Written Answers of 12 February 1997

TRANSPORT

  Railcards (Disabled People)
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what consultations he has had with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee concerning acceptance of railcards held by disabled people by automatic ticket machines; [15190]

  (2) if he will make it his policy to seek to ensure that automatic ticket machines have facilities for accepting railcards held by disabled people. [15191]

  Mr. Bowis
  The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee has discussed this issue in its rail working group. Representatives of the Department and the Office of the Rail Regulator were present at those discussions.

  The Department will be pursuing this with the Office of the Rail Regulator in the context of the Rail Regulator's code of practice on meeting the needs of disabled passengers.

  Parking
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the law relating to parking near bus stops. [15351]

  Mr. Watts
  I have no plans to do so. The Government regard efficient enforcement of the existing law as more likely to improve compliance with waiting restrictions at bus stops than changes to the law.

  British Railways Board
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his current estimate of the out-turn of the British Railways Board for 1996–97. [15398]

  Mr. Watts
  I hope to announce shortly the British Railways Board external finance limit consistent with my latest estimate of its out-turn.

  Environmental Impact Directive
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what environmental impact assessment study has been prepared for the Newbury bypass under the provisions of the EC environmental impact directive; what information he has received in respect of the petition made to the European Parliament Petitions Committee concerning the environmental implications of this road project; and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's monitoring of environmentally based petitions presented to the European Parliament on matters arising in the United Kingdom. [15434]
  178
  Mr. Watts
  The Government have taken the view consistently that directive 85/337/EEC on environmental impact assessment does not apply to projects such as the Newbury bypass, for which the formal development consent procedure was initiated before the directive came into force on 3 July 1988. In an announcement on 20 October 1995, the European Commission made it clear that it agreed with that view. The bypass scheme was, however, assessed carefully for its environmental effects in accordance with the Department of Transport's manual of environmental appraisal, which was the relevant guidance at the time.

  The Government have been informed by the President of the European Parliament about the petition made to the Parliament's Petitions Committee about the bypass.

  The Government are not informed routinely by the European Parliament of the content of petitions that it has received. It is for the European Parliament itself to decide how to handle such petitions.

  Vehicle Document Fraud
  Mr. Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the subject of reforming the current vehicle licensing and registration system to(a) prevent fraud and (b) enable (i) stolen vehicles and (ii) owners and drivers to be traced. [15421]

  Mr. Bowis
  My Department maintains close contacts with representatives of the motor, finance, leasing, insurance and salvage industries and with the police with a view to developing ways in which the vehicle registration system can be better adapted to deter and detect vehicle fraud and other related crime.

  Following wide consultation we shall shortly be introducing new arrangements for recording the transfer of vehicles and for the annual notification of unlicensed off-road vehicles. These measures will help to improve the accuracy of the vehicle record and facilitate the tracing of drivers and vehicles for enforcement purposes.

  Mr. Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated of foreign initiatives on vehicle title and document fraud; and with what result. [15420]

  Mr. Bowis
  The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency maintains a register of vehicle keepers as opposed to owners because it is the registered keeper with whom the agency and police are normally concerned for law enforcement, revenue collection and road safety purposes.

  Accordingly, while the agency maintains close links with a number of foreign registration authorities, it has not commissioned specific research into initiatives on vehicle title and document fraud.

  Rail Companies (Profits)
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his current estimate of profits by companies previously owned by British Rail to be paid into public funds in 1996–97. [15403]
  179
  Mr. Watts
  Up to 11 February 1997, dividends paid into public funds in 1996–97 in respect of the Secretary of State's residual holding of Railtrack shares amounted to £865,335.96.

  Railways (Bus Services)
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many scheduled railway services were substituted by bus services during the week ended 18 January; for what reasons; and what penalty payments have been made by operators under their agreements with the franchising director. [15350]

  Mr. Watts
  The information is not available in the form requested. The Office of Passenger Rail Franchising monitors cancellations for franchised services. If an operator cancels more than a set threshold, that is a breach of the franchise agreement and enforcement action may follow. Some operators are also subject to a performance regime with Opraf and are penalised for each cancellation. Bus substitutions as a result of planned engineering work are not usually subject to penalty payments.

  Heavy Goods Vehicles
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of heavy goods vehicles on roads without an operator's licence vehicle disc but operating under the margin arrangement. [15380]

  Mr. Bowis
  It is impossible to make any accurate estimate of the number of vehicles operated under the margin arrangements. Vehicles used by any licensed operator within their total authorisation limit for up to one calendar month do not need to be specified and thus do not need to carry a disc.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many heavy goods vehicles have been found to be operating without proper authorisation under the Goods Vehicle Operator Licensing Regulations during roadside checks in 1995 and 1996. [15381]

  Mr. Bowis
  We have no separate figures for heavy goods vehicles found to be operating without a valid operator's licence.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many goods vehicle operators were successfully prosecuted in 1995 and 1996 for operating vehicles without authorisation under the Goods Vehicle Operator Licensing Regulations. [15382]

  Mr. Bowis
  I have asked the chief executive of the Vehicle Inspectorate to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Ron Oliver to Mr. Andrew Smith, dated 12 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many goods vehicle operators have been successfully prosecuted in 1995 and 1996 for operating vehicles without authorisation under the Goods Vehicle Operator Licensing Regulations.
  Information about successful prosecutions against vehicle operators for the specific offence of unauthorised use is not currently available. The extent of illegal operations was quantified in a report published in April 1996, of the roadside survey of illegal operators
  180
  carried out by the Vehicle Inspectorate on behalf of the Department of Transport in October 1995. This indicated that illegal operators accounted for less than 2% of all miles travelled by goods vehicles.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that the operator licensing details of heavy goods vehicles are ascertained at roadside enforcement checks. [15383]

  Mr. Bowis
  It is one of a number of checks carried out by traffic examiners at each roadside vehicle check, and is followed up as part of routine enforcement action where necessary.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has completed his consideration of proposals to impound illegally operated and dangerous heavy goods vehicles as indicated in his response to the Transport Committee's Fifth report in November 1996; and if he will make a statement. [15384]

  Mr. Bowis
  We are still working on plans for a possible scheme for the impounding of illegally operated and dangerous heavy goods vehicles.

DEFENCE

  Land Mines
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each of the supplier companies to his Department for(a) anti-personnel mines and (b) anti-tank/armoured vehicle mines since 1979; and if he will list the countries to which these companies have exported mines since 1979. [13527]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Available records indicate that the following companies/organisations have, since 1979, met orders from my Department for:

  (a) anti-personnel mines: Thorn-EMI, Royal Ordnance, the United States Department of Defence and Alliant Techsystems of the United States;

  (b) anti-tank/armoured vehicle mines: Royal Ordnance, Hunting Engineering Ltd. Alliant Techsystems, the MLRS European Production Group, and GIAT Industries and SOFMA of France.

  I understand that export licence records before 1991 are not readily available to the Department of Trade and Industry and could be researched only at disproportionate cost. An initial search by DTI of export licence records since 1991 has shown that anti-tank/armoured vehicle mine records are not immediately identifiable and I am advised that the research required to examine the records further could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost. It is clear from earlier research, however, that no mines considered to be anti-personnel mines at the time of export have been exported for over a decade. Records available in my own Department, which may not be definitive, indicate that mines considered at the time of export to fall into one or other of the two categories identified have been exported as follows:

  (a) Anti-personnel mines: by Thorn-EMI to Nigeria in 1981;

  (b) Anti-tank/armoured vehicle mines: by UK companies to two other countries in 1982 and 1991.

  Detailed information on these cannot be provided, since its release would cause harm in terms of one or more of the defence, security, international relations and

  181
  commercial confidence exemptions in the code of practice on access to Government information. These were the exemptions in the code referred to in my answer to the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Spring) on 23 July 1996, Official Report, column 212.

  I am not in a position to provide information regarding exports by non-UK companies.

  Copex Internal Security Exhibition
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which company booked the Farnborough site for the Copex—contingency and operational procurement exhibition—internal security exhibition, between 30 September and 2 October; and if he will make a statement. [12562]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  I understand that SBAC has entered into a contractual arrangement with British-American Promotions Ltd., and that the Copex exhibition will take place in September 1997.

  Public Records (Disclosure)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made in reviewing the files with Public Record Office class marks ES1/653 and ES1/654 with a view to opening them. [14387]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The review has been completed and the files are to be released to the Public Record Office.

  Army Ranges (Dartmoor)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the advertised usage of Willsworthy range in the Dartmoor national park for live firing in the year ended December 1996, expressed by number of days; and how many days' firing took place. [15354]

  Mr. Soames
  The advertised usage of Willsworthy range in the Dartmoor national park for live firing in the year ending December 1996 expressed by number of days was 194. The number of days when firing actually took place was 109.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the advertised usage of Merrivale range in the Dartmoor national park for live firing in the year ended 1996, expressed by number of days; and how many days' firing took place. [15352]

  Mr. Soames
  The advertised usage of Merrivale range in the Dartmoor national park for live firing in the year ending December 1996 expressed by number of days was 121. The number of days when firing actually took place was 61.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the advertised usage of Okehampton range in the Dartmoor national park for live firing in the year ended 1996, expressed by number of days; and how many days' firing took place. [15353]

  Mr. Soames
  The advertised usage of Okehampton range in the Dartmoor national park for live firing in the year ending December 1996 expressed by number of days was 72. The number of days when firing actually took place was 36.

  Royal Yacht
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what method it is proposed to ensure that the contract for the replacement royal yacht is placed with a ship building yard within the United Kingdom: [15248]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  On security grounds, the future royal yacht can only be designed and built in a British shipyard. An invitation to tender for construction of the vessel will be advertised in the MOD contracts bulletin in the usual way.

  Rugby League
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what to steps are being taken to facilitate the playing of rugby league football in the Royal Navy. [14253]

  Mr. Soames
  Those personnel who wish to play are offered encouragement and advice, and facilities are made available to them. Should enough people show an interest, consideration will be given to making rugby league an approved sport.

HEALTH

  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken to evaluate the possible causes of the cluster of CJD and suspected CJD cases in Kent; and if he will make a statement. [15259]

  Mr. Horam
  The national Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance unit monitors the incidence of CJD throughout the United Kingdom, including the possibility of significant clusters of cases. Its analysis of the distribution of cases of CJD has never found any convincing evidence of clustering.

  Elderly People (Winter Assistance)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he has taken to help the elderly during the winter months in each of the last three years; and at what cost. [15388]

  Mr. Burns
  The Department is the major contributor to "Keep Warm Keep Well" campaigns. A breakdown of costs for the past three years is shown in the table. In previous years, the Department of Social Security—lately the Benefits Agency—has made contributions; the total expenditure column is inclusive of its contribution.

  £000

  Total expenditure

  DSS contribution

  1995–96

  578

  125

  1994–95

  568

  45

  1993–94

  510

  60

PRIME MINISTER

  EU Works Council Directive
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the employment impact of the implementation by British companies of the EU works council directive agreed under the EU social chapter. [15020]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the speech I gave at the European Policy Forum in Brussels on the 4 February, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

ENVIRONMENT

  Refugees
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken to assess the additional costs to local government of concentrations of refugees seeking or having been granted asylum. [14963]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Secretary of State for Health has established special grants to help local authorities meet the additional costs they face in respect of asylum-seeking families with children, and in respect of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. He laid before Parliament yesterday a special grant report to establish a new special grant for adult asylum seekers who are not accompanied by children. Local authority social services departments must provide detailed information on costs when submitting claims for any of these grants.

  Rent arrears at 31 March 1995

  Percentage of rent roll

  Arrears outstanding at 31 March 1995 for:

  Empty council homes at 1 April 1995

  Percentage of dwellings

  (£000)

  Council tax (£000)

  Community charge (£000)

  City of London

  256

  4.2

  1—

  1—

  24

  1.1

  Camden

  8,986

  10.7

  12,379

  22,095

  543

  1.8

  Greenwich

  14,984

  19.6

  6,494

  9,737

  795

  2.5

  Hackney

  32,675

  31.6

  4,588

  10,470

  3,894

  9.8

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  6,553

  15.1

  6,752

  7,186

  343

  2.1

  Islington

  16,072

  16.0

  1—

  1—

  1,483

  4.0

  Kensington and Chelsea

  2,351

  9.4

  4,672

  5,083

  108

  1.4

  Lambeth

  19,491

  19.8

  40,172

  75,423

  2,176

  5.1

  Lewisham

  7,482

  9.3

  1—

  1—

  1,051

  3.0

  Southwark

  26,160

  20.8

  10,811

  25,290

  1,129

  2.1

  Tower Hamlets

  3,987

  5.5

  4,156

  5,437

  1,562

  4.2

  Wandsworth

  4,362

  6.7

  2,091

  181

  508

  2.4

  Westminster

  3,100

  6.0

  4,110

  67

  263

  1.7

  Barking and Dagenham

  942

  2.0

  1,440

  1,558

  427

  1.6

  Barnet

  1,401

  3.8

  6,678

  10,281

  124

  0.9

  Bexley

  505

  2.5

  1,679

  2,644

  139

  1.6

  Brent

  13,750

  29.3

  8,892

  26,035

  301

  1.8

  Bromley

  0

  0.0

  1,963

  1,944

  5

  6.3

  Croydon

  2,208

  4.7

  5,392

  4,246

  265

  1.6

  Ealing

  10,809

  19.1

  1—

  1—

  210

  1.3

  Enfield

  4,037

  9.9

  8,815

  8,396

  342

  2.2

  Haringey

  20,318

  33.4

  1—

  1—

  303

  1.5

  Harrow

  793

  3.6

  3,595

  4,787

  108

  1.6

  Havering

  561

  2.2

  1,506

  3,628

  219

  1.6

  Hillingdon

  933

  2.2

  4,857

  6,586

  159

  1.2

  Hounslow

  2,483

  7.1

  4,087

  15,618

  333

  2.0

  Kingston upon Thames

  507

  3.0

  1—

  1—

  97

  1.7

  Merton

  1,168

  4.5

  3,211

  4,238

  89

  0.9

  Newham

  7,886

  13.6

  12,052

  24,397

  735

  2.8

  Redbridge

  1,142

  5.0

  1—

  1—

  515

  7.6

  184
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his statement of 3 February,Official Report, columns 681 and 689, concerning special grants to localities most in need of assistance due to concentrations of refugees, what discussions he has had, or intends to have, with representatives of the areas concerned. [14956]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Ministers from my Department and the Department of Health as well as officials from the Department of Health have met local authority representatives on a number of occasions in recent months to discuss funding for local authorities who are supporting asylum seekers.

  Green Belt
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the size of the green belt in(a) 1979, (b) 1983, (c) 1987, (d) 1992 and (e) at the current date. [14691]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  We do not keep records of the size of the green belt on an annual basis. Figures are available for England for 1979, 1989 and 1993. In 1979, there were 7,125 sq km of green belt land. This more than doubled in 1989 to 15,485 sq km and reached 15,557 sq km in 1993.

  Council Housing and Tax
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the levels of(a) uncollected rents from council properties, (b) uncollected council tax, (c) uncollected community charge, and (d) empty council homes in each London borough. [14693]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The latest available information is as follows:
  185

  Rent arrears at 31 March 1995

  Percentage of rent roll

  Arrears outstanding at 31 March 1995 for:

  Empty council homes at 1 April 1995

  Percentage of dwellings

  (£000)

  Council tax (£000)

  Community charge (£000)

  Richmond upon Thames

  1,062

  5.5

  1,887

  4,056

  246

  3.2

  Sutton

  1,265

  5.2

  1,215

  1,555

  76

  0.8

  Waltham Forest

  2,404

  6.6

  8,134

  16,656

  465

  2.9

  1 No information was published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy for these authorities.

  Itinerants and Trespassers
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 in cases involving itinerants and(a) Wealden district council, (b) Lincolnshire county council and (c) Wolverhampton borough; and what measures he proposes to make provisions in respect of itinerants and trespassers more effective. [15096]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Sections 77 to 79 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order 1994 give local authorities powers to evict unauthorised campers. The High Court quashed an eviction order by Wealden district council in 1995 because the local authority had failed first to make inquiries about the campers' housing and social needs. The court allowed Lincolnshire county council's eviction order to stand because the authority had made sufficient inquiries. In the Wolverhampton borough council case, the judge said that the 1994 Act powers were intended to offer a "robust and speedy" means of eviction, although local authorities should give careful consideration before exercising them. I believe that local authorities which use the powers responsibly; and in accordance with advice in my Department's circular 18/94, "Gipsy Sites Policy and Unauthorised Camping", should be able to evict successfully when it is in the public interest to do so. The Government have no plans to amend the legislation, but have commissioned research to establish good practice.

  Local Government Reorganisation
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state his reasons and the precedents for top-slicing the costs of specific local government reorganisation from the general grant available to local authorities. [15011]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The reorganisation transitional damping grant scheme for 1997–98 will damp those council tax increases directly attributable to reorganisation that come above a threshold of £52 at band D. Such increases are not the result of the reorganised authorities' spending decisions. They occur where the pattern of spend in the past has not followed the standard spending assessment. The scheme is transitional and will protect council tax payers from increases above the threshold while the reorganised authorities adapt to their new circumstances.

  A similar scheme operated in 1996–97 and was also funded through a top-slice of revenue support grant. Since 1994–95, we have also paid SSA reduction grant to authorities whose SSA has been reduced by more than a certain threshold as a result of changes in the SSA methodology. The funds for this have been top-sliced from RSG each year.
  186
  We consulted on the 1997–98 reorganisation transitional damping scheme as part of the consultation on the 1997–98 provisional local government finance settlement. We took all representations into account before taking our final decisions.

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what considerations underpinned his policy as set out at paragraph 14 of the Government's response, to the House of Lords Select Committee report on freedom of access to information on the environment of 5 February, that the Government do not accept that information in a draft document should be withheld only if harm would result from its exposure. [15458]

  Mr. Gummer
  It is reasonable that access to information, in a draft document or another form, should wait completion of work so that analysis and interpretation can proceed unhindered. This is provided for in paragraph 4(d) of the Environmental Information Regulations 1992, and elaborated in paragraph 53 of the guidance.

  Elderly People (Winter Assistance)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he has taken to help the elderly during the winter months in each of the last three years; and at what cost. [15389]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Our home energy efficiency scheme helps householders who are aged 60 or over, or who receive income-related benefits or certain disability allowances, to keep their homes more comfortable and energy efficient by providing grants for basic home insulation and energy advice. The following amounts in grant have been paid to householders claiming on grounds of age in each of the last three years:

  1994–95: £40,374,000

  1995–96: £65,871,000

  1996–97 (to date): £27,074,000

  In addition, we are providing funding for various energy saving trust programmes which may benefit elderly people. These include their pilot pensioners' energy plan to demonstrate how local authorities and private finance providers in partnership can help pensioners to make energy efficient improvements to their homes; the cavity wall insulation programme and the heating controls cash-back scheme. We are providing around £7 million for these programmes.

  Waterways
  Sir Anthony Durant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received preliminary reports from British Waterways and the Environment Agency
  187
  examining individual waterways in response to the Government's conclusions to the review of British Waterways and agency navigation functions; and if he will make a statement. [15832]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  British Waterways and the Environment Agency have submitted a joint report following a series of regional reviews of the river navigations under their control. I have placed a copy of their report in the Library.

  In the light of the regional reviews, BW and EA recommended further detailed studies. I have accordingly accepted the suggestion that BW and the agency undertake a detailed review of the division of responsibilities on the River Weaver. I have also invited BW to carry out a three-month study, in consultation with the agency, of the Great Ouse and the Nene to examine what it could do if it managed the navigation aspects of these two rivers. This study should cover, among other things, costs and benefits, environmental impacts and the views of all interested parties on such an arrangement.

  The report concludes that relationships between the two organisations are good and that BW and the agency are already working well together in many areas. The reviews have identified a number of steps that can be taken to improve this collaboration further. I endorse the organisations' efforts to identify efficiency gains, ways of working more effectively and means of providing service improvements.

