Written Answers of 20 February 1997

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Hazardous Materials (Departmental Buildings)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Department had made of the presence of(a) hazardous materials and (b) ozone-depleting substances within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16311]

  Mr. Boswell
  The Department is responsible for carrying out risk assessments under, among other things, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994, the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 and the Control of Asbestos at Work (Amendment) Regulations 1992. All buildings have an asbestos register where its presence has been identified. As far as ozone depleting chemicals are concerned, surveys of fire fighting and cooling equipment have been carried out and the use of these substances has either ceased or is in the process of being phased out.

  Environmental Audit (Departmental Buildings)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the ways in which his Department has demonstrated the ability to improve efficiency and competitiveness through an environmental audit of(a) energy use and (b) waste management within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16421]

  Mr. Boswell
  Environmental assessments are carried out for all new buildings and major refurbishment of existing buildings under the Building Research Establishment's environmental assessment method—BREEAM. These include energy use and waste management.

  As a result of energy surveys and auditing through a computerised database, a programme of energy efficient schemes has been initiated.

  Under our action plan for green housekeeping, there is a requirement on all our sites to minimise the generation of waste and implement recycling schemes. A series of formal audits of laboratories is planned for 1997–98.

  Mink Farms
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many mink fur farms there are in England by county. [16406]
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  Mrs. Browning
  At 17 February 1997, there were the following mink farms in England:

  County

  Number of licensed mink farms

  Cornwall

  1

  Dorset

  1

  Hampshire

  1

  Isle of Wight

  1

  Lancashire

  5

  Northumberland

  1

  Staffordshire

  1

  West Yorkshire

  2

  Total

  13

  Hens
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will introduce measures requiring pop-holes in housing associated with free-range poultry systems to be a minimum of 30 cm high and 75 cm wide; [16520]

  (2) if he will ensure that laying hens in colony systems have their beaks trimmed only for therapeutic purposes; [16510]

  (3) if he will ensure that sufficient pop-holes are provided in free-range poultry systems to allow all birds easy access into and out of the house; [16512]

  (4) if he will require that perching space of at least 18 cm per hen is provided in colony systems; [16514]

  (5) if he will ensure that the stocking rate of laying hens in colony systems does not exceed (a) seven hens per square metre of floor plan area in single-tier systems and (b) 15.5 hens in multi-tier systems; [16516]

  (6) if he will introduce maximum flock size in a laying hen colony system of 2,000; [16511]

  (7) if he will ensure that hens in free-range systems are not stocked in any one paddock at more than 1,000 hens per hectare under a rotational management system; [16513]

  (8) if he will ensure that sufficient nest boxes are to be provided for laying hens in colony systems to permit access for all hens. [16517]

  Mrs. Browning
  These questions concern the implementation of recommendations in the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on the welfare of laying hens in colony systems.

  As our detailed response to that report made clear, there is no overall benefit to farm animal welfare in introducing unilateral legislation where this would disadvantage our own producers while continuing to allow imports produced in systems with lower welfare standards. We have instead worked with our European partners to develop a new Council of Europe recommendation on the welfare of domestic fowl and will continue to press the European Commission to bring forward its overdue proposals for a directive laying down new or revised Community standards for laying hens.
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  Our input into the forthcoming negotiations will be underpinned by our extensive programme of research into farm animal welfare and informed by the recommendations in the existing report and by the outcome of the Farm Animal Welfare Council's current review of the welfare of laying hens in all types of system.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure that(a) hens in colony systems and (b) broiler chicken flocks are required to be inspected at least twice each day by those in charge of the units. [16763]

  Mrs. Browning
  This question concerns the implementation of recommendations in the Farm Animal Welfare Council's reports on the welfare of laying hens in colony systems and the welfare of broiler chickens.

  As our detailed responses to these reports made clear, we accept that twice daily inspection makes good management practice. This will be reflected in our input into forthcoming negotiations on new Community standards for laying hens and nationally in the new welfare code for broilers which is currently in preparation.

  Sheep
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will ensure that embryotomy is carried out only on dead lambs; [16504]

  (2) if he will ensure that only qualified veterinary surgeons trained in the technique carry out trans-cervical artificial insemination in sheep; [16503]

  (3) if he will prohibit combined castration and tail docking of lambs less than 24 hours old. [16507]

  Mrs. Browning
  The Government response to the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on the welfare of sheep made it clear that we agree with these points. We intend to address them in the revised welfare code on sheep which is currently in preparation.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will ensure that tail docking of lambs over the age of six weeks is carried out only by a veterinary surgeon for therapeutic purposes under anaesthetic; [16506]

  (2) if he will ensure that surgical castration of lambs is performed only when the lambs are under anaesthetic by a veterinary surgeon. [16505]

  Mrs. Browning
  We made it clear in our detailed response to the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on the welfare of sheep that, in the absence of conclusive scientific evidence as to the best way forward, we thought it inappropriate to make changes to current legislation on tail docking and castration. We are funding further research and will review the position in the light of the results.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many holdings on which sheep are kept in England and Wales are registered with MAFF; and how many of those have been allocated with a flockmark in accordance with article 3 of the Sheep and Goats (Identification, Movement and Records) Order 1996. [16687]
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  Mrs. Browning
  A total of 70,742 holdings on which sheep are kept in England and Wales have been registered with MAFF under the terms of article 3 of the Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) Order 1996. They have all been allocated with a flock mark.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many consignments of sheep for slaughter have been exported from the United Kingdom to the Republic of Ireland since 1 January; and in each case which ferry route was declared in the journey plan. [16684]

  Mrs. Browning
  Since 1 January 1997 there have been two consignments of sheep exported from Britain to the Irish Republic for slaughter. The transporter declared that the Cairnryan to Larne ferry crossing would be used.

  Broiler Chickens
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will introduce a maximum stocking density for broiler chickens; [16508]

  (2) if he will require farmers to keep records of stocking densities of broiler chickens; [16509]

  (3) if he will require the internal floor area available to each bird in a broiler chicken house to be clearly and permanently displayed at the entrance to the house. [16515]

  Mrs. Browning
  These questions concern the implementation of recommendations in the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on the welfare of broiler chickens.

  As our detailed response to that report made clear, there is no overall benefit to farm animal welfare in introducing unilateral legislation where this would disadvantage our own producers while continuing to allow imports produced in systems with lower welfare standards. We have instead worked with our European partners to develop the new Council of Europe recommendation on the welfare of domestic fowl. This was adopted in 1995 and will serve in due course as the basis for EU legislation.

  In addition to implementing many of the Farm Animal Welfare Council's recommendations, the new welfare code for broilers, which is currently in preparation, will take the new Council of Europe requirements into account.

  Carcases (Labelling)
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will require that carcases and cuts from animals slaughtered by religious methods be clearly labelled at the point of sale. [16518]

  Mrs. Browning
  Following a comprehensive review of labelling issues in 1990, the Food Advisory Committee recommended that there should be no statutory requirement to provide information about slaughtering methods. The Government accepted this advice and have no plans to reconsider the issue. Such information may be provided voluntarily if it is true and not misleading.

  Animal Slaughter
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to ensure the legal exemption from pre-stunning livestock before slaughter is withdrawn in respect of animals slaughtered for religious purposes. [16519]

  Mrs. Browning
  The Government have no plans to withdraw this exemption which recognises a fundamental matter of religious belief to communities that are an important part of our national life.

  Badgers
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his plans in respect of badger removal programmes. [16685]

  Mrs. Browning
  Professor Krebs and his committee are conducting an independent review of the scientific evidence relating to badgers and tuberculosis in cattle. It would be inappropriate to consider changes to the current policy until Professor Krebs has reported.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the(a) current reported outbreaks of bovine tuberculosis and (b) current and proposed badger removal programmes in Gloucester. [16686]

  Mrs. Browning
  There are currently 37 herds in Gloucestershire under movement restrictions due to bovine TB. There are 13 badger removal operations in progress. A further seven badger removal operations have been approved and investigatory work has commenced on three of these.

  European Commission Inspection Report
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library a copy of the report received by him from the European Commission following a visit from an inspector from the Commission between 4 to 7 November 1996. [16688]

  Mrs. Browning
  A report from the European Commission has not been received.

  Rabies
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 14 February,Official Report, column 321, what plans he has to consult the British Veterinary Association on possible changes to the United Kingdom's rabies control arrangements when his Department's consideration of the matter has been concluded. [16846]

  Mrs. Browning
  Should the review conclude that alternative options to quarantine are available, the views of the British Veterinary Association would be sought.

  Livestock Transport Adviser
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what qualifications were required in the appointment of a livestock transport adviser; when this position was first established; and if he will list the names, qualifications and experience of each holder of the post. [16689]
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  Mrs. Browning
  I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

  Quarantine
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many owners of quarantine kennels have agreed to abide by the voluntary code of practice on welfare standards in quarantine premises; and how many of those premises have been inspected by the state veterinary service to date. [16690]

  Mrs. Browning
  Seventy-one owners of quarantine premises have agreed to abide by the voluntary code of practice. Of these, 59 have been inspected by the State Veterinary Service to date.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the inspections by the state veterinary service of quarantine premises that agree to abide by the voluntary code of practice on welfare standards to be completed. [16692]

  Mrs. Browning
  The majority of inspections by the State Veterinary Service to ensure compliance with the voluntary code of practice have been carried out. But the programme will not be completed as early as originally planned due to the urgency of work connected with the outbreaks of Newcastle disease and the BSE accelerated cull programme. It will be completed as soon as possible.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many quarantine premises have(a) indicated that they will not comply and (b) have not yet responded to the Minister's invitation to comply with the voluntary code of practice on welfare standards. [16693]

  Mrs. Browning
  Four quarantine premises have indicated that they do not wish to comply with the voluntary code of practice at this stage. Two have not yet responded to the invitation.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many ports and airports through which cats and dogs may be imported into the United Kingdom have facilities for holding animals prior to them being taken into quarantine. [16694]

  Mrs. Browning
  Five ports and nine airports.

