Written Answers of 11 February 1997

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Unisex Hairdresser
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what plans he has to provide a unisex hairdresser in the House of Commons. [15184]

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  At its meeting on 28 January, the Committee recommended that the existing barber's shop become a unisex operation. The Serjeant at Arms has been instructed to consult all interested parties, with a view to implementing the Committee's recommendation at the earliest opportunity.

DEFENCE

  Army Manpower
  Mr. Stott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he has introduced to reduce the manpower shortfall in the Army. [13713]

  Mr. Soames
  We have introduced a range of measures to improve recruitment and retention in the Army. These are already having an effect, with recruitment significantly improved on last year's performance.

  Defence-related Equipment Exports
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is Britain's share of the world market for exports of defence-related equipment. [13728]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Provisional figures show that exporters of British defence equipment achieved around 25 per cent. of the world market in 1996, on all-time best for British industry.

  Cadet Corps
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to encourage cadet corps in(a) schools and (b) elsewhere. [13729]

  Mr. Soames
  The Government are considering ways of increasing the scope of the cadet forces to allow even more young people to benefit from voluntary membership. A thorough examination of where resources can be most effectively applied is currently under way.

  Sir Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current strength of the sea cadet, Army cadet and the Air Force cadet units. [13730]

  Mr. Soames
  The current strengths of these cadet forces total 22,375 adults, and 88,780 cadets. I have placed a breakdown of these figures in the Library of the House.

  Royal Yacht
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on a replacement for the royal yacht. [13731]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  A number of representations have been received concerning the future royal yacht, including several inquiries from industry and a substantial volume of letters from members of the public.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts valued at over £1 million have been signed on the royal yacht Britannia in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [14635]

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 6 February 1997]: This information is not held centrally but, as an illustrative example, during Britannia's visit to Bombay in November 1993, contracts worth £1.2 billion were signed on board.

  I should explain that while other contracts have certainly been completed aboard Britannia, the primary purpose of her export promotion activities is in initiating and fostering commercial contracts rather than providing a venue for the formal signature of contracts.

  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whom he consulted prior to the announcement on the replacement for the royal yacht. [13721]

  Mr. Portillo
  There were widespread consultations within Government, both at official and ministerial level, prior to the announcement on 22 January.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the commercial functions which took place on the royal yacht Britannia in each of the last three years and the companies involved; and if he will make a statement. [15010]

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Swansea, West (Mr. Williams) on 10 February,Official Report, columns 2–4.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which United Kingdom companies made use of visits by HMY Britannia in 1996 to promote their business. [15204]

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Swansea, West (Mr. Williams) on 10 February,Official Report, columns 2–4.

  Royal Navy Manpower
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's estimate of the manpower of the Royal Navy on 1 April 1999. [13732]

  Mr. Soames
  It is estimated that the strength of the Royal Navy, including the Royal Marines, will be 44,000 on 1 April 1999.

  Ministry of Defence Estate (Ramblers)
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the withdrawal of his Department's booklet in respect of the use by ramblers of the MOD estate. [13733]
  87
  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 December 1996,Official Report, column 347.

  Joint Rapid Deployment Force
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the benefits resulting from the establishment of a joint rapid deployment force. [13734]

  Mr. Soames
  The establishment of the joint rapid deployment force has enhanced dramatically our fighting capability by creating a joint force trained and equipped to respond effectively and speedily to future crises.

  Dr. Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to enhance the fighting capability of the Royal Navy. [13735]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 January,Official Report, column 223.

  Eurofighter
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Eurofighter will be ready for service. [13736]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Our intention is that the first Eurofighter will be delivered to the RAF in December 2001.

  Service Men (Retention)
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action his Department is taking to ensure that service men remain in the armed forces after marriage. [13737]

  Mr. Soames
  We fully recognise the importance of retaining married service personnel within the armed forces. Consequently, a wide range of incentives exists to retain and support service personnel who are married and who may have families. One of the most important is the provision of subsidised family accommodation that is located close to the service person's place of duty. These are usually in the form of married quarter estates, which allow service personnel and their families to live together in a safe and convenient community that is supported by voluntary welfare services. The armed forces also support home ownership by offering beneficial loans to service personnel and, in association with industry, a savings scheme and preferential mortgage package.

  Various allowances are also targeted at married service personnel and their families. These range from assistance with boarding school education for families who are most affected by frequent moves to allowances which provide financial recompense for the disturbance caused by moving and those which compensate for the extra cost of living when serving abroad.

  Chinese Military Strength
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of Chinese military strength; and if he will make a statement. [13738]

  Mr. Soames
  The Chinese armed forces are the largest in the world, with a strength of about 3 million. These are being reduced in size as part of a wider modernization 88
  plan which aims to create better equipped and more mobile conventional forces and to update China's missile forces and strategic nuclear arsenal. The size of the People's Liberation Army and of the Chinese military-industrial complex none the less means that modernisation will be a selective and gradual process.

  Cruise and Pershing Missiles
  Sir Jim Spicer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the role of cruise and Pershing missiles in the defence of NATO in 1983–84. [13739]

  Mr. Soames
  The introduction of cruise and Pershing missiles played an essential part in maintaining NATO's deterrent posture at a time when the Soviet Union was modernising and increasing its nuclear forces. Deployment of these systems paved the way for the successful conclusions of the intermediate nuclear forces treaty in 1987.

  Land Mines
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when United Kingdom forces last deployed land mines. [13740]

  Mr. Soames
  We do not give details of the operational deployment of mines. Any such deployments, however, would be in accordance with the international laws of armed conflict and prevailing Government policy.

  Trident Programme
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the progress of the Trident programme. [13741]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The Trident programme continues to make good progress and remains on time and within budget. The third submarine of the class, HMS Vigilant, has been commissioned and is engaged in work-up and trials prior to entering service. The fourth boat, Vengeance, remains under construction and is due to enter service early in the next century.

  West Indies Guard Ship
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of the West Indies guard ship in combating the drugs trade. [13742]

  Mr. Soames
  In addition to her other duties, the West Indian guard ship, WIGS, together with her Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker, makes a very considerable and valuable contribution to the fight against drug trafficking in the Caribbean. WIGS has in recent years been directly involved in the interception of substantial amounts of illegal drugs in the region.

  Independent Nuclear Deterrent
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of an independent nuclear deterrent in the defence of the United Kingdom. [13722]

  Mr. Portillo
  Our nuclear deterrent continues to provide the ultimate guarantee of this nation's security.

  Self-development Education Scheme
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to maintain at its present annual value the provision under the armed forces individual resettlement refund scheme for service men and women to participate in a self development education scheme to prepare them for return to civilian life. [15107]

  Mr. Soames
  The three services are keen for their personnel to participate in self-development education schemes. Two key measures by which service men and women are encouraged and assisted to obtain recognised skills and qualifications that will help them in their transition to civilian life are the individual refund scheme and the individual resettlement training costs grant.

  The IRS allows service personnel to claim a refund of a significant proportion of the fees for approved education—personal development courses each year throughout their service. IRS may also be used specifically for resettlement purposes within the last 30 months of service. The regulations under which the IRS may be claimed were broadened in 1996 to accommodate a wider range of educational and vocational awards such as national vocational qualifications.

  The IRTC scheme provides eligible personnel with a source of funding for resettlement purposes—for example training courses of up to four weeks—undertaken in the last nine months of an individual's service. IRS and IRTC may not be used together during the final year, unless IRS is used to help fund an examination fee for a recognised qualification in civilian life.

  We have no plans at present to revise the value of these grants but, as with all aspects of the defence budget, they are subject to review to ensure that they continue to serve their purpose in the most cost-effective manner.

  Devonport Dockyard
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make an announcement regarding the sale of Devonport dockyard; and if he will make a statement. [15249]

  Mr. Arbutnot
  I am pleased to say that we will today be signing the sale contract for Devonport Royal Dockyard PLC, DRD, with Devonport Management Ltd., DML. This document also binds DML to agreed terms and conditions on project D154, the future facilities for the provision of nuclear refuelling and refitting at Devonport.

  DML will be paying £40.3 million for the dockyard. The sale represents value for money for the taxpayer in excess of £40 million over 10 years and will transfer responsibility to DML for the provision of fully operable and licensable nuclear facilities to support Trident and other nuclear submarines into the next century. It will also provide DML and its work force with greater opportunities for commercial diversification.

  We have completed consultation with the trade unions and will complete once we have received the necessary nuclear and other authorisations.

  I am also pleased to inform the House that, following the signature of Rosyth sale contract with Babcock International Group on 12 December, which my right hon.
  90
  Friend announced to the Scottish Grand Committee on 25 November, the sale was completed on 30 January. Both these deals represent good value for money and are good news for the taxpayer.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed by his Department to provide advice on the application of equal opportunities; and at what cost in the last year for which figures are available. [14476]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  My Department employs a total of 10 people in central branches to provide policy advice on the application of equal opportunities for both service and civilian personnel at a total annual salary cost of some £312,000. Additional advice is provided at working level throughout the Department and its agencies by service and civilian equal opportunities officers, many of whom undertake the task in addition to other duties. Information about the total number and cost of people employed in this latter role is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Promoting equal opportunities is something to which we attach a high priority in my Department, both among the armed forces and among civilian staff. We continue to make it clear, through policy statements and other initiatives, that this is an area where all personnel, irrespective of rank or grade, have responsibilities.

  Departmental Decisions (Judicial Review)
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many decisions by his Department were challenged through judicial review in Session 1995–96; and in how many cases(a) the Department's decision was upheld by the court, (b) the court found for the applicant, (c) the Department submitted to the judgment and (d) the Department appealed successfully against the judicial review decision. [14372]

  Mr. Soames
  Five decisions were challenged through judicial review in the Session 1995–96.

  My Department's decision was upheld by the court in one case; in another case the petitioner was refused leave to move for judicial review; and, in a third, the petitioner withdrew the application, after being given leave. Two further cases had yet to be considered by the court at the end of the Session. In one of these the application for leave had not yet been heard, and in the other it was substantive application that had not yet been heard.

  There were no cases in which the court found for the applicant. There were, therefore, no cases in which the question of an appeal by my Department arose.

  NATO
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will conduct a study of the financial costs of NATO enlargement. [14778]

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the communiqué issued by NATO Defence Ministers in December 1996, a copy of which is being placed in the Library. The relevant NATO authorities have been tasked to undertake military analyses and resource assessments
  91
  of the implications of NATO enlargement. Work is in hand to allow the UK to contribute fully to the continuing debate, in NATO and elsewhere.

  Policy Initiatives (Funding)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to which policy initiative he has devoted most funding in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on progress with each initiative. [14668]

  Mr. Soames
  The information is not available in the form requested. Details of the Department's policy initiatives are set out in successive statements on the Defence Estimates, copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Research and Development (Northern Ireland)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the(a) planned expenditure in 1997–98 and (b) actual expenditure in the most recent year for which figures are available, by his Department and its agencies on defence-related research and development and contracts in Northern Ireland in 1997–98. [13951]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Central records show that over 100 defence-related contracts were placed in Northern Ireland in 1995–96, the last year for which figures are available. Research and development expenditure is not separately identified by geographical location and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Cadet Force Groups
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the curriculum of combined cadet force groups in schools. [14040]

  Mr. Soames
  The curriculum of training undertaken by cadets in contingents of the Combined Cadet Force in schools is similar to that given to members of the other three cadet organisations: the Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force and Air Training Corps.

  The syllabus consists of 60 per cent. service training and 40 per cent. adventurous training activities. Contingents normally meet weekly on a day and time determined by the head, and usually have one or two whole days training each term. Camps are arranged in school holidays.

  I have arranged for a more detailed breakdown of the syllabus to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Royal Flight
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 5 February,Official Report, columns 620–21, if he will list those locations where information on the use of the royal flight by members of the royal family is held; by whom it is held; for what purpose; and for what reasons it is not centrally collated. [15363]

  Mr. Soames
  Information on use by members of the royal family of aircraft of No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron—and previously the Queen's Flight—is held by RAF Northolt and by RAF strike command at RAF High Wycombe. Unfortunately, given the format in which such 92
  data have historically been held, it would not be possible to derive the particular information originally sought without disproportionate cost.

  Service Personnel (Shortages)
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he proposes to rectify current personnel shortages in the armed forces. [13717]

  Mr. Soames
  The restoration of the armed forces to full manning is one of the Government's highest priorities. We are rigorously pursuing this goal through a number of innovative recruiting and retention measures.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Refugee Camps (Thailand-Burma Border)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he proposes to take in respect of recent State Law and Order Restoration Council attacks on refugee camps on the Thailand-Burma border. [15197]

  Mr. Hanley
  We are concerned at reports that recent attacks by State Law and Order Restoration Council-controlled troops on refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border resulted in the deaths of at least three refugees. We regularly raise concerns about human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in Burma with the SLORC. Our ambassador in Bangkok has also raised this issue with the Thai Foreign Minister. The Government of Thailand are urgently considering ways in which to improve the security of these camps.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will request the United Nations to take action to protect refugee camps housing Karen and Karennis people; and if he will make a statement. [15179]

  Mr. Hanley
  We are concerned at reports that recent attacks by State Law and Order Restoration Council-controlled troops on refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border resulted in the deaths of at least three refugees. We regularly raise concerns about human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in Burma with the SLORC. Our ambassador in Bangkok has also raised this issue with the Thai Foreign Minister. The Government of Thailand are urgently considering ways in which to improve the security of these camps.

  The Thai Government have not requested assistance from the United Nations.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received relating to the withdrawal of Thai military protection from border camps housing Karen and Karennis refugees. [15183]

  Mr. Hanley
  We are concerned at reports that recent attacks by State Law and Order Restoration Council-controlled troops on refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border resulted in the deaths of at least three refugees. We regularly raise concerns about human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in Burma with the SLORC. Our ambassador in Bangkok has also raised this
  93
  issue with the Thai Foreign Minister. The Government of Thailand are urgently considering ways in which to improve the security of these camps.

  We have received no indications that the Thais are planning to withdraw military protection.

  China (Tiger Bones)
  Mr. Chris Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of China about the trade in tiger bones. [14998]

  Mr. Hanley
  The UK and China are both parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. As vice-chairman of the CITES standing committee, the UK was instrumental in securing agreement at the committee's meeting in December 1996 that tiger range and consuming states should make further efforts to tackle this international illegal trade. China was present and supported that decision.

  £000

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Remainder of lifetime of scheme

  Awarded to Kirklees MC

  Urban Programme

  1,070

  720

  370

  —

  —

  —

  Urban Partnership Fund

  —

  1,140

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Route ways to Success SRB Challenge Fund Scheme

  —

  —

  —

  890

  1,420

  6,210

  Estate Action

  2,870

  4,141

  3,030

  1,970

  2,040

  —

  English Partnerships

  898

  2,058

  2,406

  1,444

  880

  —

  Capital Challenge

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  6,440

  Housing Improvement Programme

  11,300

  11,700

  8,700

  9,066

  9,400

  —

  Housing Partnership Fund

  —

  —

  160

  331

  241

  —

  Flats over Shops

  —

  55

  102

  —

  —

  —

  Housing Revenue Account subsidy

  23,640

  28,201

  28,679

  28,869

  28,992

  —

  City Challenge

  —

  6,500

  8,500

  7,790

  7,210

  7,500

  SRB Challenge Fund

  —

  —

  —

  1,020

  2,720

  23,820

  English Partnerships

  611

  2,403

  —

  590

  2,838

  —

  Housing Corporation

  12,645

  12,136

  8,916

  5,019

  6,128

  —

  Housing Construction (London)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of(a) private, (b) council and (c) housing association properties currently under construction in each of the London borough authorities; and if he will make a statement. [14333]

  Mr. Clappison
  The publication, "Local Housing Statistics" shows estimates of the number of new dwellings under construction, by sector, for each local authority area in England. This includes all the London boroughs. The figures shown are as reported to the Department, either in the most recent quarter, or as projected up to the most recent quarter using reported housebuilding starts and completions information. The figures cover only new build, they do not cover properties under construction in the course of the rehabilitation of existing buildings.

  Israel
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received concerning the conclusion of the United States presidential commission on aviation security and terrorism in respect of Juval Avir's employment by the intelligence service of the state of Israel. [13937]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  [holding answer 3 February 1997]: Mr. Aviv is not mentioned in the report of the President's commission on aviation security and terrorism of 15 May 1990.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the central Government funding, other than rate support grant payments awarded to(a) Kirklees council and (b) other bodies within the Kirklees area for each year since 1992. [14237]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Funding from my Department—including funding through the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships—is provided in the following table:

  Table 1 of "Local Housing Statistics" issue number 118 provides the most recent published figures. A copy of this publication is in the Library.

  Children's Services (Merseyside)
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reinstate the funding withdrawn from the area cost adjustment for children's services in Merseyside in April 1994. [14502]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  My right hon. Friend announced in the House on 3 February that we intend to undertake further work on the area cost adjustment and the standard spending assessment for children's social services during 1997. We will consider whether any changes are required in the light of that work.

  Local Government Finance (Social Index)
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account is taken of the social index in determining the Government's allocation of funding to local authorities. [14503]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The social index is one of the indicators used to allocate the sub-block of the all other services standard spending assessment for services provided predominantly by non-metropolitan district

  Other personal social services

  £ per head

  Population aged 18–64

  Other social services index

  Morbidity

  Area cost

  Other PSS total SSA

  Harrow

  19

  4

  8

  3

  34

  Bournemouth

  18

  3

  10

  0

  31

  Richmond

  20

  1

  7

  3

  31

  Knowsley

  18

  -1

  17

  0

  34

  Liverpool

  19

  -1

  17

  0

  34

  Sefton

  18

  -4

  12

  0

  26

  St. Helens

  19

  -5

  15

  0

  29

  Wirral

  18

  -3

  12

  0

  27

  District level all other services

  £ per head

  Enhanced population

  Population density

  Social index

  Economic index

  Population sparsity

  Area cost

  District services total SSA

  Harrow

  74

  22

  7

  -6

  0

  11

  109

  Bournemouth

  81

  19

  5

  2

  0

  0

  109

  Richmond

  76

  25

  1

  -7

  1

  10

  106

  Knowsley

  77

  22

  -1

  23

  2

  0

  124

  Liverpool

  80

  31

  -1

  24

  0

  0

  135

  Sefton

  77

  20

  -7

  4

  1

  0

  95

  St. Helens

  76

  18

  -7

  6

  2

  0

  94

  Wirral

  75

  20

  -5

  7

  1

  0

  98

  Rows may not sum to totals due to rounding

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in respect of the assumed level and costs of capital expenditure referred to in paragraphs 4.59 to 4.61 of the "Local Government Finance Report (Surplus) 1997–98", HC 203 of 1996–97, he will state the mathematical basis used in respect of the assumed amounts referred to in each paragraph. [14591]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The basis for calculating assumed outstanding debt at 1 April 1990 was set out in appendix 1 to annex VII of "Standard Spending Assessments: Background and Underlying Methodology", published by the Department of the Environment in 1990. A copy of this document was made available in the Library.

  A description of the basic and supplementary credit approval data used in calculating standard spending assessments is given on pages 64 and 65 of "The Local Government Finance Report (England) 1997–98" (HC203). Pages 63 and 64 of the report describe how credit approval information for years prior to 1997–98 has been used to derive the estimate of assumed outstanding debt at 1 April 1997. Further information is given in "Standard Spending Assessments: Specification of Indicators for 1997–98", a copy of which is in the Library.
  96
  Councils in non-metropolitan areas. A similar index is used to allocate the other social services sub-block of the personal social services standard spending assessment.

  Mr. Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the impact of the social index on the allocation of funding to(a) Harrow, (b) Bournemouth, (c) Richmond and (d) Merseyside. [14504]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The social index is one of the indicators used in two elements of the standard spending assessments: other personal social services; and other services. The amounts allocated by each of the components of these formulae are given in the table.

  The formula for calculating the assumed cost of financing capital expenditure is set out in paragraph 4.64 of "The Local Government Finance Report (England) 1997–98". The interest rate used in the calculation is defined on page 64 of the report.

  Additional information on the calculation of the SSA element for capital financing, including a sample calculation, was provided in chapter 8 of "Standard Spending Assessments: Guide to Methodology 1996–97", published by the Department of the Environment in 1996. A copy of this document is in the Library.

  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the link between decreasing population and relative local economic decline; and what account is taken of that link in the standard spending assessment forumla. [14506]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  I have not made any recent assessment of the link between decreasing population and relative local economic decline. There is no explicit indicator of such an effect in the standard spending assessment formulae. However, the formulae include the population of the local authority and indicators of economic deprivation, which might reflect any such an effect.

  Children's Services
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to implement the recommendations of the York university study into ethnicity and the cost of children's services. [14501]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Department of Health plans to take forward York university's work on the standard spending assessment for children's social services during 1997.

  Mr. Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recognition is made in the Government's allocation of funding to local authorities of the provision by some authorities of universal nursery education; and if he will make a statement. [14505]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The element of the standard spending assessment related to the education of under-fives is based on the resident population aged 0 to four an indicator of additional educational needs, adjustments for variations in cost and boundary changes, and a deduction related to the number of four-year-olds in local authority provision in a recent year. The SSA formulae are the subject of discussions each year with representatives of local government.