  At the third annual inland navigation seminar on 4 December 1996, BW and the agency, together with the Broads Authority, created the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities. I support this initiative and look forward to it making a positive contribution across the range of navigation policy issues. I hope that BW and the EA will progress jointly their ideas to develop a national navigation strategy in consultation with the new association and the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council.

  Fire Services
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total element of standard spending assessments related to fire services in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what was the annual spending of fire authorities within the same period. [15250]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  [holding answer 11 February 1997]: The information requested is in the table:

  £ billion

  Year

  Fire standard spending assessment

  Revenue expenditure on fire

  1993–94

  1.139

  1.204

  1994–95

  1.168

  1.210

  1995–96

  1.168

  1.260

  1996–97

  1.185

  11,299

  1997–98

  1.237

  —

  Figures for 1993–94 and 1994–95 refer to fire and civil defence.

  1 Budgeted.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Television Licence Fee Regulations
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement about the television licence fee regulations. [15562]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I have today laid new consolidated television licence fee regulations before both Houses. These will:

  (i) bring into effect the licence fees for the year commencing 1 April 1997, as announced on 18 December last year columns 591–92—the colour fee will be £91.50 and the black and white one will be £30.50;

  (ii) extend coverage of a television licence to permit the installation and use of television in any mobile home, static or touring caravan, or other vehicle or vessel used by members of the household, subject to certain provisos; and

  (iii) fulfil the Government's undertaking to stop sheltered housing schemes from being disqualified from the concessionary television licence arrangements simply because a small number of units within them have been purchased under the right-to-buy provisions of the Housing Act 1985.

  The basic principle of the TV licensing system has always been that a TV licence is required for any place, vehicle or vessel in which TV is installed or used. The changes summarised in the following paragraph are designed to sustain the integrity and enforceability of the licensing system, to protect the BBC's income and to be fair and reasonable in applying the basic principle to the increasing use of television outside a household's main place of residence.

  Hitherto, the regulations have permitted a household's TV licence to cover all the TV sets at one place, vehicle or vessel, but no sets elsewhere, except in the comparatively rare case where such sets are powered by their own internal batteries. The regulations I have laid today extend the coverage of a TV licence in a number of ways:

  (a) A household with a licence for its main residence may also, under that licence, receive TV in a vehicle, touring caravan or vessel. None of these is commonly used as a residence for any substantial period of time. Households which do use them as their main residence will continue to need a TV licence.

  (b) Similarly, any TV set in a mobile home or static caravan which is not in use as a main residence will not require a separate licence, provided that there is no simultaneous use there and at the household's main residence. This qualification reflects the fact that mobile homes and static caravans are more likely to be used for lengthy periods as a household's main place of residence. Use of television in other, fixed, second homes will continue to require a separate TV licence.

  (c) Commercially operated caravan sites where caravans with TV are provided will continue to benefit from the concessionary hotel licence offered to establishments which provide units of overnight accommodation on a single site. The regulations extend this concession to units of entertainment, such as boxes at sports grounds or suites at conference centres.

  The Government undertaking concerning the impact of the right-to-buy legislation on the concessionary television licence scheme—under which qualifying households pay only £5 for a TV licence—was made during the Commons Committee stage of the Broadcasting Act 1996, on 18 June 1996, Official Report,

  189
  columns 749–51. The new regulations will enable residents of sheltered housing schemes which meet all the other qualifying criteria to benefit from the TV licence concession, provided that not more than 25 per cent. of the dwellings in the scheme have been purchased under the right-to-buy provisions.

  The consolidated regulations will also incorporate other changes made last year, by separate amending regulations. These relate to deregulation of the previous requirements for TV dealers to register with the licensing authority and to hold a separate TV dealer demonstration licence and the introduction last August of a new cash instalment payment scheme aimed at making it easier for those on low incomes to pay the licence fee.

  Tourism Strategy
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what response she has received to her Department's new strategy for tourism, "Success through Partnership". [15829]

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  "Success through Partnership: A Strategy for Tourism" builds on the successful programme we have completed over the last two years, which has developed a closer working relationship than ever before between Government and industry. The recent report of the National Heritage Select Committee has helped to inform the development of this tourism strategy. The Government's strategy document has been warmly welcomed as a joint initiative with the industry.

  The strategy provides a clear statement of our objectives for the tourism industry and an agenda for future action. It represents a true partnership and involves key players from central and local government, tourist boards, the industry, trade and professional bodies and consumer groups. All have been fully involved in preparing and taking forward the strategy and are committed to developing tourism as a high quality, profitable and sustainable activity to realise the growth potential of the industry and the associated social and cultural benefits for the nation.

  The strategy covers six main areas:
  creating the right framework for success—raising the public profile and prestige of tourism;
  improving the quality of the tourism product;
  developing a world-class human resource;
  making marketing more effective—co-ordinating effort and pooling resources to optimise impact;
  improving information provision; and
  managing tourism demand and impacts—sustainable tourism that spreads the benefits and protects the environment that attracts tourists in the first place.

  Copies of the document are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Tourism (Suffolk and Norfolk)
  Mr. Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the impact of Government tourism policy on(a) Suffolk and (b) Norfolk since 1987. [12722]
  190
  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 28 January 1997]: Norfolk and Suffolk have benefited from significant growth in tourism in the UK in recent years. The number of employees in the British tourism industry grew by approximately 24 per cent. between March 1986 and March 1996. In 1995, earnings from tourism were £38 billion—a record in real terms—and signs are that 1996 will be even better. The UK is now fifth in the world in terms of tourism earnings. The UK's domestic tourism earnings were £22.7 billion in 1995. Figures for tourism spend in individual counties are not available. However, domestic tourism spend in the east of England region increased from £490 million in 1987 to £960 million in 1995 and overseas visitor income increased from £183 million in 1987 to £566 million in 1995. International passenger survey figures show that the number of visits by overseas visitors to Norfolk increased from 164,000 in 1994 to 176,000 in 1995, and those to Suffolk from 129,000 in 1994 to 142,000 in 1995. Government support for the industry is channelled through the British Tourist Authority and the English Tourist Board.

  I am pleased to note that over £10.5 million of lottery funding has been awarded to Suffolk and Norfolk to date for projects to promote culture, heritage and the arts. Other Government programmes include a seven-year regeneration initiative launched last April in Lowestoft, which aims to improve and develop the local area, and also, to develop the tourism potential.

  London is one of this country's main draws for overseas visitors, and one of the main aims of the Focus London campaign, which has received £7 million of public funding over three years, has been to promote London as a gateway to the rest of the country. The Government are committed to encouraging overseas visitors to travel to all parts of the country. In 1995, the British Tourist Authority's British travel centre in London gave help and advice on travelling outside the capital to almost half a million overseas visitors. These initiatives will boost tourism in the regions and greatly benefit the employment prospects and wealth of those living locally.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Judges (Directorships)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what steps are taken(a) at the time of their appointment and (b) subsequently, to ensure that his Department is informed of company directorships held by judges. [14379]

  (2) how many full-time judges at each level within the judiciary hold company directorships; and what guidance his Department issues to judges about the circumstances in which a conflict of interest arising from such a position might arise. [14369]

  Mr. Streeter
  Full-time judges are advised before appointment that they should not hold commercial directorships during their service on the Bench, although some forms of non-commercial directorships may be acceptable. Subject to these general principles, each case is dealt with on its individual circumstances.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Kenya
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list for each of the last five years for which figures are available

  (a) projects in Kenya which received aid and (b) the total amount of aid to Kenya; and if he will make a statement. [15226]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  The gross public expenditure to Kenya over the last five years has amounted to £166,493,000 broken down as follows:

  £ millions

  1991–92

  38,351

  1992–93

  37,514

  1993–94

  31,231

  1994–95

  30,214

  1995–96

  29,183

  Major sectors of involvement have been, and continue to be, health and population, education, renewable natural resources, roads and small enterprise development.

  Over the last two years, there has been major expenditure—over £1 million—on each of the following projects:

  Primary education in-service project: £2.3 million

  Moi university library: £2 million

  Supplies project for HIV-AIDS prevention: £1.6 million

  Essential drugs provision: £1.5 million

  Emergency supply of essential drugs: £1.5 million

  Molo-Litein roads upgrading: £1.5 million

  K-Rep's Juhudi credit small scale:

  Enterprise project: £1.5 million

  Protected areas wildlife project: £1.4 million

  Family planning services: £1.4 million

  Contraceptive supply: £1.2 million

  Tick-borne diseases research project: £1 million.

  Mr. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department is giving to Kenya to combat the effects of the water hyacinth in Lake Victoria; and if he will make a statement. [15228]

  Dr. Fox
  We are giving no direct assistance to Kenya to combat the effects of the water hyacinth in Lake Victoria. Assistance is, however, being provided by other donors, including the World bank and the European Union.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Members' Tea Room (No Smoking Areas)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee (1) if he will consult hon. Members about the location of designated no smoking areas in the Members' Tea Room; and if he will make a statement; [15174]
  192
  (2) what consultation took place with hon. Members concerning the designation of no smoking areas in the Members' Tea Room; and if he will make a statement. [15175]

  Sir Colin Shepherd
  The Catering Committee keeps under constant review the policy regarding smoking in all Refreshment Department outlets, including, of course, in the Tea Room. In each of the last three years, hon. Members have had the opportunity to respond to the Refreshment Department's customer questionnaire, which welcomes comments on smoking policy. The results of the last survey were considered by the Committee at its meeting on 22 January. The Committee was encouraged by the fact that, based on the responses to the specific questions on smoking, the existing arrangements appear to have the support of a majority of respondents. Hon. Members may also make their views known throughout the year by using the comments books available in all outlets, which I read frequently.

TREASURY

  Illegal Drug Use (Questions)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy as to when questions on statistics on illegal drug use are to be answered by(a) his Department, (b) the Department of Health, (c) the Home Office, (d) the Leader of the House and (e) other Departments. [14653]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 6 February 1997]: Ministerial responsibility varies according to the information sought and the availability of data, as follows:

  (a) The Office for National Statistics collects and publishes information on all deaths registered in England and Wales and codes cause of death.

  (b) The Department of Health deals with medical and health aspects of drug misuse, and compiles information on drug addicts in index form. Data are available on the age and sex of the addict, drug used, injecting behaviour and agency type, at regional health authority level, and at district health authority level. They are published on an annual basis.

  The Department of Health also compiles a variety of aggregated data on problem drug misuse. The data cover England and are published twice a year.

  (c) The Home Office collects and publishes information on persons notified as being addicted to opiates and cocaine and all drug-related deaths, as well as data on drug offences and drug seizures made by the police and by HM Customs and Excise. The Home Office also compiles data on drugs and criminal justice. They include details of offenders by age, sex, offence, drug involved, police force area, disposal and sentence, and are available by United Kingdom police force area. Data on drugs offenders have been collected centrally since 1967. Statistics on seizures are based on returns received directly from Customs and Excise and the police.

  (d) HM Customs and Excise also collates information on types and weights of drugs seized at frontiers. The Department for Education and Employment's principal role is to disseminate advice and guidance on drug education and prevention to schools, youth workers, and teachers in further and higher education. It also supports many local groups and funds the training of teachers and community workers who are engaged in tackling the problems of drug abuse and has published several documents accordingly.

  (e) Co-ordination of the Government's drug strategy is the responsibility of the Lord President.

  Parliamentary Questions (Cost)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidelines exist for determining whether providing the answer to a parliamentary question would involve disproportionate cost; what steps are taken to ensure that officials do not avoid undertaking work on researching information for Ministers by wrongly claiming that the research would involve disproportionate cost; and what sanctions(a) have been and (b) could be imposed on officials in such circumstances. [15431]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  Treasury Ministers aim to answer written parliamentary questions as fully as possible and in accordance with guidance on disproportionate cost. Ministers may decline to answer, in whole or in part, a written parliamentary question where the marginal cost of preparing the answer is likely to exceed the current advisory limit of £450. The decision to use this cost threshold rests with Ministers, who may decide that questions should be answered irrespective of cost.

  I am not aware of any instances where officials have sought to make improper use of the threshold. If officials were to do so, this would be an internal matter for the Department concerned.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of people aged under 25 years are(a) in full-time employment, (b) in part-time

  Persons aged 16 to 24 years: at spring (thousands)

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Full-time employment1

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  346

  283

  269

  235

  233

  213

  England

  3,170

  2,738

  2,471

  2,319

  2,257

  2,166

  Part-time employment1

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  69

  86

  81

  89

  87

  93

  England

  732

  769

  778

  842

  853

  966

  Full-time education (with a job)2

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  49

  54

  45

  55

  62

  63

  England

  521

  534

  485

  589

  596

  682

  Full-time education (without a job)

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  96

  112

  117

  130

  132

  143

  England

  906

  1,101

  1,131

  1,191

  1,247

  1,172

  Government-supported training and employment programmes

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  28

  27

  27

  23

  21

  17

  England

  231

  196

  188

  174

  144

  125

  Note:

  1 Excludes Government-supported training and employment programmes.

  2 Included in employment estimates.

  Source:

  Labour Force Survey.

  Persons aged 16 to 24 years: at spring (per cent.)

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Full-time employment1

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  52

  44

  43

  39

  40

  37

  England

  51

  46

  43

  41

  41

  40

  Part-time employment1

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  10

  13

  13

  15

  15

  16

  England

  12

  13

  13

  15

  16

  18

  194
  employment, (c) in full-time education and (d) on Government-supported training schemes in (i) Yorkshire and Humberside and (ii) England, as at spring 1996.[14305]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Dr. M. P. G. Pepper to Mr. Hugh Bayley, dated 12 February 1997:
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked the Director of the Office for National Statistics to reply to your recent Question on the proportion of people aged under 25 in employment, education and training in Yorkshire and Humberside and in England. The Director has asked me to reply in his absence.
  In answering your Question, I have incorporated two improvements when compared with the Answer on 24 July 1996 in the Official Report column 547, and for this reason I am providing comparable data for 1991 through to 1996.
  First: the information on numbers in employment, education and training relate to persons aged 16–24 and are expressed as a proportion of the corresponding age group rather than all persons aged under 25.
  Secondly: the number in employment include some persons who are in full-time education. Separate details are given for those in full-time education with and without jobs.
  The Answer in the attached tables is derived from the Labour Force Survey. However, participation in Government supported training schemes is known to be under-recorded in the Labour Force Survey compared with administrative sources. The employee figures in the tables therefore include a number who should otherwise be shown as on such schemes.
  195

  Persons aged 16 to 24 years: at spring (per cent.)

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Full-time education (with a job)2

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  7

  8

  7

  9

  11

  11

  England

  8

  9

  8

  10

  11

  13

  Full-time education (without a job)

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  15

  17

  19

  22

  23

  25

  England

  15

  18

  20

  21

  23

  22

  Government-supported training and employment programmes

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  3

  England

  4

  3

  3

  3

  3

  2

  Notes:

  1 Excludes Government-supported training and employment programmes.

  2 Included in employment estimates.

  Source:

  Labour Force Survey.

  Landfill Tax
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his letter of 3 April 1996 to the director general of the House Builders Federation constitutes Government policy on exemptions to the landfill tax; to what extent the policies in that statement were implemented in the Landfill Tax (Contaminated Land) Order 1996; and if he will make a statement. [13595]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 30 January 1997]: I assume that the letter to which my hon. Friend refers is the one written by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) when he was Paymaster General. In paragraph 3 of the letter, my right hon. Friend said
  "We now intend to provide the exemption for waste from the clearance of historically contaminated land where clearance of all or part of the contamination is necessary to allow the land to be used for the intended purpose when the development or work on the land is complete. The exemption will apply to waste arising from the reclamation of the land, but current polluters will not be able to benefit from it."

  He went on to say in paragraph 5
  "You suggest that the exemption should be widened to cover clay and other material that has to be removed from high density urban infill sites. I should first of all say that if a site is historically contaminated it is intended that all of the waste removed and disposed of to landfill will be exempt under our proposed exemption, not just that which is contaminated."

  This letter sets our Government policy that, to qualify for the exemption, such wastes would need to arise from a reclamation which facilitates development of the land and removes the potential for the pollutants to cause harm. The removal of the pollutants must be necessary for the development to proceed and any activity that gave rise to the pollutants must have ceased. Where these criteria are met, then all wastes, whether polluted or not, arising from the reclamation would qualify for the exemption. This policy is reflected in the Landfill Tax (Contaminated Land) Order 1996. Copies of the letter have been placed in the Library.

  Scott Inquiry
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown of the spending by his Department on external advice in relation to the Scott inquiry, indicating how much has been spent on legal advice and from whom it was obtained. [14539]
  196
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 6 February 1997]: The amount spent by my departments on external advice, including legal advice, in relation to giving evidence to the Scott inquiry and the preparation of the Government's response to it, is £83,740. Of this figure, the cost of legal advice amounted to £74,080, which was the cost to Customs and Excise of external legal advice obtained from two firms of solicitors, Lewis Silkin and Clifford Chance, including the cost of legal advice to counsel required to provide evidence to the inquiry in relation to the Customs prosecutions being examined. The balance of the figure was incurred by the Treasury for general consultancy services of a non-legal nature.

  Pension Contributions (Tax Relief)
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals would be affected if relief for pension contributions were to be limited for income tax purposes to the standard rate; and what would be the total extra tax raised. [14869]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: The estimated full year yield of restricting income tax relief for pension contributions to the basic rate at 1997–98 income levels would be about £880 million. Some 2 million taxpayers would be affected. This is based on a projection of the 1994 survey of personal incomes and other survey data in line with the assumptions in the Budget forecast. It does not take account of any behavioural effects which might result from such a change.

  National Savings
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 4 February,Official Report, column 565, what was the date on which the decision was made to audit and certify all National Savings accounts. [15254]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 11 February 1997]: The decision to audit and certify all national savings product accounts was taken on 20 May 1994.

  German Unemployment Level
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the January
  197
  rise in German unemployment on (a) progress towards European convergence and (b) United Kingdom growth prospects. [15364]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 11 February 1997]: German claimant unemployment rose 510,000 to 4,658,000 in January 1997. On a seasonally adjusted basis, it rose 160,000 to 4,317,000. The Government take the view that it is unlikely, although not impossible, that there will be sufficient convergence for economic and monetary union to proceed safely on 1 January 1999. The UK recovery is broadly based and growth is forecast to continue to be faster than in our major European competitors.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Bread (Labelling)
  Mr. Chris Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what requirements are placed upon food manufacturers regarding the labelling of iron content of bread; and if he will make a statement. [14995]

  Mrs. Browning
  If the flour used in bread making contains no added ingredients other than the statutorily required nutrients such as iron, then the addition of these nutrients need not be declared in the ingredients list of pre-packed bread. If any other ingredient is added to the flour then all the ingredients added to the flour, including the nutrients such as iron, must be declared in the ingredients list of pre-packed bread.

  These labelling rules do not apply to non pre-packed bread.

  Habitat Depletion and Contamination
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he has taken to reduce the contamination of the habitats of birds and wild mammals from herbicides and pesticides; what studies have been(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated by his Department into the effects on habitats of pesticides and herbicides; and what assessment he has made of the impact of habitat depletion and contamination on wild birds in the United Kingdom. [15064]

  Mrs. Browning
  The direct impact of each pesticide product on birds and wild mammals is assessed before an approval for that product is granted. Advice on the protection of wildlife and their habitats is provided particularly through the Code of Practice on the Safe Use of Pesticides on Farms and Holdings.

  Details of current Government research were provided in my reply today and by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 17 December 1996, Official Report, column 544, to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell). The results of this research will be evaluated when available.