  Challenge for Agriculture Programme
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in implementing the challenge for agriculture programme in English objective 5b areas. [17476]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Six areas in England are designated for support under objective 5b of the EC structural funds. They are:The South West—Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of Devon and Somerset;
  The Marches—most of Shropshire and parts of Hereford and Worcester;
  The Northern uplands—parts of Lancashire, parts of north and east Yorkshire, Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland;
  Lincolnshire—Most of northern and eastern Lincolnshire, excluding the city of Lincoln and other mainly urban areas;

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  East Anglia—the Fens, rural Norfolk, Lowestoft and rural east Suffolk; and
  Midland uplands—Peak district of Staffordshire and Derbyshire.

  The challenge for agriculture programme is formed of those elements of the objective 5b programmes which are part-financed by the guidance section of the European agriculture guidance and guarantee fund—EAGGF. The programme also attracts national public funding, mainly from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and levers in substantial amounts of private sector funding to support the investments that it encourages.

  Assistance is available for a wide range of farm-related activities that will promote economic development in the objective 5b areas, in particular, farm tourism, agricultural and horticultural development and diversification, protection and enhancement of the environment, generation of energy from alternative sources by the agricultural industry and the promotion and marketing of local and regional products.

  The first EAGGF projects under the challenge for agriculture programme in England were approved in March 1995. In the two years since then, a total of 144 projects have already been approved across the six designated areas with EAGGF grant of £13 million and MAFF grant of £10 million committed to them. As these projects are implemented, they will lead to the eventual total investment of almost £50 million in the objective 5b areas concerned. Projects supported to date vary from small schemes to develop and promote local meat production to multi-million pound projects promoting farm tourism, offering business support to farmers and protecting the environment.

  I am particularly pleased with the interest shown to date in the challenge for agriculture programme across the agricultural sector and expect that many more worthwhile projects will come forward for funding before the end of this programme in 1999. It demonstrates MAFF's commitment to the rural economy, with sound and sustainable economic benefit in the objective 5b areas concerned.

  My ministerial colleagues and I maintain a close interest in the development of objective 5b and the challenge for agriculture programme and have previously visited a number of projects which have been approved and are in receipt of funding. Further such visits are planned for 21 February to projects in the northern uplands, the south-west, the Marches and Lincolnshire objective 5b areas.

  A list of the challenge for agriculture projects approved to date in each of the six English objective 5b areas has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Cattle Cull
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated cost of the disposal per tonne of cattle carcases(a) by incineration, (b) by landfill and (c) by other means. [10342]

  Mr. Baldry
  [pursuant to his reply, 16 January 1997]: The cost of rendering and incinerating meat and bonemeal and tallow derived from cattle carcases is around £215 per tonne.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Minimum Age Requirements
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the minimum age requirements enforced by her Department. [15912]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Department for Education and Employment is not in general responsible for enforcing age requirements. However, age requirements do apply to certain education, training and employment measures, including the following:
  Children must be aged four to be eligible for the nursery voucher scheme.

  The majority of places offered under the assisted places scheme begin at age 11. From September 1996, places are now available for the first time for primary age children as young as five. Assisted sixth form places are also available.

  Current regulations require pupils to remain at school until one of two dates: for pupils whose birthday falls between 1 September to 31 January, it is the end of the spring term—that is, the Easter holidays—following their 16th birthday; for those whose 16th birthday falls between 1 February to 31 August, it is the Friday before the last Monday in May. The only exception to the above is for those children who have not been registered at a school at any time during the year preceding their 16 birthday. For these children, the upper limit of compulsory school age is their 16 birthday.

  For programmes covered by the training and enterprise councils operating agreement, and other associated contractual documentation:
  young people have to have reached the minimum school leaving age (as above) before they can join youth programmes;
  people need to be 18 before they are eligible for training for work;
  pupils are eligible to take part in work experience if they are in the last term of year 10 or year 11;
  children of school age are eligible to use the child care services provided by the out-of school childcare grant.

  To receive income-based jobseeker's allowance, claimants must have reached the age of 18; 16 and 17-year-olds may receive JSA however, if they are in circumstances prescribed in the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 1996—regulations 59, 60 and 61—or if the Secretary of State decides they would suffer severe hardship unless an allowance was paid. In either case, 16 and 17-year-olds must meet the basic requirement conditions for JSA.

  The teachers' superannuation regulations impose minimum age requirements in four areas:

  membership of the scheme—age 18;

  purchase of added years—age 20;

  retirement on age grounds—age 60;

  premature retirement—age 50.

  Environmental Audit (Departmental Buildings)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the ways in which her Department has demonstrated the ability to improve efficiency and competitiveness through an
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  environmental audit of waste management within those buildings her Department occupies; and if she will make a statement. [16429]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Departmental waste management centres on internal monitoring of procedures; waste segregation and recycling—that is, white paper, newspaper, aluminium cans, cardboard, toner cartridges, redundant furniture and hazardous waste.

  Castle View house, Runcorn is the only new building to come onto the Department's headquarters estate in recent years. Following its completion in 1992, a Building Research Establishment environmental assessment method was successfully completed in December 1993. DfEE HQ has set a waste minimisation target of 5 per cent. for the 1997–98 financial year. A cross-site working group has been set up to co-ordinate waste minimisation and encourage the use of the Environment Agency "DIY Environmental Checklist".

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 26 November 1996,Official Report, column 173, when she intends to publish the results of the research carried out by the Employment Service occupational psychology division. [16682]

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

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Alan Howarth, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about when the results of the research carried out by the Employment Service Occupational Psychology Division will be published. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  My predecessor, Mike Fogden, said in his letter of 26 November that Occupational Psychology Division were considering their findings and a report would be published in due course. In considering those findings we identified the need to examine in more detail aspects of the help we offer former Incapacity Benefit claimants. We have now decided that it would be more practical and useful to publish that further work, once completed, alongside the original work as a single package. I anticipate publication in late Spring. As Mr. Fogden promised in his earlier letter I will ensure that a copy is sent to you and that one is placed in the Library.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Jobfinder's Grant
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her latest estimate of the numbers of(a) severe disablement allowance, (b) incapacity benefit and (c) income support claimants who would gain if eligibility for the jobfinder's grant were extended to people in receipt of those benefits at the time of their application. [16673]

  Mr. Forth
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
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  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Alan Howarth, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about possible take-up of the Jobfinder's Grant by claimants in receipt of Severe Disablement Allowance, Incapacity Benefit and Income Support. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  I understand from the Department of Social Security that the current number of claimants in each of the three groups are approximately as follows: Severe Disablement Allowance—331,000; Incapacity Benefit 1,541,000 and Income Support—2,059,000. Some people may be claiming more than one of these benefits.
  We do not know what the take-up of the Jobfinder's Grant amongst these groups would be if it was made available. For jobseekers who have been registered unemployed for two years or more it is about 6%, but we would expect it to be lower for these other groups of claimants, perhaps in the order of 2%, giving a possible take-up of around 80,000.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many students registered in the(a) first, (b) second, (c) third and (d) fourth years of (i) a university and (ii) a college course applied for a student loan between 1990 and 1996; [16522]

  (2) how many students registered in graduate studies applied for a student loan between 1990 and 1996; [16523]

  (3) what was the percentage of defaults on student loan repayments between 1990 and 1996. [16524]

  Mr. Forth
  These are matters for the Student Loans Company. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

  Education Vouchers
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to pilot a voucher scheme for education at(a) primary and (b) secondary levels. [16598]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  None.

  Free School Meals
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list, for each education authority in England,(a) the number and percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals for each year since 1992 and (b) the spending on school meals in the same period. [16770]

  Mrs. Gillan
  As the available information is lengthy, I have arranged for it to be placed in the Library.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what amount of the total budget allocated to training and enterprise councils was subsequently allocated to training providers in the most recent year for which figures are available. [16776]

  Mr. Paice
  Government contracts with TECs for a range of activity as set out in TEC business plans. We do not collect detailed information on TEC payments to training providers.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what monitoring takes place by her Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16760]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Department for Education and Employment operate within the terms of financial memoranda agreed with the Department.

  These require NDPBs to establish an internal audit service whose role is to provide assurance on the control arrangements to the accounting officer of the NDPB. This assurance is provided through the implementation of a risk-based audit plan.

  Each plan identifies a cyclical programme of reviews designed, over time, to subject the full range of running cost expenditure to system audit. This process reviews those systems that control the use of external consultants. The frequency and depth of review would depend on the perceived degree of "risk" of the various arrangements within the particular organisation.

  The Department's own internal audit division ensures that the overall service provided by the internal audit provider to the NDPB is of appropriate quality.

  Additionally, NDPBs are aware of the Cabinet Office report on the Government's use of external consultants and have been given copies of the Department's guidance on best practice in the use of external consultants.

  Employment Service
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will place in the Library a copy of the Ernst and Young study into the Employment Service headquarters structure. [16772]

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

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Stephen Byers, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question on whether a copy of the Ernst and Young study of the Employment Service Headquarters will be placed in the Library of the House. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  You may find it helpful if I give you some background to the work. The Employment Service (ES) commissioned the consultants Ernst and Young to help the ES Board think through issues concerning the future role of our Headquarters (Head Office and Regional Offices) and to develop an overview of the type of Headquarters the Agency would need. We accomplished this through a series of workshops of ES Board members and senior managers, facilitated by the consultants, who provided advice and fact-finding based on their work in organisations elsewhere. Our aim is now to draw on that work to inform more detailed change projects over the next three years.
  Because of the way in which the consultants worked with the ES Board there is no formal consultants' report from the Headquarters Review project, but my predecessor, Mike Fogden, wrote to all staff in Headquarters on 31 October last year summarising the ES Board's main conclusions. I set out the key strands of our thinking and proposals for further work from that communication below.
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  ES's field operations have previously been subject to rigorous examination of need, effectiveness and cost. The Agency has become smaller as unemployment has fallen and it is now appropriate to apply a similar approach to our Headquarters functions.
  Our examination concluded that the ES could be managed better and more cost effectively by eliminating duplication of functions between Head and Regional Offices which lead to reworking and loss of economies of scale; improving our Headquarter business processes; and contracting out some support functions.
  This has led us to develop a blueprint for ES Headquarters of a small directing and enabling Head Office and a regional management tier focusing on the delivery of services to our clients.
  To realise this, we have commissioned more detailed work to reduce HQ activities in areas not directly related to delivery of services to our clients; rebrigade (possibly to single sites) a number of support functions, and actively explore the scope for contracting out a number of support functions.
  I think it worth adding that this is essentially a management issue rather than a policy one and the changes we are proposing will not affect our services to jobseekers and employers through Jobcentres - indeed we aim by focussing our Headquarters more directly on the core business of the ES to improve the services we provide through our Jobcentre network.
  I hope this is helpful in giving more information on what we are seeking to achieve.