  Mr. Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he has commissioned into the effect of the area cost adjustment on social service provision for(a) children and (b) the elderly; what conclusions were reached in such research; and what proposals he has for changes as a result of that research. [14507]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  I commissioned an independent review of the area cost adjustment element of standard spending assessment during 1996. It proposed a new method of calculating area cost adjustments which could be used for all local authority services. The review's proposals were not implemented for 1997–98 SSAs. Further work to consider the concerns that remain about the area cost adjustment will be carried out during 1997.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his oral statement of 3 February,Official Report, column 677, what assumptions underlay his provision of a 3.6 per cent. increase in education spending. [14793]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  In deciding each year on appropriate levels of total standard spending in each of the main service blocks—including education—we take into account the spending pressures facing local authorities as well as the scope for efficiency savings and what the country as a whole can afford. We discuss these spending pressures with representatives from local government. Local spending decisions, however, are entirely a matter for individual local authorities which have considerable freedom to decide on their own priorities in the light of local circumstances.

  E. coli
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the incidence of E. coli in drinking water supplies in England and Wales during the latest three years for which information is available; what research has been carried out to isolate the E. coli strain 98
  which caused the recent deaths in Scotland; what assessment he has made of whether the E. coli strain in Scotland is the same as that found in water supplies; and if he will make a statement. [14592]

  Mr. Clappison
  There are various strains or serogroups of Escherichia coli—E. coli—bacteria, most of which are unlikely to cause infection in humans. A variety of E. coli strains are present in the faeces of almost all human beings and warm-blooded animals but the incidence of the strain associated with the recent deaths in Scotland—known as 0157—is rare although it has been isolated from cattle in the UK. E. coli in general are used as indicator organisms in checking that drinking water is free from contamination.

  Water quality regulations require water companies to test for a group of bacteria known as faecal coliforms which include E. coli. The majority of faecal coliforms reported by water companies will be E. coli but there is no requirement to test specifically for this organism. Whenever faecal coliform bacteria are detected in water supplies, precautionary action is taken, usually through the issue of an advice to boil water notice. The figures for the number of times that faecal coliform bacteria have been found in compliance samples taken in water supply zones in England and Wales is as follows:

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Number of tests

  164,241

  159,869

  156,306

  Percentage in which faecal coliforms detected

  0.1

  <0.1

  <0.1

  The drinking water inspectorate has promoted research to ensure that an effective method of detecting E. coli 0157 in water is available.

  All public drinking water supplies in England and Wales are disinfected at the water treatment works and all strains of E. coli are destroyed by adequate disinfection. The drinking water inspectorate checks on a sample basis that adequate disinfection is in place and investigates any disinfection failures.

  Social Landlords
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each local authority(a) total central Government funding in 1997–98 for registered social landlords' housing programmes, (b) the total number of new lettings that this funding will generate, (a) the estimated number of new lettings that registered social landlords will be able to provide with funding received in 1997–98 from local government and (d) the estimated number of new lettings that would be needed in order to achieve a national target of 60,000 new lettings annually; and if he will make a statement. [14628]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Housing Corporation will publish in April full details by local authority area of its expenditure allocations for 1997–98 and the number of new lettings which this will generate under the approval development programme. In the meantime I have arranged for a summary table of expenditure allocations by local authority area to be placed in the Library of the House. My Department does not produce estimates by local authority area of the number of new lettings which registered social landlords will be able to provide with funding received from local government of the number of
  99
  new lettings which would be required in order to achieve a national figure of 60,000 new lettings annually. Over the decade 1991–92 to 2000–01 I expect new social lettings on current plans to be in the range of 58,000 to 60,000 per annum, in line with our estimates of housing need.

  Unoccupied Housing
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the number and percentage of private sector properties for each district council in England which have been unoccupied for longer than six months. [14689]

  Mr. Clappison
  Local authorities in England are requested to provide information on the number of private sector properties within the authority that are unoccupied, together with the number that have been vacant for more than 12 months. Data are not specifically collected on the numbers of properties unoccupied for more than six months.

  The latest available figures relate to the position on 1 April 1996 and are given in the 1996 "HIP 1 All Items Print", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Multiple Occupation Housing (Fire Risks)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he has commissioned on fire risks in houses in multiple occupation; by which organisations the research is to be carried out; under what terms of reference; from whom evidence will be taken on this matter; and when the outcome of the research programme will be available to him [14814]

  Mr. Clappison
  In December 1996, Entec (UK) Ltd. was awarded a research contract to undertake a study of the fire risk associated with different types of houses in multiple occupation—HMOSs. This contract followed a feasibility study carried out earlier in the year by the fire research station of the Building Research Establishment. The terms of reference for the research are to identify the factors which are most likely to cause fires in HMOSs, and those factors which increase or decrease the likelihood of death and injury arising from such fires. The initial stages of the research sought evidence from local authorities and others with an interest in HMOSs and fire safety. The main evidence will be gathered about from about 90 case studies in which the views of relevant fire brigades will be sought. Entec's report is expected in August this year.

  Environmental Information Regulations
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the operation of the Environment Information Regulations 1992; how many applicants for information under the regulations over the past year have been refused the information requested; and if he will list the reasons for not providing the information in each available case. [14919]

  Mr. Gummer
  This information is not normally held centrally, but from a recent review of the operation of the regulations within central Government Departments, non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies, it was ascertained that during the calendar year 1996 there were at last 25 refusals to supply information under the 100
  regulations. Where cited the reasons for refusal were discretionary exemption (7), mandatory exemption (3), information not environmental (1), request formulated in too general a manner (1), and information supplied in part (1).

  Private Sector Housing
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the number of private sector properties that fail to meet the current fitness standards and are occupied. [14690]

  Mr. Clappison
  The latest available information is from the 1991 English house condition survey, which found 1,089,000 occupied private sector dwellings to be unfit under the current fitness standard. Results from the 1996 EHCS should be available later this year.

  Data Collection (Postcodes)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what use his Department and its agencies make of postcodes for the collection of data and in formulas for the distribution of grants and awards; and when such usages were last reviewed. [14806]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Postcodes are used in connection with the collection of some data relating to housing and other functions. They are also used in connection with the collection of data by other Government Departments and agencies which are used in some formulae for the distribution of grants. The data used have been reconsidered whenever appropriate.

  Offshore Drilling Platforms
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what regulations govern the recovery of oil from oiled cuttings arising from offshore rig and platform activities by vacuum distillation. [14871]

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: Vacuum distillation is one option for recovering oil from oiled cuttings. I understand that no such oil recovery occurs offshore, largely due to the size of the necessary recovery equipment. Where oiled cuttings are brought onshore for recovery distillation, such distillation is a process prescribed for control under the integrated pollution control regime established by part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  Drax Power Station
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will call for a report from the Environment agency on the proposed use of petroleum coke in the Drax power station and the possible effects of emissions of varidium and nickel on the health of the local population in(a) Hull and the East Riding and (b) Scandinavia. [14882]

  Mr. Clappison
  No. it is for the Environment Agency to decide these matters. It would be inappropriate for a Minister to intervene in the way proposed, since any decision the agency might make could subsequently come before the Secretary of State on appeal.

  Beef Waste
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many(a) incinerators and (b) power stations have been tested for emissions by the Environment Agency in connection with the burning of cattle carcases or rendered remains of BSE beasts. [15407]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Environment Agency has tested one incinerator and one tyre burning plant for the burning of rendered materials, four incinerators for burning tannery waste, one incinerator for burning over-30-months scheme cattle and one for burning BSE carcases. In addition, testing of burning rendered materials has taken place at the small test rigs operated by National Power and PowerGen. No power stations burn this type of material.

  Mrs. Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions and where have(a) incinerators and (b) power stations failed to satisfy the Environment Agency with regard to emission levels in connection with the burning of BSE cattle. [15408]

  Mr. Clappison
  On no occasion.

  Housing Corporation
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the chairmanship and deputy chairmanship of the Housing Corporation. [15599]

  Mr. Gummer
  I am delighted to announce that Peter Cooke, who is currently deputy chairman of the Housing Corporation, has agreed to take over as chairman of the corporation for six months from 1 April. This will provide proper continuity for the corporation at time of change. Mr. Cooke has a fund of relevant experience in banking and public administration, including nine years on the board of the corporation.

  At the same time, George Cracknell, who is already a board member, will become deputy chairman. He is currently chairman of the corporation's finance and audit committee. In his capacity as deputy chairman, Mr. Cracknell will take over from Mr. Cooke as chairman of the registration and supervision committee.

  Sir Brian Pearse, the current chairman of the corporation, has indicated that he wishes to stand down when his term of office ends on 31 March 1997. He has led the Housing Corporation very effectively, gaining the respect of everyone in the housing world.

PRIME MINISTER

  Engagements
  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagement for Tuesday 11 February. [14038]

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 11 February. [14039]

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

  Building Society Conversions (Disabled People's Rights)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Prime Minister which Departments have responsibility for assessing the National Disability Council's representations for action to stop building societies converting to banks without paying bonus shares to disabled people who are not the first named on their account; what response has been made to the council; what action has been taken by the Government; and if he will make a statement. [14666]

  The Prime Minister
  Officials from Her Majesty's Treasury, the Department responsible for overseeing building societies, and the disability unit of the Department of Social Security have been working together with the independent National Disability Council on this issue. A report of their progress was given to the National Disability Council's meeting on 27 January. My hon. Friend, the Minister for Disabled People hopes to respond to the council in the near future.

  Interception of Communications
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Prime Minister what role the Interception of Communications Tribunal and the commissioner have in the handling of(a) complaints of interceptions not authorised by warrant and (b) surreptitious surveillance of telephone calls by methods not prohibited by the definition of interception of the Court of Appeal in R v. Ahmed (1984); and what changes there have been to their role, with special reference to the area of unauthorised interception, since the statement by the Home Secretary on 7 February 1985, Official Report, column 1121. [15441]

  The Prime Minister
  The tribunal and commissioner have no statutory power to investigate allegations that interception has taken place without a warrant issued under the Interception of Communications Act 1985. That would fall to be investigated by the police. The Act, which defines the roles of the tribunal and commissioner, is concerned only with the interception of communications in the course of their transmission by post or by means of a public telecommunications system. It does not apply to private telecommunications systems. There has been no change to the roles of the tribunal and commissioner since the introduction of the Act.

  Ministerial Visits (Indian Sub-continent)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 20 January,Official Report, column 448, who the 48 representatives of British industry were who accompanied him on his recent visit to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. [15000]

  The Prime Minister
  The following list details those commercial organisations who were represented on various stages of my visit to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh:
  Alfred McAlpine, SAGG, ANZ Gringlays, ABI, BAT, BOC, BAe British Airways, British Council, CBI, Commercial Union, Courtauld, Deutsche Morgan Grenfell, Eagle Star, Foster Wheeler, GEC, Grand Met, HSBC, Hyder Consulting Group, ICI Paints, Kvaerner, Mott McDonald, Nat West Markets, PowerGen, Premier, Robert Fleming, Rolls Royce, Royal Sun Alliance, The 600 Group, Scotch Whiskey Association, Standard Life, W S Atkins, Asia House, Caparo Group, GEC Alsthom, General Accident, GPT, John Laing

  103
  International Ltd, Prudential, RTZ/CRA, T&N, University of Warwick, Cable and Wireless, Midland Electricity, Hardy Oil, LASMO, Nat West Securities, Siemens Plessey, Shell UK, Balfour Beatty, Barclays Bank, Barclays BZW, Biwater, ICI-Polyester, National Grid.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Data Collection (Postcodes)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what use his Department had its agencies makes of postcode areas for the collection of data; and when such usages were last reviewed. [14984]

  Mr. Streeter
  Neither the Department nor its agencies uses postcode areas directly for the collection of data. The Land Registry records postcodes as part of property descriptions and in the addresses of registered proprietors; postcodes can be used to search for individual title numbers. In some other data collections conducted by the Department and its agencies addresses with postcodes are sought—for example, on some court forms. Postcodes are also generally used in addresses when sending requests for data by post.

  Public Record Office
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the quinquennial agency review of the Public Record Office. [15601]

  Mr. Streeter
  The second stage of the agency review-the prior options review—will begin on 12 February and will be completed by 30 September 1997.

  The Lord Chancellor has appointed a steering group to oversee the prior options review, comprising officials from his Department, the Public Record Office and the Office of Public Service, and representatives from his Advisory Council on Public Records and from the business community. The review will be led by the Public Record Office in liaison with his Department.

  It will follow Cabinet Office guidelines and will include an update of the evaluation of the Public Record Office's performance as an executive agency.

  Comments and contributions from those with an interest in the Public Record Office and its work would be welcome and should be sent by 5 April 1997 to Elizabeth Honer, Secretary to the Public Record Office Agency Review Steering Group, Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Data Collection (Postcodes)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Attorney-General what use his Department and its agencies make of postcode areas for the collection of data; and when such usages were last reviewed. [14985]

  The Attorney-General: My Departments and agencies make no such use of postcode areas.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Sports Council (Grant Aid)
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list(a) the organisations and (b) the individuals which the Sports Council has consulted during its current review of sports to be eligible for grant aid. [13525]

  Mr. Sproat
  There is no current review of sports eligible for grant aid. Work was undertaken in 1995–96 to co-ordinate the activities provided by the Sports Council's regions and units which assist in the development of excellence.

  The English Sports Council will be providing a high-quality range of services, including specialist advice, to all recognised governing bodies of sport. At the same time, the council is to give an enhanced set of additional services to a core group of 23 priority sports, dependant on specific needs.

  Governing bodies and organisations recognised by the Sports Council have been consulted on the review of services provided and all were invited to a briefing day meeting held on 8 May 1996. The other home country sports councils have also been consulted.

  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many sports have benefited from grant aid from the Sports Council; and if she will list them together with the amount of money they have received since 1994. [13519]

  Mr. Sproat
  In the financial year 1994–95, a total of 62 sports received grant aid from the Sports Council amounting to £10,005,034; in 1995–96 a total of 65 sports received grant aid from the Sports Council, amounting to £10,956,247; and in 1996–97 65 sports will receive grant aid planned at £9,899,957. Assistance has also been provided to sport and physical activities through the national sports centres and regional sports development schemes. Full details are provided in the table.

  Spoil

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Angling

  54,125

  81,750

  72,500

  Archery

  55,000

  109,000

  80,000

  Association football

  0

  11,250

  45,000

  Athletics

  332,500

  410,000

  326,500

  Badminton

  320,000

  365,000

  332,000

  Baseball

  32,500

  43,000

  43,000

  Basketball

  364,000

  355,000

  272,250

  Bobsleigh

  100,000

  100,000

  100,000

  Bowls

  42,250

  41,250

  22,000

  Boxing

  80,875

  153,125

  128,500

  Canoeing

  320,000

  380,000

  320,000

  Caving

  30,500

  29,125

  23,750

  Cricket

  238,334

  172,500

  220,450

  Croquet

  28,500

  29,500

  27,250

  Curling

  0

  28,000

  32,000

  Cycling

  311,750

  548,625

  513,250

  Disabled sport

  566,500

  803,250

  625,500

  Equestrian

  145,000

  178,000

  165,000

  Fencing

  175,000

  175,000

  175,000

  Fitness/aerobics

  0

  45,000

  75,000

  Flying

  10,000

  2,500

  0

  Gliding

  42,500

  37,500

  28,500

  105

  Sport

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Golf

  25,000

  25,000

  35,000

  Gymnastics

  416,500

  462,500

  429,500

  Handball

  11,000

  16,000

  16,000

  Hang and paragliding

  70,000

  70,000

  70,000

  Hockey

  553,250

  792,750

  581,000

  Ice hockey

  30,000

  30,000

  30,000

  Ice skating

  110,000

  122,000

  120,000

  Judo

  375,000

  490,000

  375,000

  Karate

  106,000

  70,000

  67,500

  Lacrosse

  130,000

  111,250

  145,834

  Land yachting

  17,500

  0

  0

  Life saving

  38,000

  26,250

  30,000

  Model flying

  15,000

  15,000

  15,000

  Modern pentathlon

  82,000

  89,000

  70,000

  Motor cycling

  0

  0

  10,125

  Mountaineering

  175,000

  195,000

  216,250

  Movement and dance

  185,875

  154,175

  133,125

  Netball

  117,125

  212,500

  128,750

  Orienteering

  125,000

  132,000

  124,750

  Parachuting

  93,500

  93,500

  93,500

  Petanque

  28,750

  17,500

  21,000

  Rambling

  45,000

  20,000

  0

  Real tennis

  0

  11,250

  17,500

  Roller hockey

  18,000

  18,000

  18,000

  Roller skating

  18,000

  30,000

  28,000

  Rounders

  12,250

  13,250

  14,250

  Rowing

  442,500

  520,000

  447,500

  Rugby league

  167,500

  182,500

  167,500

  Rugby union

  90,000

  113,750

  125,000

  Sailing

  496,750

  518,250

  460,750

  Sand and land yachting

  0

  20,300

  19,000

  Shooting

  568,175

  251,785

  340,215

  Skiing

  427,000

  276,500

  225,000

  Softball

  0

  0

  15,000

  Squash

  221,250

  226,250

  240,000

  Surfing

  26,000

  21,000

  25,000

  Surf life saving

  40,625

  33,125

  38,250

  Swimming

  383,900

  345,500

  321.500

  Table tennis

  316,500

  297,250

  317,500

  Tennis and rackets

  11,250

  0

  0

  Tenpin bowling

  15,500

  20,000

  30,000

  Triathlon

  35,000

  40,000

  40,000

  Tug of war

  7,500

  7,500

  9,375

  Volleyball

  275,000

  355,000

  275,000

  Water skiing

  197,250

  195,000

  195,000

  Weight lifting

  177,500

  159,320

  145,000

  Wrestling

  56,750

  57,917

  45,833

  Total

  10,005,034

  10,956,247

  9,899,957

  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many sports are currently eligible to receive grant aid from the Sports Council; and if she will list them. [13517]

  Mr. Sproat
  Ninety-five sports are currently eligible to be considered for the purposes of receiving grant aid. They are:

  Aikido

  American football

  Angling

  Archery

  Association football

  Athletics

  Badminton

  Ballooning

  Baseball

  Basketball

  Billiards and snooker

  Bobsleigh

  Bowls

  Boxing

  106

  Camogie

  Canoeing

  Caving

  Chinese martial arts

  Cricket

  Croquet

  Curling

  Cycling

  Disability sport

  Dragon boat race

  Equestrian

  Fencing

  Fives

  Flying

  Gaelic football

  Gliding

  Golf

  Gymnastics

  Handball

  Hang/para gliding

  Highland games

  Hockey

  Horse racing

  Hovering

  Hurling

  Ice hockey

  Ice skating

  Judi

  Ju jitsu

  Karate

  Kendo

  Korfball

  Lacrosse

  Lawn tennis

  Life saving

  Luge

  Modern pentathlon

  Motor cycling

  Motor sports

  Mountaineering

  Movement and dance

  Netball

  Orienteering

  Parachuting

  Petanque

  Polo

  Pool

  Quoits

  Racketball

  Rambling

  Real tennis and rackets

  Roller hockey

  Roller skating

  Rounders

  Rowing

  Rugby league

  Rugby union

  Sailing/yachting

  Sand and land yachting

  Shinty

  Shooting

  Skiing

  Softball

  Sombo wrestling

  Squash

  Sub aqua

  Surfing

  Surf life saving

  Swimming

  Table tennis

  Taekwondo

  Tang soo do

  Tenpin bowling

  Trampolining

  Triathlon

  Tug of war

  107

  Volleyball

  Water skiing

  Weightlifting

  Wrestling Yoga

  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she expects the Sports Council's review of which sports are to be eligible for grant aid to be completed; and when she expects the revised guide lines to be published. [13524]

  Mr. Sproat
  The English Sports Council is not undertaking such a review.

  TV Licences
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what estimate she has made of the extra revenue which the BBC will receive as a result of its decision to implement the legal advice that a TV licence cannot cover more than one property. [15419]

  Mr. Sproat
  The BBC announced on 29 March 1996 that, in the light of legal advice, it could not continue the long-standing previous practice whereby the use of TV in second homes was deemed to be covered by a licence for the main residence, provided that there was no simultaneous use at both places. At that time, the Licensing Authority had some 38,000 second homes registered as not needing a second licence under that— incorrect—interpretation of the licensing legislation. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will shortly lay new, consolidated licence fee regulations, which will bring next year's licence fees into force from 1 April. These regulations will also amend the licensing requirements so that a licence for a main residence covers use of TV by members of the household in any vehicle, vessel or touring caravan and, provided there is no simultaneous use, by any member of the household in any static caravan or mobile home. Use of TV in permanent structure second homes will continue to require a separate licence.

  If TV continues to be used at all the 38,000 second homes previously registered with the Licensing Authority as not requiring a separate licence, this should raise over £3 million extra licence fee revenue for the BBC each year. If colour licences were needed, and paid for, in all the fixed second homes in the United Kingdom—an estimated total of some 200,000—the maximum extra revenue accruing would be around £18 million, though some of these homes may already by licensed.