  Song Birds
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the consequences for the numbers and varieties of song birds of the range of arable incentive schemes proposed by his Department. [14674]
  198
  Mr. Boswell
  The Ministry's agri-environment schemes encourage agricultural practices which are sympathetic to the requirements of song birds. We have also recently introduced new payments for retaining winter stubbles and undersowing arable crops with grass in two environmentally sensitive areas; and we have announced proposals for a pilot scheme as part of countryside stewardship to test the most effective arable farming methods to protect wildlife species such as farmland birds. On the basis of advice from English Nature and environmental bodies and of published research, these measures should bring significant benefits for song birds in England.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the summer use of(a) organophosphates and (b) pyrethroids on the numbers and range of songbirds. [14675]

  Mrs. Browning
  The Department of the Environment and English Nature, on behalf of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, are funding a review of the available information on the indirect effects of pesticides on farmland birds. I understand that the results will be published later this year.

  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is also funding relevant research which was listed in the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment on 17 December Official Report, column 544.

  The results of these projects will be made available to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and the Pesticides Forum.

  Fisheries Agreements
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list those countries which benefit from the EU fisheries agreements with third countries, including their respective share of such agreements by weight of catch and value; [14828]

  (2) what share of EU fisheries agreements with third countries has been appointed to the United Kingdom in each year since 1986; [14829]

  (3) if he will list those third party countries which have fisheries agreements with the European Union. [14832]

  Mr. Baldry
  Much of this information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I refer the hon. Member to the answers that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for South Hams (Mr. Steen) on 28 October and 7 November 1996,Official Report, columns 52 and 660 respectively, which provided details of current fisheries agreements between the European Community and third countries.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the United Kingdom contribution in(a) sterling and (b) percentage terms to the cost of EU fisheries agreements with third countries for each year since 1986; [14830]

  (2) what was the cost in sterling of the EU fisheries agreements with third countries in each year since 1986. [14831]
  199
  Mr. Baldry
  Details of the cost to the EU budget of fisheries agreements with third countries are given in the table.

  Cost of EU fisheries agreements with third countries

  ECU (million)

  £ (million)

  1986

  55.6

  36.0

  1987

  81.9

  58.9

  1988

  139.5

  94.6

  1989

  161.5

  105.7

  1990

  173.0

  122.8

  1991

  171.4

  119.9

  1992

  195.6

  138.4

  1993

  188.9

  148.5

  1994

  140.6

  107.7

  1995

  158.1

  127.7

  19961

  270.0

  226.7

  1 Budget appropriation. Final outturn expenditure figures not yet available.

  Source:

  EU budget documents 1988–1996.

  Exchange rates used

  1986: 1 ecu = £0.64785

  1987: 1 ecu = £0.71932

  1988: 1 ecu = £0.67834

  1989: 1 ecu = £0.65474

  1990: 1 ecu = £0.70995

  1991: 1 ecu = £0.69973

  1992: 1 ecu = £0.70765

  1993: 1 ecu = £0.78627

  1994: 1 ecu = £0.76626

  1995: 1 ecu = £0.80792

  1996: 1 ecu = £0.83991

  The United Kingdom contributes to the EU budget as a whole and it is not therefore possible to identify separately the UK contribution to EU fisheries agreements with third countries. Details of UK contributions can be found in the annual White Paper statements on the EU budget. In 1996, the UK's gross contribution to the budget was about 15 per cent. of the total.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will support the recommendations of the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities in its Third report of Session 1996–97 on third country fisheries agreements, HL 28, that the recipients of EU fisheries agreements with third countries should pay a greater share of the cost of such agreements. [14833]

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government welcome this timely and balanced report and will provide a full and considered response in due course. I made it clear in my oral evidence to the sub-committee that I consider it reasonable that those fishermen and member states benefitting from fisheries agreements with third countries should contribute a greater share of the costs.

  Water Pollution (Thruxted)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what information he has received concerning the possible contamination of drinking water by waste discharged from Canterbury Mills, Thruxted, Kent; and if he will make a statement; [15260]
  200
  (2) what reports he has received from the Environment Agency concerning their investigation of wastewater arrangements at Canterbury Mills, Thruxted, Kent; and if he will make a statement. [15261]

  Mr. Baldry
  Drinking water quality is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Environment and of the drinking water inspectorate. The local water company, Mid Kent Water, confirms that its tests show that water supplies taken from the area are of the highest chemical and microbiological standard. The tests are subject to stringent analytical quality control and independent scrutiny by the drinking water inspectorate.

  This Department has received a copy of the draft report of the risk assessment carried out into waste water disposal options at Canterbury Mills and the possible effect on the quality of drinking water. The Environment Agency has commissioned studies into the possible effects of waste water disposal arrangements at Canterbury Mills and has made these available to the planning inspector for use during the public inquiry now underway to determine a planning application by Canterbury Mills.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what evidence he plans to submit to the forthcoming public inquiry relating to planning proposals for a new underground water drainage system adjacent to Canterbury Mills, Thruxted, Kent; and if he will make a statement. [15262]

  Mr. Baldry
  This Department prepared a statement regarding the operation of Canterbury Mills rendering plant in the context of animal health legislation, to the planning inspector on 10 January 1997 for use at the public inquiry. A copy is being placed in the Library of the House.

  Salmonella Gold Coast Contamination
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Department first received evidence of the possibility that cows from Wyke Farms of Somerset were source of Salmonella gold coast infection; and if he will make a statement. [11793]

  Mrs. Browning
  [holding answer 22 January 1997]: Epidemiological evidence first linked an outbreak of Salmonella gold coast to the consumption of cheese produced at Wyke Farms on 14 December 1996.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement about the methods used to monitor the efficiency of each Government Department in answering parliamentary questions, with particular reference to the expected lengths of time to answer questions and the action taken in the case of excessive delays. [14902]

  Mr. Freeman
  Each departmental Minister is responsible for answering the parliamentary questions put to them in a timely manner.
  201
  For questions for written answer on a named day, Standing Order 18(4) requires that an answer should be given on the day named by the Member. Wherever possible, this will be a substantive reply but, where this is not possible, Ministers will give a holding reply and provide a substantive reply as soon as possible thereafter.

  Within my Department, instructions have been given that Ministers will wish, wherever possible, to be in a position to provide a substantive reply on the day named; and, in the case of ordinary written questions, within five working days of the question being tabled.

  Information Systems (Millennium Compliance)
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what measures his Department has taken to ensure that each Government Department's information systems will be millennium compliant; and if he will make a statement. [15132]

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) on 9 December 1996,Official Report, column 4 and to the reply given to Lord Stallard on 27 January by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, column 963.

  The integrity and continuity of government information systems are essentially the responsibility of individual departments. However, the Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster have personally ensured that all ministerial heads of Department and permanent secretaries are aware of the problem and are implementing plans of action in relation to their computer systems and that all Departments plan to complete the work in time—Official Report, 27 January 1997, column 963.

  "Government Direct"
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the costs of the proposals set out in the Green Paper, "Government Direct"; and if he will make a statement. [15072]

  Mr. Freeman
  The scale of investment required has not yet been fully determined. However, the proposals will not involve capital investment of public funds. The Government's private finance initiative will allow the private sector to provide services of the type outlined in the Green Paper. Money to pay the contractors would come from part of the savings in the cost of government administration.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prison Officers (Bravery Medal)
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with the initiative to introduce a medal for prison officers recognising exceptional bravery in the course of their work. [14670]
  202
  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Spencer Batiste, dated 12 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about introducing a Prison Service medal.
  Consideration is currently being given to the establishment of a Queen's Prison Service medal. I strongly support this proposal and hope that it will be possible to create it.

  Armed Police Officers
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the presence of an officer with a sub-machine gun in Mansell street, Whitechapel, at midnight on 3 February; [14834]

  (2) if he will make a statement on the arming of police officers with sub-machine guns in London. [14835]

  Mr. Maclean
  I understand that an officer armed with a carbine was carrying out counter-terrorist duties in the Mansell street area. The officer was part of a patrol exercising powers under section 13A of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 to stop and search vehicles and their occupants for articles which could be used for terrorist purposes. The weapon was not a sub-machine gun, but a carbine specially adapted to fire only one shot at a time. Such carbines are one of a number of weapons available for general issue to members of the City of London police tactical firearms group.

  The City of London police have no automatic carbines. The Metropolitan police have a small number of automatic carbines. These are to be issued only under the most stringent conditions and in the most exceptional circumstances. It would not be in the interests of security for me to discuss any further details about the circumstances or conditions under which these weapons might be deployed.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum applications are currently awaiting an initial decision by his Department's asylum directorate; and how many of these applications were made in(a) 1991 or earlier, (b) 1992, (c) 1993, (d) 1994, (e) 1995 and (f) 1996; [13264]

  (2) how many asylum applications are outstanding from nationals of (a) Afghanistan, (b) Iran, (c) Iraq, (d) Somalia and (e) the former Yugoslavia; and how many of these applications were made in (i) 1992 or earlier, (ii) 1993, (iii) 1994, (iv) 1995 and (v) 1996. [13267]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The number of asylum applications awaiting an initial decision as at 31 December 1996 was 55,695, a reduction on the equivalent figure for the end of 1995–69,650. Of those applications currently awaiting an initial decision, the number which had been made following the implementation of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals
  203
  Act 1993 has now been revised to 43,025. This follows an extensive count of cases which has shown that the method of estimation previously used underestimated the number of pre-1993 Act cases that have been decided. An

  Asylum applications from requested nationalities awaiting an initial decision as at 31 December 1996, by year of application

  Nationality

  Applications outstanding1

  Year of application2

  Number

  Per cent.

  1996 Per cent.

  1995 Per cent.

  1994 Per cent.

  1993 Per cent.

  1992 Per cent.

  Pre-1992 Per cent.

  Afghanistan

  730

  100

  50

  35

  10

  5

  0

  0

  Iran

  1,095

  100

  30

  35

  15

  5

  15

  0

  Iraq

  985

  100

  45

  40

  10

  5

  0

  0

  Somalia former

  450

  100

  45

  45

  10

  5

  0

  0

  Yugoslavia

  4,045

  100

  10

  25

  10

  15

  35

  0

  All nationalities

  55,695

  100

  20

  35

  20

  10

  10

  10

  1 Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.

  2 Estimates rounded to the nearest 5 per cent.

  Crime and Detection
  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for(a) West Yorkshire, (b) West Midlands, (c) Tyne and Wear, (d) Greater Manchester, (e) South Yorkshire and (f) Merseyside in 1994–95 and 1995–96 (i) the crime figures and (ii) the detection rate by category of crime. [14809]

  Mr. Maclean
  The available information is contained in the following table:

  Notifiable offences recorded by the police and clear ups

  Offence group

  Number of offences

  Percentage cleared up1,2

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1994

  1995

  West Yorkshire

  Violence against the Person

  8,997

  8,520

  81

  82

  Sexual offences

  1,387

  1,530

  84

  93

  Robbery

  2,910

  3,497

  28

  25

  Burglary

  86,332

  91,389

  15

  16

  Theft and handling stolen Goods

  131,233

  128,306

  18

  19

  Fraud and forgery

  5,411

  4,876

  57

  55

  Criminal damage

  44,795

  45,691

  12

  13

  Other offences

  2,766

  2,948

  100

  100

  Total

  283,831

  286,757

  20

  21

  West Midlands

  Violence against the person

  9,714

  8,528

  70

  66

  Sexual offences

  1,325

  1,148

  71

  66

  Robbery

  87,571

  8,081

  19

  18

  Burglary

  7,201

  91,842

  27

  30

  Theft and handling stolen goods

  140,812

  152,187

  23

  21

  Fraud and forgery

  7,892

  7,573

  31

  27

  Criminal damage

  52,605

  54,329

  13

  11

  Other offences

  1,866

  1,973

  95

  94

  Total

  308,986

  325,661

  25

  24

  Northumbria (including Tyne and Wear)

  Violence against the person

  6,111

  5,482

  74

  73

  Sexual offences

  702

  545

  77

  75

  Robbery

  1,234

  1,653

  23

  26

  Burglary

  55,398

  51,513

  14

  14

  Theft and handling stolen goods

  81,073

  77,275

  24

  25

  204
  estimated breakdown of the years in which those asylum applications awaiting an initial decision were made, in total and for the nationalities requested, is given in the table.

  Notifiable offences recorded by the police and clear ups

  Offence group

  Number of offences

  Percentage cleared up1,2

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1994

  1995

  Fraud and forgery

  2,935

  2,447

  44

  43

  Criminal damage

  51,381

  51,256

  16

  17

  Other offences

  995

  1,060

  98

  100

  Total

  199,829

  191,231

  22

  23

  Greater Manchester

  Violence against the person

  8,609

  9,610

  74

  70

  Sexual offences

  1,192

  1,369

  74

  73

  Robbery

  5,229

  5,938

  29

  22

  Burglary

  89,092

  86,474

  32

  19

  Theft and handling stolen goods

  152,603

  149,500

  33

  23

  Fraud and forgery

  7,726

  5,853

  70

  48

  Criminal damage

  65,339

  70,384

  19

  16

  Other offences

  2,544

  2,761

  98

  97

  Total

  332,334

  331,889

  34

  24

  South Yorkshire

  Violence against the person

  4,957

  4,842

  82

  81

  Sexual offences

  647

  634

  88

  81

  Robbery

  1,004

  1,266

  31

  27

  Burglary

  48,084

  46,555

  20

  22

  Theft and handling stolen goods

  69,827

  72,610

  23

  22

  Fraud and forgery

  2,876

  2,557

  40

  35

  Criminal damage

  25,084

  28,441

  16

  15

  Other offences

  1,345

  1,203

  99

  100

  Total

  153,824

  158,108

  24

  24

  Merseyside

  Violence against the person

  7,726

  8,162

  63

  67

  Sexual offences

  857

  889

  77

  82

  Robbery

  2,090

  3,103

  17

  20

  Burglary

  32,927

  33,948

  27

  19

  Theft and handling stolen goods

  67,372

  75,960

  35

  26

  Fraud and forgery

  3,044

  4,687

  70

  64

  Criminal damage

  23,033

  27,055

  18

  15

  Other offences

  1,740

  2,109

  96

  99

  Total

  138,789

  155,913

  33

  27

  1 Excluding criminal damage value £20 and under.

  2 Published on a calendar year basis only.

  Metropolitan Police Stations
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police stations(a) have been closed and (b) opened and on what dates in the Metropolitan police area in the last five years for which information is available; and which police stations (i) will be opened and (ii) will close in the next 12 months. [15139]

  Mr. Maclean
  The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has provided the following information:

  Year

  Stations/offices closed

  Stations/offices opened

  1992

  Kings Cross Road

  Archway

  Islington

  Canary Wharf

  Forest Gate

  Brick Lane

  Bow Street

  Chalkhill

  Islington

  Forest Gate

  Charing Cross

  1993

  Rochester Row

  Walworth

  Gerald Road

  Belgravia

  Carter Street

  Ashford

  Marks Gate

  North Greenford

  Wapping

  1994

  Bexleyheath

  Bexleyheath

  Erith

  Doran Walk

  Haggerston

  Bluebeat

  Little Ilford

  Broadwater Farm

  1995

  Ilford

  Ilford

  Roman Road

  Bethnel Green

  Jesus Green

  Harefield

  Harefield

  Cray

  Wornington Green

  Dalston

  Erith

  1996

  Bethnel Green

  Hoe Street

  Leman Street

  Caledonian Road

  Wornington Green

  Police stations which were closed and re-opened after being completely renovated and/or extended in the last five years

  Year

  Station

  1992

  Fulham

  1993

  Barkingside

  1996

  Hammersmith

  Hounslow

  Stations/offices to close in the next 12 months

  Stations/offices to open in the next 12 months

  West Hendon

  Archway

  Isle of Dogs (old)

  Colindale

  Mill Hill

  Kings Cross

  Vine Street

  Isle of Dogs

  Walhamstow Market

  West End Central

  Young Offender Institutions
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to withhold access to card-operated telephones from young offenders held at(a) Her Majesty's young offenders institution, Colchester and (b) other young offender institutions; [15155]

  (2) what plans he has to censor mail sent to young offenders held at (a) HM YOI Colchester and (b) other young offender institutions. [15154]

  Miss Widdecombe
  For the first two stages of the regime at Colchester young offender institution, young offenders will be allowed a supervised weekly call to their family on an official telephone. In the third and final stage, access to card-operated telephones will be as it is in other young offender institutions. In addition, young offenders will be allowed welfare calls at the discretion of staff. Staff will read all mail sent to young offenders at Colchester, with the exception of legal correspondence.

  There are no plans to change the access to card-operated telephones or the arrangements for reading inmates' correspondence in other young offender institutions.

  Illegal Immigrants
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of persons who come to the United Kingdom as visitors but stay on as illegal immigrants in each of the last three years; and if he will take measures to provide the maximum flexibility in permitting visitor entry, with the maximum checks on overstaying. [15095]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  The information available relates to all overstayers who were issued with a notice of intention to deport. There were 4,850 such persons in 1994, 4,660 in 1995 and 5,600—provisional figure—in 1996. All persons seeking entry as visitors are given leave to enter providing they satisfy the immigration rules, and enforcement action is taken against those who breach their conditions of leave to enter by, for example, overstaying.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the crime clear-up rate and annual percentage change in each year since 1979 in each region; and if he will make a statement; [15013]

  (2) what was the clear-up rate for all crimes in (a) England and (b) Wales in (i) 1979, (ii) 1983, (iii) 1987 and (iv) in each year since 1992 for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [15016]

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is given in the tables.
  207

  Percentage change on previous year in number of notifiable offences cleared up by police force area