  European Social Fund
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what advice has been issued to sector managers about the effect of exchange rate changes between the pound and the ecu on 1996 approvals for European social fund moneys; by how much allocations are to be reduced in total; and if she will make a statement. [16774]

  Mr. Paice
  For the objective 3 programme of the European social fund, it is currently estimated that there will be enough sterling to meet claims for existing projects approved by the Department's European social fund unit in 1996. The monitoring committee responsible for overall management of the objective 3 programme in Great Britain will make the final decision as to what extent further projects should be approved. When it has reached a conclusion on this, the Department will issue appropriate advice to sector managers.

ENVIRONMENT

  Brent Spar
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence between his Department and other bodies regarding the process or content of discussions to dispose of the Brent Spar, as set out in the papers listed as Brent Spar papers 1 to 24, placed in the Library by his Department. [15650]

  Mr. Clappison
  Since my Department has no statutory powers to exercise in this field, it had no correspondence of the kind contained in the Brent Spar papers 1 to 24 placed in the Library by the Department of Trade and Industry, except that, as one of the UK co-ordinating points for the Oslo and Paris commissions, it received a
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  copy of the letter of 17 February 1995 from the secretariat of those commissions, which forms No. 18 of those papers.

  Mr. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment at what stage and on what date his Department was first consulted by the Department of Trade and Industry about Shell's wish to dispose of the Brent Spar at sea; and if he will place in the Library copies of the correspondence between the two Departments on this matter. [15651]

  Mr. Clappison
  Discussions were held between Departments at various levels and in various contexts. My Department was involved from at least February 1994. It is not the normal practice to publish material passing between Government Departments in the course of preparing advice for Ministers.

  Energy Conservation
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the energy conservation authorities which did not submit their first reports to the Secretary of State under the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995(a) by 30 November 1996, (b) by 31 December 1996, (c) by 31 January 1997 and (d) to date. [15883]

  Mr. Clappison
  The energy conservation authorities whose reports were not received by the dates referred to are in the following list:

  (a) not received by 30 November 1996

  Adur Distnct Council

  Allerdale Borough Council

  Alnwick District Council

  Ashford Borough Council

  Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

  Barrow in Furness Borough Council

  Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

  Bath and North East Somerset Council

  Berwick upon Tweed District Council

  Blackpool Borough Council

  Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

  Borough of Blackburn

  Borough of Crewe and Nantwich

  Borough of Macclesfield

  Boston Borough Council

  Bradford Metropolitan Borough Council

  Brent Council

  Bridgnorth District Council

  Brighton Borough Council

  Bristol City Council

  Broadland District Council

  Burnley Borough Council

  Cannock Chase Council

  Canterbury City Council

  Carlisle City Council

  Castle Point Borough Council

  Chester City Council

  Chorley Borough Council

  Christchurch Borough Council

  City of Durham

  City of London

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  City of Newcastle upon Tyne

  City of Plymouth

  City of Salford

  City of Stoke on Trent

  City of Worcester

  Colchester Borough Council

  Congleton Borough Council

  Copeland Borough Council

  Cotswold Borough Council

  Craven District Council

  Crawley Borough Council

  Dartford Borough Council

  Derwentside District Council

  Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council

  Dover District Council

  Eastbourne Borough Council

  Eastleigh Borough Council

  East Dorset District Council

  East Northamptonshire Council

  Eden District Council

  Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council

  Fenland District Council

  Forest of Dean District Council

  Fylde Borough Council

  Gillingham Borough Council

  Gosport Borough Council

  Gravesham Borough Council

  Guildford Borough Council

  Halton Borough Council

  Hambleton District Council

  Harborough District Council

  Harrogate Borough Council

  Hartlepool Borough Council

  Hereford City Council

  Horsham District Council

  Hove Borough Council

  Hyndburn District Council

  Isle of Wight Council

  Islington Council

  Kerrier District Council

  Lancaster City Council

  Lichfield District Council

  London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

  London Borough of Barnet

  London Borough of Bexley

  London Borough of Camden

  London Borough of Croydon

  London Borough of Ealing

  London Borough of Enfield

  London Borough of Hackney

  London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

  London Borough of Haringey

  London Borough of Harrow

  London Borough of Havering

  London Borough of Hillingdon

  London Borough of Hounslow

  London Borough of Lambeth

  London Borough of Merton

  669

  London Borough of Redbridge

  London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

  London Borough of Sutton

  London Borough of Tower Hamlets

  London Borough of Waltham Forest

  London Borough of Wandsworth

  Maidstone Borough Council

  Maldon District Council

  Manchester City Council

  Mendip District Council

  Mid Devon District Council

  Milton Keynes Borough Council

  Mole Valley District Council

  Newbury District Council

  Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council

  New Forest District Council

  Newham Council

  North Cornwall District Council

  North Devon District Council

  North Dorset District Council

  North Tyneside District Council

  North Warwickshire Borough Council

  North Somerset Council

  North Wiltshire District Council

  Pendle Borough Council

  Penworth District Council

  Portsmouth City Council

  Preston Borough Council

  Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council

  Redditch Borough Council

  Restormel Borough Council

  Ribble Valley Borough Council

  Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

  Rossendale Borough Council

  Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

  Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

  Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

  Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

  Rushmoor Borough Council

  Ryedale District Council

  Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

  Sedgefield Borough Council

  Sevenoaks District Council

  Sheffield City Council

  Shepway District Council

  Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council

  Slough Borough Council

  South Gloucestershire Council

  South Herefordshire District Council

  South Lakeland District Council

  South Northamptonshire Council

  South Ribble Borough Council

  South Staffordshire District Council

  South Somerset District Council

  South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

  Southwark Council

  Spelthorne Borough Council

  Stafford Borough Council

  670

  Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

  St. Edmundsbury Borough Council

  Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

  Stockton on Tees Borough Council

  Surrey Heath Borough Council

  Swale Borough Council

  Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

  Tandridge District Council

  Teesdale District Council

  Teignbridge District Council

  Test Valley Borough Council

  Tewkesbury Borough Council

  Thamesdown Borough Council

  Thanet District Council

  Tonbridge and Mailing Borough Council

  Torbay Borough Council

  Torridge District Council

  Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

  Vale Royal Borough Council

  Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

  Wansbeck District Council

  Warrington Borough Council

  Warwick District Council

  Waverley Borough Council

  Wealden District Council

  Wear Valley District Council

  Wellingborough Borough Council

  West Dorset District Council

  West Wiltshire District Council

  West Lancashire District Council

  Westminster City Council

  Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

  Winchester City Council

  Wokingham District Council

  Wolverhampton Council

  Worthing Borough Council

  Wychavon District Council

  Wycombe District Council

  Wyre Borough Council.

  (b) not received by 31 December 1996

  Allerdale Borough Council

  Alnwick District Council

  Berwick upon Tweed District Council

  Broadland District Council

  Castle Point Borough Council

  Colchester Borough Council

  Cotswold District Council

  Dartford Borough Council

  East Dorset District Council

  Fenland District Council

  Fylde Borough Council

  Gillingham Borough Council

  Gosport Borough Council

  Harborough District Council

  Mole Valley District Council

  North Devon District Council

  North Somerset Council

  671

  Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

  Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

  Sevenoaks District Council

  South Ribble Borough Council

  South Staffordshire District Council

  Spelthorne Borough Council

  Teesdale District Council

  Warwick District Council

  Waverley Borough Council

  Wellingborough Borough Council

  West Wiltshire District Council

  Wyre Borough Council

  (c) not received by 31 January 1997

  Allerdale Borough Council

  Alnwick District Council

  Berwick upon Tweed District Council

  Fenland District Council

  Gosport Borough Council

  South Staffordshire District Council

  Wellingborough Borough Council.

  (d) not received to date (13 February 1997)

  Allerdale Borough Council

  Alnwick District Council

  Berwick upon Tweed District Council

  Fenland District Council

  South Staffordshire District Council

  Wellingborough Borough Council.

  Migratory Song Birds
  Mr. Chris Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account his Department takes of measures taken by applicant countries to the EU to deter the killing of migratory song birds in determining its policy towards their application. [15793]

  Mr. Clappison
  Wild birds in the European Union are protected by the provisions of the EC wild birds directive, 79/409/EEC. My Department would expect any new countries who acceded to the EU to abide by the provisions set out in that directive.

  Mr. Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make representations to the Government of Cyprus regarding the killing of migratory song birds by hunters; and if he will make a statement. [15795]

  Mr. Clappison
  Bird protection measures in Cyprus are the responsibility of the Cypriot Government. The British Government are limited in what they can ask of other countries regarding their own legislation.

  Water and Sewerage Companies
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the indicative values of the water, and water and sewerage companies used to calculate rates of return for the period 1989 to 1994. [16233]
  672
  Mr. Clappison
  The indicative values of individual companies formed part of the financial projections which underlay the initial setting of price limits for each company. These financial projections are commercially confidential.