  Sports Council Lottery Fund
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many sports are currently eligible to assistance from the Sports Council lottery fund; and if she will list them. [13523]

  Mr. Sproat
  One hundred and eleven sports are currently eligible to assistance from the English Sports Council lottery sports fund. They are:

  Aikido

  American football

  Angling

  Archery

  Arm wrestling

  Association football

  Athletics

  108

  Australian rules football

  Badminton

  Ballooning

  Baseball

  Basketball

  Baton twirling

  Bicycle polo

  Billiards and snooker

  Bobsleigh

  Boccia

  Bowls

  Boxing

  Camogie

  Canoeing

  Caving

  Chinese martial arts

  Cricket

  Croquet

  Crossbow

  Curling

  Cycling

  Disability sport

  Dragon boat racing

  Equestrian

  Fencing

  Fives

  Hying

  Gaelic football

  Gliding

  Golf

  Gymnastics

  Handball

  Hang-gliding and paragliding

  Highland games

  Hockey

  Horse racing

  Hovering

  Hurling

  Ice hockey

  Ice skating

  Jet skiing

  Ju jitsu

  Judo

  Kabaddi

  Karate

  Kendo

  Korfball

  Lacrosse

  Lawn tennis

  Life saving

  Luge

  Modern pentathlon

  Motor cycling

  Motor sports

  Mountaineering

  Movement, dance, exercise and fitness

  Netball

  Orienteering

  Parachuting

  Petanque

  Polo

  Pony trekking

  Pool

  Quoits

  Racketball

  Rackets

  Raquetball

  Rambling

  Real tennis

  Roller hockey

  Roller skating

  Rounders

  Rowing

  Rugby league

  Rugby union

  Sailing/yachting

  109

  Sand/land yachting

  Shinty

  Shooting

  Skateboarding

  Skiing

  Skipping

  Snowboarding

  Softball

  Sombo wrestling

  Squash

  Street/skater hockey

  Sub-aqua

  Surf-life saving

  Surfing

  Swimming

  Table tennis

  Taekwondo

  Tank soo do

  Tenpin bowling

  Trampolining

  Triathlon

  Tug of war

  Unihoc

  Volleyball

  Water skiing

  Weightlifting

  Wrestling

  Yoga

  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if she will list(a) the bodies and (b) the individuals which the Sports Council lottery fund has consulted during the current review of which sports are eligible for lottery awards; [13521]

  (2) when she expects the Sports Council lottery fund's review of what sports are eligible for lottery awards to be completed; and when she expects the revised guidelines to be published. [13520]

  Mr. Sproat
  The English Sports Council lottery unit is not currently conducting a review of those sports eligible for lottery funding.

  Non-print Publications (Legal Deposit)
  Sir Alan Haselhurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how she plans to take forward the proposals for extension of legal deposit to electronic and other non-profit publications from the British Library, the other legal deposit libraries and the British Film Institute in January 1996; and if she will make a statement.[15563]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Government have today published a consultation paper which seeks views on the present arrangements for legal deposit of printed publications with the British Library and the other legal deposit libraries; invites comments on the availability and use of legal deposit material in Northern Ireland; and seeks views on a range of voluntary and statutory options for deposit of electronic publications, sound recordings, films and video recordings, and microform publications. The paper also seeks views on establishing a mechanism for further extension of legal deposit without the need for fresh primary legislation.

  The main purpose of legal deposit is to establish as comprehensive an archive as possible of our national published output for use by future generations. As publication technology, and non-print forms of publication, develop the Government regard it as essential that some way is found to ensure that published material in forms other than print is deposited in our national
  110
  archives. The consultation paper addresses the scope for building on existing voluntary arrangements and extending statutory deposit. Legal deposit imposes a burden on publishers, and it is essential that we consult fully on the issues with the publishing and film industries, as well as with libraries, their users and others with an interest. The consultation paper addresses the circumstances in which published material can be accessed and preserved without infringing publishers' intellectual property rights or damaging their business interests. It also includes a draft assessment of the additional costs which publishers, film producers and film distributors might incur in complying with an extended system of legal deposit.

  I have today placed a copy of the consultation paper in the Libraries of the House, and the Government are arranging for copies to be sent to a wide range of bodies and individuals with an interest in legal deposit. Further copies are available, on request, from my Department. The consultation paper seeks responses by 11 April. Anybody wishing to comment on the issues raised in the consultation paper, including the additional burden which extended legal deposit would place on business, should write by that date to my Department. In the light of the responses which we receive, the Government will consider whether to introduce legislation on legal deposit.

  Millennium Exhibition
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is her Department's estimate of the percentage breakdown of transport use by visitors to the Greenwich millennium exhibition. [10867]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This is a matter for the Millennium Commission. I shall write to the hon. Member in my capacity as chairman of the commission and place copies of my reply in the Library of the House.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many people are employed by her Department to provide advice on the application of equal opportunities; and at what cost in the last year for which figures are available. [14464]

  Mr. Sproat
  Advice on equal opportunities is an integral part of the personnel function and is not separately costed.

  Data Collection (Postcodes)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what use her Department and its agencies make of postcode areas for the collection of data and in formulas for the distribution of grants and awards; and when such usages were last reviewed. [14805]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Department of National Heritage uses postcodes to collate information on national lottery awards and last reviewed their usage in November 1996.

  Sporting Events (Public Highways)
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the Sports Council's policy towards sporting events held on public highways. [13925]
  111
  Mr. Sproat
  I understand the English Sports Council encourages sports bodies to stage sporting events at the most appropriate venue. Where events are held on the public highway, the council wishes to see that the safety of competitors is ensured by careful planning and organisation.

  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what meetings she has held with the Home Secretary regarding the policy of the Association of Chief Police Officers towards sports events held on public highways. [13924]

  Mr. Sproat
  None. I understand the policy of the Association of Chief Police Officers has been, for a number of years, to encourage organisations to hold events away from the highway in local parks or sports stadiums. This stems from their concerns about the safety of participants, and the danger to other road users. There are certain events which are treated as exceptions to the policy, the most notable example being the London marathon, where the police and the highway authorities are content that the event cannot be held off the road.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Jobmatch
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her latest estimate of(a) the total number of people who have received jobmatch payments, (b) the total number applying, (c) the number refused, by reason of refusal, (d) the total cost of the scheme and (e) the annual cost of extending the pilot scheme to all age groups nationally. [15089]

  Mr. Forth
  The information available is as follows:(a) over 6,000 people have joined the jobmatch programme since April 1995, (b) we do not keep records of the numbers applying for jobmatch, or (c) the number of people refused, but the only circumstances in which this would happen would be where either the person was not eligible or the job was not a qualifying one, (d) the estimated cost of the jobmatch pilots which end in March 1997 is £8 million and, (e) the cost of extending jobmatch to all age groups nationally would be about £50 million per year.

  Special Needs Teaching Training
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received regarding the continued training of teachers with special reference to the teaching of children with special needs; and if she will make a statement. [15094]

  Mr. Forth
  In March 1996, the Secretary of State was presented with the report, "Professional Development to meet Special Educational Needs" by the special educational needs training consortium. In response, she asked the Teacher Training Agency to take forward a range of measures to improve the training of teachers of all children with special educational needs.

  We are very pleased with the TTA's progress and with the priority that it is giving to training in special educational needs within its overall framework for teacher training. I understand that the TTA will be reporting to the Secretary of State on its work later this year.

  Severe Hardship Payments Scheme
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the impact of(a) introducing regulations relating to the severe hardship payments scheme for 16 and 17-year-olds, (b) administering the scheme through (i) Benefits Agency local offices and (ii) jobcentres and (c) introducing a right of appeal in respect of the scheme. [15079]

  Mr. Forth
  The jobseeker's allowance—JSA—replaced income support for jobseekers on October 7 1996. Under JSA, 16 and 17-year-olds attend the careers service and jobcentre. They no longer have to attend the Benefits Agency office.

  We are carrying out a full evaluation of JSA. There will be a range of surveys, including qualitative research on the effect of JSA on 16 to 17-year-olds, covering both young people who would otherwise be in severe hardship and those in prescribed circumstances. Also included will be surveys of Employment Service and Benefits Agency staff involved in the delivery of JSA.

  JSA continues the policy whereby unemployed 16 and 17-year-olds who would otherwise be in severe hardship may be awarded benefit at the Secretary of State's discretion. There are no plans to change this.

  Income Support (Young People)
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her estimate of(a) the number gaining and (b) the cost of extending the period during which income support is payable to a young person who has left local authority accommodation provided under part III of the Children Act 1989 to (i) 13 weeks, (ii) 26 weeks and (iii) the relevant child benefit extension period. [15077]

  Mr. Forth
  The jobseeker's allowance—JSA—replaced income support for jobseekers on 7 October 1996. We do not have information on the number of young people—16 and 17-year-olds—who claim JSA immediately after leaving local authority care. These people may be entitled to JSA for up to eight weeks. When this period finishes, a young person may apply for JSA on the ground that he would otherwise be in severe hardship. If the claim is successful, the Secretary of State will direct that JSA should be paid for a specific period—usually eight weeks. This direction may be renewed at the Secretary of State's discretion. At all times the young person will have to meet the entitlement conditions for JSA.

  Loudwater Combined School
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she expects to make a decision on the proposals by Loudwater combined school to establish a new nursery. [14981]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: Officials have today informed the chairman of governors of Loudwater combined school that the Secretary of State has approved the governors' proposal to establish a nursery.

  Seat Belts (School Transport)
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the cost for each local education authority area of installing seat belts in vehicles used for transporting children; and if she will make a statement. [15337]

  Mrs. Gillan
  The costs to authorities of implementing the new requirements were taken into account by the Government when determining the total allowed for education in the local government finance settlement.

  It is for each local authority to determine its own level of education expenditure, both in aggregate and on the different areas of its education service, including transport, on the basis of its assessment of local needs and priorities and within its capping limits.

  Teachers (Average Age)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average age

  PRC and Crombie payments

  England and Wales

  £000

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Corporation of London

  0

  0

  0

  3

  3

  Camden

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Greenwich

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Hackney

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Islington

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Kensington and Chelsea

  0

  0

  101

  139

  161

  Lambeth

  0

  0

  134

  0

  44

  Lewisham

  0

  0

  0

  449

  230

  Southwark

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Tower Hamlets

  0

  0

  409

  0

  847

  Wands worth

  0

  0

  0

  0

  359

  Westminster

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Barking and Dagenham

  605

  290

  751

  601

  635

  Barnet

  1,344

  1,425

  1,475

  1479

  1,731

  Bexley

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Brent

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Bromley

  981

  586

  551

  557

  509

  Croydon

  248

  630

  474

  443

  405

  Ealing

  861

  479

  636

  1,077

  619

  Enfield

  0

  0

  705

  0

  0

  Haringey

  474

  541

  583

  612

  551

  Harrow

  353

  534

  397

  466

  635

  Havering

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Hillingdon

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Hounslow

  11

  208

  253

  349

  405

  Kingston upon Thames

  304

  358

  454

  428

  477

  Merton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Newham

  769

  269

  364

  440

  489

  Redbridge

  288

  387

  405

  416

  585

  Richmond upon Thames

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Suttton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  212

  Waltham Forest

  324

  5

  13

  374

  0

  Birmingham

  3,422

  3,947

  5,443

  4,911

  4,557

  Coventry

  12

  2,982

  2,137

  450

  2,201

  Dudley

  884

  851

  791

  995

  1,137

  Sandwell

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Solihull

  0

  0

  553

  575

  507

  Walsall

  0

  643

  1,567

  676

  1,945

  Wolverhampton

  94

  195

  326

  73

  165

  Knowsley

  0

  957

  945

  1,132

  1,157

  Liverpool

  2,727

  3,780

  3,058

  2,684

  2,826

  114
  of teachers employed (a) in London and (b) in the south-west region in the most recent year for which figures are available. [15423]

  Mr. Forth
  The average age of teachers employed in the maintained nursery, primary and secondary sector, as at 31 March 1995, was 40 years in Greater London and 42 years in the south-west region.

  Teachers (Early Retirement)
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the cost for each local education authority of early retirement and redundancy packages for teachers for each of the last five years for which figures are available. [15355]

  Mrs. Gillan
  Total expenditure on premature retirement compensation and Crombie payments as recorded by each local education authority in England and Wales for the years 1990–91 to 1994–95 is shown in the following table. The expenditure figures include payments made to further and higher education lecturers and to teachers at sixth-form colleges and grant-maintained schools who were granted premature retirement by the LEA. Separate details of redundancy payments are not collected centrally.
  115 116

  PRC and Crombie payments

  England and Wales

  £000

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  St. Helens

  953

  1,126

  2,061

  1,383

  1,391

  Sefton

  1,496

  1,536

  0

  0

  0

  Wirral

  231

  182

  97

  28

  29

  Bolton

  898

  1,022

  1,122

  1,098

  1,210

  Bury

  848

  1,031

  1,064

  1,016

  1,029

  Manchester

  2,144

  2,815

  4,400

  4,559

  3,808

  Oldham

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Rochdale

  469

  493

  806

  768

  836

  Salford

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Stockport

  512

  447

  547

  677

  706

  Tameside

  0

  0

  933

  853

  948

  Trafford

  0

  0

  0

  569

  615

  Wigan

  1,377

  1,681

  1,999

  2,269

  2,423

  Barnsley

  200

  532

  35

  37

  43

  Doncaster

  0

  379

  0

  1,583

  1,738

  Rotherham

  203

  271

  0

  0

  0

  Sheffield

  40

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Bradford

  1,354

  1,153

  2,860

  2,863

  2,572

  Calderdale

  453

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Kirklees

  275

  1,465

  838

  397

  410

  Leeds

  0

  0

  3

  3,128

  0

  Wakefield

  1,228

  1,389

  1,924

  1,823

  1,604

  Gateshead

  0

  44

  73

  848

  846

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  305

  1,261

  1,608

  2,776

  1,930

  North Tyneside

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  South Tyneside

  0

  0

  0

  273

  287

  Sunderland

  364

  470

  397

  0

  0

  Isles of Scilly

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Avon

  0

  0

  747

  1,347

  1,321

  Bedfordshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Berkshire

  704

  812

  779

  890

  1,130

  Buckinghamshire

  249

  265

  1,105

  1,454

  1,520

  Cambridgeshire

  899

  1,447

  1,705

  1,736

  1,785

  Cheshire

  191

  124

  1,874

  940

  814

  Cleveland

  1,328

  1,720

  1,761

  1,901

  1,868

  Cornwall

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,793

  Cumbria

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Derbyshire

  1,320

  1,556

  696

  2,425

  3,024

  Devon

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Dorset

  782

  1,183

  1,443

  1,402

  1,407

  Durham

  -14

  0

  0

  0

  0

  East Sussex

  547

  877

  1,039

  2,044

  1,968

  Essex

  1,915

  1,945

  2,066

  2,662

  2,459

  Gloucestershire

  1,567

  2,150

  0

  0

  0

  Hampshire

  1,862

  2,215

  2,750

  2,720

  3,143

  Hereford and Worcester

  0

  264

  0

  347

  -54

  Hertfordshire

  453

  1,734

  1,769

  1,322

  1,260

  Humberside

  726

  759

  854

  0

  3,615

  Isle of Wight

  94

  108

  124

  134

  174

  Kent

  314

  151

  223

  219

  227

  Lancashire

  4,374

  4,804

  5,193

  4,781

  3,539

  Leicestershire

  1,267

  2,075

  2,275

  1,701

  2,380

  Lincolnshire

  968

  148

  126

  110

  78

  Norfolk

  1,200

  196

  0

  0

  4

  North Yorkshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Northamptonshire

  111

  128

  494

  313

  334

  Northumberland

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Nottinghamshire

  1,066

  2,295

  0

  0

  0

  Oxfordshire

  1,389

  1,585

  1,586

  1,694

  1,872

  Shropshire

  16

  19

  18

  13

  5

  Somerset

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Staffordshire

  2,715

  3,214

  3,987

  3,814

  3,797

  Suffolk

  14

  156

  0

  1,112

  1,254

  Surrey

  0

  0

  2,791

  4,040

  3,259

  Warwickshire

  922

  1,269

  1,428

  1,395

  1,490

  West Sussex

  0

  0

  0

  0

  728

  Wiltshire

  0

  0

  872

  0

  1,342

  Clwyd

  1,938

  2,134

  2,674

  2,364

  2,657

  Dyfed

  812

  784

  1,006

  863

  937

  Gwent

  121

  2,866

  2,606

  2,704

  3,174

  Gwynedd

  206

  154

  151

  140

  137

  117

  PRC and Crombie payments

  England and Wales

  £000

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Mid Glamorgan

  0

  919

  2,005

  343

  387

  Powys

  300

  306

  644

  541

  429

  South Glamorgan

  0

  949

  972

  965

  999

  West Glamorgan

  1,470

  1,349

  798

  1,819

  1,922

  Total (England and Wales)

  58,877

  79,025

  91,847

  96,632

  103,995

TREASURY

  Cardiff Bay Barrage
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 27 January,Official Report, column 35, if he will list the principal differences between the Cardiff bay barrage scheme as presented for approval in November 1987 and as approved in June 1988. [13492]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [holding answer 30 January 1997]: The answer can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 27 January,Official Report, column 35, concerning the Cardiff bay barrage, if he will list the consultant's reports supplied to his Department by the Welsh Office between November 1987 and June 1988 in support of the main economic appraisal document. [13493]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [holding answer 30 January 1997]: In November 1987, the Welsh Office provided the Treasury with a copy of an economic appraisal of the project prepared by Peat Marwick McLintock. Peat Marwick McLintock subsequently revised the appraisal and this was provided to the Treasury in June 1988.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 27 January,Official Report, column 35, if he will place in the Library (a) the Treasury's letter of approval for the Cardiff Bay barrage project and (b) the appraisal commentary by his departmental economic appraisal team. [13491]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [holding answer 30 January 1997]: Approval was provided in a ministerial exchange of letters. It is not the Government's practice to place such correspondence, or advice provided to Ministers by officials, in the Library.

  Administration Costs
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 17 January,Official Report, column 398, on gross running costs, if he will make a statement on how the additional expenditure in each of those Departments incurring an increase is to be used. [14582]

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [holding answer 6 February 1997]: The effectiveness of Government policy in bearing down on the costs of departmental administration has allowed increases in certain Departments' running costs to reflect key Government priorities.

  Additional running costs provision for the Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise and the Department for Social Security reflects additional anti-fraud and anti-evasion measures. Further details of this "spend to save" package can be found on page 106 of the "Financial
  118
  Statement and Budget Report 1997–98". Extra provision for the Home Office reflects the projected growth in the prison population. Additional running costs provision for the agriculture departments is to fund the continuing package of measures to counter BSE.

  The detailed allocation of running costs provision within Departments is a matter for individual spending Ministers.

  Share Option Schemes
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list(a) the cost to the Exchequer in 1995–96, (b) the estimated likely costs in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) 1997–98 of approved discretionary share option schemes and (c) the estimated costs of company share option plans in 1998–99. [15101]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: Available provisional estimates are as follows:

  Estimated cost of tax relief1

  £ million

  Approved discretionary share option schemes2

  1995–96

  70

  1996–97

  80

  Information on share schemes comes from annual returns which must be submitted by companies operating schemes. The latest year for which forms have been received and processed is 1994–95. The estimated cost of tax relief for executive share option schemes for 1994–95 is £60 million. This cost has been projected forward using, changes in the general level of share prices, and assumes a similar level of options exercised.

  1 Estimated costs are the effects on tax liabilities for each year, and not the receipts in each year. Figures are tentative and subject to a wide margin of error.

  2 The costs take account that relief from income tax is partially offset by liability to capital gains tax arising from disposals of shares acquired under the scheme.

  Figures for further years are not available, however it is estimated that the first full-year cost of tax relief for company share option plans may eventually be around £90 million.

  London Transport Funding
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he received from(a) chief officers and the Board of London Transport and (b) the City of London about the Government's annual settlement for London Transport; and what was contained in the representations about the effect of the settlement upon London Transport's investment programme and existing infrastructure. [13762]
  119
  Mr. Waldegrave
  A number of representations have been received about the annual settlement for London Transport. In addition to investment in the Jubilee line extension, the settlement provides for average investment of £525 million per year, 50 per cent. higher in real terms than the average of the 1980s.

  European Community Finance
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the main items of income and expenditure

  Table 1: European Community Budget: Expenditure

  Figures are in millions of ecu at constant 1996 prices

  EAGGF guarantee

  Per cent, of total general budget

  EAGGF guidance

  Per cent, of total general budget

  ERDF

  Per cent, of total general budget

  ESF

  Per cent of total general budget

  Cohesion fund

  Per cent, of total general budget

  Research

  Per cent, of total general budget

  Admin.