  Police area

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Avon and Somerset

  -6

  8

  5

  12

  -4

  7

  4

  -7

  13

  Bedfordshire

  14

  -9

  1

  2

  1

  7

  -4

  -13

  5

  Cambridgeshire

  -30

  44

  12

  -32

  -2

  -1

  10

  -8

  -1

  Cheshire

  6

  15

  3

  4

  3

  -2

  -4

  -2

  2

  Cleveland

  -8

  -9

  21

  6

  -2

  -8

  2

  5

  5

  Cumbria

  1

  -23

  4

  8

  7

  24

  8

  -5

  4

  Derbyshire

  10

  -10

  29

  -1

  4

  19

  -5

  -15

  -5

  Devon and Cornwall

  -1

  8

  4

  17

  2

  3

  14

  -8

  2

  Dorset

  -11

  4

  -6

  16

  -1

  9

  5

  -8

  12

  Durham

  -2

  7

  10

  1

  -5

  4

  17

  -10

  7

  Essex

  -2

  5

  5

  3

  5

  -3

  13

  -7

  -4

  Gloucestershire

  -4

  -1

  17

  3

  -4

  -1

  5

  -11

  49

  Greater Manchester

  5

  5

  12

  8

  -8

  -19

  25

  -6

  -3

  Hampshire

  -1

  -8

  2

  0

  -2

  12

  12

  -6

  7

  Hertfordshire

  6

  -22

  4

  18

  -5

  11

  4

  -6

  -3

  Humberside

  3

  -2

  11

  14

  -3

  1

  18

  -18

  18

  Kent

  21

  -6

  -2

  10

  2

  1

  4

  -12

  2

  Lancashire

  7

  -2

  2

  2

  3

  6

  0

  4

  11

  Leicestershire

  -6

  16

  3

  1

  3

  -1

  9

  1

  6

  Lincolnshire

  3

  9

  11

  5

  -3

  -24

  32

  -10

  12

  City of London

  0

  -9

  4

  0

  -5

  -3

  -5

  -10

  39

  Merseyside

  -2

  7

  -6

  25

  5

  7

  -16

  16

  12

  Metropolitan police

  -5

  4

  -9

  3

  3

  10

  6

  -5

  -3

  Norfolk

  -9

  12

  10

  1

  11

  0

  7

  -6

  6

  Northamptonshire

  -7

  4

  8

  6

  8

  -2

  3

  -13

  35

  Northumbria

  4

  8

  4

  14

  -1

  4

  8

  -10

  13

  North Yorkshire

  -8

  -9

  11

  15

  -7

  5

  -10

  3

  14

  Nottinghamshire

  4

  4

  27

  -21

  -16

  -19

  22

  -4

  7

  South Yorkshire

  -4

  2

  19

  8

  7

  -5

  7

  -2

  4

  Staffordshire

  -2

  -8

  17

  8

  2

  10

  9

  -7

  -4

  Suffolk

  9

  -10

  7

  -5

  4

  13

  3

  1

  15

  Surrey

  -2

  -24

  -12

  8

  9

  0

  5

  10

  2

  Sussex

  -1

  -7

  1

  13

  -11

  6

  -2

  -16

  5

  Thames Valley

  5

  -14

  13

  9

  9

  9

  4

  -5

  -12

  Warwickshire

  -2

  -2

  11

  11

  1

  2

  4

  -1

  6

  West Mercia

  -1

  -1

  14

  12

  11

  -4

  4

  -5

  2

  West Midlands

  5

  -1

  10

  17

  8

  -9

  1

  8

  25

  West Yorkshire

  -27

  24

  5

  11

  8

  -3

  1

  -7

  9

  Wiltshire

  -11

  4

  8

  5

  7

  6

  -3

  -5

  -5

  England

  -2

  2

  6

  7

  1

  1

  6

  -4

  6

  Dyfed-Powys

  -5

  -6

  6

  10

  1

  19

  -2

  0

  4

  Gwent

  1

  -5

  0

  19

  1

  1

  13

  -13

  7

  North Wales

  -2

  -7

  8

  6

  5

  -2

  -2

  -24

  43

  South Wales

  -3

  5

  9

  13

  1

  0

  2

  1

  3

  Wales

  -3

  -1

  7

  12

  2

  2

  3

  -7

  10

  Total

  -2

  2

  6

  7

  1

  1

  5

  -5

  6

  Police area

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Avon and Somerset

  16

  -7

  10

  1

  -19

  3

  15

  2

  Bedfordshire

  31

  -10

  -14

  -7

  7

  4

  -6

  -2

  Cambridgeshire

  -3

  21

  21

  24

  -15

  -6

  -8

  -16

  Cheshire

  17

  0

  11

  -2

  -13

  -9

  11

  1

  Cleveland

  5

  2

  -17

  43

  2

  -22

  -27

  26

  Cumbria

  6

  1

  4

  24

  -8

  0

  -7

  7

  Derbyshire

  -22

  10

  10

  10

  -7

  -2

  -2

  -8

  Devon and Cornwall

  -4

  -2

  7

  8

  -35

  52

  -4

  -5

  Dorset

  0

  21

  1

  27

  -22

  3

  -4

  -10

  Durham

  3

  1

  -5

  9

  2

  -1

  2

  -15

  Essex

  -11

  6

  13

  25

  -3

  11

  5

  -17

  Gloucestershire

  3

  -5

  11

  42

  -27

  -15

  19

  3

  Greater Manchester

  1

  3

  22

  26

  2

  -10

  -10

  -32

  Hampshire

  -7

  3

  20

  7

  -1

  -5

  -1

  -1

  Hertfordshire

  -7

  4

  -25

  37

  -18

  -19

  8

  17

  Humberside

  8

  5

  21

  -3

  -21

  -23

  4

  5

  Kent

  9

  -6

  -4

  26

  37

  -4

  8

  -7

  Lancashire

  13

  -26

  32

  4

  0

  -3

  -12

  3

  Leicestershire

  -5

  1

  21

  -1

  12

  -4

  5

  -7

  208 209

  Police area

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Lincolnshire

  8

  9

  15

  23

  -8

  1

  -20

  19

  City of London

  13

  -12

  4

  3

  -12

  -9

  15

  -6

  Merseyside

  -9

  -7

  0

  11

  -5

  -11

  -16

  -10

  Metropolitan police

  3

  6

  7

  9

  -4

  3

  20

  7

  Norfolk

  11

  8

  14

  16

  -3

  -22

  7

  -17

  Northamptonshire

  6

  -3

  3

  6

  0

  -8

  8

  -9

  Northumbria

  -6

  0

  13

  -4

  -53

  10

  6

  -3

  North Yorkshire

  3

  -5

  47

  2

  -4

  -2

  -14

  -5

  Nottinghamshire

  9

  4

  26

  -13

  7

  8

  -9

  -17

  South Yorkshire

  1

  -1

  16

  -6

  -18

  -14

  21

  -3

  Staffordshire

  7

  1

  12

  13

  -7

  -3

  0

  2

  Suffolk

  -8

  3

  12

  -1

  17

  -9

  -13

  -6

  Surrey

  -1

  3

  1

  2

  3

  -9

  33

  -3

  Sussex

  -6

  14

  8

  2

  7

  -6

  -2

  17

  Thames Valley

  4

  7

  -2

  6

  -5

  7

  1

  0

  Warwickshire

  6

  -2

  9

  1

  8

  -8

  6

  -5

  West Mercia

  2

  -7

  41

  -7

  4

  -13

  4

  -8

  West Midlands

  4

  -11

  6

  -3

  -6

  2

  -11

  -3

  West Yorkshire

  4

  -4

  12

  3

  -6

  -28

  8

  1

  Wiltshire

  0

  31

  17

  9

  -1

  -5

  -7

  -15

  England

  2

  0

  11

  8

  -7

  -4

  1

  -4

  Dyfed-Powys

  10

  -10

  14

  25

  14

  -18

  -9

  -3

  Gwent

  -7

  1

  21

  13

  1

  -2

  2

  -9

  North Wales

  -7

  2

  0

  6

  3

  6

  -3

  -19

  South Wales

  -1

  5

  9

  -6

  8

  -7

  -18

  17

  Wales

  -2

  2

  10

  3

  7

  -5

  -10

  1

  Total

  2

  0

  11

  7

  -6

  -5

  0

  -4

  Clear up rates by police force area

  Police area

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Avon and Somerset

  43

  42

  39

  40

  39

  38

  36

  29

  30

  Bedfordshire

  48

  44

  41

  39

  39

  38

  37

  29

  29

  Cambridgeshire

  47

  55

  56

  40

  40

  39

  40

  37

  35

  Cheshire

  58

  59

  53

  52

  51

  49

  46

  43

  40

  Cleveland

  51

  45

  48

  46

  45

  37

  37

  34

  34

  Cumbria

  56

  47

  44

  43

  44

  49

  49

  42

  46

  Derbyshire

  50

  45

  49

  46

  49

  54

  55

  48

  45

  Devon and Cornwall

  46

  45

  42

  45

  45

  44

  46

  40

  39

  Dorset

  46

  46

  40

  41

  38

  40

  40

  34

  36

  Durham

  52

  49

  49

  45

  42

  39

  45

  39

  42

  Essex

  42

  43

  43

  40

  41

  40

  43

  37

  35

  Gloucestershire

  51

  44

  46

  42

  41

  37

  35

  30

  38

  Greater Manchester

  45

  43

  41

  40

  36

  27

  32

  27

  27

  Hampshire

  46

  42

  38

  34

  33

  35

  37

  33

  34

  Hertfordshire

  54

  46

  45

  47

  49

  51

  52

  46

  44

  Humberside

  45

  40

  40

  41

  41

  39

  40

  30

  32

  Kent

  50

  47

  45

  41

  42

  40

  39

  34

  33

  Lancashire

  56

  55

  50

  45

  47

  47

  47

  45

  46

  Leicestershire

  54

  54

  50

  46

  47

  44

  45

  44

  45

  Lincolnshire

  60

  59

  57

  52

  49

  35

  42

  36

  37

  City of London

  21

  20

  20

  20

  18

  18

  17

  13

  19

  Merseyside

  42

  42

  34

  40

  42

  41

  35

  37

  43

  Metropolitan police

  21

  20

  17

  16

  17

  17

  18

  16

  16

  Norfolk

  47

  46

  42

  37

  41

  41

  41

  36

  36

  Northamptonshire

  48

  45

  45

  41

  45

  41

  39

  31

  41

  Northumbria

  53

  52

  50

  49

  48

  45

  46

  40

  44

  North Yorkshire

  51

  47

  44

  43

  41

  38

  31

  32

  34

  Nottinghamshire

  51

  49

  55

  43

  38

  30

  35

  33

  34

  South Yorkshire

  51

  47

  50

  49

  49

  41

  48

  43

  43

  Staffordshire

  51

  47

  49

  49

  47

  48

  52

  44

  42

  Suffolk

  57

  52

  51

  45

  44

  47

  45

  41

  45

  Surrey

  47

  39

  33

  31

  34

  33

  34

  34

  34

  Sussex

  53

  50

  47

  45

  40

  38

  36

  30

  32

  Thames Valley

  45

  39

  41

  39

  41

  41

  40

  35

  31

  Warwickshire

  46

  43

  40

  39

  38

  36

  38

  36

  34

  West Mercia

  49

  45

  44

  43

  48

  45

  45

  41

  42

  210 211

  Clear up rates by police force area

  Police area

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  West Midlands

  37

  33

  32

  33

  36

  30

  30

  29

  36

  West Yorkshire

  37

  43

  41

  42

  47

  42

  42

  38

  39

  Wiltshire

  42

  43

  41

  40

  43

  42

  39

  36

  36

  England

  41

  39

  37

  36

  37

  34

  35

  31

  32

  Dyfed-Powys

  62

  58

  57

  57

  57

  58

  55

  51

  51

  Gwent

  60

  57

  54

  57

  55

  53

  55

  50

  53

  North Wales

  59

  54

  51

  50

  51

  46

  45

  32

  43

  South Wales

  46

  45

  46

  47

  47

  43

  44

  39

  39

  Wales

  52

  50

  49

  50

  50

  47

  47

  40

  43

  Total

  41

  40

  38

  37

  37

  35

  35

  32

  33

  Clear up rates by police force area

  Police area

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Avon and Somerset

  36

  33

  29

  24

  17

  17

  21

  23

  Bedfordshire

  39

  34

  22

  19

  20

  21

  22

  22

  Cambridgeshire

  34

  38

  38

  36

  27

  25

  25

  19

  Cheshire

  50

  52

  50

  41

  29

  26

  30

  31

  Cleveland

  37

  36

  25

  33

  32

  27

  19

  25

  Cumbria

  51

  49

  43

  40

  37

  38

  37

  40

  Derbyshire

  38

  37

  32

  28

  22

  21

  21

  20

  Devon and Cornwall

  38

  36

  32

  29

  18

  25

  27

  27

  Dorset

  39

  42

  35

  41

  32

  33

  30

  28

  Durham

  44

  42

  34

  30

  30

  30

  32

  30

  Essex

  32

  32

  29

  32

  29

  32

  36

  33

  Gloucestershire

  39

  36

  33

  35

  24

  20

  24

  27

  Greater Manchester

  29

  30

  32

  36

  35

  34

  34

  24

  Hampshire

  34

  32

  32

  28

  26

  26

  27

  28

  Hertfordshire

  43

  44

  30

  33

  26

  21

  24

  28

  Humberside

  36

  35

  37

  32

  23

  16

  17

  19

  Kent

  36

  32

  25

  23

  27

  25

  29

  26

  Lancashire

  50

  40

  44

  40

  37

  35

  33

  34

  Leicestershire

  43

  40

  36

  29

  30

  28

  30

  29

  Lincolnshire

  42

  42

  43

  46

  39

  37

  32

  39

  City of London

  25

  20

  21

  20

  20

  22

  27

  23

  Merseyside

  45

  45

  44

  45

  42

  39

  33

  27

  Metropolitan police

  17

  17

  17

  17

  16

  17

  22

  25

  Norfolk

  40

  40

  37

  37

  34

  28

  34

  31

  Northamptonshire

  46

  43

  35

  31

  30

  27

  31

  28

  Northumbria

  44

  40

  40

  35

  17

  20

  22

  23

  North Yorkshire

  39

  35

  40

  36

  33

  30

  25

  23

  Nottinghamshire

  38

  35

  35

  27

  26

  29

  28

  23

  South Yorkshire

  47

  43

  44

  36

  26

  20

  24

  24

  Staffordshire

  45

  43

  39

  37

  30

  29

  31

  32

  Suffolk

  44

  43

  41

  37

  39

  37

  35

  34

  Surrey

  34

  33

  27

  23

  22

  20

  30

  31

  Sussex

  30

  31

  26

  23

  23

  24

  24

  28

  Thames Valley

  34

  33

  26

  22

  19

  21

  22

  23

  Warwickshire

  39

  35

  29

  24

  23

  21

  24

  25

  West Mercia

  45

  39

  46

  35

  34

  29

  29

  28

  West Midlands

  42

  39

  36

  31

  27

  27

  25

  24

  West Yorkshire

  43

  38

  34

  28

  25

  18

  20

  21

  Wiltshire

  37

  46

  44

  40

  37

  35

  36

  32

  England

  35

  33

  31

  29

  25

  25

  26

  26

  Dyfed-Powys

  53

  52

  50

  50

  53

  50

  53

  57

  Gwent

  54

  54

  51

  47

  44

  45

  47

  50

  North Wales

  42

  44

  40

  36

  33

  36

  39

  32

  South Wales

  37

  39

  36

  29

  30

  28

  24

  29

  Wales

  42

  43

  40

  35

  35

  34

  32

  34

  Total

  35

  34

  32

  29

  26

  25

  26

  26

  212

  Car Crime
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many private motor vehicles have been stolen and not recovered in the past five years in the United Kingdom. [15181]

  Mr. Maclean
  The available information relates to recorded offences of theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle and is given in the table. The information given relates to England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the respective Secretaries of State.

  Notifiable offences of theft of motor vehicles recorded by the police

  England and Wales

  Year

  Recorded offences1

  Vehicles recovered

  Vehicles not recovered2

  1991

  581,901

  372,412

  209,489

  19923

  586,362

  363,956

  222,406

  19933

  596,128

  350,862

  245,266

  19943

  540,639

  315,111

  225,258

  19954

  448,143

  283,903

  164,240

  (1) Includes attempts. Please note that it is not possible to exclude attempts for all forces.

  (2) The number of vehicles recovered subtracted from the number of recorded offences.

  (3) Excluding Dyfed-Powys.

  (4) Excluding Metropolitan Police and Dyfed-Powys.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding delays in obtaining hearings of claims by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; and what is his estimate of the number of unresolved claims which were more than three years old in(a) 1990 and (b) at the latest date for which such figures are available. [15422]

  Mr. Maclean
  Since 1 January 1996, we have received 15 letters about delays in appeals directly from claimants and 15 through hon. Members. In addition, two hon. Members tabled questions on the subject.

  The board advises that data about numbers of outstanding appeals in 1990 are no longer available, but of 26,000 cases currently awaiting oral hearing, 2,067 have been waiting for more than three years.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I increased membership of the board from 43 to 50 in 1996 to help clear the hearings backlog more speedily. Under the new tariff scheme introduced in April 1996, which has a new review procedure and a new independent appeals panel, we expect appeals to be dealt with considerably more quickly than under the superseded scheme.

  European Year Against Racism, Xenophobia and Anti-semitism
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken in relation to the European Commission's decision to make 1997 the European Year Against Racism, Xenophobia and Anti-semitism; and if he will make a statement. [15263]
  214
  Mr. Kirkhope
  The decision to make 1997 the European Year Against Racism, Xenophobia and Anti-semitism was taken by member states of the European Union in July 1996 and is fully supported by the United Kingdom.

  I am chairing the national co-ordinating committee for the year in the United Kingdom. The committee met for the first time on 2 December and meets again on 26 February.

  The year was launched at European level on 30 and 31 January at a conference in The Hague at which I led the United Kingdom delegation. I shall also be hosting the launch of the year in this country which will take place at Lancaster house on 19 February.

  The Government are working closely with the Commission for Racial Equality in the running of the year. The Home Office is providing specific funding to the Commission for Racial Equality to run a helpline and information service. A newsletter has been issued and details of funding available from the European Commission are now being disseminated. We are also in the process of pulling together a calendar of events: this will be sent out shortly and updated periodically throughout the year.

  Whitemoor Prison
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the six category A exceptional risk prisoners who escaped from Whitemoor prison in 1994 did not have category A books showing their period at Whitemoor in the special secure unit; and if other prisoners in that unit had such books. [14883]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 11 February 1997]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 12 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about Category A books for prisoners in the special secure unit (SSU) at Whitemoor prison.
  Category A exceptional risk prisoners held in the SSU in 1994 did not have movement recorded in Category A books because it was judged that, within the discrete area of the SSU, this was unnecessary as it was a small location in which no significant movement was possible.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the nature of the deteriorating health condition of each of the accused in the Whitemoor prison escape trial; what psychiatric and other medical examinations the accused have had since the trial was discontinued; and if he will make a statement. [14884]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 11 February 1997]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 12 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the nature of the deteriorating health condition of each of the accused in the Whitemoor prison escape trial.

  215
  For reasons of medical confidentiality, it is not possible to give detailed information on the health of individual prisoners.
  All prisoners in special secure units are subject to medical review by the prison medical officer at three monthly intervals. As the prisoners who were charged with escaping from Whitemoor prison are held in special secure units they are subject to these regular medical reviews.
  There is no medical evidence that the health of prisoners held in special secure units is being significantly affected by their imprisonment in these units.

  Interception of Communications
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) under what statutory basis the police are able to trace the movement of people by reference to their mobile phone records; [14364]

  (2) what discussions he has had with (a) the Association of Chief Police Officers and (b) mobile phone operating companies, concerning police access to mobile phone records to trace the movement of people; [14365]

  (3) what guidelines he has issued concerning police access to mobile phone records; and if he will make it his policy to review the current practice in respect of access to mobile phone records; [14366]

  (4) if he will list by police authority the number of applications made by the police for permission to access the United Kingdom Cellnet system; and how many applications have been (a) granted and (b) refused; [14629]

  (5) which foreign organisations are permitted to receive data obtained from the United Kingdom Cellnet system under existing interception of communication agreements; [14633]

  (6) under what circumstances (a) the police including special branch, (b) the security services and (c) the Benefits Agency are allowed access to the national Cellnet system; what are the mechanisms for making and processing such applications; what factors apply in their assessment; who grants access; and what safeguards exist to ensure that information obtained is not misused; [14631]

  (7) if he will list by police authority the number of applications made by special branch for permission to access the Cellnet system; and how many applications have been (a) granted and (b) refused; [14630]

  (8) how many cases have been recorded by his Department where information obtained by accessing the Cellnet system has been used (a) in proceedings before the civil and criminal courts and (b) in proceedings before statutory and non-statutory tribunals. [14632]

  Mr. Howard
  The circumstances under which the four mobile telephone operators may disclose personal information which they hold on computer for their own purposes—including for billing, fraud prevention and statistical analysis—are regulated by the Data Protection Act 1984, by the Telecommunications Act 1984, and by the terms of their Telecommunication Act licences which require them to take all reasonable steps to ensure the confidentiality of customer information. It is an offence, under section 45 of the Telecommunications Act, for an operator to disclose any information concerning subscribers' use of the system except where the disclosure is made for specified purposes including the prevention or detection of crime; for the purposes of any criminal 216
  proceedings; in the interests of national security or in pursuance of a court order. All operators are also required to observe a code of practice on the confidentiality of customer information, and they are subject to the normal civil law obligations towards their subscribers.

  The police and other agencies concerned with law enforcement and national security may request the operators to provide them with data which they require for one or more of the purposes described above. Additionally, the law enforcement agencies may apply for a court order under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Information concerning the number of such applications which have been made to the operators, and the number of cases in which such information has been used in proceedings before courts and tribunals, is not held centrally.

  I see no need to intervene in these arrangements which are properly a matter for the relevant authorities and the operators, within the framework of the safeguards which I have described. Interception of communications—as distinct from the provision of subscriber data—is governed by the Interception of Communications Act 1985 which provides that interception may be carried out only under a warrant issued by the Secretary of State, and that material may be disclosed only in accordance with arrangements made under section 6 of the Act.

