairman of the latter organisation to write to the hon. Member.

  Enterprise Companies
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what standard guidelines are in place for Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the local enterprise companies regarding the assessment of(a) the suitability of companies for public investment and (b) the safeguards which should be taken when investing in ventures considered high risk. [4177]

  Mr. Kynoch
  Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and its network of local enterprise companies, are required to operate in accordance with a management statement and a manual of project and programme rules which offer guidance on the financial, strategic and operational framework within which the organisations operate. The importance of appraisal, including—where the success of a case or project depends upon the commercial viability of an enterprise—the need to undertake a separate financial appraisal of that enterprise and its prospects, as well as the need for an assessment of the risks and uncertainty associated with particular cases or projects, is emphasised in various parts of these documents.

  Scottish Enterprise and its network of local enterprise companies operate under a similar regime.

  Sandeels
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the answer of 7 November,Official Report, column 661, when he expects the research project into industrial sandeel fisheries to report. [4160]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The international research project to study the impact of industrial sandeel fisheries on predator species off the east coast of Scotland is expected to take three years. A report to the European Commission is likely to be made in the latter half of 1999.

  BSE
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the desirability of providing financial aid and incentives to encourage rural local authorities to set up specific local exchange trading schemes to help farmers during the BSE crisis; and if he will make a statement. [2311]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 7 November 1996]: We have received no representations to set up local exchange trading schemes. We would expect rural local authorities to take the initiative themselves if they considered there was a need in their areas.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Rabies
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Department has made of the potential rabies threat to the United Kingdom arising from changes in the regulations to control rabies in France. [3448]

  Mrs. Browning
  New regulations in France provide for a programme of oral vaccination of foxes which, in practice, has been operational for the past seven years. The number of French departments deemed infested with rabies has fallen from 36 in 1991 to 22 in 1996. The Government note however that rabies is still present in France and believes that measures to keep the UK rabies-free remain essential.

  Mr. Shaw
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will assess the implications for United Kingdom rabies control policy of trends in the import of domestic dogs and cats into Sweden since 1994. [3449]

  Mrs. Browning
  We will be taking account of the trends in the import of domestic dogs and cats into Sweden since 1994 as part of the review of rabies policy, announced in my reply of 5 November 1996 to the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley),Official Report, column 488.

  Animal Feed (Bees)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the percentage of(a) bovine feeding stuff and (b) pet food which is made up of bees; and if he will make a statement. [3506]

  Mrs. Browning
  I am not aware that any bovine feeding stuff or pet food incorporates bees as an ingredient.

  Cattle Slaughter Scheme
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under what provisions he ordered abattoirs to take 75 per cent. of cull cows and 50 per cent. of clean cattle from livestock markets. [4254]

  Mr. Baldry
  This measure was brought in to help ensure the smooth running of the over-30-month scheme by improving access for producers and preserving historic patterns of trade. It is provided for by article 3 of EC regulation 716/96, which requires the United Kingdom to adopt all necessary measures to ensure proper application of the scheme.

  Scrapie
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of scrapie were notified to Ministry officials(a) during 1995 and (b) between January and October 1995 under the terms of Specific Diseases (Notification and Slaughter) Order 1992. [4253]

  Mrs. Browning
  In 1995, 163 cases of scrapie were notified in Great Britain. Of these, 151 were confirmed as positive during the months January to October inclusive.

  Dietary Supplements
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the subject of dietary supplements was last considered by the Codex Alimentarius Committee; and what policy was pursued by the British Government representatives in relation to dietary supplements at these meetings. [3101]
  384
  Mrs. Browning
  The subject of dietary supplements was last considered by codex at the beginning of October this year, when further consideration was given to proposed guidelines for dietary supplements containing vitamins and minerals. The UK delegation at the meeting sought to ensure that draft guidelines reflected the approach currently taken in the UK.