  Per cent, of total general budget

  Other

  Per cent, of total general budget

  Total

  UK, Ireland and Denmark accede

  1973

  18,962

  80.2

  57

  0.2

  —

  —

  1,303

  5.5

  —

  —

  368

  1.6

  1,287

  5.4

  1,659

  7.0

  23,635

  1974

  16,048

  71.7

  175

  0.8

  —

  —

  1,132

  5.1

  —

  —

  512

  2.3

  1,420

  6.3

  3,100

  13.8

  22,387

  1975

  17,547

  74.4

  311

  1.3

  608

  2.6

  603

  2.6

  —

  —

  470

  2.0

  1,476

  6.3

  2,571

  10.9

  23,585

  1976

  20,442

  74.5

  407

  1.5

  1,088

  4.0

  768

  2.8

  —

  —

  461

  1.7

  1,562

  5.7

  2,700

  9.8

  27,428

  1977

  21,387

  75.4

  367

  1.3

  1,299

  4.6

  560

  2.0

  —

  —

  587

  2.1

  1,629

  5.7

  2,535

  8.9

  28,364

  1978

  25,548

  72.1

  958

  2.7

  1,545

  4.4

  1,584

  4.5

  —

  —

  786

  2.2

  2,021

  5.7

  3,003

  8.5

  35,446

  1979

  27,670

  73.0

  763

  2.0

  1,862

  4.9

  1,412

  3.7

  —

  —

  713

  1.9

  2,066

  5.5

  3,396

  9.0

  37,883

  1980

  26,762

  71.2

  746

  2.0

  1,880

  5.0

  1,660

  4.4

  —

  —

  863

  2.3

  1,967

  5.2

  3,704

  9.9

  37,582

  Greece accedes

  1981

  23,644

  64.6

  1,154

  3.2

  5,143

  14.1

  1,326

  3.6

  —

  —

  666

  1.8

  2,013

  5.5

  3,937

  10.8

  37,882

  1982

  23,732

  59.9

  1,260

  3.2

  5,624

  14.2

  1,963

  5.0

  —

  —

  847

  2.1

  2,029

  5.1

  4,170

  10.5

  39,624

  1983

  28,164

  64.4

  1,026

  2.3

  4,115

  9.4

  2,140

  4.9

  —

  —

  2,401

  5.5

  1,977

  4.5

  3,899

  8.9

  43,721

  1984

  30,593

  67.7

  994

  2.2

  2,357

  5.2

  2,023

  4.5

  —

  —

  2,770

  6.1

  2,024

  4.5

  4,436

  9.8

  45,198

  1985

  31,090

  70.8

  1,080

  2.5

  2,537

  5.8

  2,218

  5.1

  —

  —

  1,068

  2.4

  2,056

  4.7

  3,867

  8.8

  43,918

  Spain and Portugal accede

  1986

  33,009

  63.8

  1,151

  2.2

  3,666

  7.1

  3,637

  7.0

  —

  —

  1,157

  2.2

  2,289

  4.4

  6,840

  13.2

  51,749

  1987

  32,902

  65.4

  1,132

  2.3

  3,670

  7.3

  3,598

  7.2

  —

  —

  1,383

  2.7

  2,433

  4.8

  5,185

  10.3

  50,303

  1988

  37,949

  67.4

  1,567

  2.8

  4,092

  7.3

  3,156

  5.6

  —

  —

  1,551

  2.8

  2,631

  4.7

  5,386

  9.6

  56,331

  1989

  33,799

  63.4

  1,764

  3.3

  5,127

  9.6

  3,500

  6.6

  —

  —

  1,985

  3.7

  2,708

  5.1

  4,420

  8.3

  53,302

  1990

  33,619

  61.5

  2,265

  4.1

  5,651

  10.3

  3,985

  7.3

  —

  —

  2,221

  4.1

  2,920

  5.3

  4,012

  7.3

  54,673

  1991

  36,413

  57.7

  2,453

  3.9

  7,418

  11.8

  4,740

  7.5

  —

  —

  2,007

  3.2

  3,124

  5.0

  6,944

  11.0

  63,099

  1992

  35,143

  53.9

  3,205

  4.9

  9,627

  14.8

  4,844

  7.4

  —

  —

  2,142

  3.3

  3,097

  4.7

  7,160

  11.0

  65,217

  1993

  37,637

  54.0

  3,163

  4.5

  10,360

  14.9

  5,842

  8.4

  863

  1.2

  2,432

  3.5

  3,243

  4.7

  6,142

  8.8

  69,682

  1994

  34,775

  55.9

  2,617

  4.2

  6,691

  10.7

  4,560

  7.3

  900

  1.4

  2,613

  4.2

  3,406

  5.5

  6,681

  10.7

  62,243

  Austria, Sweden and Finland accede

  1995

  35,347

  52.0

  2,596

  3.8

  8,591

  12.6

  4,665

  6.9

  1,743

  2.6

  2,611

  3.8

  3,653

  5.4

  8,794

  12.9

  68,001

  Table 2: European Community Budget: Revenue

  Figures are in millions of ecu at constant 1996 prices

  Agricultural levies

  Per cent, of total revenue

  Customs duties

  Per cent, of total revenue

  VAT source

  Per cent, of total revenue

  GNP/4th resource

  Per cent, of total revenue

  Misc.

  Per cent, of total revenue

  Total

  UK, Ireland and Denmark accede

  1973

  2,677

  10.4

  10,420

  40.4

  12,684

  49.2

  25,781

  1974

  1,531

  6.4

  12,698

  53.2

  9,628

  40.4

  23,858

  1975

  2,393

  9.2

  12,776

  49.3

  10,720

  41.4

  25,889

  1976

  4,220

  14.2

  14,741

  49.7

  10,722

  36.1

  29,683

  1977

  5,774

  20.5

  12,751

  45.3

  9,641

  34.2

  28,166

  1978

  6,708

  18.3

  12,925

  35.3

  17,023

  46.4

  36,656

  1979

  5,710

  14.4

  13,823

  34.8

  12,621

  31.8

  7,515

  18.9

  39,669

  1980

  4,745

  12.2

  13,997

  35.9

  17,203

  44.2

  3000

  7.7

  38,945

  Greece accedes

  1981

  3,734

  9.2

  13,661

  33.8

  19,635

  48.6

  3,399

  8.4

  40,429

  1982

  4,312

  10.1

  13,193

  30.9

  23,230

  54.3

  2,010

  4.7

  42,746

  1983

  4,342

  9.5

  12,907

  28.1

  24,426

  53.2

  4,228

  9.2

  45,904

  1984

  4,923

  11.3

  12,723

  29.2

  24,310

  55.8

  1,574

  3.6

  43,530

  1985

  3,434

  7.8

  13,096

  29.6

  23,985

  54.2

  3,746

  8.5

  44,261

  Spain and Portugal accede

  1986

  3,413

  6.8

  12,197

  24.3

  33,166

  66.0

  1,468

  2.9

  50,245

  1987

  4,441

  8.7

  12,812

  25.0

  33,638

  65.6

  409

  0.8

  51,300

  120
  of the general budget of the European Economic Community for each year since 1973 at 1996 prices, together with the percentages of each main category of income or expenditure, indicating also accessions to the Community in relevant years. [14330]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The information is set out in the tables.
  121 122

  Table 2: European Community Budget: Revenue

  Figures are in millions of ecu at constant 1996 prices

  Agricultural levies

  Per cent, of total revenue

  Customs duties

  Per cent, of total revenue

  VAT source

  Per cent, of total revenue

  GNP/4th resource

  Per cent, of total revenue

  Misc.

  Per cent, of total revenue

  Total

  1988

  3,578

  6.2

  12,785

  22.3

  32,857

  57.2

  6,105

  10.6

  2,134

  3.7

  57,459

  1989

  3,136

  5.2

  13,487

  22.5

  34,387

  57.3

  5,910

  9.8

  3,108

  5.2

  60,028

  1990

  2,327

  4.0

  12,762

  22.1

  34,048

  59.1

  118

  0.2

  8,404

  14.6

  57,659

  1991

  2,924

  4.4

  13,497

  20.4

  35,600

  53.8

  8,756

  13.2

  5,378

  8.1

  66,156

  1992

  2,237

  3.3

  12,709

  18.9

  39,008

  58.0

  9,366

  13.9

  3,883

  5.8

  67,204

  1993

  2,095

  2.9

  11,999

  16.8

  37.432

  52.5

  17,927

  25.2

  1,823

  2.6

  71,276

  1994

  2,192

  3.1

  11,813

  16.9

  35,143

  50.4

  18,686

  26.8

  1,916

  2.7

  69,750

  Austria, Sweden and Finland accede

  1995

  1,995

  2.6

  12,834

  16.7

  40,202

  52.2

  14,560

  18.9

  7,438

  9.7

  77,029

  Notes:

  1. Figures are for outturn. As yet outturn figures are not available for 1996.

  2. Figures converted to constant 1996 prices using EU15 deflator throughout.

  3. Items are denominated in ecus as the unit of account for the EC Budget.

  4. Other spending includes spending on external policies, internal policies other than research and Financial Instruments for Fisheries Guidance.

  Sources:

  1. The Community Budget: The Facts in Figures, 1996 Edition; European Commission.

  2. European Economy, Number 62, 1996; European Commission.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Kenya
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department has provided to Kenya in promoting family planning; what has been the birth rate for each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [15379]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  The crude birth rate in 1989 was 47 per thousand population. By 1994 it is estimated that the rate had declined to 42 per thousand population. Details of British development assistance for family planning are given in the table.

  Year

  Project

  Description

  Total cost £ million

  1988–94

  Population III

  Clinic development, training programmes, NGO support

  4.6

  1993–94

  Emergency supply of contraceptives

  50 million condoms and 200,000 vaginal foaming tablets

  1.02

  1994

  Family planning services

  Injectable contraceptives, disposable gloves, family planning clinical equipment sets, intra-uterine copper device insertion kits

  2.0

  1995–96

  Family planning bridging project

  1 million doses injectable contraception (DepoProvera) and up to 30 million condoms

  1.45

  1996–97

  Contraceptive supply

  1.1 million doses injectable contraception (DepoProvera) and up to 40 million condoms

  1.94

  1996–97

  Family planning interim support project

  To supply 2.45 million doses DepoProvera and 5 million condoms plus support to eight NGOs.

  3.5

  We have recently committed an additional £11 million for strengthening reproductive health services in Kenya, for expenditure over the next five years.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Trade Fairs and Seminar Support
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the outstanding bids for trade fair and overseas seminar support in 1997–98. [15598]
  124
  Mr. Nelson
  I am pleased to announce today that my Department will offer grants for the remaining 40 trade fairs not included in my statement on 17 January. The full programme for 1997–98 will thus comprise support for groups exhibiting at 300 trade fairs and 31 seminars abroad. I am putting a list of the further events into the Library of the House and my Department will be writing individually to all those who made bids to tell them the outcome.

  Data Collection (Postcodes)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what use his Department and its agencies make of postcode areas for the collection of data and in formulas for the distribution of grants and awards; and when such usages were last reviewed. [14800]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  Postcodes are used to define the area covered by a survey of electricity and gas prices paid by industrial users in four United Kingdom cities in order to meet the requirements of an EU directive 9013771EEC. They are also used to fix the location of businesses within local authority areas and travel-to-work areas which determine eligibility for grants and awards. The Department does not otherwise use postcode areas in the collection of data and in distributing grants and awards.

  Working Time Directive
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the working time directive applies to(a) all public sector employees and (b) employees of the privatised utilities. [15171]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: The directive applies to all sectors of activity, both public and private, with certain exceptions. These exceptions cover: air; rail; road; sea; inland waterway and lake transport; sea fishing; other work at sea; the activities of doctors in training; and cases where characteristics peculiar to certain specific activities of the armed forces, police or civil protection services inevitably conflict with the directive.

  Export Credits Guarantee Department
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the role of the ECGD in respect of the funding of a power station in Palau in 1983. [15207]

  Mr. Nelson
  Records show that in 1983 the ECGD guaranteed an export credit loan to assist in the financing of a contract for the supply of a 15MW diesel generator power station to Palau. Following a default in 1985, the ECGD instructed the lending bank to exercise its security rights. This was successfully achieved and, as a result, the ECGD's guarantee terminated and the relevant files were closed.

  Trade Mission (Azerbaijan)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the trade mission led by Lord Fraser to Azerbaijan. [13712]
  125
  Mr. Nelson
  Lord Fraser's mission comprised a group of British companies focused on the inspection, repair and maintenance sector for the oil and gas industry. Its objective was to assess the business opportunities available in the refurbishment of the badly run-down Azeri oil and gas production facilities. A number of significant opportunities were identified and discussed with senior authorities and several of the participating companies are to return over the coming weeks for detailed follow-up. During the course of the visit a substantial contract award was made to one of the companies on the mission.

  The mission was regarded as very successful by those participating.

  Nanotechnology
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many EU funded networks in nanotechnology are based(a) inside and (b) outside the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [14969]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 7 February 1997]: The European Commission's research and development information service database—CORDIS—indicates that there are at least 33 current (1997) nanotechnology projects, established with EU funding under the EC research and development framework programme. Of these 33 project consortia, three are networks. Organisations from the United Kingdom lead four of the projects and participate in 16. The data provided cover the areas of micro-submicro electronics and systems, nano-structures, nano-processing and high precision engineering.

  In addition, a UK lead consortium, with partners in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Denmark is currently preparing a proposal for a nano-engineering network in response to already existing—and equivalent—networks in Japan and the US.

  Business Appointment Rules
  Mr. Derek Foster
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many applications have been made by his Department's officials under the business appointment rules in each year since 1989; and how many of these applications have been granted. [9779]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  [holding answer 13 January 1997]: My Department, including those parts of the DTI that were transferred to the Department as a result of machinery of government changes, received the following applications:

  1989: 140

  1990: 160

  1991: 46

  1992: 73

  1993: 51

  1994: 82

  1995: 73

  1996: 142.

  126
  No applications were refused, although several were approved with various conditions and waiting periods attached.

  Animals (Cosmetics Testing)
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on the proposed EU ban on the use of animals in cosmetic testing. [14779]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The Commission has announced that it will be bringing forward proposals for a draft Council directive to ban the testing of finished cosmetic products on animals from 1 January 1998, but with certain dispensations for exceptional cases. United Kingdom toxicological advisers see no justification for dispensations and we intend therefore to press, in the negotiations, for a total ban on finished product testing.

  Electricity and Gas Prices
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the prices for electricity and gas have fallen for industrial users since the privatisation of these industries; and how average prices compare with those in other EU countries. [14595]

  Mr. Page
  Between privatisation in quarter four 1986 and quarter three 1996, average UK industrial gas prices have fallen by 59 per cent. in real terms, whilst between privatisation in quarter two 1990 and quarter three 1996, average UK industrial electricity prices have fallen by 15 per cent. in real terms.

  In 1995, the latest year for which comprehensive data are available, UK industrial gas prices were the lowest in the European Union, an improvement from sixth lowest in 1990. Electricity prices were in the mid range of prices—seventh lowest—an improvement on 10th lowest in 1990.

  Competitiveness
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total funding of the local competitiveness budget and sector challenge fund for the next financial year; and if he will list the allocation of these funds by region. [15002]

  Mr. Page
  The total funding for the local competitiveness budget in 1997–98 is £169 million. Allocations have been made to regions for the business link core services, regional supply network and investors in people parts of the budget. The level of expenditure in each region from the local challenge part of this budget will depend upon the quality of individual bids in each region. In addition, some of the budget is used at national level to support local activity, for example on business link publicity and on management best practice.

  Region

  1997–98 DTI core services provision £

  1997–98 regional supply network provision £

  1997–98 DJEE investors in people provision £

  South East

  11,433,953

  373,000

  7,765,000

  London

  10,852,241

  253,000

  11,374,000

  Eastern

  7,363,309

  270,000

  5,969,000

  South West1

  7,963,441

  299,676

  5,582,000

  West Midlands

  8,402,068

  375,000

  6,993,000

  East Midlands

  5,788,621

  327,000

  5,192,000

  127

  Region

  1997–98 DTI core services provision £

  1997–98 regional supply network provision £

  1997–98 DfEE investors in people provision £

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  6,400,000

  297,600

  6,610,000

  North West

  8,750,000

  383,000

  2,015,000

  Merseyside2

  1,909,367

  —

  7,500,000

  North East

  3,700,000

  157,594

  3,199,000

  National total

  72,563,000

  2,735,870

  62,199,000

  1 South West regional supply network includes £12,626 for Devon and Cornwall regional supply office.

  2 Merseyside regional supply network provision is included in the figure for the north west.

  Funding for the first round of sector challenge will amount to at least £30 million over three years. The actual expenditure in each year will be affected by the spend profile of the portfolio of successful bids. There is no prior allocation of the fund to different regions. The challenge is a UK-wide competition and the geographical location of organisations mounting successful bids may not relate directly to the regions in which benefits from those bids will accrue.

  Ford UK
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he first met Ford UK to discuss the implications of the closure announcement at Halewood; and when he last met representatives of the company prior to the announcement. [15105]

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: I met Jac Nasser, president of Ford Europe, to discuss future investment at Halewood on 16 January. Prior to that I met Sir Alex Trotman, chairman, president and chief executive of Ford Motor Company, on 2 March 1996.

  My officials have frequent contact and meetings with the company.

  Iveco Ford
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with the Iveco Ford company at Langley; and if he will make a statement. [15106]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: Officials from my Department's automotive directorate have regular discussions with Iveco Ford's UK management, as well as with representatives of the company's parent organisation. The subjects under discussion are treated as confidential.

  Prior Options Reviews
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total cost of the prior options reviews; and if he will make a statement. [15082]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The estimated total cost of conducting the prior options reviews, excluding the costs for the preparation of the privatisation of ADAS, the establishment of the health and safety laboratory as an internal agency of the Health and Safety Executive, and the conversion of three establishments into new executive agencies, is likely to be in the region of £1.5 million. This cost is small compared with the sum devoted to the establishments—some £690 million a year. The 128
  Government believe that to achieve further efficiency gains, which can only benefit the science base, this is a worthwhile investment.

  Manufacturing Output
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the percentage change in manufacturing output between(a) 1996 and 1995 and (b) 1995 and 1994. [15160]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: Manufacturing output was 2.2 per cent. higher in 1995 than it was in 1994. Last year it rose by a further 0.5 per cent. to reach its highest ever level. The Confederation of British Industry expects manufacturing output to grow by 3.4 per cent. in 1997.

  North Sea Oil
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the oil discharged into the North sea derives from United Kingdom licensed offshore oil rigs and platforms. [14866]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: Figures from the Oslo and Paris commissions North sea quality status report, last published in 1993, indicate that the United Kingdom licensed offshore oil rigs and platforms were responsible for between 4 and 10 per cent. of the total oil input to the North sea.

  Companies (Investigation)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is(a) the cost to date of each of the investigations currently being carried out under the Insurance Companies Acts, (b) the amounts which have been paid to each of the inspectors and (c) the basis on which they have been paid. [14913]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Investigations carried out under the Insurance Companies Acts are not announced and are confidential. Current inquiries are being carried out by departmental staff at no appreciable cost.

  Money Laundering
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information his Department collects about the involvement of United Kingdom accountancy firms in facilitating money laundering. [14843]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Any information received by the Department in relation to money laundering is passed to the national criminal intelligence service.

  Caparo Judgment
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to introduce legislation to reverse the Caparo judgment. [14790]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  I have no such plans, but continue to keep this issue under review.

  Publicity
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was his Department's expenditure on staff
  129
  employed full-time or part-time to provide (a) publicity and (b) work on domestic press and media for inward investment in each year since 1979–80. [15367]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  Publicity in respect of inward investment is carried out by staff in various parts of the Department such as the Invest in Britain Bureau, information division and sector divisions but records are not kept at the level of detail required to provide the information requested.

  Royal Ordnance, Chorley
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the current situation regarding Konver grant for the Royal Ordnance site in Chorley. [15375]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  The Royal Ordnance site in Chorley has received European structural fund grants for projects from Konver I and Perifra. The Konver II working group for the north-west has been asked to consider the scope for offering some grant to support a further project on this site. I shall write to the hon. Member when this issue has been settled.

TRANSPORT

  Road Schemes
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the average time taken to complete major road schemes. [14572]

  Mr. Watts
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: Reducing the time taken to complete road schemes is an objective of the Highways Agency. Figures taken from the agency's annual report for 1995–96 are given in the table. They show the average time taken, from programme entry to completion, for schemes completed in each year.

  1992–93: 15.0 years

  1993–94: 11.9 years

  1994–95: 11.4 years

  1995–96: 13.4 years.

  Of the 21 schemes analysed in 1995–96, five entered the programme over 20 years ago, one in 1969. If these schemes are taken out of the analysis, the average time reduces to 10.6 years, showing a gradual fall over the four-year period.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the longest time recorded to complete a road scheme begun after 1979. [14573]

  Mr. Watts
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: The longest time recorded to complete a road scheme begun after 1979 is 15 years. The A65 Burley-in-Wharfdale bypass in west Yorkshire entered the programme in 1980 and was completed in 1995.

  London Transport Prestige Project
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential for third party revenue benefits from London Transport's prestige project. [15463]
  130
  Mr. Bowis
  London Transport is responsible for the prestige project and is currently in negotiation with a private sector consortium on a potential deal. Third party revenues are one of the matters subject to negotiation, but London Transport believes that the project has the potential to generate significant third party revenues from smart-card ticketing.

  Heavy Goods Vehicles
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes have been permitted in the dimensions of heavy goods vehicles since the increase in lorry weights to 38 tonnes was implemented. [15348]

  Mr. Watts
  The maximum permitted weight of lorries increased to 38 tonnes in 1983. Since that date, the maximum permitted length of an articulated vehicle increased from 15.5m to 16.5m in 1990 and the maximum length of a lorry and trailer increased from 18.0m to 18.35m in 1991. The maximum width for refrigerated vehicles increased from 2.5m to 2.58m in 1986 and then to 2.6m in 1988. The maximum width of other types of lorry increased from 2.5m to 2.55m in 1996.

  Railtrack (Code of Conduct)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received in respect of a code of conduct for Railtrack; and if he will make a statement. [15343]

  Mr. Watts
  None.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the total costs incurred by the British Railways Board in the privatisation process in 1996–97 to date. [15400]

  Mr. Watts
  Details of the costs incurred by the British Railways Board in the privatisation process are a matter for the board itself. However, I understand from the board that up to 4 January 1997 the total costs incurred in 1996–97 were £40 million.

  Level Crossing Grant
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what amount was paid to Railtrack in level crossing grant for 1996–97; and what is the forecast level of the grant for 1997–98. [15347]

  Mr. Watts
  No level crossing grant was paid to Railtrack for 1996–97 and no such grant is forecast to be paid in 1997–98. With effect from 1 April 1996, level crossing grant ceased to be payable to Railtrack, which recovers the costs of maintaining level crossings through the access charges paid by train operating companies.