  Police Escorts
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who is responsible for the costs incurred in respect of police escorts of United Kingdom road transportation of nuclear waste cargos; and if he will make a statement. [14370]

  Mr. Page
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 22 January 1997, Official Report, column 642 in which I explained
  "there is no requirement for police escorts to accompany the road transport of radioactive waste."

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Supervisory Bodies
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many individuals and firms have been licensed by each of the recognised supervisory bodies created under the Companies Act 1989. [14791]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  The table sets out the number of firms currently registered as auditors with each of the recognised supervisory bodies—the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and the Association of Authorised Public Accountants—and the number of responsible individuals within those firms:

  ICAEW

  ICAS

  ICAI

  ACCA

  AAPA

  Firms

  7,974

  650

  538

  2,866

  1263

  Individuals

  16,039

  1,154

  1,385

  4,369

  —

  1 All sole practitioners.

  Scientific Research and Development
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of gross domestic product in the United Kingdom has been invested in scientific research and development in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [15091]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  The figures requested are as follows:

  Gross expenditure on scientific Research and Development in the UK

  Percentage of GDP

  1990

  2.23

  1991

  2.16

  1992

  2.18

  1993

  2.20

  1994

  2.19

  Mr. Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to increase his Department's budget for science and research development. [15081]

  Mr. Taylor
  The science budget for 1997–98 announced by the President of the Board of Trade on 28 November will be £18 million above the equivalent allocation for the current year. Information about the Department' s other science and technology expenditure will be provided in the expenditure plans report to be published in March.

  Cable Entertainment
  Mr. Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to lift the prohibition on BT operating in the cable entertainment market; and if he will make a statement. [15090]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  BT is not prevented from operating in the cable entertainment market. It is able to do so on the same basis as all other companies, by competing for franchises. BT can even use its existing network within the franchises it holds. It can also deliver on its existing network broadcast television nationally to businesses, and it is free to offer interactive, on-demand services nationally to both businesses and homes. This freedom includes such services as video on demand, with an appropriate licence from the ITC. The only prohibition is on BT using its network nationally to convey or provide broadcast television to homes, as this would give it an overwhelming advantage over cable and other operators that are still building their networks. The Government will review these limited restrictions in 1998 and 2001 for conveyance and provision, respectively, if the Director General of Telecommunications advises that competition continues to become sufficiently established to warrant it. Stability in this regard remains an important factor in underpinning the investment in alternative infrastructure of more than £12 billion which cable and other operators have scheduled for this decade.

  Sellafield (Safety)
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he was notified of the radiation contamination 218
  accidents that took place at Sellafield on (a) 2 and (b) 4 February; what was the nature of each accident; and if he will make a statement on safety at Sellafield. [15063]

  Mr. Page
  The incidents were reported to this and other interested Departments and relevant regulatory bodies on 3 and 4 February, respectively.

  The incident on 2 February occurred during the dismantling of redundant equipment in the Magnox reprocessing plant at Sellafield. Six workers received slight contamination to their person following the removal of their protective clothing. They were subsequently decontaminated by normal washing/showering and were monitored as clear of contamination before going home. There was no release of radioactivity beyond the Magnox reprocessing plant building where the incident occurred.

  The incident on the night of 3/4 February occurred during the transfer of medium active concentrate along a pipeline between storage tanks when some of the liquor spilled onto a tank roof. Heavy overnight rain washed some of this liquor along the installed drainage system and into a large concrete lined pond for the collection of storm water. The pumps which discharge the contaminated water to the sea were stopped automatically as a result of low levels of radioactivity being detected by the installed monitoring equipment. No one received contamination to his or her person or any significant radiation exposure.

  The incidents are being fully investigated by British Nuclear Fuels to establish their causes and to make recommendations to prevent a recurrence. Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive's installations inspectorate and the Environment Agency are on site obtaining further information. The NII would not allow any nuclear site to operate if it were not satisfied as to its safety.

  In accordance with normal procedures, details of both incidents were contained in last week's Sellafield site newsletter, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

  Cosmetic Products
  Mr. Donald Anderson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those organisations consulted by his Department on the draft Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996, indicating the date when each meeting took place. [15129]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  One hundred and fifty-five organisations and individuals were sent one or both of the consultation documents on the draft cosmetics regulations. A list of these organisations and individuals has been placed in the Library of the House. Representations received, including meetings, are regarded as confidential unless otherwise agreed with the parties concerned.

  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will amend section 8(3) of the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996 (No. 2925) in 1997 to bring the wording into line with article 7A.1(e) of the Council directive 76/768/EEC as inserted by Council directive 93/35/EEC of 14 June 1993. [15124]
  219
  Mr. Taylor
  I am advised that regulation 8(3) of the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996 transposes correctly article 7A.1(e) of the cosmetics directive. However, in light of the concerns raised about the interpretation of article 7A.1(e), my officials will be meeting the Commission in order to seek a way in which we can resolve concerns expressed by industry without placing the UK in breach of its Community obligations.

  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the text of section 8(3) of the draft Cosmetic Product (Safety) Regulations 1996, was based on the text of article 7A.1(e) of the Council directive 76/768/EEC as inserted by Council directive 93/35/EEC of 14 June 1996. [15122]

  Mr. Taylor
  Draft regulation 8(3), issued for consultation in July 1996, was intended to reflect the meaning of Article 7A.1(e) of the cosmetics directive, but following further consideration, it was decided that correct transposition of the directive required revised wording.

  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the role of the Royal Society of Chemistry as defined in the annexe to directive 89/48 EEC. [15126]

  Mr. Taylor
  The Royal Society of Chemistry is listed in the annexe to directive 89/48/EEC. However, article 7A.1(e) of the cosmetics directive 76/768/EEC, as amended, requires that the person responsible for the safety assessment"must hold a diploma as defined in Article 1 of Directive 89/48/EEC in the field of pharmacy, toxicology, dermatology, medicine or a similar discipline."

  My officials will be seeking clarification from the Commission as to what constitutes a similar discipline.

  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the representations he had received on section 8(3) of the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996 (No. 2925). [15123]

  Mr. Taylor
  My Department has received representations from five organisations. Representations to the Department from individuals or organisations, on any topic, are treated as confidential unless it is agreed that they can be made public.

  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to amend the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996 (No. 2925). [15127]

  Mr. Taylor
  The Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996 implement in the UK the cosmetics directive 76/768/EEC and all subsequent amendments made to it. On average, the cosmetics directive is amended once a year. The Commission has recently amended the directive for the 20th time and we will need to amend the regulations to implement the requirements of that directive by 30 June 1997. The Commission has proposed further amendments to the directive. If, and when, these are agreed, we will amend our regulations accordingly.

  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many representations he has received about section 8(3) of the draft Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996. [15125]
  220
  Mr. Taylor
  Of 51 written responses to the consultation documents issued in October 1995 and July 1996, five commented on regulation 8(3).

  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what factors led his Department to amend section 8(3) of the draft Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996, following the completion of the consultation process initiated on 30 July 1996. [15121]

  Mr. Taylor
  On close and detailed examination of the text of article 7A.1(e) of the cosmetics directive 76/768/EEC, as amended, it became clear that draft regulation 8(3) failed to implement the directive correctly.

  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when his Department sent the Royal Society of Chemistry its consultative note on the proposed new regulations on cosmetic products. [15128]

  Mr. Taylor
  The Royal Society of Chemistry was not on the mailing list for the draft regulations issued for consultation in July 1996.

  Business Links
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list each business link by region, indicating the amount of DTI funding to each for the period 1995–96. [15098]

  Mr. Page
  Table 1 shows, by region, the pump priming grant for each business link area.

  A list of business link services expenditure by business link area could only be provided at disproportionate cost since the information on services grant for each business link is not held centrally and the total services grant for each business link would have to be calculated from local, generally paper-based records of expenditure from each of the services budgets. However, data on expenditure by region are held electronically and table 2 shows expenditure on business support services funded by DTI through training and enterprise councils and business links. These data include expenditure of non-business link services in those areas where the business link had not yet opened in 1995–96.

  Table 1: Pump-priming grants for Business Links 1995–96

  (£000s)

  Area

  Heart of England

  211.1

  Thames Valley

  663.0

  Isle of Wight

  284.3

  Milton Keynes

  720.9

  Hampshire1

  0.0

  Kent

  901.1

  Surrey

  666.0

  Sussex

  603.3

  South East

  4,049.6

  BL London

  2,966.5

  North London

  309.5

  South London

  206.9

  West London

  382.9

  Central London

  429.7

  London East

  329.0

  221

  Table 1: Pump-priming grants for Business Links 1995–96

  (£000s)

  Area

  North West London

  124.4

  South West London

  747.2

  City/Inner London

  652.3

  London

  6,148.5

  Bedfordshire

  614.9

  Central and S. Cambridgeshire

  357.5

  Essex

  538.7

  Greater Peterborough

  579.6

  Hertfordshire

  819.9

  Norfolk

  492.1

  Suffolk

  396.6

  Eastern

  3,799.3

  West (Avon)

  1,363.0

  Devon and Cornwall

  1,948.0

  Dorset

  287.1

  Gloucestershire

  508.0

  Wiltshire

  382.3

  Somerset

  779.3

  South West

  5,267.7

  Birmingham

  594.3

  Solihull

  397.0

  Wyre Forest

  276.8

  Redditch

  314.4

  Coventry and Warwickshire

  824.0

  Dudley

  500.4

  Hereford and Worcester

  194.5

  Sandwell

  603.4

  Shropshire

  185.7

  Staffordshire

  305.3

  Walsall

  216.5

  Wolverhampton

  193.2

  West Midlands

  4,605.5

  Greater Nottingham

  573.1

  Leicestershire

  391.4

  Lincolnshire

  289.3

  North Derbyshire

  466.1

  North Nottinghamshire

  256.6

  Northamptonshire

  207.1

  Southern Derbyshire

  174.1

  East Midlands

  2,357.7

  Barnsley

  135.2

  Doncaster

  196.6

  Bradford

  100.0

  Calderdale/Kirklees

  578.9

  Humberside

  335.5

  Leeds

  605.1

  North Yorkshire1

  0.0

  Rotherham

  216.9

  Sheffield

  368.2

  Wakefield

  289.7

  Yorkshire and the Humber

  2,826.1

  Bolton/Bury1

  0.0

  Cumbria

  642.1

  East Lancashire1

  0.0

  Halton

  146.8

  High Peak1

  0.0

  Manchester

  350.4

  Mid Cheshire1

  0.0

  OIdham

  257.6

  Rochdale

  452.1

  South and East Cheshire

  56.1

  Stockport

  77.4

  Warrington1

  0.0

  222

  Table 1: Pump-priming grants for Business Links 1995–96

  (£000s)

  Area

  West Lancashire1

  0.0

  Wigan

  86.5

  North west

  2,069.0

  Wirral and Chester1

  0.0

  Merseyside

  1,143.4

  St. Helens

  233.6

  Merseyside

  1,377

  Durham

  535.1

  Northumberland

  382.9

  Teesside

  533.8

  Tyneside

  336.5

  Wearside

  216.6

  North east

  2,004.9

  BL Support

  5,030.8

  National total

  39,536.1

  1 Pump-priming expenditure began after 1995–96.

  Table 2: Expenditure on business support services funded by DTI through TECs and Business Links 1995–96

  Region

  £ million

  South East

  6.41

  London

  5.59

  Eastern

  5.02

  South West

  4.83

  West Midlands

  6.06

  East Midlands

  4.32

  Yorkshire and The Humber

  2.89

  North West

  4.60

  Merseyside

  1.37

  North East

  2.54

  Total

  43.63

  Ford Factory, Halewood
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the conditions attached to each Government grant to the Ford factory at Halewood since 1974 indicating whether they were conditional on job creation or job protection and when those conditions were met. [15256]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  [holding answer 11 February 1997]: Grant payments given under the regional development grants scheme between 1974 and 1987 required the relevant assets to remain in place for a minimum of four years. Payments were not linked to job creation or safeguarding. The scheme provided for recovery of a proportion of the grant where the conditions were not met in full.

  Grant payments given under the RDG scheme between 1991 and 1992 were based on set targets for capital expenditure and job creation. The assets were required to remain in place for a minimum of three years and the jobs for 18 months following the completion of the project. The scheme provided for withholding and recovery of grant where these conditions were not met. One project remains within these conditions until 31 December 1997.
  223
  Grants given under the RSA scheme were phased over a number of years against targets for capital spend and the creation and safeguarding of jobs. Final payments were made on the satisfactory completion of the projects and were based on the actual capital spend and jobs achieved. From November 1984, assets were required to remain in place for a minimum of three years and the jobs for 18 months following the completion of the project. None of these grants remains within the conditions of the scheme.

  Mr. Hall
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list Government assistance to the Ford factory at Halewood prior to 1974(a) at current prices and (b) at constant prices. [15257]

  Mr. Knight
  [holding answer 11 February 1997]: Information about all Government assistance awarded prior to 1974 is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Hall
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list(a) the dates on which Government grants to the Ford factory at Halewood authorised after 1974 were paid and (b) the amounts in constant prices using the gross domestic product deflator for 1995–96. [15255]

  Mr. Knight
  [holding answer 11 February 1997]: Payments made by the Department under the regional development grants and regional selective assistance schemes were as follows:

  £000 (1995–96 prices)

  RDGI

  RDGII

  RSA

  Total

  1974

  188

  188

  1975

  5,816

  5,816

  1976

  7,092

  7,092

  1977

  1,952

  1,952

  1978

  933

  66,235

  67,168

  1979

  1,187

  20,199

  21,386

  1980

  15,887

  4,067

  19,954

  1981

  27,235

  27,235

  1982

  11,618

  11,618

  1983

  7,310

  7,310

  1984

  6,167

  6,167

  1985

  1,680

  1,680

  1986

  12,820

  12,820

  1987

  949

  4,154

  5,103

  1988

  1,711

  1,711

  1989

  3,640

  3,640

  1990

  476

  475

  1991

  4,371

  4,371

  1992

  3,657

  483

  4,141

  Total

  100,834

  8,028

  100,965

  209,827

  Post Office (Privatisation)
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much his Department has spent over the last five years on preparation for, and feasibility studies of, Post Office privatisation, indicating the amounts spent on(a) contracts with consultants and (b) the employment of full-time and part-time staff. [15371]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 11 February 1997]: The amount spent on consultancy advice between July 1992 and the Government's decision in November 1994 not to proceed with legislation on the Post Office in the current Parliament was £1,613,002.28. The amount spent on
  224
  full-time and part-time staff working on matters relating to preparation for, or feasibility studies of, Post Office privatisation during this period could be established only at disproportionate cost.

  Publicity
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was his Department's expenditure on contractors to provide publicity and news services from centrally managed budgets in each year since 1979–80. [15365]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  [holding answer 11 February 1997]: For the publicity and news services expenditure for 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Barking (Ms Hodge) on 11 November 1996, Official Report, column 15.

  The expenditure for 1990–91, 1991–92, and 1992–93 is as follows:

  £'000

  1990–91

  15,820

  1991–92

  10,203

  1992–93

  10,117

  The figures for previous years are not available.

  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was his Department's expenditure on staff employed full time or part time to provide(a) publicity and (b) work on press and media in each year since 1979–80. [15366]

  Mr. Taylor
  [holding answer 11 February 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Barking (Ms Hodge) on 11 November 1996, Official Report, column 15.

  Figures for previous years are not available on a comparable basis.

  Biomass Projects
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to(a) encourage development work in biomass projects and (b) increase the level of their support from the non-fossil fuel obligation. [15374]

  Mr. Page
  [holding answer 11 February 1997]: The Government consider that biomass is one of the most promising renewables and has the prospect to contribute to UK energy supplies. In order to secure the electricity generating capacity required by the fourth non-fossil fuel obligation order, NFFO4, announced on 6 February 1997, seven biomass projects with an aggregate capacity of 67.4 MW are expected to be contracted. The value of these contracts is almost twice that of the three biomass projects with an aggregate capacity of 19.1 MW contracted under the third NFFO order, NFFO3, which was made in 1994. The Department of Trade and Industry spent about £2 million in 1995–96 on development work in biomass with matching funding from industry, and the programme is set to continue.

  Exports (Yorkshire and Humberside)
  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the value of exports form the Yorkshire and Humberside region for each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [15484]

  Mr. Page
  This information is not officially collated on a regional basis and is therefore unavailable.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Data Collection (Postcodes)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment 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.[14803]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Postcodes are used in the collection and analysis of some DfEE statistics. Grants and awards are distributed mainly at local education authority or local authority level, or to specified organisations. In view of the wide-ranging nature of the DfEE's activities, it would not be possible to provide a full analysis of the use of postcodes without incurring disproportionate costs.

  Modern Apprenticeship Scheme
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her latest estimate for(a) the annual apprenticeship scheme, (b) the number of young people on the scheme and (c) the number of employers in the scheme; and if he will list the outcome figures for those who have completed an apprenticeship. [15088]

  Mr. Paice
  In December 1996, there were around 60,000 young people participating in modern apprenticeships in England. The cost of modern apprenticeships is included within the overall budget for youth programmes in 1996–97 of £763.5 million. The number of participating employers is not available; neither is information on the outcomes of those completing a modern apprenticeship, as the number who have so far completed their training is small.

  Education Standard Spending Assessments
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list, in real terms, the change of total education standard spending assessments in England for each financial year since 1997–88, indicating also significant structural changes affecting totals. [15093]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The following table shows the real-terms change of total education standard spending assessments in England for each financial year since SSAs were introduced in 1990–91. The notes set out the principal changes in local education authorities' financial responsibilities. When allowance is made for these changes, SSAs have increased over this period by 15.6 per cent. in real terms.
  226

  Real terms change in education SSAs 1990–91 to 1997–98

  SSA in cash terms £ million

  SSA in real terms £ million (1997–98 prices)

  Change in real terms £ million

  Changes in function

  1990–91

  14,752.5

  18,362.9

  1991–92

  17,137.0

  20,046.9

  1,684.0

  1992–93

  18,352.7

  20,601.0

  554.1

  1993–94

  16,530.7

  18,034.1

  -2,566.9

  1

  1994–95

  16,826.0

  18,037.1

  3.0

  2

  1995–96

  17,024.1

  17,798.7

  -238.4

  1996–97

  17,764.2

  18,119.5

  320.8

  3

  1997–98

  17,840.2

  17,840.2

  -279.3

  3

  1. Transfer of further education responsibilities from April 1993.

  2. Transfer of responsibility for careers guidance and inspection from April 1994.

  3. SSAs reduced to reflect phase 1 of the nursery voucher scheme in 1996–97 and phase 2 in 1997–98.

  Schools (Essex)
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of(a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils in Essex attend (i) grant-maintained schools, (ii) voluntary-aided schools and (iii) local authority schools. [15418]

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

  Percentage of pupils1 in grant-maintained, LEA2 maintained, and voluntary-aided schools in the Essex local education authority area in January 1996

  Grant-maintained

  Voluntary aided

  Other LEA maintained

  Primary

  16.7

  10.9

  72.4

  Secondary

  70.8

  2.4

  26.8

  1 Includes part-time pupils in primary schools.

  2 Schools operating as grant-maintained on the schools' census day January 1996.

  Internet
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of(a) primary and (b) secondary schools which have access to the Internet in each local education authority area; and if she will make a statement. [15274]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to provide Internet access to all primary and secondary schools; and if she will make a statement. [15273]

  Mr. Squire
  Government support for the purchase of IT systems, software and networking—including Internet connections—by schools is provided through the school effectiveness grant under the DfEE's programme of grants for education support and training.

  The Government are also supporting the evaluation of the educational potential of emerging technologies and models of implementation through their piloting programme, the Education Department's superhighways initiative. Several of these projects pilot the use of the Internet, including Internet services designed specifically

  227
  for schools. The results of the pilot projects will be made available later this year along with guidance for schools on purchasing and good practice in the use of new technologies.