  Tranquil Areas
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will map comprehensively the tranquil areas of England as defined by the Council for the Protection of Rural England; and what steps he is taking the preserve the tranquillity of those areas. [16227]

  Mr. Clappison
  We have no plans to map the tranquil areas of England. Ministers took great interest in the Council for the Protection of Rural England's tranquil area maps project and fully recognise the importance of areas of the countryside where people can go for peace and tranquillity. The Government's White Paper on rural England sets out our framework for maintaining a proper balance between development and protection across the whole of the countryside. The forthcoming revision of planning policy guidance note 7 will emphasise that a central tenet of sustainable development is the integration of development with protection of the environment.

  Pollution (North Sea)
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress made by the United Kingdom in meeting the targets set to reduce pollution in the North sea at the second North sea conference held in London in 1987. [16101]

  Mr. Clappison
  The second North sea conference in 1987 agreed to take measures to reduce urgently and drastically the total quantity of substances that are persistent, toxic and liable to bioaccumulate reaching the aquatic environment of the North sea via rivers and estuaries, with the aim of achieving a substantial reduction—of the order of 50 per cent.—in total inputs from these sources between 1985 and 1995.

  As shown in the progress report to the fourth North sea conference, placed in the Library, the UK has achieved reductions of this order for "red list" substances, with the exception of zinc, where diffuse sources such as corrugated iron, cosmetics and car tyres have proved to be more significant than thought in 1987.

  Student Accommodation
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many students in further and higher education he estimates were accommodated in the private rented sector in(a) 1987, (b) 1992 and (c) the last year for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the growth in student accommodation since 1987. [16166]
  673
  Mr. Clappison
  The number of students in the private rented sector estimated from the labour force survey are:

  Thousands

  Full-time course

  Part-time course

  1987

  260

  80

  1992

  360

  130

  1996

  470

  180

  Notes:

  Students on full-time courses include those on sandwich courses and training in nursing.

  Like all estimates based on sample surveys, these figures are subject to sampling variability.

  There are no reliable figures on student accommodation yet provided by educational institutions.

  Sheffield Development Corporation
  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the work of the Sheffield development corporation since its inception; and which organisation has been designated to continue its work. [16292]

  Mr. Curry
  As my hon. Friend will recall, recognition was given to the work of the Sheffield development corporation during the recent parliamentary debates on the winding up of the corporation—Official Report, Second Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation, 28 January 1997 and Official Report, House of Lords 6 February 1997 columns 1801–04. I fully endorse the views expressed by the Under-Secretary of State. It is clear that there is agreement on all sides that Sheffield development corporation has fulfilled its mission to bring economic regeneration to the lower Don valley and has made a most significant contribution to changing the image of Sheffield.

  No single organisation has been designated to continue regeneration in Sheffield. The city council and British Waterways will bring to a conclusion a number of projects under way at the end of the corporation's lifetime. It is for the city council and other local partners to reach a conclusion on whether they wish to establish a single-purpose organisation to take regeneration forward. We have shown our commitment to partnership working in Sheffield by committing £124 million to projects in the city over the next seven years under the single regeneration budget challenge fund, capital challenge and estates renewal challenge fund.

  Environmental Performance Checklist
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress with the Environment Agency's production of a DIY environmental performance checklist for premises managers on the Government estate. [16455]

  Mr. Clappison
  The checklist has been produced, and copies have been sent to green co-ordinators in Government Departments and to premises managers on the Government estate.

  English House Condition Survey
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish(a) the main
  674
  report of the 1996 English house condition survey and (b) the energy report of the 1996 English house condition survey. [16581]

  Mr. Clappison
  We expect to produce the main report of the 1996 EHCS before the end of this year and the energy report next year.

  Scottish Grand Committee
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the cost to public funds of the attendance of(a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department at meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee in Scotland since December 1994; and if he will list the meetings of the Committee which (a) and (b) have attended indicating the cost of attendance and the names of those who attended. [16576]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  No Ministers or officials from the Department of the Environment have attended a meeting of the Scottish Grand Committee.

  North of England Assembly
  Ms Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the North of England Assembly to discuss regional government. [15287]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  My right hon. Friend has not met the North of England Assembly.

  Social Housing
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people are currently on waiting lists for social housing in(a) London, (b) England and (c) Coventry. [16552]

  Mr. Clappison
  Local authorities in England report the number of households on their housing waiting lists at 1 April each year in their annual housing investment programme returns. The latest available figures relate to the position on 1 April 1996, and are given in the 1996 "HIP 1 All Items Print", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Corresponding data are not collected centrally for housing associations, some of which do not operate waiting lists.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16759]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  This is a matter for the management of the bodies concerned.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for grants to homelessness voluntary organisations under section 180 of the Housing Act 1996. [17264]

  Mr. Clappison
  The successful grant programme established under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985 will be continued under section 180 of the 1996 Act. The grant
  675
  programme has been particularly successful in helping single, homeless people to find and keep accommodation, and it continues to represent good value for money.

  For 1997–98, the Government have made available £7.9 million to assist voluntary sector organisations to meet the running costs of practical projects which help single people in housing need. In addition to continuing to fund all eligible existing projects, we shall be inviting bids from voluntary organisations to set up new projects in 1997–98.

  English Nature
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made on the financial, management and policy review of English Nature. [17265]

  Mr. Clappison
  The financial management and policy review of English Nature has been completed. The intention of the review was to see whether English Nature's system of internal control over both administrative and programme expenditure were reliable and effective. Today, the report was presented to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and to the chairman of English Nature, and I have arranged for copies of the report to be placed in the Library of the House.

  The review by my Department has made more than 50 recommendations. As a result of the review, there will be a major change in the relationship between the Department and English Nature, which will include the introduction of single running cost control, a revised financial memorandum, and a management statement.

  Single running cost control is an annual cash limit for a non-departmental public body running costs which replaces more detailed item scrutiny. It enables a non-departmental public body to manage its own administration expenditure within that limit, subject to such overall constraints as Government policy on pay. The establishment of single running costs control emphasises that primary responsibility for both financial control and value for money rests with the non-departmental public body's own management.

  For a non-departmental public body to be able to follow such an approach requires the support, encouragement and co-operation of its sponsoring Department. English Nature and the Department will work together to achieve this aim.

  I consider all the recommendations important. Together, they constitute a package which will enable English Nature to continue to ensure that it is operating in an efficient and effective manner.

  Water Conservation and Supply
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his response to the first report of the Environment Committee on water conservation and supply (HC 42, 1996–97) published on 20 November 1996. [17475]

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government have today published their response to the conclusions and recommendations of the Environment Committee's first report on water conservation and supply. We welcome the report, which 676
  broadly mirrors the views expressed in our own paper "Water Resources and Supply: Agenda for Action" which we published last October. In that, we set out a framework of policy and strategy to ensure that the water we need in the longer term is provided effectively, efficiently, and in an environmentally sustainable way.

  The Government agree with the Committee that leakage reduction must be a top priority for the water companies in relation to water conservation, and notes a recent report from the Director General of Water Services that water companies' revised targets—which he may enforce—aim to reduce losses from their pipes in aggregate to around 15 per cent. of distribution input by the turn of the century. Moreover, the Government consider that it is sensible for water companies to offer their customers free or significantly discounted leakage detection and repair services for supply pipes, particularly where the supply system is stressed.

  In 1996, the Government placed water companies under the statutory duty to promote the efficient use of water by their customers. The Director General of Water Services has reviewed companies' draft plans for doing this and is seeking improvements in some cases. As the Government pointed out in "Water Resources and Supply: Agenda for Action," and as the Committee states in its report, it is important for all organisations which are in a position to influence water usage by their employees or by the greater public to set an example, and for water consumers to be responsive.

  In promoting water conservation, the Government will be bringing forward in 1998 new regulations to replace the existing water byelaws as a means of preventing wasteful use and undue consumption of water. Through their environmental technology best practice programme, the Government have already provided advice to industry and commerce on reducing water use and will be continuing their initiatives in this field. The Government provide advice to the agricultural sector on storage and efficient use of water, supported by research and development.

  The Government share the Committee's concern about the impact of climate change on water resources and demand for water. The work of the Government's climate change impacts review group has focused attention on this issue, and has been made possible in large measure by continuing Government-funded research into climate prediction. The Government are encouraging water companies and the Environment Agency in taking full account of the implications of climate change scenarios for their duties. The Government note the private sector ability of the water companies, under the economic regulation of the Director General of Water Services, to put in place measures to strengthen supplies by making rapid improvements to the existing water supply system, and the investment of more than £400 million for that purpose since 1995.

  Our response emphasises the role of water companies, their regulators, the wider water industry and water consumers in contributing to the sustainable management of water resources through water conservation. With the continuing dry weather over much of England and Wales, these issues must remain at the forefront of our attentions. The Government have been monitoring the water resources position since the onset of this dry period in the

  677
  spring of 1995. We have commissioned the Environment Agency to produce in March a report on the prospects for water supplies, based on the position at the end of February as the likely winter recharge period draws to a close, and on the actions water companies have in hand to fulfil their duty to maintain supplies.

  Urban Development Corporations
  Mr. Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to change the 1996–97 external finance limits for the urban development corporations. [17478]

  Mr. Gummer
  Grant in aid to Teesside development corporation is being increased by £2,000,000 to allow it to bring forward regeneration projects. This will be funded by a transfer from city challenge. There will be an associated increase in the external financing limits for urban development corporations by £2,000,000 from £207,817,000 to 209,817,000.

PRIME MINISTER

  Millennium Club
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Prime Minister how many times over the last three years, he has addressed the Millennium Club in his official capacity; and if he will list the names of those present and the companies they represented on each occasion; and if he will make a statement. [15696]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 13 February 1997]: None.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Prime Minister what reports he has received on the offer made to prospective members of the Millennium Club by Mr. Alan Lewis, concerning access to Ministers of Her Majesty's Government and influence over Government policy; and if he will make a statement. [15661]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 13 February 1997]: None.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 20 February. [15459]

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 20 February. [15460]

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

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Prime Minister what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16752]
  678
  The Prime Minister
  For this purpose, my Department is part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the replies given to him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 13 January,Official Report, columns 13–14.