  Railways (Advice Costs)
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his current estimate of the cost in 1996–97 of bought in advice for(a) the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and (b) the Office of the Rail Regulator. [15404]

  Mr. Watts
  My current estimate of these costs is(a) £32.2 million and (b) £1.2 million.
  131

  West Coast Main Line
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce the preferred bidder for the west coast main line franchise. [14896]

  Mr. Watts
  The franchising director announced the choice of the Virgin Rail Group as the preferred bidder on 7 February.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the west coast main line franchise to be let. [14895]

  Mr. Watts
  The franchising director's target date for the commencement of franchised operations is March 1997.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish the passenger service requirements for the west coast main line franchise; what plans he has for the modernisation of the line; and if he will make a statement. [14897]

  Mr. Watts
  The franchising director published the passenger service requirement on 11 February. He has entered into an infrastructure investment agreement with Railtrack which will allow for the operation of tilting trains and dramatically reduced journey times from 2002. This route represents an excellent opportunity for all parties. There are strong commercial incentives for the franchisee and Railtrack to build on it and develop an efficient, fast and competitive railway.

  Emissions 2000 Directive
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to seek to amend the European Commission's current proposals in its emissions 2000 directive, so as to ensure that the tools and electronic codes relating to on-board diagnostics for motor vehicles are available to members of the public; and what information he has as to the public availability of such codes in other OECD countries. [15156]

  Mr. Bowis
  The Government are seeking to ensure that all diagnostic fault codes, electronic communication protocols and connector sockets are standardised to enable interrogation by standard off-board instruments used by the repair industry. We are working closely with other member states and the Commission to achieve this objective.

  There is general agreement between member states that the fault codes should be based on a new ISO standard which will be publicly available. This standard is in turn based on a Society of Automotive Engineers standard which is already generally available in the United States.

  Towing Vessels
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase the number of emergency towing vessels which patrol the southern English coast. [15001]

  Mr. Bowis
  The Coastguard agency has no plans to increase the number of emergency towing vessels which patrol this length of coast.
  132

  Vehicle Excise Duty Exemption
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the DSS allowances which qualify the recipients for vehicle excise duty exemption. [14388]

  Mr. Bowis
  The following DSS allowances currently qualify for vehicle excise duty exemption:

  1. War pensioners mobility supplement;

  2. Disability living allowance—

  a. for recipients of the higher rate of the mobility component;

  b. in respect of the care component;

  3. Attendance allowance.

  In the case of 2(b) and 3, however, only where the application for exemption was approved before 13 October 1993, and in the case of 3, only to those unable or virtually unable to walk.

SCOTLAND

  Parkhead Hospital
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how he plans to respond to the recent report of the Scottish health advisory service on Parkhead hospital; and if he will make a statement. [13212]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The Greater Glasgow health board and the Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health Services NHS trust have developed a comprehensive action plan to address the issues highlighted in the SHAS report. Many of the required service improvements had been addressed by the trust before the report was published. The health board is monitoring progress on all the recommendations.

  Mr. Ian Dutton
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on its contract with Thompson Partners in relation to the eventual recruitment of Mr. Ian Dutton; and what is the projected expenditure on the contract. [14151]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 5 February 1997]: Five thousand pounds was paid to Thompson Partners in respect of its work to identify persons who might be suitable to carry out the consultancy relating to self-governing schools matters.

  The projected expenditure on this consultancy is between £30,000 and £45,000.

  Skye Toll Bridge
  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has issued a report in respect of the Skye toll bridge in accordance with section 41 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991; and if he will make a statement. [14627]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Yes. Reports were laid before the House on 16 July 1992, 20 July 1993 and 28 June 1996.

  Crofting Townships (Woodland Planting)
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the crofting townships which have applied to plant woodland on common grazing in each year since 1992, indicating in each case the number of hectares. [14644]

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 6 February 1997]: The townships which have applied to plant woodland are listed. Not all of these areas have been approved for grants.

  Township/common grazing

  Area (hectares)

  1993

  None

  1994

  Allt-Nan-Subh

  59

  Camusluinie 1

  72

  Marybank/Maryhill

  15

  Sandwick (East Street)

  100

  Scallasaig

  49

  Tong/Aird

  114

  1995

  Borve/Annishader

  20

  Calligary

  10

  Camusluinie 2

  48

  Culvid Wood

  30

  Doire-Aonar

  52

  Galson

  30

  Kylerhea

  6

  Sandwick (North Street)

  100

  Toscaig

  122

  1996

  Achorn

  4

  Allt-Nan-Subh

  59

  Ardmore

  16

  Ardvourlie

  100

  Backies

  64

  Borve and Annishadder 2

  64

  Creag Dharaich

  167

  Heather Parks

  20

  Feorlig

  100

  Fideach

  10

  Garrabost and New Garrabost

  74

  Glen

  25

  Luskentyre

  4

  Penifiler

  6

  Upper Coll

  100

  Strathcannaird

  9

  Vatten

  61

  1997 (to date)

  Camusluinie 3

  25

  Halladale

  6

  Laxay

  48

  Loch Crocach

  136

  Melbost and Branahuie

  65

  Modsarie

  9

  Satran

  3

  Scoraig

  104

  Shieldaig

  1

  Tarvie

  155

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount of Government grant paid to support woodland planting on common grazing in crofting townships in each year since 1992. [14643]
  134
  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 6 February 1997]: The information is set out in the table:

  Year ending 31 March

  Grants paid (£000)

  1993

  Nil

  1994

  106

  1995

  106

  1996

  260

  1997 (to date)

  309

  Algrade Trust
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make the Scottish Charities Office report on the affairs of the Algrade Trust available for inspection by legal representatives of the families of residents formerly at the Humbie home. [14938]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: I refer the hon. Member to the Adjournment debate on 3 February 1997 before the Scottish Grand Committee, Official Report, Scottish Grand Committee, 3 February 1997, columns 41–50. It is not the practice of the Crown Office to make public reports on confidential inquiries into charities for the reasons set out in that speech.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what payments have been made by the Algrade Trust to Lothian regional council or the East Lothian council for repairs, redecoration and furnishing at Wedderburn house at Inveresk. [14940]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: This information is not known to the Charities Office and was not necessary for the purposes of the investigation. It is a matter for the present trustees.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the plans of the Algrade Trust for the application of its £1.2 million accumulated profit. [14942]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  These funds are already being used to fund the facilities at Wedderburn. The detailed application of funds is a matter for the present trustees.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the properties bequeathed to the Algrade Trust, or to one or more individual trustees of that body, by residents or relatives of residents who were at the Humbie home. [14937]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: I am advised by my noble Friend the Lord Advocate that there are no known heritable properties which have been bequeathed to the Algrade Trust or to one or more individual trustees of that body by residents or relatives of residents who were at the Humbie home.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what payments have been made by the Algrade Trust to the Church of Scotland board of social responsibility for the care of residents at and from the Humbie home in 1995 and 1996. [14939]
  135
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information is not known to the Charities Office and was not necessary for the purposes of the investigation. It is a matter for the present trustees.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what profits were generated by the Algrade Trust in each year between 1969 and 1995. [14941]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The accumulated surplus income over expenditure is £1.2 million, as explained in my speech at the Adjournment debate. The further information sought is not readily available and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost. The information comes within the confidentiality of the investigation.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the instances of maladministration at the Algrade Trust which have been identified by the Scottish Charities Office. [14926]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The accounts were not up to the standard required by the supervision legislation. There was an inability on the part of the trustees to cope with management responsibilities owing to their advancing years. The trustees had the benefit of remuneration from the trust. There was a reluctance over many years to work with the supervisory social work department.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision has been made by the Algrade Trust for residents from the Humbie home following their transfer to the care of the Church of Scotland board of social responsibility. [14927]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The responsibility for the residents remains with the Algrade Trust and not with the Church of Scotland board of social responsibility, which acts as the agent of the Algrade Trust in the day-to-day management of the premises and is paid for its services.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the charitable works and responsibilities undertaken by the Algrade Trust since the beginning of 1996. [14928]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The charitable works and responsibilities of the trust remain as they have always been. That is principally the provision of care for residents.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the staffing costs of the Algrade Trust of £2.2 million from 1969 to 1995 to show the number of staff and the expenditure in each year expressed in total and per resident. [14929]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information comes within the confidentiality of the investigation. The information is not readily available and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the food and household costs of the Algrade Trust of £0.8 million between 1969 and 1995 to show the expenditure each year expressed in total and per resident. [14930]
  136
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information comes within the confidentiality of the investigation. The information is not readily available and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the property maintenance costs of the Algrade Trust of £0.86 million between 1969 and 1995 to show the expenditure in each year expressed in total and per resident. [14931]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is not readily available and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost. The information comes within the confidentiality of the investigation.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the transport and administration costs of the Algrade Trust of £1.2 million between 1969 and 1995 to show the expenditure each year expressed in total and per resident. [14932]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information comes within the confidentiality of the investigation. The information is not readily available and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the spending of the Algrade Trust of £0.24 million on pocket money for residents between 1969 and 1995 to show the expenditure in each year expressed in total and per resident. [14933]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is not readily available and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost. The information comes within the confidentiality of the investigation.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the 14 properties acquired by the former Algrade trustees, giving(a) the dates of acquisition and purchase prices, (b) where relevant, the dates of disposal and sale price, and (c) the valuation in 1996 of those still owned by the trust. [14934]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There were 13 properties purchased by the trustees. A further property, the Good Templar hall, known as the Gospel hall, was a gift. The value of these properties in 1996 is not known. So far as the 14 properties referred to in the Adjournment debate are concerned, the dates of acquisitions and purchase prices and the dates of disposal and sale are set out in the following schedule:
  137

  Date of property

  Date of acquisition

  Price

  Sale

  Price

  1. 9 Upper Keith Cottage, Humbie

  18 May 1979

  £18,000

  Not applicable

  Not applicable

  2. 1–2 Cockburn Square, Pathhead

  28 October 1983

  £36,000

  2 June 1990

  £36,000

  3. Browseat (Maranatha), Humbie

  2 December 1983

  £46,000

  Not applicable

  Not applicable

  4. Good Templar Hall, Pathhead (known as The Gospel Hall)

  20 April 1984

  No consideration

  16 June 1990

  No consideration

  5. Algrade school

  21 September 1988

  £300,000

  Not applicable

  Not applicable

  6. 10 Upper Keith Cottage, Humbie

  Constructed by Algrade Trust

  Not applicable

  21 July 1989

  Not applicable

  7. 11 Upper Keith Cottage, Humbie

  Constructed by Algrade Trust

  Not applicable

  21 July 1989

  £26,000

  8. 29 Oxenfoord Drive, Pathhead

  4 June 1990

  £99,500

  Not applicable

  Not applicable

  9. 44 Main Street, Pathhead

  10 December 1992

  £67,162

  Not applicable

  Not applicable

  10. 46 Main Street, Pathhead

  10 December 1992

  £67,162

  Not applicable

  Not applicable

  11. 34 Main Street, Pathhead

  16 March 1993

  £17,500

  1993—No disposition followed conclusion of missives, although the price was paid

  £17,500

  12. 1 Chapel Close, Pathhead

  12 October 1994

  £110,000

  Not applicable

  Not applicable

  13. 40 Main Street, Pathhead

  25 November 1994

  £69,500

  Not applicable

  Not applicable

  14. 42 Main Street, Pathhead

  25 November 1994

  £69,500

  Not applicable

  Not applicable

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on property transactions between the Algrade Trust and trustees of that body, showing the date of conveyance and the price received or paid for each property. [14935]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In the first five undernoted transactions, the trust transferred the properties to the trustees. In the final case, the property was acquired by the trust by way of gift:

  Property

  Date

  Price £

  10 Upper Keith Cottage, Humbie

  21 July 1989

  26,000

  11 Upper Keith Cottage, Humbie

  21 July 1989

  26,000

  1/2 Cockburn Square, Pathhead

  2 June 1990

  36,000

  34 Main Street, Pathhead 19931

  £17,500

  —

  The Good Templar Hall, Pathhead

  16 June 1990

  No consideration

  Copsewood, Shore Road, Tighnabruaich

  30 October 1974

  No consideration

  1 No disposition followed conclusion of missives although the price was paid.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the value of the property of the Algrade Trust at the former Humbie home; what conditions affecting the sale of that property are included in its title deeds; and if the trust has plans to sell it. [14936]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The current value of the property is not known. The sale of the property is a matter for the trustees. The exact conditions attached to sales are not readily available and cannot be ascertained except at disproportionate cost. They are contained within the title deeds of the property which are publicly available at the Registers of Scotland.

  Self-governing Schools
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total budget allocation for self-governing schools in Scotland for each of the past three years; and what is the budget for expenditure in the current year. [15173]
  138
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The information requested is as follows:

  1994–95: £429,000

  1995–96: £559,000

  1996–97: £741,000 (Estimated outturn).

  These figures include annual recurrent grants, capital and other current grants payable in each financial year to Dornoch academy and St. Mary's episcopal primary school, since they became self-governing schools on 1 April 1994 and 20 October 1995 respectively. No expenditure is expected in 1996–97 in respect of Fort William primary school, which becomes a self-governing school on 1 August 1997.

WALES

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total cost of local government reorganisation in Wales on the latest date for which information is available; how much has been spent on redundancy payments; how many newly appointed chief executives have taken early retirement less than one year after the reorganisation; and if he will make a statement. [14590]

  Mr. Hague
  The total cost of local government reorganisation is not available centrally. However, up to and including the current financial year, £87.5 million has been made available to local authorities as a contribution to reorganisation-related costs. A further £17.9 million will be available in 1997–98. Of the total available to support reorganisation, £28.3 million has been earmarked for related redundancy costs, of which £19.3 million has been spent. A further £10.1 million will be made available in 1997–98.

  To date, no newly appointed chief executive has taken early retirement.

  Nurses' Pay
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from people in Wales on the subject of the pay review in respect of Welsh nurses; and if he will make a statement. [14414]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  None. The recommended pay increase of the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Pay Review Body has been accepted and will be implemented in two stages from 1 April and 1 December 1997.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are employed by his Department to provide advice on the application of equal opportunities; and at what cost in the last year for which figures are available. [14467]

  Mr. Hague
  The number of staff in my Department who provide advice on equal opportunities is 1.5, full-time equivalent, at a cost of £35,610 for 1996–97.

  NHS Salaries and Wages
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list NHS salaries and wages costs for(a) general and senior managers, (b) nurses and midwives and (c) administrative and clerical staff for the financial years (i) 1994–95 and (ii) 1995–96. [14597]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information requested on NHS salaries and wages costs is as follows:

  £000

  1994–95

  1995–96

  (a) General/senior managers

  38,753

  42,605

  (b) Nurses and midwives

  433,661

  442,604

  (c) Administrative and clerical staff

  110,620

  118,049

  Source:

  Annual Accounts/Financial Returns of Welsh Health bodies.

  Dr. William Price
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will discuss with Cadw its decision not to take steps to safeguard the birthplace of Dr. William Price, near Machen; and if he will make a statement. [14685]

  Mr. Hague
  Cadw's assessment of the Greenmeadow inn, Waterloo, Machen, has been made by reference to the criteria applied in the identification of all buildings of special architectural or historic importance.

  The building's probable association with Dr. William Price and his place in Welsh history, which is not disputed, have been important considerations in the assessment. But the extent of that association and the building's architectural characteristics do not amount to a case which would justify statutory protection.

  Health Service Vacancies
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many vacancies there are currently for(a) doctors and (b) nurses in NHS hospitals in (i) Clwyd and (ii) Powys; and if he will make a statement. [14891]
  140
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Green Belts
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his policy on green belts for Wales. [15146]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  "Planning Guidance (Wales): Planning Policy", which was published in May 1996, contains Government planning policy guidance on green belts in Wales.

  A465 (Accidents)
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 29 January,Official Report, column 290, on accidents on the A465 since 1979, how many non-personal injury accidents there were during this period. [14885]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Only data on personal injury road accidents are forwarded to the Welsh Office. South Wales police do not compile statistics on non-personal injury road accidents.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to reply to the letter of 9 January from Mrs. Betty Williams concerning the proposed development at Llandudno. [15252]

  Mr. Hague
  Mrs. Williams's letter was not received by the Welsh Office until 28 January; a reply will be sent by 19 February.

  Capital Challenge
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his oral statement of 12 December,Official Report, column 407, if he will make a statement on the tourist development in Llandudno which he proposes to support under the Welsh capital challenge. [15251]

  Mr. Hague
  The joint public-private sector project sponsored by Conwy county borough council to provide a street tramway in Llandudno was successful in gaining support under Welsh capital challenge along with the other projects which I approved because they best meet the scheme's criteria for support.

  Claimant Numbers
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many families in Wales draw child benefit; and if he will make a statement; [13876]

  (2) how many pensioners in Wales received the Christmas bonus; and if he will make a statement. [13895]

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  I have been asked to reply.

  The administration of child benefit and the Christmas bonus is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
  141
  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Barry Jones, dated 6 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking how many families in Wales draw Child Benefit and how many pensioners in Wales received the Christmas Bonus.
  At 30 September 1996 there were 350,000 families in Wales in receipt of Child Benefit. This figure is based on a one percent sample of the Child Benefit computer system, rounded to the nearest thousand and excludes late notifications of children returning to full time education.
  To receive payment of the Christmas Bonus, a pensioner must be entitled to one of the following benefits for a period which includes a day in a prescribed week in December:- 'Retirement Pension (RP), Income Support (for those over state pension age), Widows Pension (WP), Incapacity Benefit Long Term (IBLT), Attendance Allowance (AA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Invalid Care Allowance (ICA), Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA), and War Widows' Pensions'. Beneficiaries may receive a second payment for their partner if they are both over state pensionable age and they are entitled to an increase to the qualifying benefit for that person.
  At 31 March 1996 there were approximately 533,000 people in Wales in receipt of RP. At 24 February 1996 there were approximately 14,000 pensioners, including partners, in receipt of Income Support in Wales. This figure includes claims where a partner of a customer is a pensioner, but the customer is not, and the partner has no qualification for the christmas bonus. These figures are based on five per cent samples.
  At 31 March 1996 there were 3000 pensioners in receipt of WP and at 31 August 1996 there were 23,000 pensioners in receipt of IBLT, in Wales. The number of pensioners in receipt of AA, DLA, ICA, SDA and War Widows Pension could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
  Figures are given for the latest dates available and are rounded to the nearest thousand.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Ostriches
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many ostriches have been slaughtered for consumption in each of the last 12 months; what quantity is exported abroad; and if he will make a statement. [13623]

  Mrs. Browning
  [holding answer 31 January 1997]: The slaughter of ostriches for human consumption must be carried out in a slaughterhouse licensed under the poultry meat hygiene regulations or in exempt on-farm premises which comply with general food hygiene legislation.

  Slaughterhouses are licensed by the respective Agriculture Department. To date the Ministry has not granted any slaughterhouse in England a licence to handle ostriches. Small numbers will have been killed in exempt on-farm premises during the last 12 months, but no figures are available. Meat produced in exempt premises is not eligible for export.

  Post-Chernobyl Restrictions
  Dr. John Cunningham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the names and areas of the holdings(a) which have been exempted from the post-Chernobyl restrictions following the announcement of 22 January and (b) which still remain under restrictions. [14367]
  142
  Mr. Boswell
  The total area under restrictions in Cumbria following the announcement on 22 January 1997 is approximately 12,200 hectares comprising 48 holdings. Within this area 37 holdings covering about 9,230 hectares have been granted exemptions from the provisions of the order and 11 holdings covering about 2,970 hectares still remain under controls.

  It has not been the policy of the Agriculture Department to release the names of individual holdings.

  Animal Feed
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the use of animal protein in feed for animals intended for human consumption was banned in(a) the Irish Republic and (b) each of the other EU countries. [14775]

  Mrs. Browning
  In Ireland the use of mammalian protein in ruminant feedstuffs was first prohibited from 13 August 1990.

  We do not have detailed information on the legislation in place in each of the other member states. Community decision 94/381 of 27 June 1994 required all member states to ban the feeding of mammalian protein to ruminants. In member states with a system which makes it possible to distinguish between protein from ruminant and non-ruminant species—such as Denmark—the ban is limited to the feeding of ruminant protein to ruminants.

  We are not aware of any controls in other member states on the feeding of mammalian protein to animals for human consumption other than ruminants.

  Data Collection (Postcodes)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what use his Department and its agencies make of postcode areas for the collection of data and in formulas for the distribution of grants and awards; and when such usages were last reviewed. [14808]

  Mr. Boswell
  The Department uses the Royal Mail's postcode address file to validate name and address data in relation to certain grants and subsidies payments to farmers and is considering further opportunities in this area. The potential for using the postcode to geo-reference agricultural holding data is also under consideration.

  BSE
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of BSE have been identified in imported cattle. [14773]

  Mrs. Browning
  We have confirmed BSE in 10 animals imported from other member states. No cases have been recorded from other countries. It is possible that all but one of these animals were infected with BSE in the UK. There is only one case where infection in the country of origin seems probable, its period of residence in the United Kingdom being too short to permit development of disease.