  Education (Finance)
  Mr. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) to what percentage of the education standard spending assessment the labour area cost adjustment is applied; and on what basis this percentage is calculated; [15336]

  (2) what factors she took into account in her decision to include all salaries in the determination of area cost adjustment for education standard spending assessment. [15338]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  In calculating the area cost adjustment for education, all the employment groups relevant to the local authority labour market for education are taken into account—not just teachers—since the area cost adjustment seeks to reflect non-teaching as well as teaching costs.

  As far as teaching costs are concerned, there is evidence that teachers' salaries, including London weighting payments, do not on their own represent the full additional costs of providing a standard level of service in London and the south-east, since they do not reflect lower levels of experience, higher vacancy and turnover rates, or non-salary payments.

  In order to take account of these factors, the area cost adjustment is based on income levels in the general labour market of occupational groups relevant to the local authority labour force. The area cost adjustment for education redistributes some 3 per cent. of the total of education standard spending assessments to authorities in London and the south-east.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she is taking to ensure that the extension of nursery education to all four-year-olds does not lead to a reduction in places currently available to three-year-olds. [15271]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The funding for the nursery education voucher scheme is specifically designed to leave untouched the funding for three-year-olds. Local authorities can continue to spend on such places as they judge appropriate.

  Medical Students
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many medical students have begun courses since 1990 in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) England and (c) the west midlands. [15176]

  Mr. Forth
  The available information, which covers full-time entrants to first degree courses only, is as follows:228

  Number of full-time home domiciled entrants1 to first degree Medicine/Dentistry

  Year of entry

  United Kingdom2

  England3

  West Midlands2

  1990–91

  4,679

  3,526

  n/a

  1991–92

  4,733

  3,568

  227

  1992–93

  4,883

  3,677

  244

  1993–94

  4,957

  3,744

  227

  1994–953

  5,924

  4,215

  242

  1995–963

  6,496

  4,581

  250

  Notes:

  n/a = not available.

  1 Based on students who were in their first year of study.

  2 Location of institution rather than domicile of student.

  3 Figures collected on a new basis and are not directly comparable with earlier years' figures.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for education and Employment how many medical students have graduated since 1990 in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) England and (c) the west midlands. [15177]

  Mr. Forth
  The available information is as follows:

  First degree graduates in medicine/dentistry

  Year of graduation

  United Kingdom1

  England1

  West Midlands1

  1990

  4,388

  3,298

  210

  1991

  4,395

  3,207

  217

  1992

  4,519

  3,327

  211

  1993

  4,572

  3,361

  218

  1994

  4,567

  3,430

  203

  19952

  5,654

  4,199

  211

  19962

  5,631

  4,443

  226

  1 Location of institution rather than domicile of student.

  2 Figures collected on a new basis and are not directly comparable with earlier years' figures.

  Project Work
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many claimants on the project work pilots in Hull and Medway had benefit reductions of (i) two weeks or less and (ii) two to four weeks for failure to attend or complete work placement; and, of these, how many applied(a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully for hardship payments. [13591]

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 30 January 1997]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Robert Horne to Mr. Terry Rooney, dated 12 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State has asked Leigh Lewis to reply to your question about the number of people involved in the Project Work pilots in Hull and Medway who have had their benefit cut and about how many of those have applied for hardship payments. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to Leigh Lewis as Chief Executive of the Agency. I am replying in his absence.
  The latest information, up to 31 January 1997, shows that 108 Project Work clients had been sanctioned for a period of 2 weeks and 16 for a period of 4 weeks in the Hull pilot area. Over the same period, in the Medway and Maidstone pilot area, 92 clients were sanctioned for a two week period and 11 for a 4 week period.

  229
  These sanctions were given following decisions by adjudication officers that the clients had, without good cause, failed to attend a Project Work place, refused a place, left a place early or lost a place through misconduct.
  Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency has agreed to write to you separately on issue on the number of clients who made a claim for a hardship payment.
  I hope this is helpful.

  School Performance Tables
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she expects to publish the school performance tables of key stage 2 results for 1996 and the estimated cost of their publication. [14300]

  Mrs. Gillan
  [holding answer 5 February 1997]: The tables will be published in March, at an estimated cost for data collection and printing of less than 50p per booklet.

  Education Bodies (Administration)
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the names, salary and other emoluments for each year since 1987–88 for which figures are available of (i) the chief executive and (ii) the chairmen of the(a) National Council for Vocational Qualifications, (b) National Council for Educational Technology, (c) Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research,
  (d) Education Assets Board, (e) School Curriculum and Assessment Authority, (f) Further Education Funding Council, (g) Higher Education Funding Council for England, (h) Funding Agency for Schools and (i) Teacher Training Agency. [14514]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  [holding answer 6 February 1997]: The information requested is listed in the following table. Salaries and emoluments for the chairmen of the bodies mentioned have always been publicly available. Chief executives' salaries are negotiated individually on the basis of their responsibilities and for most of the period were confidential. Since 1995–96, following publication of the White Paper on Open Government, this information has been in the public domain.

  Year

  Chief Executive

  Salary and other emoluments

  Chairman

  Salary and other emoluments

  (a) National Council for Vocational Qualifications:

  1987–88

  Professor Peter Thompson

  —

  Sir Oscar De Ville

  10,000

  1988–89

  Professor Peter Thompson

  —

  Sir Oscar De Ville

  10,000

  1989–90

  Professor Peter Thompson

  —

  Sir Oscar De Ville

  10,000

  1990–91

  Professor Peter Thompson

  —

  Sir Oscar De Ville/Sir Bryan Nicholson

  12,500

  1991–92

  Peter Reay/John Hillier

  —

  Sir Bryan Nicholson

  12,500

  1992–93

  John Hillier

  —

  Sir Bryan Nicholson

  12,500

  1993–94

  John Hillier

  —

  Sir Bryan Nicholson/Sir Michael Heron

  14,487

  1994–95

  John Hillier

  —

  Sir Michael Heron

  17,924

  1995–96

  John Hillier

  79,731

  Sir Michael Heron

  18,462

  (b) National Council for Educational Technology:

  1987–88

  Noel Thompson

  —

  Donald Grattan

  5,455

  230

  Year

  Chief Executive

  Salary and other emoluments

  Chairman

  Salary and other emoluments

  1988–89

  Noel Thompson

  —

  Donald Grattan

  5,620

  1989–90

  Noel Thompson

  —

  Donald Grattan

  6,030

  1990–91

  Noel Thompson

  —

  Donald Grattan/Lady Parkes

  Unpaid

  1991–92

  Noel Thompson

  —

  Lady Parkes

  Unpaid

  1992–93

  Graham Walters(acting)/Margaret Bell

  —

  Gordon Law (acting)/Jon Richards

  Unpaid

  1993–94

  Margaret Bell

  —

  Jon Richards

  Unpaid

  1994–95

  Margaret Bell

  —

  Jon Richards

  Unpaid

  1995–96

  Margaret Bell

  70,016

  Jon Richards/Heather Du Quesnay

  Unpaid

  (c) Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research:

  1987–88

  Alan Moys

  —

  Sir Hugh Byatt

  Unpaid

  1988–89

  Alan Moys

  —

  Sir Hugh Byatt

  Unpaid

  1989–90

  Alan Moys

  —

  Sir Hugh Byatt

  Unpaid

  1990–91

  Alan Moys

  —

  Sir Hugh Byatt

  Unpaid

  —

  Professor Martin Harris

  Unpaid

  1991–92

  Alan Moys/Dr. Lid King

  —

  Professor Martin Harris

  Unpaid

  1992–93

  Dr. Lid King

  —

  Professor Martin Harris

  Unpaid

  1993–94

  Dr. Lid King

  —

  Professor Martin Harris

  Unpaid

  1994–95

  Dr. Lid King

  —

  Professor Martin Harris

  Unpaid

  1995–96

  Dr. Lid King

  38,423

  Professor Martin Harris

  Unpaid

  (d) Education Assets Board:

  1988–89

  Bryan Emmett

  —

  Sir Tom McDonald

  18,200

  1989–90

  Bryan Emmett

  —

  Sir Tom McDonald

  20,310

  1990–91

  Bryan Emmett/Stuart Hoare

  —

  Sir Tom McDonald

  20,515

  1991–92

  Stuart Hoare

  —

  Sir Tom McDonald

  23,365

  1992–93

  Stuart Hoare

  —

  Sir Tom McDonald

  24,030

  1993–94

  Stuart Hoare

  —

  Sir Tom McDonald/Roger Suddards

  31,400

  1994–95

  Stuart Hoare

  —

  Roger Suddards

  32,185

  1995–96

  Stuart Hoare

  59,628

  Roger Suddards/Keith Bridge

  26,523

  (e) School Curriculum and Assessment Authority:

  1993–94

  Chris Woodhead

  —

  Sir Ron Dealing

  41,750

  1994–95

  Chris Woodhead/Dr. Nick Tate

  —

  Sir Ron Dearing

  63,000

  1995–96

  Dr. Nick Tate

  78,740

  Sir Ron Dearing

  46,670

  (f) Further Education Funding Council:

  1992–93

  Sir William Stubbs

  —

  Sir Robert Gunn

  33,170

  1993–94

  Sir William Stubbs

  —

  Sir Robert Gunn

  34,975

  1994–95

  Sir William Stubbs

  —

  Sir Robert Gunn

  34,975

  1995–96

  Sir William Stubbs

  109,000

  Sir Robert Gunn

  36,024

  (g) Higher Education Funding Council for England:

  1992–93

  Professor Graeme Davies

  —

  Sir Ron Dearing

  33,170

  1993–94

  Professor Graeme Davies

  —

  Sir Ron Dearing/Brandon Gough

  41,120

  1994–95

  Professor Graeme Davies

  —

  Brandon Gough

  34,974

  1995–96

  Professor Graeme Davies/Brian Fender

  119,000

  Brandon Gough

  37,080

  231

  Year

  Chief Executive

  Salary and other emoluments

  Chairman

  Salary and other emoluments

  (h) Funding Agency for Schools:

  1994–95

  Michael Collier

  —

  Sir Christopher Benson

  34,350

  1995–96

  Michael Collier

  86,000

  Sir Christopher Benson

  35,210

  (i) Teacher Training Agency:

  1994–95

  Anthea Millett

  —

  Geoffrey Parker

  15,000

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Ministerial Advisers
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what subjects he is advised by Mr. John Kennedy and Mr. Perry Miller. [13974]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  None.

  Arms Sales (Indonesia)
  Mrs. Jane Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of the United States Government to discuss the sale of arms to Indonesia; and if he will make a statement. [13975]

  Mr. Hanley
  There has been no recent ministerial discussion of this subject. However, British and US officials keep in regular touch about relations with Indonesia, as with other countries, and issues of defence procurement co-operation sometimes arise.

  Artists' Resale Rights
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the issues of artists' resale rights and the misuse of article 100(a) of the treaty of Rome by the Commission at the forthcoming intergovernmental conference. [13976]

  Mr. David Davis
  We have put forward proposals in the intergovernmental conference which are designed to provide safeguards against the misuse of legal bases for Community legislation.

  Gibraltar
  Sir Sydney Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the future of Gibraltar. [13977]

  Mr. David Davis
  Her Majesty's Government stands by its commitment to the people of Gibraltar, enshrined in the 1969 constitution. The Government will not enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes. That commitment remains steadfast.

  Malta
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of Malta's application to join the European Union. [13978]
  232
  Mr. David Davis
  Malta has suspended its application to join the European Union. But the new Maltese Government have made clear that they want to continue to develop close links with the EU and they are discussing with the European Commission how to take this forward. We welcome this.

  Anglo-Russian Relations
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet the President of the Russian republic to discuss Anglo-Russian relations; and if he will make a statement. [13979]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary has no present plans to meet President Yeltsin. He will meet the Russian Foreign Minister when Mr. Primakov visits London from 27 February to 1 March.

  Kashmir
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the opportunities for political reconciliation in Kashmir following the recent state elections. [13980]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  We hope that dialogue between the new Government in Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Government in New Delhi will lead to an improvement in the situation in Kashmir. I hope to discuss Kashmir during a visit to India and Pakistan later this month.

  Bahrain
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Bahrain about the workings of the state security law there; and if he will make a statement. [13981]

  Mr. Hanley
  We have friendly relations with Bahrain and our frequent discussions cover a wide range of issues. The Government of Bahrain are aware of our view that legal proceedings, including under the security law, should be in accordance with international standards.

  National Parliaments
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress there has been in the intergovernmental conference as regards the role of national parliaments. [13982]

  Mr. David Davis
  The draft revision of the treaties submitted by the Irish presidency includes a useful section on national parliaments. Among its proposals are a binding minimum scrutiny period, as proposed by the United Kingdom, as well as an advisory role for the Conference of European Affairs Committees—COSAC.

  India and Pakistan
  Mr. William O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet non-governmental organisations to discuss the political situation in India and Pakistan; and if he will make a statement. [13983]
  233
  Dr. Liam Fox
  I have occasional meetings with non-governmental organisations and other interested groups and individuals on the political situation in India and Pakistan. I hope to visit both countries again later in the month.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to visit China to discuss Hong Kong. [13984]

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet Chinese Government Ministers to discuss Hong Kong. [13993]

  Mr. Hanley
  I refer the hon. Members to the oral answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) earlier today.

  European Union Institutions
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what powers he is seeking to have returned to the United Kingdom from European Union institutions during the current intergovernmental conference negotiations. [13985]

  Mr. David Davis
  The Government have tabled proposals to disapply the working time directive in the UK, and reduce the risk of misuse of existing treaty articles by introducing unanimous voting to article 118a, and parts of article 54 and 57. In addition through their proposals on subsidiarity the Government are seeking to ensure that action is taken at European level only where necessary.

  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in achieving the Government's objectives in respect of the European institutions in the intergovernmental conference. [13987]

  Mr. Davis
  Although there have been several discussions of institutional issues in the IGC, the final position of many member states will only be decided in the negotiating endgame. The UK has considerable support for its position on many of these issues.

  Zaire
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has recently received regarding the situation in Zaire; and if he will make a statement. [13986]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  We remain gravely concerned by the situation in eastern Zaire, and remain in close contact with partners in the Security Council, the EU and in the region. We urge all parties to the conflict to call an immediate ceasefire and to enter into negotiations on a peaceful resolution. We welcome the appointment of Mohamed Sahnoun as UNSG's special representative for the Great Lakes. We will give full support to efforts by him and regional leaders, who most recently met in Pretoria on 28 and 29 January, to broker a settlement.

  Caribbean Countries
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the political stability of Caribbean countries. [13988]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  We continuously assess the political stability of all Caribbean countries. We see drugs and drugs-related crime as the main regional threat to stability in the Caribbean and are playing a major role in helping them fight drugs. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister and President Chirac launched the EU Caribbean drugs initiative in 1995.

  Anglo-Korean Relations
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations between the United Kingdom and Korea. [13989]

  Mr. Hanley
  We have an important political and economic partnership with the Republic of Korea. They work closely with us on the UN Security Council. We have recently welcomed them as a new member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and we are delighted that the UK has attracted over 50 per cent. of Korean investment in Europe.

  Western European Union-EU Relations
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed the relationship between the European Union and the Western European Union with the French and German Foreign Ministers. [13990]

  Mr. David Davis
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary last discussed these issues with the French Foreign Minister on 8 November 1996 and with the German Foreign Minister on 20 November 1996.

  Argentina
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Kingdom relations with Argentina. [13991]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  The United Kingdom enjoys excellent relations with Argentina.

  World Service
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received about the future of the BBC World Service. [13992]

  Mr. Hanley
  None since the beginning of the year.

  European Court of Justice
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions the United Kingdom has(a) won and (b) lost cases before the European Court of Justice in the past 10 years. [13967]

  Mr. David Davis
  Consolidated figures for the last 10 years are not held in the form requested. However, a recent internal survey of the 125 cases in which the UK
  235
  was directly involved or intervened between 1993 and 1995 showed that the court accepted the principle UK submissions in 82 cases or 66 per cent. and wholly rejected them in 24 cases or 19 per cent. The UK has a very creditable record before the ECJ.

  United Nations Agencies
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has recently received regarding British funding of United Nations agencies; and if he will make a statement. [13973]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  We have received no such representations.

  Estonia
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on bilateral relations with the Republic of Estonia. [15225]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  Our bilateral relations with Estonia are close and friendly, extending across a wide range of areas including political and economic co-operation, trade and investment and defence co-operation. Our close partnership was noted by Estonian Foreign Minister lives when he visited the United Kingdom earlier this month and paid tribute to the UK's consistent support for Estonia's sovereignty and independence.

  Burma
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Burmese Government's treatment of(a) the democracy movement and (b) Aung San Suu Kyi. [15392]

  Mr. Hanley
  We remain deeply concerned by the harassment and detention of many supporters of the democracy movement in Burma and the continuation of road-blocks outside the home of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The EU has adopted a common position in Burma, which urges the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council—SLORC—to allow the National League for Democracy and other legitimate political parties to pursue freely their normal activities.

  Antarctica (Rift)
  Sir Michael Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will call for a report from the commissioner of the British Antarctic Territory on the rift that has appeared in the Larsen B ice shelf; what assessment he has made of the extent to which it indicates changing global temperatures and the possibility of rising sea levels; and if he will make a statement. [15236]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  Additional rifts on the Larsen ice shelf have been identified in the past two years. However, the most recent scientific expedition to the area, in November 1996, found nothing extraordinary about these rifts.
  236
  The British Antarctic Survey interpretation is that the retreat of ice shelves around the Antarctic peninsula is due to local atmospheric warming. This is not necessarily correlated with temperature trends elsewhere in Antarctica or globally. If local warming continues, it is almost certain that another part of the Larsen ice shelf will disappear.

  Since the ice shelf is already floating, and therefore displacing the equivalent of its own mass in water, there would be no rise in sea level even if it were to disintegrate and melt.

  Ministerial Visit (France)
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to pay an official visit to his counterpart in France to discuss Franco-British developments in the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the expected agenda at this meeting. [14158]

  Mr. David Davis
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary plans to visit Paris on 3 March when he expects to meet M. Charette, the French Foreign Minister, and to discuss with him European issues as well as other topical matters. He will also deliver a speech on the British vision for the future of the EU.

SCOTLAND

  Basking Shark
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received anent the proposal for the designation of the basking shark as an endangered species; and if he will make a statement. [14623]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The Joint Nature Conservation Committee has recommended protection of the basking shark by adding it to schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The recommendation, part of a third quinquennial review of schedules 5 and 8 of the 1981 Act, has been presented to the Secretary of State for the Environment on the basis that the species is likely to become endangered unless such protection is implemented. The Scottish Office is participating in the Government's consideration of the recommendations.

  The JNCC recommendations are presently the subject of a wide-ranging consultation exercise being carried out by the Department of the Environment. Any representations received will be given full consideration before any decision is taken.

  Highlands and Islands Enterprise
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 31 January,Official Report, column 373, when he expects the chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise will reply to the hon. Member for North Tayside. [15188]

  Mr. Kynoch
  I understand that the hon Member's question was answered on 6 February 1997.

  Nursery Schools
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) three-year-olds and (b) four-year-olds had nursery schools places in each year since 1992. [15007]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The information requested is set out in the table.

  Number of pupils attending nursery schools/classes

  Education authority schools

  Independent schools

  As at September

  Age 3

  Age 4

  Age 3

  Age 4

  1992

  12,357

  33,787

  529

  996

  1993

  13,302

  33,815

  520

  923

  1994

  13,064

  35,245

  558

  968

  1995

  12,634

  35,331

  559

  947

  1996

  12,677

  36,121

  n/a

  n/a

  The 1996 figures are provisional. The 1996 data are not currently available for independent schools because of a computer malfunction.

  Mrs. Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many qualified nursery school teachers were employed by each local authority in each year since 1992. [15008]

  Mr. Robertson
  The numbers of teachers working in education authority nursery schools and classes in the years 1992–96 are set out in the table.