SCOTLAND

  Scottish Homes
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many housing associations registered in Scotland are registered with Scottish Homes; and how many of these have elected members of local authorities on the management boards or committees; [16595]

  (2) when Scottish Homes expects the Irvine housing association to have drawn up and implemented new membership rules for the association; [16596]

  (3) under what rules housing associations are obliged by Scottish Homes to operate in relation to their housing allocation systems; and if Scottish Homes has approved the current housing allocation system operated by the Irvine housing association; [16597]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The information requested relates to operational matters which are the responsibility of Scottish Homes. I have asked the chairman, Mr. John Ward, to write to the hon. Member with the relevant information.

  Housing
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what remedy in law is available to Scottish local authorities seeking to improve the condition of a residential property under the ownership of an individual who is allowing it to fall into a state of disrepair; and what responsibilities and duties the different legislative provisions place on the local authority in relation to the property which is the subject of any action. [16599]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The Building (Scotland) Act 1959, the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 give local authorities power in specified circumstances to serve notices on persons having control of houses which are in disrepair or likely soon to be so. The powers under the 1959 Act apply to houses or other buildings which are considered dangerous, those under the 1982 Act are commonly used to require repairs to the exterior of buildings in common ownership, and those under the 1987 Act apply to houses which are considered to be in a state of serious disrepair or are likely to deteriorate rapidly or to cause material damage to another house. In each of these cases, the notice will require the owner to take remedial action within a specified time; if it is not complied with the authority may carry out the works and recover the cost. Similar powers may be available also under local legislation.

  Mixed-sex Wards
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to eliminate mixed-sex wards in Scottish national health service hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [16676]
  679
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There are no such proposals at present. However, during 1995, we instructed all trusts and health boards to review current practice in relation to mixed-sex accommodation and to draw up action plans to ensure that patients' concerns are addressed.

  In addition, we introduced a new charter commitment from September 1996, so that all patients in Scotland receive prior notification of the type of accommodation in which they will be treated and can defer admission until single-sex accommodation is available if they so wish.

  Subsequent checks have confirmed that the issue is being addressed effectively and sensitively by the Scottish health service so that patients' rights and dignity are respected. We continue to monitor closely progress on this issue.

  Care and Repair Projects
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what public resources have been made available for care and repair projects in(a) 1994–95, (b) 1995–96 and (c) 1996–97; [16677]

  (2) how many houses have been improved in (a) 1994–95, (b) 1995–96 and (c) 1996–97 with assistance from care and repair projects. [16678]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Comprehensive information is not held centrally. The available information, relating to projects jointly funded by Scottish Homes and local authorities, is set out in the table.

  Revenue funding (estimate)1 (£ million)

  LA capital grant contribution2 (£ million)

  Number of homes covered

  1994–95 (outturn)

  0.8

  3.1

  616

  1995–96 (outturn)

  1.0

  3.7

  794

  1996–97 (planned)

  1.2

  3.2

  750

  Source:

  Scottish Homes.

  Notes:

  1 Total revenue funding for salaries and other running costs of projects estimated by grossing up from Scottish Homes contribution, which is normally matched equally by local authorities.

  2 Contributions are in the form of improvement and repair grants for works costs. Other costs are met from care and repair client's own resources, and charitable and other funding. Scottish Homes does not contribute to these costs.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16751]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Non-departmental public bodies are established to operate at arm's length from Government, often under specific statutory powers. An NDPB's governing body is responsible for the management and control of the body's functions.

  Ministers and their Departments are responsible for monitoring the performance of the NDPBs which they sponsor, and for ensuring that they operate within the
  680
  framework of controls set out in the Treasury and Cabinet Office guidance "Non-Departmental Public Bodies: A Guide for Departments."

  A Scottish Office booklet, "The Hiring and Managing of External Consultants", which draws on the recommendations of an efficiency scrutiny "The Government's Use of External Consultants"—published in November 1995—gives guidance on best practice in the procurement and management of external consultants. This booklet is available to all Scottish Office NDPBs.

  Mr. Alan Lewis
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the occasions on which Scottish Office Ministers have met Mr. Alan Lewis in an official capacity since 1987; and what subjects were discussed on each occasion. [15664]

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 13 February 1997]: The Department's records indicate that my right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade, the then Minister of State at the Scottish Office, met Mr. Lewis in an official capacity on 7 July 1988 to discuss industry matters.

  Messrs Kynoch Of Keith
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the cost of the public support provided to Messrs Kynoch of Keith; and how many jobs have been created or protected in Scotland as a result of that support. [15667]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 13 February 1997]: The public financial support which the Kynoch Group plc, formerly G. and G. Kynoch, has received has been through the investment by the former Scottish development agency which has passed to Scottish Enterprise as its successor body. Scottish Enterprise's investment in Kynoch Group plc is an operational matter within the delegated authority of Scottish Enterprise and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Illingworth Morris and Crombie Mills
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what discussions his Department held with(a) Crombie Mills of Aberdeen and (b) Illingworth Morris between 1988 and 1993; [15812]

  (2) what discussions (a) he and (b) his Department held with Mr. Alan Lewis about (i) Illingworth Morris and (ii) Crombie Mills of Aberdeen in the period 1988 to 1993. [15811]

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 17 February 1997]: The Department's records indicate that my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, then Minister of State for Industry at the Scottish Office, met Mr. Lewis on 7 July 1988 to discuss industry matters. Subsequently on 5 September 1989 he visited J. and J. Crombie, Grandholm Mills, Aberdeen.
  681
  The Department's records also indicate a discussion between an official of the Department and a representative of J. and J. Crombie on or around 3 June 1991, to establish information about the closure of Grandholm Mills, which had just been announced.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial assistance was provided from public funds to(a) Crombie Mills of Aberdeen and (b) Illingworth Morris between 1988 and 1993. [15813]

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 17 February 1997]: None.

  Council House Waiting Lists
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were on council house waiting lists in Scotland in(a) each Scottish local authority and (b) Scotland as a whole in each year from 1990 to 1996; and if he will make a statement. [15893]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 17 February 1997]: Reliable information is not held centrally.

  Road Construction
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many miles of(a) motorway and (b) trunk roads have been constructed in Scotland for each year since 1992; and what percentage in each year was in rural areas. [16272]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information set out as follows is the motorway and trunk road milage constructed on major schemes completed in Scotland in each year since 1992. This information is not held centrally for minor schemes.

  Miles

  Year

  Motorway (length)

  Trunk road (length)

  1992

  12.5

  9.5

  1993

  6.3

  16.4

  1994

  16.5

  5.5

  1995

  16.1

  2.5

  1996

  9.2

  4.5

  At least 80 per cent. of this total mileage over the five-year period was constructed in rural areas.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many miles of(a) motorway and (b) trunk roads he proposes to construct in (i) 1997 and (ii) 1998. [16273]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It is not possible to give a precise figure of mileage to be constructed in any future year. In 1997, a total of 20.7 miles of motorway and 12 miles of trunk road major schemes will be under construction or will commence construction. In 1998, a further 13.7 miles of motorway and 3.9 miles of trunk road is programmed for construction.
  682
  Mrs. Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the total expenditure on(a) motorway and (b) trunk road construction in Scotland since 1992. [16295]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Major scheme expenditure on motorways and trunk roads in Scotland since 1992 is set out in the following table. As it is not practical to attempt to extract and allocate the expenditure on minor schemes over this period to either motorway or trunk road, this has been listed separately.

  £ million

  Year

  Motorway

  Trunk Road

  Minor Schemes

  1992–93

  90

  25.1

  17.1

  1993–94

  56.5

  45.1

  9.9

  1994–95

  151

  8.4

  17.2

  1995–96

  86

  12.8

  12.9

  1996–971

  53

  26

  13.0

  1 Forecast outturn 1996–97.

  Departmental Salaries
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff in his Department and each of its executive agencies earn a gross annual salary of £43,000 or more. [16297]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The number of staff in the Scottish Office and its executive agencies earning a gross annual salary of £43,000 or more at 1 January 1997 is shown in the following table.

  All staff in the Scottish Office and its executive agencies earning a gross annual salary of £43,000 or more at 1 January 1997

  Department

  Total

  Scottish Office (core)

  220

  Executive agencies

  10

  Scottish Office (excluding SPS)

  230

  Scottish Prison Service

  11

  Pupils
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage and how many(a) primary school pupils and (b) secondary school pupils were in classes of over 30 in the latest census (i) in each local authority and (ii) in total; and what was the (1) actual and (2) percentage change in numbers against the previous year's census. [16296]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Statistics on class size in primary schools are collected biennially. The available information is given in the table. Schools have been allocated to their current education authority. Information on individual class sizes in secondary schools is not collected centrally.
  683

  Publicly funded primary schools1 Primary pupils in classes of 31 or more, at September in each year2