  A further imported case is currently under investigation.
  143
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many instances of BSE in cattle have been reported in the Irish Republic in each of the past 10 years. [14772]

  Mrs. Browning
  the number of confirmed cases of BSE in cattle reported in the Republic of Ireland since the first case was reported is:

  Year

  Confirmed cases of BSE

  1989

  15

  1990

  14

  1991

  17

  1992

  18

  1993

  16

  1994

  19

  1995

  16

  1996

  73

  Total

  188

  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what control measures to ensure that

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Anthrax1

  2

  2

  3

  1

  3

  Avian Influenza2

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Contagious Equine Metritis1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  14

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

  36,682

  34,370

  23,994

  14,298

  37,202

  Brucellosis

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Enzootic Bovine Leukosis

  4

  63

  26

  7

  5

  Equine Viral Arteritis

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Paramyxovirus of pigeons2

  157

  103

  36

  26

  22

  Newcastle Disease2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Rabies

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4

  Scrapie

  5—

  327

  199

  163

  3207

  Tuberculosis (in cattle)6

  155

  274

  362

  449

  7—

  Tuberculosis (in Deer)6

  1

  1

  1

  2

  7—

  Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (in rabbits)1

  2

  10

  200

  512

  8269

  Warble Fly

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

  1 Figures denote number of outbreaks which may involve more than one animal.

  2 Figures denote outbreaks in flocks which may involve more than one bird.

  3 Provisional.

  4 One case of European Bat Lyssavirus 2 which did not affect the UK's status as a rabies free country.

  5 Scrapie only became a notifiable disease on 1 January 1993.

  6 Figures denote confirmed herd breakdowns which may involve more than one animal.

  7 Figures not available until June 1997.

  8 Viral haemorrhagic disease of rabbits ceased to be a notifiable disease on 21 October 1996.

  Rabies
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the reports into the possible danger of introducing rabies in imported animals carried out(a) by the European Commission in 1991 and (b) by the New Zealand Department of Agriculture in 1994; and if he will place copies of those reports in the Library. [14983]

  Mrs. Browning
  Both reports are being taken into account in the current review of rabies control policy. Copies of the reports have already been placed in the Library.

  Beef Waste
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list the 144
  the cohorts of imported cattle which develop BSE are traced in their country of origin have been notified to his Department. [14774]

  Mrs. Browning
  In cases where it is believed that an imported animal was infected with BSE in its country of origin, the chief veterinary officer of the country concerned will be notified, and an epidemiological report requested. If it is established that the animal has been infected there, it will be for the veterinary authorities in that country to take appropriate action in relation to animals associated with that case. Where the imported animal has been infected in this country, there will be no tracing back to the country of origin.

  Notifiable Disease
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of cases of each notifiable disease over the past five years. [14857]

  Mrs. Browning
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: The number of cases of each notifiable disease over the last five years is as follows:

  locations of landfill sites where non-domestic beef waste products have been landfilled in (a) 1995 and (b) 1996, and the quantity, in tonnes, at each site; [15411]

  (2) how many tonnes of beef, and beef products, have been disposed of to landfill in each year since 1979; [15409]

  (3) what regulations govern the disposal to landfill of (a) beef and beef products from household food waste, (b) beef bought by the Intervention Board, (c) specified bovine material, (d) cattle diagnosed with BSE and (e) ash from BSE infected cattle which have been incinerated. [15410]

  Mr. Baldry
  The landfilling of waste is governed by the terms of waste management licences issued by the Environment Agency under section 35 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990—the 1990 Act—which, among other matters, specifies the types of waste and quantities of waste which may be disposed of in each
  145
  site. Operators of landfill sites are required by paragraph 14 of schedule 4 to the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994—the 1994 regulations—to:

  (a) keep a record of the quantity, nature and origin of the waste which they dispose of;

  (b) to make that information available, on request, to the Environment Agency;

  (c) to comply with the duty of care under section 34 of the 1990 Act and the Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991.

  The Environment Agency is required by section 64 of the 1990 Act and regulation 10 of the 1994 regulations to maintain a public register of licensed landfill sites. It does not, however, hold centrally information about the types and quantities of waste disposed of in landfill sites and this could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Regarding cattle waste potentially infected with BSE, cattle suspected of showing clinical signs of the disease are disposed of by direct incineration in plants contracted to MAFF which are subject to authorisation by the Environment Agency or relevant local authority under part I of the 1990 Act. Specified bovine material, the tissues most likely to contain any BSE infectivity, is removed from cattle slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme or for human consumption and consigned for rendering or direct incineration.

  The independent Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee has considered the current and proposed methods of dealing with waste material from the slaughter of cattle and concluded that these are safe. A press release reporting its conclusions was issued by MAFF on 7 June 1996 and a copy is available in the Library of the House.

  Mrs. Jackson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list(a) the incinerators and (b) power stations and their locations which have been considered for burning the rendered remains of BSE cattle slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme. [15406]

  Mr. Baldry
  BSE suspects are not slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme—OTMS, this is expressly prohibited under Commission regulation 716/96. Such animals are slaughtered and their carcases sent for direct incineration.

  Regarding the destruction of the rendered remains of cattle slaughtered under the OTMS, currently only one commercial incinerator—Rechem at Fawley, Hampshire—is burning meat and bonemeal derived from OTMS cattle and the rendering company, Prosper De Mulder at Widnes, is currently burning a small amount of OTMS tallow. However, a number of proposals should emerge from a tender exercise initiated by the Intervention Board in December 1996 which, subject to satisfactory trials, should increase existing incineration capacity for burning MBM—meat and bonemeal—and tallow.

  Combustion trials have been carried out at PowerGen's test facilities at Ratcliffe on Soar, Nottinghamshire, and National Power's test facilities at Didcot, Oxfordshire to establish the feasibility of burning rendered animal waste in power stations under a strict protocol set by the Environment Agency. The fact that trials have been conducted at these sites, however, does not imply that the adjacent power stations would necessarily be chosen for full-scale burning. The test results will be fully evaluated, before any decision is reached on the way forward and an
  146
  announcement will be made to Parliament. Full weight will be given in any such decision to the protection of human health and the environment.

  Mrs. Jackson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the incinerators and their locations which have been licensed to burn the rendered remains of BSE cattle slaughtered under the over 30-months-scheme. [15405]

  Mr. Baldry
  BSE suspects are not slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme—OTMS. This is expressly prohibited under Commission regulation 716/96. Such animals are slaughtered and their carcases sent for direct incineration.

  The high temperature incinerator at Fawley, Hampshire, which is operated by Rechem International Ltd., is authorised by the Environment Agency under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to burn MBM from over-30-months scheme cattle. The Intervention Board executive agency has agreed a contract with the company for the incineration of MBM at this site.

  The rendering company Prosper De Mulder, at Widnes, is currently burning a small amount of OTMS tallow and is authorised by the relevant local authority.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  BSE
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what research was(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated by his Department on the threat of BSE to human beings; and if he will make a statement on the extent to which such research is being co-ordinated (i) with other countries and (ii) by the European Union Commission. [14273]

  Mrs. Browning
  I have been asked to reply

  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has commissioned an extensive programme of research to support control measures for BSE and to protect both human and animal health. A list of this research has been placed in the Library of the House. The results of the research are evaluated by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee which also advises the Government on future research.

  Research commissioned by MAFF is complemented by the research programmes of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Medical Research Council, the Department of Health, the Scottish Office Department of Health and the Wellcome Trust. This research in the UK is now co-ordinated through the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy research funders group. A new high-level committee has been set up in the Cabinet Office whose task is to ensure that the TSE research programme progresses as rapidly and effectively as possible.

  Research in the EU is co-ordinated through the offices of directorate general XII and directorate general VI. This was consolidated in November 1996 on the basis of a report from an advisory committee on TSE research requirements in Europe. A call has been made for research proposals on TSEs under the framework IV programme

  147
  to cover areas identified as requiring further research. Programme co-ordinators from the UK have made a significant input to the EU advisory committee and the standing committees dealing with the research.

  The number of centres actively engaged in TSE research in other European countries is relatively small, but expanding. The research scientists and programme managers in the UK are in constant communication with the centres in European and other countries and there is exchange of information, ideas, materials and, where appropriate, direct collaboration. There is no formal international co-ordination so far, and each country largely supports the research required to meet its national requirements.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Dangerous Driving
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average sentence for motorists who caused a driving-related fatality and had been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, in each of the last five years; [14924]

  (2) what percentage of drivers convicted of a road traffic offence in which someone has died were indicted on the charge of (a) careless and inconsiderate driving and (b) causing death by dangerous driving, in each of the last five years; [14922]

  (3) how many drivers have been charged, in the last year for which figures are available, with careless and inconsiderate driving after causing a death on the roads; [14875]

  (4) what was the average sentence for motorists who caused a driving-related fatality and had been charged with careless and inconsiderate driving, in each of the last five years; [14923]

  (5) if he will list the number of occasions on which drivers being charged with causing death by dangerous driving, have had the alternative verdict of careless and inconsiderate driving substituted by the court, in the last five years. [14876]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answers 10 February 1997]: The available information is shown in the table.

  Information on the original charges brought and original offences contained in indictments are not available centrally. The information contained in the table, therefore, is based on the offence for which the court took its final decision. Nor is it known centrally whether careless driving prosecutions involve a fatality.

  Motoring offences of 'causing death' 1991–95

  England and Wales

  Number of offences

  Offence type

  Causing death by reckless/dangerous driving1

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Prosecutions

  431

  339

  352

  301

  305

  Total convictions

  360

  320

  258

  234

  247

  of which:

  Non-custodial sentences

  97

  99

  72

  56

  67

  Custodial sentences

  263

  221

  186

  178

  180

  148

  Motoring offences of 'causing death' 1991–95

  England and Wales

  Number of offences

  Offence type

  Causing death by reckless/dangerous driving1

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Average custodial sentence (months)

  19

  22

  23

  28

  36

  1 The Road Traffic Act 1991, effective from 1 July 1992, amended the charge of "causing death by reckless driving" to one of "causing death by dangerous driving" and added a new offence of "causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs".

  England and Wales

  Number of offences

  Offence type

  Causing death by careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs1

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Prosecutions

  —

  6

  63

  48

  51

  Total convictions

  —

  1

  29

  49

  52

  of which:

  Non-custodial sentences

  —

  —

  9

  5

  8

  Custodial sentences

  —

  1

  20

  44

  44

  Average custodial sentence (months)

  —

  21

  20

  31

  35

  1 The Road Traffic Act 1991, effective from 1 July 1992, amended the charge of "causing death by reckless driving" to one of "causing death by dangerous driving" and added a new offence of "causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs".

  England and Wales

  Number of offences

  Offence type

  Causing death by careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs1

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Prosecutions

  —

  111

  27

  26

  13

  Total convictions

  —

  49

  26

  24

  24

  of which

  Non-custodial sentences

  —

  33

  5

  7

  4

  Custodial sentences

  —

  16

  21

  17

  20

  Average custodial sentence (months)

  —

  9

  18

  17

  17

  1 Offence added by the Aggravated Vehicle Taking Act 1992, effective from 1 April 1992.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters of complaint have been received by His Department in respect of lenient sentences for drivers who have been involved in causing a driving-related fatality; and what percentage of all letters of complaint received by his Department this represented in the last year for which figures are available. [14879]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: During 1996, the Home Office received in the region of 200 letters from hon. Members and 1,300 letters from members of the public about the sentencing decisions of the courts. Of these, 31 or 15 per cent. and 20 or 1.5 per cent. respectively concerned what were perceived to be lenient sentences for drivers involved in a driving-related fatality.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of drivers convicted of a driving-related fatality in(a) the

  149
  five years preceding the implementation of the Road Traffic Act 1991 and (b) the five years following that implementation. [14878]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: The available information relates to the number of convictions in England and Wales for causing death by reckless driving between 1987 and 1991, and for causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs and causing death by aggravated vehicle taking between 1992 and 1995; the Road Traffic Act 1991 was effective from 1 July 1992.

  The information is as follows:

  Convictions for causing death by dangerous driving etc. England and Wales

  Number

  1987

  322

  1988

  272

  1989

  379

  1990

  358

  1991

  360

  1992

  370

  1993

  313

  1994

  306

  1995

  323

  Figures for 1996 are not yet available.

  Dog Breeders
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 24 January,Official Report, columns 754–55, if local authorities can impose licence conditions on dog breeders who own licensed establishments. [15449]

  Mr. Sackville
  In considering whether to grant a licence under the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973, a local authority is required to ensure that the following conditions are met:that the dogs will at all times be kept in accommodation suitable as respects construction, size of quarters, number of occupants, exercising facilities, temperature, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness;
  that the dogs will be adequately supplied with suitable food, drink and bedding material, adequately exercised and, so far as necessary, visited at suitable intervals;
  that all reasonable precautions will be taken to prevent and control the spread among dogs of infectious or contagious diseases;
  that appropriate steps will be taken for the protection of the dogs in case of fire or other emergency; and
  that all appropriate steps will be taken to secure that the dogs will be provided with suitable food, drink and bedding material and adequately exercised when being transported to or from the breeding establishment.

  A local authority has discretion to specify other relevant conditions, and can withhold a licence if any condition so specified is not met.

  Rochester Prison
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many immigration detainees are currently held in HMP Rochester; [13284]
  150
  (2) on what date inmates on hunger strike in HMP Rochester first refused food; [13285]

  (3) how many immigration detainees are currently refusing food in HMP Rochester; [13286]

  (4) if he will list the nationalities and immigration status of the prisoners currently on hunger strike at HMP Rochester; [13287]

  (5) if he will list the number of prisoners, by category and status, currently on hunger strike in each of Her Majesty's prisons; and if he will make a statement; [13288]

  (6) what medical facilities from (a) HMP medical service and (b) the NHS have been offered to prisoners refusing food at HMP Rochester; [13289]

  (7) what general visiting restrictions currently apply at HMP Rochester; and if he will make a statement; [13292]

  (8) what recent visits have been made to HMP Rochester by (a) Her Majesty's inspectorate of prisons and (b) officials from his Department. [13293]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answers 29 January 1997]: As of 10 February 1997, 169 Immigration Act detainees were held at Rochester detainee centre, Her Majesty's prison Rochester. Meal refusals began on 6 January, when some 70 detainees on D wing started to refuse prison food in protest at their detention under Immigration Act powers. Since that time, there has been a gradual and steady return to eating. At 0800 hours on 10 February, three detainees were refusing food, although the numbers fluctuate.

  It would be contrary to normal practice to give the details of individual detainees, but the three food refusers at Rochester comprise two illegal entrants and one passenger refused entry.

  Excluding the immigration detainees who are refusing food at Rochester detainee centre, the details of other people held in prison refusing prison prepared meals are as follows:

  Bristol: one category A male on remand

  Belmarsh: one sentenced category A male

  Dartmoor: one sentenced category C male

  There is a well equipped health care centre at Rochester prison and detainees have access to medical care comparable with that which would be provided by a general practitioner. There is medical officer cover 24 hours per day, either within the prison or "on call" supported by 24-hour nursing cover. This includes a nurse attending each day between 9am and 9pm specifically allocated to the immigration detainees who are refusing food.

  Detainees can apply to see the medical officer at any time, and can be admitted to the health care centre if their health gives cause for concern. Where appropriate, the medical officer will arrange for a detainee to be referred under guard for national health service treatment. To date, four of the detainees originally refusing food and fluids have received treatment at the Medway hospital, and one has been admitted to the Maidstone hospital and one to the Stockton Hall hospital.

  Domestic visits for immigration detainees at Rochester prison occur from Monday to Saturday between 2pm and 4.30pm, during which time up to three adults and children

  151
  may visit. There are no restrictions on the number of visits, but visits must be booked in advance. No visiting orders are required. Legal representatives may visit from Monday to Friday between 9am and 11.30am or between 2pm and 4.30pm, but such visits must be booked in advance.

  A full inspection of Rochester prison by a team from Her Majesty's inspectorate of prisons took place in the week commencing 30 October 1995.

  The area manager for Kent visited the establishment on 10 October 1996, 29 November 1996 and 14 January 1997, and a director of the immigration service visited on 22 October 1996. The director of operations visited on Wednesday 5 February and the Director General of the Prison Service on 7 February. Immigration officials attend the establishment daily to deal with questions from immigration detainees about their cases. There are also periodic visits by other staff from the immigration and nationality department.

  Police Complaints Authority Reports
  Mr. Maclean
  The Home Office has not issued any guidance to police forces on the use of pepper spray. It is for chief police officers to decide what defensive equipment to issue to their officers. None has issued pepper sprays.

  The use of any force is the responsibility of the individual officer concerned, and is governed by section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967, which provides that a person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting the lawful arrest of suspected offenders.
  152
  The Home Office police scientific development branch initially reviewed data on the effects of oleoresin capsicum on human health in response to a request from the Association of Chief Police Officers to consider its use to incapacitate ferocious dogs used by drug dealers.

  Pet Animals Act
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conditions local authorities may place on licences granted to premises under the Pet Animals Act 1951. [15424]

  Mr. Sackville
  Section 1(3) of the Pet Animals Act 1951 confers a wide discretion on local authorities to take into account any relevant factor in determining the suitability of individual premises.

  Departmental Decisions (Judicial Review)
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many decisions by his Department were challenged through judicial review in each Session since 1991–92; and in how many cases(a) the Department's decision was upheld by the court, (b) the court found for the applicant, (c) the Department submitted to the judgment and (d) the Department appealed successfully against the judicial review decisions. [14375]

  Mr. Howard
  The Home Office has been involved in several thousand judicial review applications since 1991–92 and has been successful in more than 90 per cent. of them. The detailed information requested is not readily available.

  Firearms Certificates
  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Lord Cullen's recommendation that the Government consult on the role which police surgeons might play in advising chief officers of police on applications for firearms certificates. [15564]

  Mr. Howard
  In their response to Lord Cullen's inquiry—Cm 3392—the Government accepted Lord Cullen's recommendation that interested bodies should be consulted on this issue. I have duly consulted the Association of Chief Police Officers, the British Medical Association and the British Shooting Sports Council, but there has been no support for it from any of these parties. All saw practical or ethical difficulties with the idea. The Association of Police Surgeons has since withdrawn this proposal in view of lack of support for it in other parts of the medical profession.

  I am grateful to the Association of Police Surgeons for its constructive efforts in seeking a way of resolving these difficult questions, but I have concluded that this is not a proposal which can be taken further.

  Police Complaints Authority (Appointments)
  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new appointments have been made to the Police Complaints Authority. [15565]
  153
  Mr. Howard
  Mr. Alan Potts has accepted my invitation to serve as a member of the Police Complaints Authority. Mr. Potts previously served as chief executive of Arun district council. He will serve for three years, with effect from 6 January 1997.

  Money Laundering
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the incidents of money laundering referred to the National Criminal Intelligence Service during 1996–97, indicating the sources of information and the number of referrals about and from(a) accountants and (b) lawyers. [14784]

  Mr. Maclean
  The total number of disclosures of suspicious financial transactions made to the National Criminal Intelligence Service under the money laundering legislation so far in the present financial year is 11,610. Disclosures have been made by:

  Accountants and solicitors

  Banks and building societies

  Bureaux de change

  Credit/payment companies

  Financial regulators

  Gaming organisations

  Independent financial advisers

  Insurance companies

  Motor groups

  Others1

  1 Sources which individually make up less than 0.2 per cent. of the total number of disclosures and which are not recorded separately.

  NCIS does not record the profession of individuals to whom financial disclosures relate. However, of the total number of financial disclosures received, accountants have submitted 44 and solicitors 217.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his latest estimate of the number of persons who(a) having applied for political asylum are awaiting (i) first determination or (ii) determination of an appeal or judicial review and (b) are awaiting departure or deportation; and if he will list the number and distributions of all such categories in local authority areas of the United Kingdom. [14955]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  As at 31 December 1996, there were 55,635 applications for asylum in the United Kingdom awaiting an initial decision. As at the same date, 1,340 asylum appeals were awaiting validation and preparation by the asylum directorate and 20,455 asylum appeals were awaiting a hearing by adjudicators at the Immigration Appeals Authority. In addition, there were a further 545 asylum appeals outstanding at the immigration appeals tribunal. A regional breakdown of these data is not centrally recorded.

  Information on the number of asylum-related judicial reviews awaiting a decision, or on the number of persons awaiting departure or deportation is not available.
  154

  Police Bill
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on further amendments to part III of the Police Bill[Lords]. [15476]

  Mr. Howard
  Contradictory amendments to part III of the Police Bill were passed in another place. The Government do not believe that either of these amendments is acceptable as it stands. Further amendment is therefore essential.

  I have considered carefully the points raised during the debate. There are two key principles that I believe must be maintained. First, the authorisation of intrusive operations should remain the responsibility of chief officers. There should be effective external scrutiny of those decisions but they should not be the subject of second guessing. Secondly, chief officers must remain fully accountable for their decisions and remain liable to answer in court as to why they have authorised these operations. They should also be answerable for any complaint arising from the authorisation of an operation and be liable to be named in the annual report of the commissioner for any wrongly authorised operation.

  Accordingly, I shall table amendments which will provide:
  that responsibility for authorising operations should be that of the chief officer;
  that the prior approval of a commissioner will be required where there are reasonable grounds for thinking that the operation could affect legal, medical or journalistic privilege or where the operation involves intrusion into residential dwellings, offices and hotel bedrooms. Prior approval would not be necessary where the chief officer was acting with the consent of the person able to give permission in respect of the relevant premises or in urgent cases;
  that the commissioner will approve an authorisation if he is satisfied there are reasonable grounds for believing that the action is likely to be of substantial value in the prevention or detection of serious crime and that what the action seeks to achieve could not reasonably be achieved by other means;
  a right of appeal to the chief commissioner against a decision taken by the commissioner;
  for commissioners to serve for a fixed period of three years, and for their removal from office within that period to require the consent of both Houses.