  Number of teachers in nursery schools/classes as at September

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Scotland

  1,116

  1,085

  1,135

  1,152

  1,188

  Education Authority Aberdeen City

  92

  86

  91

  80

  —

  Aberdeenshire

  41

  45

  45

  46

  —

  Angus

  18

  18

  23

  23

  —

  Argyll and Bute

  2

  3

  4

  4

  —

  Clackmannanshire

  16

  13

  16

  16

  —

  Dumfries and Galloway

  24

  24

  31

  30

  —

  Dundee City

  52

  47

  48

  55

  —

  East Ayrshire

  19

  17

  17

  17

  —

  East Dunbartonshire

  3

  3

  3

  3

  —

  East Lothian

  20

  30

  31

  34

  —

  East Renfrewshire

  9

  9

  9

  9

  —

  Edinburgh, City of

  137

  140

  135

  168

  —

  Falkirk

  32

  32

  36

  36

  —

  Fife

  144

  117

  128

  115

  —

  Glasgow, City of

  165

  154

  156

  154

  —

  Highland

  28

  26

  29

  28

  —

  Inverclyde

  13

  12

  13

  12

  —

  Midlothian

  26

  29

  29

  28

  —

  Moray

  24

  24

  25

  26

  —

  North Ayrshire

  8

  6

  6

  6

  —

  North Lanarkshire

  41

  40

  41

  37

  —

  Orkney Islands

  6

  8

  9

  8

  —

  Perth and Kinross

  24

  23

  27

  28

  —

  Renfrewshire

  30

  29

  29

  38

  —

  Scottish Borders

  15

  13

  14

  15

  —

  Shetland Islands

  14

  15

  15

  13

  —

  South Ayrshire

  5

  5

  5

  5

  —

  South Lanarkshire

  19

  22

  21

  21

  —

  Stirling

  21

  20

  22

  20

  —

  West Dunbartonshire

  24

  23

  24

  23

  —

  Western Isles

  0

  0

  0

  0

  —

  West Lothian

  44

  52

  53

  54

  —

  238
  The 1996 figure is provisional and cannot, at this stage, be disaggregated between authorities.

  Mrs. Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is currently the average class size for nursery schools for each local authority. [15009]

  Mr. Robertson
  Information on class sizes in education authority nursery schools is not collected because most nursery provision is not delivered in the context of a class structure.

  Scottish Grand Committee
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost to the Scottish Office of the meeting of the Scottish Grand Committee in Selkirk on 3 February; what was the cost of the catering arrangements; and who were the contractors for the catering arrangements. [14678]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The cost of hiring venues, catering, security and so on is borne by the House authorities. Scottish Office officials supporting Ministers in connection with Committee meetings do so as part of their normal duties and no additional staff costs are incurred apart from travelling expenses.

  I understand that the cost of the catering arrangements for the Scottish Grand Committee in Selkirk on Monday 3 February is of the order of £750. The caterers used by Scottish Borders council for the meeting were Graylee Jimson Catering.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make arrangements for the food hygiene inspector to be present at the next meeting of the Scottish Grand Committee on 17 February. [14679]

  Mr. Forsyth
  I see no need for an environmental health officer to be present.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will require that future meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee take place in towns to which there is access by rail. [14680]

  Mr. Forsyth
  No.

  Crime (Clear-up Rates)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the crime clear-up rate and annual percentage change in each year since 1979 in each region; and if he will make a statement; [15014]

  (2) what was the clear-up rate for all crimes in Scotland in (a) 1979, (b) 1983, (c) 1987 and (d) in each year since 1992 for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [15015]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is set out in the table. During the period in question, the overall Scottish crime clear-up rate has increased significantly—from 30 per cent. in 1979 to 39 per cent. in 1995. It is expected that further measures such as the provision of additional officers, funding for closed circuit television schemes and enhanced technological support to help the police in solving crime will contribute positively to the continuing fight against crime in Scotland.
  239

  Crime clear-up rates (percentages) and annual changes (percentage points) by police force area, 1979–1995

  Central

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Fife

  Grampian

  Lothian and Borders

  Northern

  Strathclyde

  Tayside

  Scotland

  1979

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  37.6

  40.4

  43.4

  37.4

  29.3

  60.7

  25.6

  35.0

  30.0

  1980

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  38.3

  39.1

  39.7

  36.3

  34.6

  61.1

  28.3

  37.1

  32.6

  Change

  0.7

  -1.3

  -3.7

  -1.1

  5.3

  0.4

  2.7

  2.1

  2.6

  1981

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  37.8

  38.7

  38.9

  35.9

  29.1

  57.7

  28.0

  36.5

  31.2

  Change

  -0.6

  -0.4

  -0.8

  -0.4

  -5.5

  -3.4

  -0.3

  -0.6

  -1.4

  1982

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  36.9

  37.8

  38.3

  31.9

  25.1

  57.6

  27.4

  39.2

  29.8

  Change

  -0.9

  -0.9

  -0.6

  -4.0

  -4.0

  -0.1

  -0.6

  2.7

  -1.4

  1983

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  40.4

  39.2

  40.6

  33.8

  25.2

  59.0

  28.4

  42.5

  30.9

  Change

  3.5

  1.4

  2.3

  1.8

  0.2

  1.4

  1.0

  3.3

  1.1

  1984

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  39.9

  44.7

  38.1

  35.1

  27.4

  58.1

  27.4

  41.0

  30.8

  Change

  -0.5

  5.5

  -2.5

  1.3

  2.2

  -0.9

  -1.0

  -1.6

  -0.1

  1985

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  44.1

  46.8

  40.6

  34.5

  33.2

  62.5

  28.9

  44.1

  33.6

  Change

  4.2

  2.1

  2.5

  -0.5

  5.8

  4.4

  1.5

  3.1

  2.8

  1986

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  47.6

  54.3

  41.5

  31.3

  38.2

  62.4

  28.4

  41.0

  34.2

  Change

  3.5

  7.5

  0.9

  -3.2

  5.0

  -0.1

  -0.4

  -3.1

  0.6

  1987

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  48.8

  53.8

  41.8

  31.5

  38.9

  62.9

  29.3

  42.7

  34.9

  Change

  1.2

  -0.5

  0.2

  0.2

  0.7

  0.5

  0.8

  1.7

  0.7

  1988

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  48.2

  51.0

  39.8

  33.9

  38.4

  65.4

  28.0

  42.4

  34.0

  Change

  -0.5

  -2.8

  -2.0

  2.4

  -0.5

  2.5

  -1.3

  -0.3

  -0.9

  1989

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  47.0

  50.6

  38.5

  35.3

  38.5

  61.4

  27.5

  40.7

  33.4

  Change

  -1.2

  -0.3

  -1.3

  1.4

  0.2

  -4.0

  -0.5

  -1.6

  -0.6

  1990

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  46.1

  42.7

  36.2

  33.0

  35.1

  61.8

  26.7

  41.4

  32.1

  Change

  -0.9

  -8.0

  -2.3

  -2.3

  -3.4

  0.4

  -0.9

  0.6

  -1.3

  1991

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  44.7

  45.0

  32.9

  32.4

  33.9

  59.2

  26.1

  38.2

  31.1

  Change

  -1.4

  2.4

  -3.3

  -0.7

  -1.2

  -2.7

  -0.6

  -3.1

  -1.0

  1992

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  56.0

  40.7

  32.7

  31.1

  34.4

  56.9

  28.0

  37.5

  32.3

  Change

  11.3

  -4.3

  -0.2

  -1.3

  0.5

  -2.3

  1.9

  -0.8

  1.2

  1993

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  55.4

  46.1

  38.2

  32.6

  36.5

  56.8

  30.6

  32.5

  34.3

  Change

  -0.5

  5.4

  5.5

  1.5

  2.2

  -0.2

  2.6

  -5.0

  2.0

  1994

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  57.0

  48.1

  42.4

  34.3

  37.4

  59.2

  33.9

  37.1

  37.1

  Change

  1.6

  2.0

  4.2

  1.7

  0.9

  2.5

  3.3

  4.6

  2.8

  1995

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  61.2

  57.4

  48.1

  35.9

  38.2

  65.8

  34.6

  38.6

  38.8

  Change

  4.2

  9.3

  5.8

  1.7

  0.8

  6.6

  0.7

  1.5

  1.7

  Song Birds
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the consequences for the numbers and varieties of song birds of the range of arable incentive schemes proposed by his Department. [14676]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The rules of the arable area payments scheme have always encouraged arable farmers to maximise environmental benefits on their set-aside land and further changes announced last year will be of additional benefit. Furthermore, the environmentally sensitive area scheme, and forthcoming countryside premium scheme, contain prescriptions and measures directly aimed at conserving, improving or providing particular habitats which will increase the areas of cover, feeding and nesting sites for a wide range of bird species including song birds.

  Crime Prevention Budget (Prisons)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the current crime prevention budget has been allocated to projects in prisons; and if he will make a statement. [15109]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  No part of the Scottish Office's current crime prevention budget is used for projects in prisons since the costs of programmes which address the offending behaviour of prisoners are met from the prison service budget. A significant part of the crime prevention budget has, however, been allocated to two projects designed to prevent re-offending by persistent young offenders.

  Electro-convulsive Therapy
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to modify the rules,
  241
  regulations and guidelines concerning the use of electro-convulsive therapy in the treatment of patients suffering from mental illness; and if he will make a statement. [15110]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend proposes to consult very soon on the Scottish Law Commission's report on incapable adults, which includes recommendations relating to the use of electro-convulsive therapy. A copy of the consultation paper will be placed in the Library when published.

  AIDS (Prisoners)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) male prisoners and (b) female prisoners (i) are HIV positive and (ii) have AIDS; and if he will make a statement. [15111]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked the chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Dr. Norman A. Godman, dated 12 February 1997:
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your question about the number of prisoners in Scotland who are HIV positive or have AIDS.
  Prisoners are encouraged to undergo testing for transmissible diseases on a voluntary basis. The results are confidential to prison medical staff and individual prisoners and are not collated centrally. Independent research surveys have been commissioned, however, to estimate the prevalence of HIV among prisoners. Eleven surveys were carried out in 8 establishments between 1991 and 1996, conducted by Drs Graham Bird and Sheila Gore. Prisoners gave a saliva sample and completed a questionnaire, on a voluntary and anonymous basis. Although HIV is not found in saliva, the tests can identify antibodies which the body makes against the virus. The results are given in the following table. Cornton Vale holds female prisoners.

  Results of voluntary anonymous screening of prisoners for HIV+

  Year

  Establishment

  Number of prisoners tested

  Number of prisoners HIV+

  1991

  HMP Edinburgh

  363

  17 (5 per cent.)

  1992

  HMP Edinburgh

  236

  8 (3 per cent.)

  HM YOI Polmont

  421

  0 (0 per cent.)

  1993

  HMP Glenochil

  227

  12 (3 per cent.)

  1994

  HMP Glenochil

  296

  7 (2 per cent.)

  HM YOI Glenochil

  162

  0 (0 per cent.)

  HMP Barlinnie

  978

  10 (1 per cent.)

  1995

  HMP Perth

  304

  6 (2 per cent.)

  HMP and YOI Cornton Vale

  136

  0 (0 per cent.)

  1996

  HMP Low Moss

  293

  2 (1 per cent.)

  HMP Aberdeen

  157

  2 (2 per cent.)

  Farms (Negative Equity)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full-time farm businesses were in a negative equity position in each year since 1985; and if he will make a statement. [12755]
  242
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 28 January 1997]: The table presents the percentage of farms in the farm accounts survey in Scotland that had liabilities exceeding business assets. The information is available only from 1986–87 onwards.

  Year

  Percentage of farms surveyed in Year FAS with negative equity

  1996–97

  0.2

  1995–96

  0.4

  1994–95

  0.7

  1993–94

  0.4

  1992–93

  0.8

  1991–92

  0.7

  1990–91

  0.3

  1989–90

  0.5

  1988–89

  1.1

  1987–88

  1.2

  1986–87

  1.9

  Local Enterprise Companies (Training)
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in what ways the eligibility, financial and operating rules which apply to the delivery of training programmes by LECs in 1997–98 will differ from the rules outlined in the new contracting documents which replace the training and enterprise councils annual funding agreement in England. [13593]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 30 January 1997]: The rules in England are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment. The rules for Government training programmes in Scotland are contained in the management statements and manual of project and programme rules of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Copies have been placed in the House of Commons Library. Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise have responsibility for the delivery of Government training programmes through their respective networks of local enterprise companies. The contents of the annual operating contracts which exist between these enterprise organisations and the individual local enterprise companies within their networks are a matter for the enterprise organisations.

  Northern Isles (Ferry Services)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland by what date final tender proposals have to be submitted to his Department in respect of the provision of passenger ferry services for the Northern Isles. [14872]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: The shipping operators who are competing for the award of subsidy under the new block grant arrangements for the support of passenger ferry services to the Northern Isles have been asked to submit their tenders by Monday 24 February 1997.

  Northern and Western Isles (Freight Services)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he proposes to issue a consultation paper on the future subsidy arrangements for the carriage of bulk freight to the Northern and Western Isles; and if he will make a statement. [14873]
  243
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: A consultation paper on bulk freight shipping services in the highlands and islands area was issued on Friday 7 February 1997. Responses have been invited by Friday 19 April.

  Departmental Staff
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff his Department employs to advise schools on attaining self-governing status; and what is their current salary. [15172]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 1 February 1997]: Self-governing schools matters are dealt with by four officials within a policy branch of the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department which also deals with a range of other matters, including registration of, and liaison with, independent schools, the administration of the assisted places scheme, and school transport. Other officials, including Her Majesty's inspectors of schools and those dealing with legal and financial issues, also have occasional involvement on such matters when the need arises. It is not Scottish Office policy to disclose the salaries of individual officials.

WALES

  Farms (Negative Equity)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many full-time farm businesses had a negative equity in each year since 1985; and if he will make a statement. [12756]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  [holding answer 28 January 1997]: Results of the farm business survey show only isolated incidences of farm businesses in the sample with negative equity—defined as liabilities greater than assets—since 1986–87, the first year for which information is readily available.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many full-time farm businesses in Wales had negative equity in each year since 1985. [13894]

  Mr. Evans
  Results of the farm business survey show only isolated incidences of farm businesses in the sample with negative equity—defined as liabilities greater than assets—since 1986–87, the first year for which information is readily available.

  Public Information Videos
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many public information videos produced by his Department and the agencies for which he is responsible have been subtitled or signed. [14382]

  Mr. Hague
  In the past five years, no public information videos produced by my Department or agency Cadw have been subtitled or signed.

  Economic Activity
  Mr. Donald Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes he plans to make to his policy to 244
  redress the imbalance in economic activity and inward investment between south-east Wales and south-west Wales. [14422]

  Mr. Hague
  I would like to see more investment in the western parts of Wales and in those other areas that have so far not been the principal beneficiaries of inward investment.

  I will therefore set the Welsh Development Agency new and more demanding targets for inward investment outside the eastern M4 and A55 corridors. Additionally, I am asking the WDA, within agreed UK and European limits, to recognise the extra costs of locating in some areas by being prepared to give more assistance to companies locating in those areas than to equivalent projects elsewhere.

  Hospital Waiting Times
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on current hospital waiting times in(a) Clwyd and (b) Powys. [14889]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Since 1 April 1996, the residents of Clwyd are the responsibility of North Wales health authority and the residents of Powys are the responsibility of Dyfed Powys health authority.

  At 30 September 1996, 95 per cent. of north Wales residents and 93 per cent. of Dyfed Powys residents who were waiting for a first out-patient appointment had been waiting less than six months. In both areas, 99 per cent. of those waiting for in-patient or day-case treatment had waited less than 18 months and no one had waited over two years.

  Maternity Beds
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of maternity beds provided by each(a) NHS and (b) non-NHS hospital in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [14893]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  A list of NHS hospitals in Wales providing maternity beds is given in the following table. There are no specifically designated maternity beds in private hospitals in Wales.

  NHS Hospital

  Average daily number of maternity beds 1995–961

  Aberdare General

  4

  Breconshire War Memorial

  6

  Broddyfi Community

  2

  Bronglais General

  16

  Bryn Beryl

  5

  Builth Wells Cottage

  3

  Caerphilly District Miners

  23

  Chirk Community

  3

  Deeside Community

  3

  Dolgellau and Barmouth

  6

  East Glamorgan General

  40

  Knighton

  2

  Llandough

  50

  Llandrindod Wells

  4

  Llanidloes and District

  3

  Montgomeryshire County Infirmary

  4

  Neath General

  27

  Nevill Hall

  31

  Prince Charles

  41

  Princess of Wales

  38

  245

  NHS Hospital

  Average daily number of maternity beds 1995–961

  Royal Gwent

  68

  Singleton

  68

  Tywyn and District War Memorial

  2

  University Hospital of Wales

  40

  Victoria Memorial

  8

  West Wales General

  32

  Withybush General

  40

  Ysbyty Glan Clwyd

  48

  Ysbyty Gwynedd

  43

  Ysbyty Maelor

  53

  1 Obstetrics and GP maternity. Provisional.

  Music Lessons
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines his Department has issued to(a) local education authorities and (b) schools in Wales regarding making music lessons available to pupils without consideration of parental payment; and if he will make a statement. [14780]

  Mr. Hague
  Welsh Office circular No. 4/89, "Charges for School Activities", a copy of which is in the Library, gives guidance on charges for individual tuition in playing a musical instrument unless the tuition was necessary as part of the syllabus for a prescribed public examination or of the national curriculum, when it must be provided free of charge. Amending legislation in 1993 subsequently extended charges to groups of up to four pupils.

  Hospital Services
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many NHS hospitals in(a) Clywd and (b) Powys are currently paying private sector hospitals to treat NHS patients; if he will list the (i) hospitals concerned and (ii) costs involved; and if he will make a statement. [14892]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I am advised that no NHS trusts based in the former county of Clwyd or in Powys are currently paying private sector hospitals to treat NHS patients.

  Roads
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the(a) road building and (b) road repairing work planned to take place during 1997, and for each the (i) start date, (ii) planned completion date and (iii) cost; if he will identify those where the construction of a flyover is involved; and if he will make a statement. [14915]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Our spending plans for roads in 1997–98 were announced by my right hon. Friend on 12 December 1996. All major schemes in the forward trunk road programme are being reviewed in the light of that announcement. We are reassessing the competing priorities of individual schemes in the programme against the resources available. Details of the revised forward trunk road programme will be published in the Welsh Office departmental report shortly. Copies of the report will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Asthma
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are currently being treated for asthma in(a) each county and (b) Wales; and if he will make a statement. [14888]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information on the number of people treated for asthma in Wales is not available centrally. However, a health survey of adults was carried out in Wales during 1995 and one of the questions asked was "Do you have any of these chest troubles or breathing difficulties now?"—asthma was one of the conditions included. The results, by health authority, were published in chapter 1 of "Welsh Health Survey 1995", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many homeless households there are in each of the local authority areas in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [15140]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Information on the number of households accepted by local authorities as homeless is provided in the following table:

  Number of households accepted as homeless, July to September 1996

  Authority

  Number

  Blaenau Gwent

  59

  Bridgend

  365

  Caerphilly

  113

  Cardiff

  342

  Carmarthenshire

  71

  Ceredigion

  35

  Conwy

  57

  Denbighshire

  45

  Flintshire

  56

  Gwynedd

  28

  Isle of Anglesey

  25

  Merthyr Tydfil

  35

  Monmouthshire

  31

  Neath Port Talbot

  129

  Newport

  172

  Pembrokeshire

  65

  Powys

  111

  Rhondda Cynon Taff

  204

  Swansea

  310

  Torfaen

  60

  The Vale of Glamorgan

  38

  Wrexham

  109

  Wales

  2,460

  Source:

  Local authority returns.

  Unfit Homes
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many houses in(a) the Alyn and Deeside constituency and (b) Wales his Department estimates to be unfit for human habitation. [15145]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The latest Welsh house condition survey was conducted in 1993. From this, it is estimated that 151,200 occupied first homes in Wales were unfit. Information on individual constituency or local authority areas is not available from the survey. A
  247
  further house condition survey, which will provide results for local authority areas, is under way. Information from this survey will be available in 1998.