  1993 Number of pupils in classes of 31 or more

  1995 Number of pupils in classes of 31 or more

  Change 1993–1995 Change in number of pupils in classes of 31 or more

  Education authority

  Number

  As percentage of all pupils

  Number

  As percentage of all pupils

  Number

  Percentage change3

  Scotland

  75,286

  17

  79,266

  18

  3,980

  5

  Aberdeen City

  2,744

  17

  3,118

  20

  374

  14

  Aberdeenshire

  3,080

  15

  3,134

  15

  54

  2

  Angus

  2,627

  28

  2,013

  21

  -614

  -23

  Argyll and Bute

  928

  12

  1,191

  15

  263

  28

  Clackmannanshire

  731

  17

  1,021

  23

  290

  40

  Dumfries and Galloway

  2,052

  16

  2,016

  16

  -36

  -2

  Dundee City

  3,368

  26

  3,324

  27

  -44

  -1

  East Ayrshire

  2.023

  18

  2,455

  22

  432

  21

  East Dunbartonshire

  1,983

  20

  2,497

  24

  514

  26

  East Lothian

  1,015

  14

  834

  11

  -181

  -18

  East Renfrewshire

  3,003

  37

  2,729

  33

  -274

  -9

  Edinburgh, City of

  7,696

  26

  8,599

  28

  903

  12

  Falkirk

  2,330

  19

  2,697

  22

  367

  16

  Fife

  5,387

  17

  4,704

  15

  -683

  -13

  Glasgow, City of

  7,702

  15

  8,407

  16

  705

  9

  Highland

  1,996

  10

  1,795

  9

  -201

  -10

  Inverclyde

  1,122

  14

  1,244

  16

  122

  11

  Midlothian

  1,181

  16

  1,381

  19

  200

  17

  Moray

  732

  9

  886

  11

  154

  21

  North Ayrshire

  2,138

  17

  2,139

  17

  1

  0

  North Lanarkshire

  4,556

  15

  4,103

  14

  -453

  -10

  Orkney Islands

  64

  4

  33

  2

  -31

  -48

  Perth and Kinross

  1,541

  15

  1,605

  15

  64

  4

  Renfrewshire

  3,829

  25

  4,084

  26

  255

  7

  Scottish Borders

  544

  6

  857

  10

  313

  58

  Shetland Islands

  0

  0

  31

  1

  31

  —

  South Ayrshire

  2,317

  24

  2,752

  29

  435

  19

  South Lanarkshire

  4,327

  16

  4,491

  17

  164

  4

  Stirling

  911

  14

  894

  13

  -17

  -2

  West Dunbartonshire

  1,176

  13

  1,248

  14

  72

  6

  West Lothian

  1,993

  14

  2,859

  20

  866

  43

  Western Isles

  190

  7

  125

  5

  -65

  -34

  1 Includes education authority, grant aided and self governing schools.

  2 Includes pupils in classes covering more than one stage.

  3 Percentage change based on small numbers should be treated with caution, as a small actual change could result in a large percentage change.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  United Nations Industrial Development Organisation
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to expand opportunities within the aid programme for British consultants in(a) fisheries and (b) other matters, following United Kingdom withdrawal from UNIDO. [16356]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  Wide-ranging opportunities for British consultants are already available under the British development programme. The ODA is actively developing a new strategy for strengthening its links with the private sector in a broad range of sectors.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the decision to withdraw from UNIDO on(a) developing countries and (b) employment of British consultants by UNIDO. [16532]

  Dr. Fox
  The impact of UK withdrawal from UNIDO will have little effect on developing countries. The Government believe that greater impact for developing 684
  countries can be achieved by the use of other channels for our resources. There is no restriction in UNIDO's statute on consultancies being awarded to non-member states.

  St. Helena
  Mr. Booth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if an aid settlement has yet been agreed for St. Helena. [16536]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  I am pleased to advise that my right hon. and noble Friend, the Minister for Overseas Development has this month approved a £26 million development commitment to St. Helena covering the next three years. This significant allocation, which represents an increase over previous plans, is linked to an agreement between the St. Helena Government and Her Majesty's Government on a three-year country policy plan. This provides a detailed framework for the reform and development of the island's economy. It illustrates the Government's continuing commitment to ensuring economic development and proper governance of the UK dependent territories as a whole.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Comparative Statistics
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy when asked by hon. Members to provide comparative statistics between Northern Ireland and other parts of the United Kingdom, or the United Kingdom as a whole, to obtain the necessary figures from other Departments and to publish them. [15819]

  Sir Patrick Mayhew
  No. It would not be appropriate to provide statistical information on subjects for which I am not responsible.

  Car Parking Spaces
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many car parking spaces are provided(a) on the Stormont estate and (b) at Rosepark House (i) free of charge and (ii) for which charges are made; how many were provided five years ago; and if he will make a statement. [15817]

  Mr. Moss
  There are some 2,461 parking spaces in the Stormont estate, including 240 at Netherleigh, and 235 at Rosepark house. The corresponding figures five years ago were 2,405, including 240 at Netherleigh, and 230. Charges are not made for the use of these spaces.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16753]

  Sir John Wheeler
  The central Northern Ireland civil service guidance on employment of consultants is derived from the efficiency unit's 1994 report on "The

  Unintentionally homeless1

  col. a

  col. b

  col. c

  col. d

  col. e

  col. f

  col. g

  Year

  Presented as homeless

  Intentionally homeless

  Number

  Percentage (d/b)

  In priority need

  Percentage (£/b)

  1996–972

  8,168

  606

  7,562

  92

  3,430

  42

  1995–96

  10.768

  847

  9,921

  92

  4,319

  40.1

  1994–95

  10,068

  848

  9,220

  91.6

  4,014

  39.9

  1993–94

  9,731

  804

  8,927

  91.7

  3,971

  40.8

  1992–93

  10,099

  1,054

  9,045

  89.6

  4,061

  40.2

  1991–92

  10,081

  1,235

  8,846

  87.7

  4,158

  41.2

  1 Includes those in priority need.

  2 To 31 December 1996.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Minimum Age Requirements
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the minimum age requirements enforced by his Department. [15917]

  Mr. Streeter
  The statutory minimum age requirements enforced by the Lord Chancellor's Departments and the agencies for which the Lord Chancellor has ministerial responsibility are as follows.

  Individuals under the age of 18 cannot act on their own behalf as plaintiffs. Proceedings are issued through a next friend or guardian ad litem. This applies in all cases unless
  686
  Government's Use of External Consultants". Each Northern Ireland Department has, as required, drawn that guidance to the attention of its non-departmental public bodies. It is then for the Department concerned to settle the appropriate monitoring arrangements for NDPB's conduct in this area, taking account of the particular circumstances in which each NDPB operates.

  Housing
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the percentage change in the number of households assessed as being in priority need by the Housing Executive between 1986 and 1996. [16879]

  Mr. Moss
  This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive whose chief executive has advised me that the category "priority need" was established in 1989 and that the information from that date is as follows:

  Year

  Number in priority need

  1989–90

  3,604

  1995–96

  5,166

  Change

  43 per cent.

  The total number of presenters increased by 61 per cent. from 6,675 in 1989–90 to 10,768 in 1995–96.

  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many households have presented themselves as homeless to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in each of the last five years and the current year to date; and what percentage of those have been assessed as being(a) unintentionally homeless and (b) in priority need. [16880]

  Mr. Moss
  This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the chief executive has advised me that the information is as follows:

  the claim is being made for the recovery of wages—County Courts Act 1984, section 47. In those circumstances, minors can act for themselves.

  An individual under the age of 18 cannot act on his or her own behalf as a defendant in civil proceedings. This applies in all cases save where the claim is for a liquidated amount and permission has been granted by the court allowing the minor to act for him or herself.

  Jurors qualify for jury service if they are at least 18 years old on the day jury service is to start.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many asylum seekers have appealed against refusals of asylum received since July 1996 for each month since July 1996. [15806]

  Mr. Streeter
  The question concerns a matter which has been assigned to the Court Service under the terms of its framework document. I have therefore asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Doug Henderson, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of appeals received for each month since July 1996 from asylum seekers who have been refused asylum.
  The number of appeals received per month by the Immigration Appellate Authority since July are as follows:

  1996

  July: 2,242

  August: 1,656

  September: 1,822

  October: 2,909

  November: 2,165

  December: 1,552

  1997

  January: 2,375

  Private Employment Agencies
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the private employment agencies used by his Department and its agencies in each of the last three years for which figures are available, indicating(a) the names of the agencies, (b) the numbers employed by the agencies in work for his Department, (c) the total cost to his Department of using employment agencies and the median cost paid to the agency per person recruited and (d) the average length of contract for persons recruited via such agencies. [16185]

  Mr. Streeter
  This reply is given on behalf of the Court Service, the Land Registry, the Northern Ireland Court Service, the Public Record Office, the Lord Chancellor's Department headquarters and its associated offices, and the Public Trust Office. No comprehensive records are held centrally and it has not therefore been possible in the time available to supply all the information sought or to verify some of the details provided.

  Total expenditure in the Court Service during 1994–95, 1995–96 and 1996–97 to date was £927,575, £2,103,273 and £1,870,237 respectively. No information is held centrally about the names of the agencies used, the number of staff employed or the length of contracts. It has not therefore been possible to determine the median cost per person recruited.

  The Public Record Office has used five agencies; Blue Arrow, Brook Street, Reed, Kelly Services and Hays Accountancy. Total expenditure in 1994–95, 1995–96 and 1996–97 to date was £149,968.57, £223,260.31 and £202,034.45 respectively. No information is available about the number of staff employed or the length of the contracts. It has not therefore been possible to determine the median cost per person recruited.
  688
  Cost information for the Public Trust Office and LCD headquarters was not kept separately during 1994–95 but total expenditure in this year was £439,462. This related to the employment of 134 agency staff in LCD headquarters and its associated offices, and 38 agency staff in the Public Trust Office.

  The Public Trust Office has used six employment agencies in the last three years; Ecco Employment Agency Hays Accountancy Personnel, Eclipse, Myriad, Key Entry and Recruit Plc. In 1995–96, 125 staff were employed; and in 1996–97 to date, 127 staff have been employed, at a cost of £24,208 and £514,717 respectively.

  In LCD headquarters and its associated offices, 108 agency staff were employed during 1995–96, and 113 in 1996–97 to date, at a cost of £834,534 and £565,490 respectively. A total of 12 agencies have been used; Alfred Marks, City Centre Bureau, PS Personnel, Eclipse, Workflow, Kelly Services, Excel, Dagmar Tara, Premier Ltd and Adecco UK Ltd. As neither organisation holds detailed records, it has not been possible to determine the median cost per person recruited.

  The Northern Ireland Court Service has used two employment agencies during the period in question; Grafton Recruitment and Kennedy Recruitment. A total of eight, seven and six staff were employed in the last three years, at a cost of £73,946,78, £36,213.77 and £36,610.88 respectively. Based on 1966 figures, the median cost in respect of Grafton Recruitment was approximately £60 per day, £4.50 per hour in respect of Kennedy Recruitment but the average length of contract is not known, as each case varied according to staffing needs.