HEALTH

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the amounts retained by GP fundholders by health authority at the end of each financial year since the introduction of GP fundholding. [13651]

  Mr. Malone
  Information about efficiency savings made by general practitioner fundholders for 1995–96 is not yet available. Figures for 1994–95 are given in the table. For years prior to 1994–95, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) on 16 March 1995,Official Report column 704. GP fundholder savings are available to be reinvested for the benefit of patients in accordance with regulations.
  155

  Amount of fundholder savings in 1994–95 by family health services authority

  FHSA name

  Amount of retained savings (£000)

  Cleveland

  939

  Cumbria

  902

  Durham

  1,458

  Northumberland

  1,170

  Gateshead

  194

  Newcastle

  322

  North Tyneside

  231

  South Tyneside

  579

  Sunderland

  217

  Humberside

  2,113

  North Yorkshire

  2,476

  Bradford

  1,335

  Calderdale

  183

  Kirklees

  758

  Leeds

  1,728

  Wakefield

  1,198

  Derbyshire

  2,730

  Leicestershire

  1,395

  Lincolnshire

  2,435

  Nottinghamshire

  1,269

  Barnsley

  309

  Doncaster

  337

  Rotherham

  887

  Sheffield

  1,497

  Cambridgeshire

  577

  Norfolk

  875

  Suffolk

  756

  Bedfordshire

  752

  Berkshire

  2,215

  Buckinghamshire

  2,090

  Northamptonshire

  484

  Oxfordshire

  1,515

  Hertfordshire

  3,072

  Barnet

  537

  Brent and Harrow

  827

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  114

  Hillingdon

  163

  Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

  738

  Essex

  1,437

  Barking and Havering

  289

  Camden and Islington

  17

  City and East London

  208

  Enfield and Haringey

  199

  Redbridge and Waltham

  296

  East Sussex

  447

  Kent

  1,981

  Greenwich and Bexley

  1,630

  Bromley

  151

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  948

  Surrey

  1,380

  West Sussex

  800

  Croydon

  319

  Kingston and Richmond

  1,176

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  1,725

  Dorset

  470

  Hampshire

  2,038

  Wiltshire

  1,318

  Isle of Wight

  275

  Avon

  1,458

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  720

  Devon

  2,037

  Gloucestershire

  822

  Somerset

  520

  Hereford and Worcestershire

  3,921

  Shropshire

  1,033

  Staffordshire

  0

  Warwickshire

  1,130

  Birmingham

  3,610

  Coventry

  1,236

  Dudley

  605

  156

  Amount of fundholder savings in 1995– by family health services authority

  FHSA name

  Amount of retained savings (£000)

  Sandwell

  894

  Solihull

  601

  Walsall

  512

  Wolverhampton

  434

  Cheshire

  1,218

  Liverpool

  441

  St. Helen's and Knowsley

  542

  Sefton

  592

  Wirral

  102

  Lancashire

  1,931

  Bolton

  367

  Bury

  334

  Manchester

  666

  Oldham

  295

  Rochdale

  260

  Salford

  372

  Stockport

  799

  Tameside

  166

  Trafford

  37

  Wigan

  403

  Source:

  NHS Executive regional offices.

  VAT (Incontinence Products)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement in respect of the implications for the North Staffordshire Combined Health Care Trust of costs incurred in the event of the VAT tribunal ruling that VAT be applied to incontinence products. [14334]

  Mr. Burns
  The outcome of the tribunal will have no impact on the requirement on trusts to pay value added tax on incontinence products supplied to the national health service.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed by his Department to provide advice on the application of equal opportunities; and at what cost in the last year for which figures are available. [14468]

  Mr. Horam
  There is one full-time and one part-time member of staff who are employed solely to provide advice on equal opportunities in the Department of Health. In addition, a small proportion of their manager's time, other personnel officers' time and some administrative support are devoted to this responsibility.

  Asthma
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each regional health authority the number of hospital admissions for asthma for each year since 1980; and if he will make a statement. [14887]

  Mr. Horam
  The table gives information on hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of asthma from 1989–90 to 1994–95—respectively the earliest and most recent years for which figures are available.
  157

  Hospital admissions for asthma

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Northern

  4,750

  5,551

  6,422

  6,085

  6,375

  5,630

  Yorkshire

  6,355

  7,257

  5,585

  6,881

  7,852

  5,875

  Trent

  7,865

  8,167

  8,557

  8,088

  8,358

  7,823

  East Anglian

  2,904

  2,817

  3,019

  2,560

  3,393

  3,884

  North West Thames

  8,560

  6,960

  7,732

  7,975

  6,776

  6,168

  North East Thames

  8,437

  7,603

  7,676

  7,468

  7,357

  6,316

  South East Thames

  7,533

  7,343

  8,292

  7,208

  7,100

  6,739

  South West Thames

  4,349

  4,416

  3,630

  4,872

  5,651

  5,064

  Wessex

  4,199

  3,955

  4,776

  4,225

  4,739

  4,344

  Oxford

  5,445

  3,856

  4,302

  4,178

  4,502

  5,210

  South Western

  5,345

  4,542

  5,224

  4,898

  5,162

  4,653

  West Midlands

  9,084

  10,087

  10,412

  10,581

  11,396

  9,956

  Mersey

  4,950

  4,697

  5,608

  5,695

  6,408

  5,038

  North Western

  9,895

  9,618

  10,850

  10,186

  11,089

  10,165

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics.

  Mr. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are currently being treated for asthma(a) in each county and (b) in total; and if he will make a statement. [14886]

  Mr. Horam
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Orthodontists
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many orthodontists per 100,000 population there are in each country of the European Union. [14692]

  Mr. Malone
  There are no figures available on the numbers of orthodontists as there is no accepted European Union definition of an orthodontist.

  Community Care
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the working of the Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996; and if he will make a statement. [14901]

  Mr. Burns
  The Government intend to bring the Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996 into force on 1 April 1997. The implementation of the Act will be monitored as part of the Department's general monitoring of community care.

  Read Codes
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the coding system used to store clinical information, known as the Read codes, from(a) NHS consultants and (b) the National Audit Office. [14768]

  Mr. Horam
  The Read codes are maintained and developed by the national health service centre for coding and classification (NHS CCC) which is part of the information management group of the NHS executive. The NHS CCC is a regular contact with approximately 700 NHS consultants through its various working groups and advisory panels.

  Hospital consultants are represented by the joint consultants committee, the British Medical Association and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and their faculties in the United Kingdom.
  158
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has received no recent communication from the JCC on the subject of the Read codes. The only previous communication was on 15 June 1994 in which the JCC was
  "pleased to support the continued development and use of coded Read terms as the preferred clinical dictionary to underpin all clinical systems and electronic communications in NHS".

  Copies of this letter will be placed in the Library.

  The National Audit Office is currently conducting an investigation concerning the Read codes. Its investigation is not yet complete and its report is awaited.

  Policy Initiatives (Funding)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health to which policy initiative he has devoted most funding in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on progress with each such initiatives. [15083]

  Mr. Horam
  Information on policies and expenditure is not available in the form requested. Details of expenditure across the full range of the Department of Health's policies are published annually in its departmental report, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Hospital Patients (Visits)
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has(a) carried out and (b) commissioned into (i) the impact of visits by friends and relatives on the length of time taken by hospitals patients to recover and (ii) the relationship between distance from home to hospital and the number of visits by friends and relatives. [15097]

  Mr. Horam
  No such research has been commissioned or carried out by the Department of Health.

  Osteoporosis
  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures are being taken to encourage GPs and health authorities to make greater use of bone density measurements in those cases where an individual is identified as being at high risk of developing osteoporosis; and if he will make a statement; [15004]
  159
  (2) what guidance he (a) has issued and (b) plans to issue to health authorities to improve the co-ordination and delivery of services for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis; and if he will make a statement. [15006]

  Mr. Horam
  The Department of Health published a report of the advisory group on osteoporosis in January 1995, and circulated it widely to the national health service. It is for local health authorities to decide what priority to give to making bone density measurement available to those who need it, and how best to co-ordinate services to meet local needs. The White Paper "The National Health Service—a Service with Ambitions", sets out a framework for the continued development of better co-ordinated and integrated services. We have no plans to issue specific guidance on osteoporosis services. Copies of the report of the advisory group on osteoporosis and of the White Paper are available in the Library.

  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which the lifestyle measures contained in the "The Health of the Nation" to reduce the risk of coronary disease and cancer are applicable to the prevention of osteoporosis; and if he will make a statement. [15005]

  Mr. Horam
  The "Health of the Nation" strategy identified five key areas in which substantial improvements in health can be achieved, and set objectives and targets in each. Implementation of the strategy includes promoting certain lifestyle measures which can help individuals improve their own health. These measures include taking regular physical activity, eating healthily, sensible alcohol consumption and giving up smoking, all of which have a beneficial effect on bone health, and can help prevent osteoporosis.

  Dental Access Fund
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the take-up by(a) dentists and (b) health authorities of the dental access fund; and if he will make a statement. [15070]

  Mr. Malone
  Seventy health authorities applied for grants from the dental access fund, and 22 received awards.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of North Yorkshire social services department's projected budgetary reduction on its ability to meet its statutory duties to disabled people; what monitoring he will be conducting in this respect; and if he will make a statement. [14076]

  Mr. Burns
  The total resources provided for social services in North Yorkshire will increase by a further 6 per cent. next year to £73 million, 48 per cent. more in real terms than in 1990–91. It is for local authorities to manage and to decide on the allocation of these substantial resources in accordance with local circumstances and their own priorities.

  Mr. Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many local social services authorities are planning to withdraw services from disabled people in 160
  consequence of reductions in their budgets for 1997–98; what monitoring he is conducting of the effect of budgetary cuts on the ability of authorities to meet their statutory duties to disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [14079]

  Mr. Burns
  The total resources provided for social services in England will increase by a further 4 per cent. next year to £7.7 billion—73 per cent. more in real terms than in 1990–91. It is for local authorities to manage and to decide on the allocation of these substantial resources in accordance with local circumstances and their own priorities.

  The Department receives budget figures for individual local authorities by broad client category, and these are published in "Key Indicators of Local Authority Social Services", copies of which are available in the Library. The Department does not, however, obtain comparable statistics on planned activity levels, so is not in a position to analyse prospectively whether it is proposed to reduce services.

  Mr. Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to meet the Association of Directors of Social Services to discuss the effects of planned budgetary reductions on the ability of local social services authorities to meet their statutory duties to disabled people. [14080]

  Mr. Burns
  We have no immediate plans to meet the Association of Directors of Social Services, though we do meet regularly to discuss a range of issues. We last met it informally, on 4 February.

  Mr. Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of Kent social services department's projected budgetary reduction on its ability to meet its statutory duties to disabled people; what monitoring he will be conducting in this respect; and if he will make a statement. [14081]

  Mr. Burns
  The total resources provided for social services in Kent will increase by a further 5 per cent. next year to £218 million—84 per cent. more in real terms than in 1990–91. It is for local authorities to manage and to decide on the allocation of these substantial resources in accordance with local circumstances and their own priorities.

  Care Plans
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what directions he has(a) issued and (b) proposes to issue to local authorities on the conduct of assessments and preparation of care plans arising from the judgment in the case of R v. London borough of Islington ex parte Rixon; what monitoring his Department has carried out of existing local practice; if all local authorities now act in accordance with the judgment; and if he will make a statement. [14665]

  Mr. Burns
  The Department has issued both policy and practice guidance on assessment and care plans to local authorities, and we do not see any need for additional guidance, or directions, arising from this judgment. We expect local authorities to take account of this guidance, and, of course, to comply with the law. Assessment and
  161
  care planning are monitored as part of our general monitoring of community care, on which there have been a number of inspections and studies since 1993.

  Residential Care (Coventry)
  Mr. Butcher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will meet representatives of private residential home proprietors in the Coventry area. [15358]

  Mr. Burns
  A meeting with representatives of private residential home proprietors from the Coventry area will be considered if they write setting out their concerns.

  Mr. Butcher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will examine the procedures under which the proprietors of residential homes in Coventry receive their allocation of clients. [15359]

  Mr. Burns
  We have issued a direction to local authorities which requires them to place residents in a care home of the resident's choice subject to certain criteria—for example, cost, and suitability—being met.

  Mr. Butcher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will conduct an investigation into the causes of bed blocking in Coventry health authority hospitals by elderly patients assessed as requiring residential or nursing home care. [15360]

  Mr. Burns
  The national health service executive routinely monitors information on the reasons for delayed hospital discharges. In addition, a joint review of personal social services within the Coventry area will be undertaken by the social services inspectorate and the Audit Commission within the next year.

  We are aware that there have been some delays in discharging patients within Coventry health authority over recent weeks and that there are a number of patients in Walsgrave hospital awaiting residential and nursing home placements. It is expected that these placements will take place soon.

  Coventry health authority, together with the Walsgrave Hospitals NHS trust and Coventry social services have been working to resolve these problems. They have, for example, put together a pilot scheme, which commenced on 5 February to provide a "halfway house" for some patients who are fit for discharge.

  My hon. Friend may wish to contact Ms Caroline Andrew, chairman of Coventry health authority, for further details.

  Mr. Butcher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will conduct a survey of the weekly costs of residential care provision in(a) the non-profit and (b) the for-profit sectors in Coventry. [15361]

  Mr. Burns
  Information on the weekly costs of residential care in local authority and independent staffed homes for older people for 1994–95 can be found in table U1 of "Key Indicators of local authority social services 1996", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Mr. Butcher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will conduct a survey into the number of beds available in residential homes and nursing homes in(a) the for-profit and (b) non-profit sectors in Coventry. [15362]
  162
  Mr. Burns
  The latest information is published in "Residential Accommodation Statistics 1996", which is summarised in the table.

  Residential and nursing beds in Coventry, at 31 March 1996

  Registered beds

  Local authority homes

  490

  Residential homes

  Voluntary sector

  160

  Private sector

  1,280

  Nursing homes1

  570

  Source:

  Department of Health annual statistical returns RAC5, K036.

  Note:

  1 The nursing home data collected by the Department of Health do not distinguish between the private and voluntary sectors. Data held on the Laing and Buisson Care Homes Information database however suggests that approximately half of the registered beds are in the voluntary sector and half in the private sector.

  GP Fundholder Budgets (Buckinghamshire)
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in(a) cash and (b) real terms (i) the final cash limit for general practice fundholder budgets in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes in 1992–93, (ii) the initial cash limit for such budgets in 1996–97 and (iii) the sums of public money planned to be available for GP fundholder budgets in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes and for Buckinghamshire health authority in 1997–98; and if he will make a statement. [14294]

  Mr. Malone
  [holding answer 4 February 1997]: Information about planned general practice fundholder budgets in Buckinghamshire for 1997–98 is not available. Figures for 1992–93 and 1996–97 are in the table. The figures are not comparable because, for example, of the expansion of services in the fundholding scheme and the incorporation of management allowances within the fund. For these reasons, a real terms comparison is not meaningful.

  GP fundholder budgets in Buckinghamshire (cash)

  Year

  GP fundholder budgets (£ million)

  Number of GP fundholders

  1992–93

  117.0

  99

  1996–97

  87.9

  265

  1 Excludes staff element of budget, for which 1992–93 information is not available.

  Food Poisoning
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of non-fatal food poisoning there were in each year since 1990; and what was the source by category of the infections. [14671]

  Mr. Horam
  [holding answer 7 February 19971: Information on food poisoning does not distinguish between fatal and non-fatal cases. Details of the total number of cases of food poisoning notified under the Public Health (Infectious Disease) Regulations 1988 to the Office for National Statistics up to 1994 are published in "Series MB2 Communicable Disease Statistics" and

  163
  copies are available in the Library. There were 82,041 cases notified in 1995, the latest provision figure for 1996 is 83,664.

  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 24 January, Official Report, column 767 on the information on deaths which was derived from deaths registrations and is therefore not comparable with this information. The two sets of information come from different sources and are collected on a different basis. It is not possible to subtract the number of deaths from the number of cases to arrive at a figure for non-fatal cases.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 24 January,Official Report, column 767, if he will list the source of each fatal food poisoning outbreak for each year since 1990. [14704]

  Mr. Horam
  [holding answer Friday 7 February 1997]: Information on source of infection for general outbreaks is available from 1992—the earliest date information is available—onwards and is given in the table:

  General outbreaks of foodborne infectious intestinal disease where associated deaths have been reported

  England and Wales 1992-11996

  Year

  Organism

  Food

  Number of Deaths

  1992

  Salmonella enteritidis PT4

  poached eggs

  1

  Salmonella enteritidis PT4

  trifle, vanilla slices

  1

  Salmonella enteritidis PT4

  chicken nuggets, cheese on toast

  1

  Salmonella typhimurium DT I04

  cooked ham

  2

  Salmonella enteritidis PT4

  not known

  3

  1993

  Clostridium perfringens

  roast turkey

  1

  Clostridium perfringens

  carrots, fish

  1

  Salmonella typhimurium DT104c

  cooked chicken, ham sandwiches

  1

  Salmonella enteritidis PT4

  chicken chow mein

  1

  1995

  Salmonella enteritidis PT5A

  sausage rolls, corned beef sandwiches

  2

  Salmonella enteritidis PT4

  boiled eggs

  1

  Escherichia coli 0157

  pre-cooked meats

  2

  Salmonella enteritidis PT4

  strawberry mousse

  2

  Clostridium perfringens

  roast lamb

  2

  1996

  Salmonella enteritidis PT4

  raw shell eggs

  1

  Salmonella enteritidis PT4

  soft boiled eggs

  2

  Salmonella indiana

  chicken breast pieces

  10

  Escherichia coli 0157

  pork products

  1

  Salmonella enteritidis PT4

  mayonnaise made with raw shell eggs

  1

  Source:

  Public Health Laboratory Service.

  Notes:

  1 Provisional data.

  General outbreak: an outbreak affecting members of more than I private residence or residents of an institution.

  Most food poisoning deaths are isolated incidents and do not occur as part of a general outbreak.
  164

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are his Department's proposals in respect of requirements relating to oestrogen levels in drinking water. [14577]

  Mr. Clappison
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Department of the Environment has funded research into substances possessing oestrogenic activity in sewage effluents and their significance in water sources and drinking water supply reservoirs. This research, which has been published, showed that although oestrogenic activity could be detected in fish in sewage effluent this activity declined rapidly in water courses and could not be detected in fish kept in water abstracted for treatment as drinking water.

  A recent study funded by the Environment Agency indicated that oestrogens derived from man may be responsible for the oestrogenic activity of sewage effluent. To provide further reassurance, the Department is now funding developing of highly sensitive methods for analysis of these human derived oestrogens in water sources and drinking water. The methods developed will be used to carry out further investigations of oestrogen concentrations and to quantify removal in water treatment processes.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Anglo-Irish Secretariat (Briefings)
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by date and subject the briefings and presentations given by the Northern Ireland civil service to the Anglo-Irish secretariat in 1996. [11700]

  Mr. Ancram
  Briefing and presentations which were given to the Irish side of the Anglo-Irish secretariat by representatives of the Northern Ireland Office and/or Northern Ireland Departments in 1996 are as follows:

  1996

  Briefings and presentations

  30 January

  Cultural matters

  6 February

  Economic and social matters

  22 February

  Relations between the security forces and the community

  21 March

  Relations between the security forces and the community

  26 March

  Health services

  22 April

  Public order

  30 April

  Relations between the police and the community

  2 May

  Composition of public bodies

  8 May

  Economic and social matters

  15 May

  Cultural matters

  16 May

  Economic and social matters

  26 June

  Public order

  24 July

  Public order

  31 July

  Economic and social matters

  7 August

  Public order

  29 August

  Public order

  4 September

  Public order

  3 October

  Housing

  17 October

  Economic, social and cultural matters

  18 October

  Political mattes

  14 November

  Relations between the security forces and the community

  165

  1996

  Briefings and presentations

  14 November

  Composition of public bodies

  28 November

  Prisons policy

  5 December

  Relations between the security forces and the community

  10 December

  Public expenditure

  Newcastle Disease
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment his Department has made of the reasons behind the recent outbreaks of Newcastle disease; and if he will make a statement. [13608]

  Mr. Ancram
  [holding answer 31 January 1997]: An outbreak of Newcastle disease was confirmed on 7 February 1997 in a broiler production unit near Lurgan, Co. Armagh.

  Epidemiological investigation is currently under way in an attempt to establish the source of the outbreak.

  The last outbreak of Newcastle disease in Northern Ireland occurred in August 1996, involved one flock and was most likely due to wild birds gaining access to the poultry house.

  Early Release (Spiritual Conversion)
  Dr. Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the case of how many life sentence prisoners who have received early release in the past 10 years the decisions were influenced in part by the prisoner's spiritual conversion. [14347]

  Sir John Wheeler
  This specific information is not centrally held and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, I should point out that the fact that a prisoner had undergone a spiritual conversion would not in itself warrant early release.

  Irish Medium Teaching Courses
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the Irish medium postgraduate certificate of education courses and stage one of the Irish medium B.Ed. course have been accredited by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland and validated by the Queen's university of Belfast. [14483]

  Mr. Ancram
  The courses have been validated by the Queen's university of Belfast. They do not require accreditation by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the expenditure to date on the development of the new Irish language medium B.Ed. and postgraduate certificate of education courses at St. Mary's college, Belfast; and if he will make a statement. [14412]

  Mr. Ancram
  A total of £44,586. The courses are being developed to meet the needs of Irish medium schools.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the six stage one modules of the new Irish medium B.Ed. courses at St. Mary's college,166
  Belfast, have been specially designed for Irish medium teaching; and what percentage of each module is taught through the medium of Irish. [14411]

  Mr. Ancram
  All six. The percentages are:Two main subject modules: 100 per cent.
  Two curriculum studies modules: 0 to 100 per cent. depending on the subject
  Two education studies modules: 5 per cent.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who is the director responsible for developing Irish language medium B.Ed. and postgraduate certificate of education courses at St. Mary's college, Belfast; and what advisory and consultative structures are in place involving Irish medium schools and the Department of Education for Northern Ireland in the development of these courses. [14423]

  Mr. Ancram
  The college principal. The college has responsibility for developing both courses in consultation with Irish medium schools, other interest groups and the Department of Education for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the new Irish-medium postgraduate certificate of education courses at St. Mary's college, Belfast, have been specially designed for Irish medium teaching; and what percentage of the whole course is taught through the medium of Irish. [14413]

  Mr. Ancram
  The answer is all, and approximately 20 per cent.