  Housebuilding
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the level of housebuilding in Wales. [15144]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Provisional data available from local authorities and the National House Building Council on house building in Wales for the third quarter of 1996 show 2,543 dwellings were started and 2,227 were completed during the period. This represents a 12 per cent. increase in the number of starts and a 2 per cent. increase in the number of completions over the third quarter of 1995.

  Planning Guidance
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received since the publication of "Technical Advice Note (Wales) 5"; how many expressed continuing concerns; and what those concerns were. [15241]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My right hon. Friend has received no representations on "Technical Advice Note (Wales) 5" since its publication.

  European Anti-racism Year
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he has taken in relation to the European Commission's decision to make 1997 the European Year Against Racism, Xenophobia and Anti-semitism; and if he will make a statement. [15264]

  Mr. Hague
  The Home Office has established a national co-ordinating committee which brings together representatives from a range of key organisations from across the country and will act as a focal point for the UK contributions to the European Year. The committee is currently drawing up a national programme of events for the Year and details will be announced in due course.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Benefit Recipients
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 28 January,Official Report, column 190, how many recipients of council tax benefit were (a) retirement pensioners and (b) retirement pensioners also receiving income support; what estimates he has made of the numbers of retirement pensioners drawing council tax benefit who are eligible for, but not claiming income support in (i) Great Britain, (ii) the United Kingdom and (iii) Bristol, East. [14292]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.
  248

  Number of council tax benefit recipients in receipt of the state retirement pension for Great Britain as at the end of May 1995.

  Number of recipients (000s)

  All recipients of council tax benefit and retirement pension.

  2,431

  All recipients of council tax benefit, retirement pension and income support.

  1,100

  Estimated recipients of council tax benefit and retirement pension, eligible for but not claiming income support

  260

  Notes:
  1. The information applies only to Great Britain.

  2. Information on Bristol East is not available.

  3. The first two figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand. The estimated figure has been rounded to the nearest 10,000.

  4. Figures refer to benefit units which may be a single person or a couple.

  Source:

  1. Housing benefit management information system annual 1 per cent. sample enquiry of housing benefit recipients with and without income support for Great Britain taken at the end of May 1995.

  For information on Northern Ireland I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. and Learned Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Data Collection (Postcodes)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security 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. [14802]

  Mr. Burt
  Postcodes are used as one of the eligibility criteria for determining entitlement to a social fund cold weather payment. Each residential postcode is linked to one of 70 representative weather stations within Great Britain. The use of postcodes was introduced in November 1991. This enables those eligible for a payment to be identified quickly and a payment issued. After the end of each winter the scheme is reviewed. The review includes postcode to weather station links.

  The family resources survey, which is sponsored by this Department, uses the Office for National Statistics small users postcode address file to select a representative sample of households in Great Britain. The sample selection is carried out by the Office for National Statistics. There has not been a comprehensive review of the usage of postcodes since the survey was launched in 1992, but the coverage achieved by the selection method is under constant surveillance.

  The War Pensions Agency, in the annual report, "Pensioners by War Pension Committee Regions", shows the number of pensioners resident in specified war pension committee areas, which are broken down by postcode. The report is produced by the war pensions computer system. The method of compiling the report was last reviewed in June 1996.

  The Child Support Agency uses postcodes to estimate broadly travel to work allowances which may form part of a maintenance assessment. The agency began using postcodes for this purpose following the introduction of child support legislation in April 1995, which allowed

  249
  parents to have such costs reflected in their maintenance assessment. There has been no review of the usage of postcodes since that date.

  Social Security Appeals
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what targets exist for the Benefits Agency staff involved in adjudication and appeals of social security claims regarding appeal processing; [15220]

  (2) to what extent the pay of Benefits Agency staff involved in adjudication and appeals of social security claims is related to targets on appeals processing. [15221]

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

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 11 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking what targets exist for the Benefits Agency (BA) staff involved in adjudication and appeals of social security claims regarding appeal processing; and to what extent the pay of BA staff involved in adjudication and appeals of social security claims are related to targets on appeals processing.
  The information is not available in the format requested. Responsibility for the overall clearance of appeals is for the Independent Tribunal Service (ITS).
  National targets set by the BA for appeals processing relate to the period between receipt of an appeal by BA and the despatch of the submission to ITS. Once despatched, further action on the appeal is the responsibility of the ITS. Each individual benefit contributes towards these national targets and have their own targets for clearing claims to the ITS. The targets set for BA are shown in the attached Annex.
  The pay of all Benefits Agency staff is performance related. The amount each receives depends on the achievement of a set personal key work objectives, and annual appraisal of performance.
  Staff involved in adjudication and appeals processing would have key work objectives which support the achievement of those targets. The achievement of key work objectives informs the overall performance marking for individual staff which in turn determines annual performance pay awards.

  I hope that you find this information useful.

  The national targets set for the 3 types of appeal administered by BA are as follows:

  Type of appeal

  Primary target Per cent.

  Secondary target Per cent.

  Social Security

  69 in 28 days

  94 in 90 days

  Medical

  60 in 35 days

  85 in 60 days

  Disability

  60 in 30 days

  90 in 60 days

  The individual benefit targets are as follows:

  Benefit

  Primary target Per cent.

  Secondary target Per cent.

  Income Support and Contributory Benefits

  70 in 28 days

  95 in 90 days

  Job Seekers Allowance

  70 in 28 days

  95 in 90 days

  Family Credit

  69 in 28 days

  94 in 90 days

  Disability Living Allowance

  69 in 28 days

  94 in 90 days

  Attendance Allowance

  69 in 28 days

  94 in 90 days

  Disability Working Allowance

  69 in 28 days

  94 in 90 days

  Invalid Care Allowance

  61 in 28 days

  93 in 90 days

  Child Benefit

  50 in 28 days

  90 in 90 days

  250

  Benefit

  Primary target Per cent.

  Secondary target Per cent.

  Guardians Allowance

  93 in 28 days

  —

  Pension Services Division

  64 in 28 days

  94 in 90 days

  Overseas Benefits Division

  51 in 28 days

  90 in 90 days

  Disability Appeals

  Primary target Per cent.

  Secondary target Per cent.

  Disability Living Allowance

  60 in 30 days

  90 in 60 days

  Attendance Allowance

  60 in 30 days

  90 in 60 days

  Benefit Fraud
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what further studies he has made to measure the amount of benefit fraud; and if he will make a statement. [15901]

  Mr. Burt
  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, announced in July 1995 that he had instigated a series of benefit reviews across the major social security benefits to identify and quantify the level of fraud and error. Results of the reviews of income support, unemployment benefit, housing benefit, retirement pension and invalid care allowance have already been announced.

  A review has now been completed on disability living allowance, a benefit which is paid to disabled people to help with some of the extra costs associated with disability. Not all disabled people satisfy the conditions for an award of DLA, which is based on the care and mobility needs arising from the effects of a disability rather than on the disability itself.

  The review shows that some 73 per cent. of customers are entitled to the DLA they are receiving. In 27 per cent. of cases, therefore, DLA is being paid at an incorrect rate. Reasons for incorrectness, which involved both underpayments and overpayments of DLA, ranged from departmental or customer error right through to deliberate fraud.

  In 12.2 per cent. of the cases surveyed, officials considered that customers did not satisfy the qualifying condition for receipt of either all or part of the benefit in payment due to their deliberate overestimate of their care or mobility needs or failure to report an improvement in their condition. Grossed up from the sample this represents an estimated annual overpayment of £499 million.

  In addition there was a further 3 per cent. of customers who were found by the review to have been overpaid but where they might have been unaware that the changes in their condition was such that they should have reported it to the Benefits Agency. These represent an estimated annual overpayment of £83 million.

  The exercise also identified another 9.3 per cent. of customers who were not receiving the appropriate rate of benefit because of an unreported deterioration in their condition. This represents an estimated annual underpayment of £227 million.

  The results of this exercise will be studied and will help to inform plans to tackle incorrectness in DLA.
  251
  Customers who are entitled to the benefit have nothing to worry about from the findings of this exercise. But there are changes in medical conditions which can affect that entitlement level. The nature of some disabilities is such that there can be improvements where care or mobility needs, or both, become slight or non-existent. Customers have a duty to report such subsequent changes in their condition to the Benefits Agency and this requirement is clearly set out to customers when they receive benefit.

  Elderly People (Winter Assistance)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures he has taken to help the elderly during the winter months in each of the last three years; and at what cost. [15385]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  During the last three years, help has been available to pensioners awarded income support through the social fund cold weather payments scheme. This gives help towards additional heating costs during sustained periods of very cold weather. Estimates of benefit expenditure for each of the last three years are as follows:

  £000

  Year

  Total cold weather payments expenditure

  Estimated expenditure to pensioners

  1993–94

  12,400

  6,3741

  1994–95

  77

  391

  1995–96

  61,600

  31,1081

  1 Estimated expenditure figures for pensioners are based on the income support quarterly statistical enquiry at February 1994, 1995, and 1996. Families with children under five, disabled people and pensioners on income support were eligible for cold weather payments. Expenditure on pensioners has been estimated on a pro rata basis.

  Expenditure figures rounded to nearest £1,000.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Civil Service Briefings
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy to offer to hon. Members briefings by the Northern Ireland civil service similar to those provided for the Anglo-Irish Secretariat on appropriate topics. [12173]

  Sir John Wheeler
  Briefings are provided for the Irish side of the Anglo-Irish secretariat, in accordance with the terms of the Anglo-Irish agreement, on appropriate matters. These briefings can be instigated by either side.

  My ministerial colleagues and I also offer briefings to hon. Members on occasions but, in addition, always stand ready to consider favourably requests from hon. Members on issues relevant to the Northern Ireland Departments.

  Gallaher Ltd.
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from which budget the award of £9.957 million to Gallaher Ltd. towards development at its Ballymena factory was made. [15182]
  252
  Mr. Ancram
  The selective financial assistance offered to Gallaher Ltd. for development at the Ballymena factory will be payable from the Northern Ireland block, Department of Economic Development vote 1 section D (Assistance to Industry).

  Job Skills Programmes
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what requests he has received from the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action to discuss matters relating to the use of European Union funding for mainstream job skills programmes and related programmes; and if he will make a statement. [14910]

  Sir John Wheeler
  My right hon. and learned Friend has not been asked by the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action for a meeting to discuss these matters.

  EU Funding
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to modify his proposals for the mainstreaming of current temporary funding schemes from European Union programmes, with particular reference to the special support programme for peace and reconciliation and the European social fund; and if he will make a statement. [14906]

  Sir John Wheeler
  All projects developed under the special support programme for peace and reconciliation and the community initiatives component of the European social fund will be evaluated in due course to see what lessons may be learned. Apart from this, there are no such plans.

  Training and Employment
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what has been the change in the funding of the action for community employment scheme in the past 12 months; what further changes are planned in the near-future; and if he will make a statement; [14907]

  (2) what recent representations he has received concerning the role of the voluntary sector in reducing unemployment; and if he will make a statement; [14908]

  (3) if he has received the report of the review of long-term unemployment conducted by the Training and Employment Agency; and if he will make a statement. [14909]

  Mr. Ancram
  Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its chief executive Mr. Ian Walters. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Ian Walters to Dr. Norman Godman, dated 12 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency, to reply to your questions about the Action for Community Employment (ACE) scheme, the role of the voluntary sector and long-term unemployment.

  14907
  Resources allocated to ACE have been reduced in each of the last two public expenditure rounds. In the 1995–96 financial year £49.6 million was spent providing, on average, 9,189 ACE places. This year £39.8 million has been allocated to provide, on average, 7,200 places. In 1997–98 and the following two years ACE has

  253
  been allocated £28.5 million which will support around 5,200 places. There are no plans to make further changes to ACE. Any such plans will only emerge following extensive consultation on the Training and Employment Agency's review of long-term unemployment which will be published shortly.

  14908
  The Agency has frequent discussions with the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) which is the body most representative of voluntary sector organisations working with the unemployed. NICVA has provided very constructive advice, along with other organisations in the voluntary sector, on the preparation of the Agency's consultation document on long-term unemployment.
  The consultation document is intended to stimulate an informed and forward looking debate on the types of approaches and measures which might most effectively help the long-term unemployed to reintegrate into the active labour market. It will examine the roles which different sectors, including the voluntary sector, might play within the overall strategy.

  14909
  Baroness Denton has received a copy of the draft consultation document which the Agency expects to complete and publish shortly.

  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Fee-paying Schools
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the fee-paying schools which have received funds under(a) the targeting social needs scheme and (b) the raising school standards initiative, indicating the amounts received in each of the past three years and the sums forecast to be paid in 1997–98; and if he will make a statement. [15108]

  Mr. Ancram
  Fees in Northern Ireland's voluntary grammar schools are, with two exceptions, limited to a maximum capital fee of £80. All voluntary grammar schools receive some level of assistance from targeting social needs resources, on the principle that money follows the pupils eligible for free school meals. The amount going to voluntary grammar schools represents only 4 per cent. of the funds allocated under the scheme.

  The table lists the sums received by each voluntary grammar school.

  School

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  £

  £

  £

  £

  Armagh Royal

  6,790

  8,849

  5,871

  4,422

  Ballymena Academy

  8,692

  7,421

  5,284

  7,076

  Ballymoney Dalriada

  13,581

  13,987

  12,036

  12,972

  Bangor Grammar

  6,519

  5,423

  4,697

  5,012

  Belfast Bloomfield

  6,519

  8,849

  6,752

  6,781

  Belfast Campbell

  1,358

  856

  2,055

  3,243

  Belfast High

  12,223

  11,132

  10,862

  14,446

  Belfast Hunterhouse

  8,148

  10,276

  11,742

  11,793

  Belfast Methodist

  8,148

  10,276

  9,100

  12,972

  Belfast RBAI

  8,148

  8,563

  5,871

  6,191

  Belfast Royal Academy

  15,482

  15,414

  19,081

  16,510

  Belfast Strathearn

  3,803

  3,996

  3,816

  5,307

  Belfast Victoria

  4,074

  5,423

  7,339

  9,434

  Coleraine Acad Inst

  14,396

  12,274

  12,623

  13,856

  Dungannon Royal

  5,976

  8,278

  12,330

  10,024

  Enniskillen Portora

  4,074

  5,709

  7,045

  4,717

  Holywood Sullivan

  2,716

  2,569

  1,761

  2,948

  Larne Grammar

  7,062

  5,423

  4,697

  6,486

  Lisburn Friend's

  5,704

  6,851

  7,633

  6,781

  Lisburn Wallace

  4,889

  6,565

  9,394

  9,729

  Londonderry Foyle

  20,099

  19,695

  18,201

  21,227

  Magherafelt Rainey Endowed

  13,309

  13,416

  13,504

  19,163

  Armagh St. Patrick's

  27,976

  32,255

  34,053

  34,788

  Ballymena St. Louis'

  25,532

  24,548

  32,585

  24,764

  254

  School

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  £

  £

  £

  £

  Ballynahinch Assumption

  16,840

  13,701

  17,907

  23,585

  Belfast Acquinas

  6,519

  11,988

  19,081

  21,227

  Belfast CBS

  74,966

  87,059

  90,417

  85,201

  Belfast Dominican

  30,149

  35,395

  34,053

  32,724

  Belfast Our Lady and St. Pats

  21,186

  22,264

  25,540

  21,521

  Belfast St. Dominic's

  45,360

  68,220

  67,813

  58,078

  Belfast St. Malachy's

  24,989

  33,111

  34,640

  34,198

  Coleraine Loreto College

  29,063

  31,113

  30,530

  29,481

  Donaghmore St. Joseph's

  35,582

  36,822

  39,044

  44,517

  Downpatrick St. Patrick's

  15,754

  13,987

  16,146

  17,689

  Dungannon St. Patrick's Boys'

  61,113

  59,942

  62,529

  68,387

  Dungannon St. Patrick's Girls'

  57,311

  59,942

  58,419

  60,732

  Dunmurry Rathmore

  18,741

  25,119

  25,833

  20,637

  Enniskillen Convent

  46,446

  52,806

  46,838

  50,118

  Eniskillen St. Michael's

  38,026

  38,820

  36,695

  37,147

  Garron Tower

  23,630

  21,693

  26,714

  25,059

  Kilkeel St. Louis'

  19,013

  19,981

  23,191

  29,481

  Londonderry St. Columbl

  20,869

  111,036

  113,021

  114,682

  Londonderry Thornhill

  90,719

  91,912

  95,701

  98,468

  Lurgan St. Michael's

  28,248

  25,975

  23,485

  28,007

  Magherafelt St. Mary's

  49,162

  48,525

  55,189

  58,963

  Newry CBS

  33,680

  42,245

  40,218

  40,979

  Newry Our Lady's

  45,903

  53,092

  48,731

  50,118

  Newry Sacred Heart

  37,211

  41,674

  49,905

  47,170

  Newery St. Colman's

  28,520

  31,113

  31,998

  33,609

  Omagh CBS

  28,791

  33,682

  36,695

  39,210

  Omagh Loreto

  36,125

  42,245

  45,502

  45,106

  Portstewart Dominican

  6,519

  7,992

  9,394

  9,434

  Strabane Convent

  36,396

  32,826

  33,760

  37,441

  1,342,049

  1,442,328

  1,496,866

  1,533,621

  (b) No fee-paying school receives any assistance under the Raising School Standards Initiative.

  Bloody Sunday
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received from the Taoiseach concerning Bloody Sunday; and if he will make a statement. [15258]

  Sir John Wheeler
  None. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke to the Taoiseach on Friday 31 January; Bloody Sunday was among the many items discussed. The subject was also raised when my right hon. and learned Friend met the Tanaiste on Thursday 6 February.

  CORRIGENDUM
  Official Report, 3 February 1997: In col. 458–59, written answers, the question and answer relating to the new parliamentary building should read as follows:
  Mr. Dixon
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee when construction of the new parliamentary building will commence; and if he will make a statement. [11925]

  Sir Raymond Powell
  I am pleased to report that good progress is being made with the design and procurement of the new building. Contracts for over 70 per cent. of the work by value have been awarded. For example, prefabrication of the roof is proceeding apace in
  255
  Lancashire, of the stone columns in Derbyshire and the contractors are well advanced with the detailed design and ordering of the mechanical and electrical services.

  It had been planned that work would start on site today, 3 February 1997. Unfortunately London Underground Ltd. and its contractor have not made as much progress as they planned with the construction of the new Westminster station and are not able to hand back the site. My Committee has taken evidence in public and in private from the chief executive of LUL and from the project director on a number of occasions and, while we appreciate the magnitude of their task, they have been left in no doubt of the considerable disappointment that they have not been able to return
  256
  the site on the due date. In due course the House will be pursuing the remedies available under the terms of the agreement with LUL.

  At this stage I cannot advise my right hon. Friend when work will start on site. There have been progressive slippages in the forecast date for the first stage handover and all the indications are that the current forecast of 29 July 1997 may not be achieved. My Committee continues to press London Underground and will keep the matter under continuous scrutiny.

  Until there is a date from London Underground in which we can have confidence, it is not possible to give a firm date for the completion of the building. The aim, however, is that occupation should start during the summer recess 2000.

  UN Dues: United States Arrears
  UN Dues: United States Arrears
  Israel: New West Bank Settlements
  Israel: New West Bank Settlements
  Service Families Medical Centre, Hohne: Vaccine Availability
  Service Families Medical Centre, Hohne: Vaccine Availability
  NATO
  NATO
  Nuclear Weapons: Research
  Nuclear Weapons: Research
  General Sir Peter de la Billière
  General Sir Peter de la Billière
  Scotland: Milk Suppliers
  Scotland: Milk Suppliers
  TV Licence Fee Consolidated Regulations
  TV Licence Fee Consolidated Regulations
  Northern Ireland Heritage Properties: Management
  Northern Ireland Heritage Properties: Management