  The Land Registry has not used private employment agencies in the last three years.

  Whitemoor Prison (Escape)
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will place a copy of the transcript of the second Whitemoor escape trial in the Library. [16543]

  Mr. Streeter
  The question concerns a matter which has been assigned to the Court Service under the terms of its framework document. I have therefore asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question as to whether a copy of the transcript of the second Whitemoor escape trial will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
  The trial judge gave two rulings: one on discharging the jury, and a second on the contempt of court proceedings. A transcript has been made of these rulings and I will ensure that a copy is placed in the Library.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16755]
  689
  Mr. Streeter
  Five non-departmental public bodies have the budgetary power to appoint external consultants. They are all required to report to the Department at regular intervals showing expenditure on external consultants/professional fees. Guidance on best practice on the procurement and management of external consultants is contained in the efficiency unit scrutiny report, "The Government's Use of External Consultants", which is available to all NDPBs.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Equipment and Furniture
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will list the cost and number of items of equipment and furniture that(a) have been stolen and (b) are otherwise unaccounted for from the House during the past 12 months, listing by name any such items valued at £5,000 or more, and showing information technology material separately. [17058]

  Sir Raymond Powell
  Some 12 items valued in total at approximately £10,000 have been reported stolen or otherwise unaccounted for in the House of Commons during the past 12 months. Of these, two were IT equipment. No item was valued at £5,000 or more.

WALES

  BSE
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the number of BSE cases in Wales to date; and if he will make a statement. [15833]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  The latest number of confirmed BSE cases in Wales is as follows:

  Year

  Cases

  Pre 21 June 1988

  54

  21 June 1988 to 31 December 1988

  131

  1989

  507

  1990

  1,083

  1991

  2,234

  1992

  3,716

  1993

  3,627

  1994

  2,296

  1995

  1,322

  1996

  600

  1997

  7

  EU Funding
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the income, from grants, subsidies and other payments received by or on behalf of Wales from the European Union in each of his last three years. [15993]

  Mr. Hague
  [holding answer 14 February 1977]: Over the last three calendar years, project sponsors in Wales have received structural fund payments of over £123 million. However, since there is no obligation on direct applicants to European schemes to notify my Department, and since many EU schemes of assistance involve a direct
  690
  approach to the Commission or use of an intermediary, the total income into Wales from all European funded sources will be somewhat greater.

  Private Employment Agencies
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the private employment agencies used by his Department and its agencies in each of the last three years for which figures are available, indicating(a) the names of the agencies, (b) the numbers employed by the agencies in work for his Department, (c) the total cost to his Department of using employment agencies and the median cost paid to the agency per person recruited and (d) the average length of contract for persons recruited via such agencies. [16181]

  Mr. Hague
  Information is not kept in the form requested. The available information is as follows:

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97 (to date)

  £

  £

  £

  Kelly Services (UK) Ltd.

  11,406

  65,090

  67,163

  Kinetic Ltd.

  1,737

  3,521

  4,934

  Pertemps Recruitment Partnership

  892

  18,338

  1,203

  Adia (UK) Ltd.

  —

  15,817

  —

  Brook Street Bureau

  —

  —

  579

  Atebion Training

  —

  —

  551

  Employment Agency

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  14,035

  102,766

  74,430

  Environmental Audit (Departmental Buildings)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the ways in which his Department has demonstrated the ability to improve efficiency and competitiveness through an environmental audit of waste management within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16424]

  Mr. Hague
  My Department has examined its waste management activity and, as a result, various initiatives are in place which are improving overall efficiency and reducing environmental effects.

  In particular, the Welsh Office has a range of targets aimed at reducing the amount of waste it sends to landfill. Substantial quantities of waste paper, aluminium cans, toner cartridges, plastics, old wooden pallets and polythene packaging are being directed away from landfill.

  In addition to the environmental benefits, these initiatives are bringing significant financial gains through the generation of revenue and reduction in waste disposal costs.

  My Department is committed to doing more where possible in future. Welsh Office staff are regularly encouraged toward further improved performance including the minimisation of waste at source.

  Hazardous Materials (Departmental of Buildings)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment his Department has made of the presence of(a) hazardous materials and

  691
  (b) ozone-depleting substances within those buildings which his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16284]

  Mr. Hague
  My Department's property management regime provides for professional consultants to carry out regular inspections and assessments of Welsh Office buildings aimed at identifying all significant hazardous materials. Welsh Office property records highlight factors relating to our buildings which present a potential health and environmental hazard. From the information compiled, annual maintenance programmes are devised and implemented to ensure full compliance with statutory and health and safety obligations.

  Specifically, asbestos registers are maintained for all Welsh Office property. Other significant health and environmental hazards covered by Welsh Office risk management arrangements include: legionella, water chlorination, radon and ozone-depleting substances.

  Welsh Office policy on ozone-depleting substances is to reduce and ultimately eliminate their use in its buildings. My Department has replaced all halon fire extinguishers with ozone-friendly alternatives. It has also established an inventory of the remaining equipment which contain ozone-depleting chemicals. These substances are used mainly by the Welsh Office in the operation of the main refrigeration plant. All such systems are subject to stringent maintenance regimes intended to readily detect any abnormalities.

  NHS Trusts (Pay Rises)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what data he has collected from national health service trusts in Wales on the pay rises which have been awarded to chief executives of trusts during this wage round(a) in percentage terms and (b) in money terms. [16768]

  Mr. Hague
  None. Details will be included in annual reports, which will be placed in the Library. The amount of remuneration is a matter for each trust to determine. I will ask the chairman of the relevant trust to write to the hon. Member if he will provide details of individual cases of concern.

  Nurses
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what data he has collated on the numbers employed in the NHS in Wales as agency nurses, and bank nurses on a whole-time equivalent basis. [16771]

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Agency

  Number of staff

  Cost £

  Number of staff

  Cost £

  Number of staff

  Cost£

  Median

  Average length of contract

  Manpower

  nil

  nil

  9

  21,516

  5

  14,478

  not available

  8 weeks

  Queensway

  nil

  nil

  1

  2,819

  1

  5,951

  not available

  n/a (call off contracts)

  Reed

  14

  65,400

  14

  107,928

  77

  119,830

  9,924

  15 weeks

  Tepl Ltd.

  8

  36,886

  14

  90,482

  12

  135,969

  13,860

  13 months

  Blue Arrow

  nil

  nil

  2

  2,600

  nil

  nil

  Not available

  15 months

  Purcon

  nil

  nil

  1

  20,907

  2

  42,071

  14,762

  8 months

  692
  Mr. Hague
  Information on agency and bank nurses is not collected centrally. However, informal inquiries in 1995 suggested that the contribution made by such staff was around 500 whole-time equivalents.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16748]

  Mr. Hague
  The use of external consultants by those non-departmental public bodies sponsored by my Department is subject to the same controls as apply to all their activities which are funded by public expenditure. These include operating within the parameters of management statements and financial memoranda agreed with the Treasury and the Department, audit scrutiny and a structured programme of corporate planning.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many student nurses have been accepted on courses under Project 2000 in each year since its commencement; how many student nurses have dropped out during their courses; and how many Project 2000 qualified nurses have not taken up employment as nurses in the national health service in Wales. [16769]

  Mr. Hague
  The information is as follows. Information on numbers who have not taken up employment in the national health service in Wales is not collected centrally.

  P2000 nurse students

  Wales

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Starters

  100

  927

  786

  656

  725

  788

  Leavers during course

  12

  216

  174

  114

  79

  52

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Private Employment Agencies
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the private employment agencies used by his Department and its agencies in each of the last three years for which figures are available, indicating(a) the names of the agencies, (b) the numbers employed by the agencies in work for his Department, (c) the total cost to his Department of using employment agencies and the median cost paid to the agency per person recruited and (d) the average length of contract for persons recruited via such agencies. [16190]

  Mr. Hanley
  The tables provide the information:
  693

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Agency

  Number of staff

  Cost £

  Number of staff

  Cost £

  Number of staff

  Cost£

  Median

  Average length of contract

  clayman

  1

  16,500

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  16,400

  1 year

  Chorley

  nil

  nil

  1

  16,500

  nil

  nil

  16,400

  1 month

  Hodgkinson

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  1

  8,191

  16,382

  5 months

  Total

  23

  118,786

  42

  262,652

  98

  326,490

  Overseas Development Administration—figures

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Agency

  Number of staff

  Cost £s

  Number of staff

  Cost £s

  Number of staff

  Cost £s

  Median

  Average length contract

  Josephine

  Sammons

  Nil

  Nil

  9

  23,921

  63

  155,168

  Not available

  5 weeks

  Alfred Marks

  30

  62,666

  10

  73,296

  8

  27,445

  Not available

  5 weeks

  Office Angels

  10

  36,045

  6

  38,671

  5

  44,691

  Not available

  7 weeks

  PAX

  12

  85,039

  11

  93,321

  9

  56,769

  Not available

  5 weeks

  ECCO

  3

  10,741

  2

  10,330

  2

  14,103

  Not available

  12 weeks

  City Centre Bureau

  1

  21,757

  1

  18,155

  1

  8,645

  Not available

  8 weeks

  Rogers and Gillespie

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  Nil

  1

  12,356

  Not available

  3 weeks

  Total

  56

  216,248

  39

  257,694

  89

  319,177

  Former Yugoslavia
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the French Foreign Minister about the outcome of the latter's meeting with the leaders of the opposition in Yugoslavia; what plans he has for a similar meeting; and if he will make a statement. [16582]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  The French Foreign Ministry has briefed us on the outcome of the Serbian opposition leaders' recent visit to Paris. My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary hopes to be able to see the three leaders in London on 26 February.

  Scottish Grand Committee
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the cost to public funds of the attendance of(a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department at meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee in Scotland since December 1994; and if he will list the meetings of the Committee which (a) and (b) have attended indicating the cost of attendance and the names of those who attended. [16570]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  Ministers attend Scottish Grand Committee meetings as part of their normal parliamentary duties and officials do so as part of their normal departmental duties. Expenditure falling to the Department has been limited to travelling costs. My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary attended the Scottish Grand Committee meeting on Friday 5 July 1996 in Dumfries and Monday 13 January 1997 in Edinburgh and had officials in attendance as necessary.