  Job Creation (Belfast, West)
  Dr. Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs have been created in the constituency of Belfast, West,(a) since 10 April 1992 and (b) between 10 June 1983 and 10 April 1992. [14358]

  Mr. Ancram
  Information on total jobs created is not available, but net job creation is demonstrated by the change in the number of employees in employment. Employment statistics at parliamentary constituency are available only from the Northern Ireland census of employment, which is currently conducted in September every second year. Information for the dates closest to those requested is as follows:

  Employees in employment1, 2 in Belfast West parliamentary constituency area

  Number

  Net change in total employees

  (a)

  1991

  51,567

  +3,773 (+7.3 per cent.)

  1995

  55,340

  +3,773 (+7.3 per cent.)

  (b)

  1984

  46,784

  +4,783 (+10.2 per cent.)

  1991

  51,567

  +4,783 (+10.2 per cent.)

  1 Figures exclude agriculture and self-employed.

  2 All figures are at September of each year.

  Inward Investment (Belfast, West)
  Dr. Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what incentives for attracting inward investment towards the consistency of Belfast, West his
  167
  Department has (a) considered and (b) approved (i) since 10 April 1992 and (ii) between 10 June 1983 and 10 April 1992. [14360]

  Mr. Ancram
  Between 10 April 1992 and 31 December 1996 the Industrial Development Board constructed four factories and acquired or was in the process of acquiring 36.5 acres of land at a total cost of £6.4 million in the Belfast, West constituency. During this period IDB offered financial assistance totalling some £54 million towards total investment of almost £150 million for 15 inward investment projects promising 1,642 new jobs and safeguarding 1,368 more.

  Between January 1983 and April 1992 three factories were built and 11.5 acres acquired in the constituency at a total cost of £2.6 million. Between 1986–87—the earliest year for which equivalent figures are available—and April 1992 IDB offered support totalling £29 million against investment of almost £104 million by 13 inward investment projects, promoting 202 new jobs and safeguarding 1,826 more.

  Dr. Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many visits by overseas investors and trade delegations his Department records as having taken place in the Belfast, West constituency(a) since 10 April 1992 and (b) between 10 June 1993 and 10 April 1992. [14362]

  Mr. Ancram
  The number of visits by overseas investors—interpreted to mean potential investors—is not available for the period 10 June 1983 to 31 March 1993 and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Between 1 April 1993 and 31 December 1996 the Industrial Development Board recorded 127 visits by potential investors to the Belfast, West constituency.

  Since 10 April 1992 there have been five trade delegation visits to the Belfast, West constituency. Between 10 June 1983 and 10 April 1992 there was one such visit.

  Departmental Decisions (Judicial Review)
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many decisions by his Department were challenged through judicial review in Session 1995–96; and in how many cases(a) the Department's decision was upheld by the court, (b) the court found for the applicant, (c) the Department submitted to the judgment and (d) the Department appealed successfully against the judicial review decision. [14373]

  Sir John Wheeler
  This information is not readily available in the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments as no central record is kept of applications for judicial reviews.

  Inner-city Action (Belfast, West)
  Dr. Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what amount of funding from Government inner-city action programmes was released to community and voluntary organisations in the Belfast, West constituency between 10 June 1983 and 10 April 1992. [14357]
  168
  Sir John Wheeler
  Information about expenditure on inner-city action programmes was not available on a ward by ward basis before 31 March 1994. However, details of projects funded under the making Belfast work initiative since its inception in 1988 to the 31 March 1992 were published in the making Belfast work strategy proposals published in April 1994. A copy of this document is in the Library.

  Expenditure by Belfast action teams covering the Belfast, West constituency amounted to £3.4 million up to 31 March 1992.

  Between 1983 and 1986 the Northern Ireland Office and Department of Health and Social Services provided £286,000 towards a diversionary scheme which targeted hard core joyriders in west Belfast.

  Dr. Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding from the Belfast action teams and making Belfast work programmes has been released to community and voluntary organisations in the Belfast, West constituency since 10 April 1992. [14361]

  Mr. Ancram
  Information about making Belfast work and Belfast action team expenditure on a ward basis was not available before April 1994, although details of the individual projects which received funding between April 1992 and 31 March 1994 is available. However, it is not possible to aggregate this information into constituency areas because projects often covered more than one ward.

  From 1 April 1994 approximately £35 million has been allocated by making Belfast work and Belfast action team to projects within the constituency of Belfast, West.

  Investment (Belfast, West)
  Dr. Hendron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what level of(a) public and (b) private investment has been secured for the constituency of Belfast, West (i) since 10 April 1992 and (ii) between 10 June 1983 and 10 April 1992. [14359]

  Mr. Ancram
  From the information available, it is estimated that since financial year 1992–93 direct departmental public investment commitments in the Belfast, West constituency are £406 million, and related private sector investment is £162 million.

  Corresponding figures for the period 1983–84 to 1991–92 are not entirely complete as expenditure on a number of Government programmes is not available for the entire period. Available figures indicate direct departmental public investment commitments were £172 million and related private sector investment was £112 million.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are employed by his Department to provide advice on the application of equal opportunities; and at what cost in the last year for which figures are available. [14469]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The Northern Ireland civil service has sought to integrate equal opportunities advice and good practice into all its personnel arrangements both in terms of day to day personnel and in strategic, policy terms. It is not, therefore, possible to isolate either the
  169
  costs or numbers of staff employed in Departments to provide advice on the application of equal opportunities policies.

  Muckamore Abbey Hospital
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on(a) the future of Muckamore Abbey hospital and (b) health care provision for patients currently served by the hospital; and what consultations he has initiated with groups representing patient interests on this subject. [14705]

  Mr. Ancram
  The future of Muckamore Abbey hospital is a matter primarily for the Eastern health and social services board, the principal purchaser of its services. The board has consulted widely on this issue holding 19 public meetings. It also met a deputation from the parents and friends of Muckamore Abbey hospital. The board has indicated that the hospital is well placed to continue to provide in-patient specialist treatment services for people with a learning disability and is discussing with the North and West Belfast Trust, which manages the hospital, how this might best be achieved.

  Meanwhile, the process is continuing of resettling to the community those patients who no longer have a requirement for in-patient treatment and care. The resettlement of individual patients from the hospital is carefully planned and implemented in order to ensure that their continuing health needs are assessed and met.

  EU Agriculture Funding
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money Northern Ireland has received in each financial year to date from the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund guidance section; what proportion of these receipts were paid to the(a) private and (b) public sector; and what proportion of these receipts (i) represented a cash addition to the Northern Ireland economy and (ii) was used to offset Government expenditure on Northern Ireland in each year for which figures are available. [10831]

  Mr. Ancram
  [holding answer 13 January 1997]: Receipts earned by the private sector and by non-central Government public sector bodies are paid in full to the claimant. These receipts are cash additions to the claimants. Receipts earned by central Government contribute to the total of public expenditure in Northern Ireland and allow that total to be maintained at a higher level than would otherwise be feasible.

  Northern Ireland contributes a share of the United Kingdom's payments to the European Community, but these are not hypothecated to specific funds. It is not possible therefore to identify the extent to which receipts from the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund represent net cash additions to the Northern Ireland economy.

  All EAGGF receipts are subject to EC audit arrangements and normal Government accounting requirements.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are employed by his Department to provide advice on the application of equal opportunities; and at what cost in the last year for which figures are available. [14472]

  Mr. Burt
  There are currently 15 staff employed exclusively to advise on the application of equal opportunities at an annual cost of approximately £341,000. In addition, there are a number of staff who provide such advice as part of their wider duties, for example line mangers, personnel officers, local equal opportunity officers and harassment advisers. Information on the number of such people is not held centrally.

  Benefits Agency
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State of Social Security what is the breakdown by age of callers to Benefits Agency offices. [14580]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information is not available.

  Housing Benefit (Domestic Violence)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the contents of the further representations he has received from Welsh Women's Aid in relation to the guidelines to local authorities with respect to housing benefit entitlement for women leaving home because of the threat of domestic violence; and if he will make a statement. [13844]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  No further representations have been received from Welsh Women's Aid since its letter of 24 October 1996 to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. However, departmental officials have exchanged correspondence with Welsh Women's Aid. I am advised that the proposed revised guidance accurately reflects current regulations.

  Habitual Residence Test
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants have been refused housing benefit and council tax benefit following the introduction of the habitual residence test for the 1995–96 financial year. [15218]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information is not available. However, the figures are currently being processed and will be published in the "Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Summary Statistics—Update Number 2" in March 1997.

  A copy will be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the costs to local authorities of administering the habitual residence test in respect of housing benefit and council tax benefit claims. [15219]

  Mr. Evans
  The estimated cost to local authorities of administering the habitual residence test in respect of housing benefit and council tax benefit claims for 1995–96 is £0.7 million.

  Disabled People (Income Support)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many disabled people were receiving income support in May 1992; and what change there has been in the number in each subsequent year. [14077]

  Mr. Burt
  The information is not available in the format requested as there is no specific information available on the number of people with disabilities who receive income support.

  However, information on the number of people who receive the disability or higher pensioner premium, other than those who qualify because they are aged 80 or over, as part of their income support, is in the table.

  Date

  Income support claimants in receipt of the disability premium

  Income support claimants aged 60–79 in receipt of the higher pensioner premium

  Total

  May 1992

  425,000

  190,000

  614,000

  May 1993

  527,000

  249,000

  776,000

  May 1994

  618,000

  296,000

  914,000

  May 1995

  739,000

  342,000

  1,081,000

  February 1996

  769,000

  374,000

  1,143,000

  1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand and totals may not sum.

  2. Sample size is 5 per cent.

  3. The disability premium is awarded to those people aged under 60 who receive disability living allowance, attendance allowance, severe disablement allowance, or long-term incapacity benefit. The premium is also paid to people who have been incapable of work for at least 364 days.

  4. The higher pensioner premium is awarded to those people aged between 60 and 79 who receive disability living allowance, attendance allowance, severe disablement allowance, or long-term incapacity benefit. The premium is also paid to people who were in receipt of the disability premium within eight weeks of their 60th birthday, and have been in receipt of income support continuously since then.

  All Work Test
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about the all work test for incapacity benefit; what communication he has had with doctors about complaints from disabled people concerning the test; what plans he has for changes to the test; and if he will make a statement. [14078]

  Mr. Burt
  A number of representations from hon. Members and the public about matters relating to the all work test for incapacity benefit have been received. In addition departmental officials maintain regular contact with professional bodies representing general practitioners.

  The number of complaints from people claiming incapacity benefit who are required to undergo a medical examination represents less than 1 per cent. of claimants examined. The Benefits Agency medical services have well-publicised procedures in place to investigate complaints speedily and to give the complainant a full response.

  We are continuing to monitor the operation of the test to ensure that it is meeting its objective of targeting the benefit on those medically incapable of work. We have
  172
  recently introduced some minor amendments to the regulations which will improve its application and assist consistency in decision making.

  Benefits in Kind
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list, for each of the last seven years, the extensions of the application of employers' national insurance contributions to benefits in kind designed to eliminate the avoidance of national insurance contributions on bonuses and other one-off benefits in kind; if he will give his estimate of the savings accruing from each measure; and if he will make a statement. [13332]

  Mr. Heald
  [holding answer 30 January 1997]: The measures introduced in December 1996 to prevent national insurance contribution—NIC—avoidance by paying employees in their own company's shares and share options were announced in my written answer of 4 December, Official Report, column 715–16, to my hon. Friend the Member for Chingford (Mr. Duncan Smith).

  The following measures to combat NIC avoidance were introduced prior to December 1996.

  In 1991 payments by way of a wide range of financial instruments such as shares, other than own company shares, gilts and insurance policies became subject to NICs.

  In 1993 payments by way of commodities capable of being sold on a recognised investment exchange or the London bullion market such as precious metals and gold bullion and vouchers for these commodities became subject to NICs.

  In 1994 payments by way of alcoholic liquors on which no UK duty had been paid, gemstones and any vouchers for these assets became subject to NICs.

  In 1995 payment by way of assets for which trading arrangements exist, vouchers for those assets and vouchers which are themselves the subject of trading arrangements became subject to NICs.

  Employers are not required to identify bonuses or other one-off payments. The behavioural effects of measures against NICs avoidance, particularly those aimed at a wide range of asset-based avoidance, make precise long-term estimates of savings unreliable.

  The Inland Revenue estimates, in respect of the changes made in December 1996 specifically related to own-company shares, that the annual savings would amount to about £30 million.

  Computer Crime
  Mr. Derek Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on how many occasions in each of the last five years computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers in his Department. [14552]

  Mr. Burt
  [holding answer 6 February 1997]: There have been no instances of the Department's computer systems being illegally accessed by computer hackers.
  173
  Mr. Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases of computer hacking, fraud and theft, including theft of computer chips his Department has recorded in the last five years. [14553]

  Mr. Burt
  [holding answer 6 February 1997]: The information is in the table. There have been no recorded cases of computer hacking into the Department's systems.

  Calendar year

  Fraud

  Theft

  Thefts involving chips

  1996

  15

  222

  65

  1995

  34

  247

  65

  1994

  32

  143

  1

  1993

  41

  79

  2

  1992

  17

  33

  0

  Benefits Agency Medical Services
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the targets used by the Benefits Agency medical services in respect of(a) medical advice, (b) scrutiny, (c) assessment, (d) examination and (e) complaints for each of the disability benefits. [14404]

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of the Benefits Agency medical services 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. Alan Howarth, dated 10 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the targets used by the Benefits Agency Medical Service in respect of (a) medical advice, (b) scrutiny, (c) assessment, (d) examination and (e) complaints for each of the disability benefits.
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is shown in the enclosed tables. All targets are expressed in working days.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Incapacity benefit targets

  Target

  Medical advice

  95 per cent. cleared in 5 days

  Scrutiny

  30 per cent. cleared in 10 days

  85 per cent cleared in 50 days Assessment

  Assessment

  30 per cent. cleared in 10 days

  85 per cent cleared in 50 days

  Examinations

  30 per cent cleared in 10 days

  85 per cent. cleared in 50 days

  Complaints

  100 per cent. acknowledged in 2 days

  100 per cent. to receive full or interim response in 10 days

  80 per cent. cleared in 20 days

  Industrial injuries disablement benefit targets

  Target

  Medical advice

  60 per cent. cleared in 33 days

  90 per cent. cleared in 70 days

  Scrutiny

  60 per cent. cleared in 33 days

  90 per cent. cleared in 70 days

  Assessment

  60 per cent. cleared in 33 days

  90 per cent. cleared in 70 days

  174

  Industrial injuries disablement benefit targets

  Target

  Examinations

  60 per cent. cleared in 33 days

  90 per cent. cleared in 70 days

  Complaints

  100 per cent. acknowledged in 2 days

  100 per cent. to receive full or interim response in 10 days

  80 per cent. cleared in 20 days.

  Severe disablement allowance targets

  Target

  Medical advice

  Not applicable

  Scrutiny

  Not applicable

  Assessment

  60 per cent. cleared in 40 days

  85 per cent. cleared in 100 days

  Examinations

  60 per cent. cleared in 40 days

  85 per cent. cleared in 100 days

  Complaints

  100 per cent. acknowledged in 2 days

  100 per cent. to receive full or interim response in 10 days

  80 per cent. cleared in 20 days

  Disability Living Allowance/Attendance Allowance Targets
  Each Medical Services Centre has a Service Level Agreement with the local Disability Benefit Centre. Targets are negotiated and agreed to take account of local circumstances.

  Mr. Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will list the main elements in the running costs of the Benefits Agency medical services in(a) 1995–96 and (b) 1996–97. [14405]

  (2) if he will list the component parts of the Benefits Agency medical services and medical evidence budgets and the proportions of the local social security budget they represent; [14406]

  (3) what has been the level of spending in the current year to date on the (a) Benefits Agency medical services and (b) medical evidence budgets relative to the planned provision. [14407]

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of the Benefits Agency medical services 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. Alan Howarth, dated 10 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the main elements in the running costs of the Benefits Agency Medical Service (BAMS) in (a) 1995–96 and (b) 1996–97; if he will list the component parts of the BAMS and Medical Evidence budgets and the proportions of the local social security budget they represent; and what has been the level of spending in the current year to date on the (a) BAMS and (b) Medical Evidence budgets relative to the planned provision.
  The main elements in the running costs of the BAMS for each year are staffing and medical evidence.
  The BAMS budget consists of Salaries and Non-staff Costs. The Medical Evidence Budget consists of Doctors Fees and expenses, Medical Report Fees, Customer Expenses, and Medical Examination Incidentals.
  For 1996–97, the BAMS budget is 4.8% of the budget allocated to the Area Directorates, and the Medical evidence budget is 4.0%.
  175
  The actual and planned expenditure for April to December 1996 is shown in the table below:-

  Actual expenditure £

  Planned expenditure £

  BAMS

  44,111,000

  43,812,000

  Medical evidence

  39,064,275

  35,594,035

  Figures are provisional and subject to change.

  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Benefit Payment Security Cards
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what representations he received from(a) Post Office Counters and (b) trades unions representing Post Office and Benefits Agency staff concerning the introduction of the benefit payment security cards; and if he will place copies of such representations in the Library; [14795]

  (2) for what reasons he introduced the payment security card for certain categories of benefit claimants; in what parts of the United Kingdom the cards were issued; what was the cost of introducing the cards; what assessment he has made of the extent to which the cards assisted in reducing benefit fraud; for what reasons payment security cards are no longer acceptable as valid proof of identity when cashing benefit cheques; and if he will make a statement. (14794]

  Mr. Forth
  I have been asked to reply.

  Responsibility for the subject of the questions 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 Leigh Lewis to Mrs. Ann Clwyd, dated 11 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the Payment Security Card.
  In response to Question 14794, the Payment Security Card was introduced by the Employment Service for unemployed clients who lived in areas which experienced significant girocheque
  176
  losses. It was introduced as a security precaution to reduce the amount of girocheque fraud and the number of girocheques reported as not received. The card was originally piloted in the West Midlands region in September 1993 and a decision was made to extend its use in July 1995. The cards were issued in 272 Jobcentres located throughout the country. Please see Annex I for a list of those Jobcentres. The cost of introducing the card was £225,000 including the manufacture and distribution of the cards to Jobcentres and associated publicity material for Jobcentres and Post Offices.
  The card was initially successful. An evaluation showed that the number of girocheques reported as not received fell by around 45% and the extent of girocheque fraud fell by 70%. However, the effects of the card diminished over time and some clients experienced difficulties when they lost their cards. The card was in any event intended as a short term measure prior to the planned introduction of the Benefits Agency's Payment Card.
  Responsibility for benefit payments to unemployed people transferred to the Benefits Agency in October 1996 with the introduction of Jobseeker's Allowance. For a number of operational and technical reasons, the Payment Security Card could not be included in the Jobseeker's Allowance process. The Benefits Agency's new Payment Card is currently being rolled out to benefit recipients and will eventually include clients receiving Jobseeker's Allowance. This will become the secure means of payment which replaces girocheques altogether. Therefore, no new clients have been issued with a Payment Security Card since the introduction of Jobseeker's Allowance in October 1996. Clients who still held a Payment Security Card were notified in writing during January 1997 that the card would not be accepted by the Post Office from 3 February 1997.
  The notification also gave details of the other types of identity which are acceptable to the Post Office when cashing girocheques. Posters have also been displayed in Jobcentres and Post Offices.
  In response to Question 14795 representations were received from Trade Unions representing Employment Service staff in November 1993. They asked for details of the terms of reference and timings of the pilot of the Payment Security Card in the West Midlands region. The Trade Union Side were kept informed when it was decided to extend the use of the card in July 1995. The introduction of the Payment Security Card was negotiated with Post Office Counters Ltd. via the Employment Service's contractual partner, Girobank plc. There were no representations to Employment Service from Trade Unions representing Post Office staff. I have made arrangements for copies of the representations made by the Trade Unions representing Employment Service staff to be made available in the House of Commons library
  I hope this is helpful.

  Prisoners in Hospital: Use of Restraints
  Prisoners in Hospital: Use of Restraints
  Prisoner in Addenbrooke's Hospital:Use of Restraints
  Prisoner in Addenbrooke's Hospital:Use of Restraints
  Police Bill, Part III: Amendments
  Police Bill, Part III: Amendments
  Value Added Tax
  Value Added Tax
  VAT and Repairs to Buildings
  VAT and Repairs to Buildings
  VAT: EC Provisions
  VAT: EC Provisions
  Forestry Commission Research Agency:Framework Document
  Forestry Commission Research Agency:Framework Document
  Space Use: Management and Planning
  Space Use: Management and Planning
  NATO Command Structure
  NATO Command Structure
  MoD Housing: Sale Proceeds
  MoD Housing: Sale Proceeds
  Iraq
  Iraq
  Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands: Right of Individual Petition
  Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands: Right of Individual Petition
  EC Human Rights Commission Report: Greece v. UK
  EC Human Rights Commission Report: Greece v. UK
  World Bank: Yacyreta Project
  World Bank: Yacyreta Project
  Liberia: UN Arms Embargo Enforcement
  Liberia: UN Arms Embargo Enforcement
  Public Record Office Prior Options Review
  Public Record Office Prior Options Review