  Turkey
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make 694
  representations to the Turkish Government to review the prison sentence imposed on Soner Onder at the Istanbul state security court on 12 December 1996. [16775]

  Mr. David Davis
  We have been following the case of Mr. Soner Onder closely and with concern. We understand that Mr. Onder will exercise his right of appeal. Our embassy in Ankara has made sure that the Turkish authorities are fully aware of the widespread dismay here at his sentence.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16758]

  Mr. Hanky
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 13 February 1997,Official Report, column 296.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Minimum Age Requirements
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the minimum age requirements enforced by her Department. [15918]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Department and the two agencies for which it is responsible—Historic Royal Palaces and The Royal Parks—have a minimum age requirement of 16 for external recruitment. The agencies have a minimum age of 17 for jobs involving driving, and The Royal Parks has a minimum age of 18 and a half years for the recruitment of constables.

  Environmental Audit (Departmental Buildings)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the ways in which her Department has demonstrated the ability to improve efficiency and competitiveness through an environmental audit of(a) energy use and (b) waste management within those buildings her Department occupies; and if she will make a statement. [16418]

  Mr. Sproat
  Following an external energy audit, my Department is undertaking a phased implementation of work to our buildings to achieve a cost-effective reduction in energy consumption. This will assist in my Department's efforts to make 8 per cent. savings in consumption by 2000, against a base line setting year of 1994–95, in accordance with targets set by green Ministers. A waste audit is also being undertaken to aid the process of setting realistic targets for waste minimisation in the near future. Paper saving measures are already in place as well as recycling schemes for glass, cans, plastic cups and paper.

  Torbay Cinema
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will take steps to ensure the protection of the listed features of the Torbay cinema. [16540]

  Mr. Sproat
  The Torbay cinema is a grade II* listed building, and is protected under the provisions of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Listed building consent is required for demolition of the building and for any works of alteration or extension which would affect its special character. Any application for consent is a matter for the local planning authority in the first instance. In determining applications for consent, the local planning authority must take account of Government policy as set out in planning policy guidance note 15: "Planning and the Historic Environment". The guidance advises that there should be a general presumption in favour of the preservation of listed buildings. In the case of listed building consent, applications relating to grade I and II* buildings, the local planning authority is required to notify English Heritage and—if it is minded to grant consent—my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, who is empowered to call in cases for his own decision.

  Hazardous Materials (Departmental Buildings)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment her Department had made of the presence of(a) hazardous materials and (b) ozone-depleting substances within those buildings her Department occupies; and if she will make a statement. [16312]

  Mr. Sproat
  My Department employs consultants to undertake assessments in accordance with statutory requirements so as to identify hazardous material in buildings occupied. Registers are maintained of any known materials and regular further inspections made.

  In respect of ozone-depleting substances, all equipment where such substances exist is maintained by external contractors in accordance with statutory and best practice requirements as part of their terms of employment. Risk assessments are carried out as part of this work.

  British Library
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the original estimated cost of the new British library project in London; what is the latest estimated cost; and how much of this cost will be met by central Government. [16447]

  Mr. Sproat
  The original estimated cash cost of the whole of the new British library project was £450 million. It now stands at £511.1 million. The project is being funded wholly by central Government.

  Scottish Grand Committee
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what has been the cost to public funds of the attendance of(a) Ministers and (b) officials of her Department at meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee in Scotland since December 1994; and if she will list the meetings of the Committee which (a) and (b) have attended indicating the cost of attendance and the names of those who attended. [16566]

  Mr. Sproat
  No Ministers or officials from the Department of National Heritage have attended a meeting of the Scottish Grand Committee.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what monitoring takes place by her Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16754]

  Mr. Sproat
  Non-departmental public bodies are established to operate at arm's length from the Department and are often set up under specific statutory powers. An NDPB's board has responsibility for the day-to-day management and control of the body's functions, including the use of external consultants.

  My Department is responsible for monitoring the performance of the NDPBs it sponsors, and for ensuring that they operate within a framework of controls drawn up between my Department and its NDPBs. Within this framework, they are given administrative delegations within which they operate. The use of external consultants is one such delegated limit. If the NDPB wishes to let a contract above its delegated limit, it must seek my Department's prior approval.

  Television Licence (Pensioners)
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will implement the recommendation of the Peacock committee that pensioners on supplementary benefit should not have to pay a television licence fee. [16583]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 19 February 1997]: The Peacock committee report of 1986 recommended that pensioners drawing supplementary pension in households wholly dependent on a pension should be exempt from the television licence fee. Supplementary pension was replaced in 1988 by the income support scheme. The cost of identifying pensioners drawing income support in households wholly dependent on a pension would be disproportionate and the only realistic alternative would therefore be to introduce free television licences for all

  697
  pensioners drawing income support. Such a measure would inevitably prompt demands for similar treatment for other people on income support, many of whom might be thought to have an equally valid claim to a concession. The cost of any such concession in lost licence fee revenue would be considerable and would need to be offset by an increase in the licence fee for all other licence holders, including pensioners. The Government are not persuaded that this would be justified.

TREASURY

  Finance Bill
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultations took place in respect of clauses 51 to 54 of the Finance Bill before presentation of the Bill. [16103]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  Customs published a consultation document, entitled "Rationalisation of Debt Recovery Law" in May 1996. It was sent to 180 trade and advisory bodies and invited comments on Customs' proposal for changes to the existing debt recovery legislation.

  ECOFIN
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the recent council meeting of the Economic and Finance Ministers of the European Union. [17101]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I represented the UK at the Economic and Finance Council of the European Union in Brussels on 17 February.

  The Council carried out an examination of the Belgian new convergence programme for the period 1997 to 2000 and welcomed the programme's strategy for fiscal consolidation as credible, adequate to the particular public finance conditions of Belgium and well adapted to the institutional structure of the state.

  The Council agreed in principle to provide exceptional financial assistance to Armenia, Georgia and Tajikistan. A final decision will be taken at a later meeting following a formal Commission proposal for this assistance. This is subject to a UK parliamentary scrutiny reserve.

  The Council also discussed the possibility of providing macrofinancial assistance to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This will be discussed again at a later meeting. It is subject to a UK parliamentary scrutiny reserve.

  The Council then discussed the economic situation in the European Union. All member states were cautiously optimistic about the prospects for 1997 but agreed on the need for structural reform, including labour market flexibility, to tackle unemployment.

  Single European Currency
  Sir Raymond Whitney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the economic and commercial effects of British membership of a European single currency. [15052]
  698
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 19 February 1997]: A hard-headed assessment of the economics and commercial effects of UK membership of the single currency will be made nearer the time, when it is necessary for a decision to be made on whether or not we should participate. At the moment, there are still considerable uncertainties, most notably on what degree of sustainable convergence will have been achieved by other member states.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors underlie his Department's delay in replying to the letters from the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West dated 11 September 1996 and 12 December 1996, regarding his constituent, Mr. Alton Murphy; and if he will make a statement. [14036]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 6 February 1997]: The correspondence from Mr. Murphy related to claims for amounts overpaid as VAT in relation to supplies of spectacles. The reply has been delayed because Customs has been considering whether opticians' claims for overpayments are subject to the three-year time limit on VAT refunds in view of an earlier trade agreement with Customs. The matter was considered during judicial review proceedings decided last November, and Customs has since sought further legal advice in the light of the judge's comments. Customs announced on 10 February that there will be special transitional arrangements for opticians' claims, and I shall be replying fully to the hon. Member shortly.

  Mr. Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors underlie his Department's delay in replying to the letters from the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West dated 15 October 1996 and 12 December 1996, regarding his constituent, Mr. M. J. Walker; and if he will make a statement. [14037]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 6 February 1997]: Mr. Walker's correspondence related to claims for amounts overpaid as VAT arising from a recalculation of tax due following a change of the VAT retail scheme used. Claims for repayment of overpayments are now subject to a three-year time limit, the introduction of which resulted in an enormous volume of correspondence, both on the principle of introducing a time limit and the effect on particular businesses. This has unfortunately led to delays in replying to correspondence, but I shall be writing to the hon. Member shortly.

  Millennium Club
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times over the last three years, he has addressed the Millennium Club in his official capacity; and if he will list the names of those present and the companies they represented on each occasion; and if he will make a statement. [15693]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 13 February 1997]: None in my official capacity.

HEALTH

  Tropical Diseases
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of tropical diseases have been diagnosed within the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the national health service of treating these cases. [16267]

  Mr. Horam
  Information on the numbers of all diseases notifiable under various Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations in England and Wales are published by the Office for National Statistics in the publications "MB2 Communicable Disease Statistics", annually, and "MB2" Infectious Disease Statistics", quarterly. Where known, numbers of cases of diseases contracted abroad are given. In addition, the public health laboratory service collects data voluntarily submitted by laboratories on those tropical diseases confirmed by laboratory tests and these are published in the PHLS's communicable disease report. Copies of these publications are available in the Library. Information on

  Trust

  Scheme

  Preferred bidder

  Health authority approval1

  FBC approval

  Contract signature

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood Community NHS Trust

  Long-stay mental health reprovision

  2—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  Royal Hull Hospitals NHS Trust

  Rationalisation of acute services on Hull Royal Infirmary site

  2—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  Central Sheffield University Hospitals NHS Trust

  Redevelopment of Stone Grove site

  2—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  St. James's and Seacroft University Hospitals NHS Trust

  Medipark

  2—

  22 September 1995

  26 January 1996

  3—

  Leeds Community and Mental Health Services Teaching NHS Trust

  Community and Mental Health Information System (CAMIS)

  2—

  14 August 1996

  3 October 1996

  12 December 1996

  Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Trust

  Hospital Information Support System (HISS)

  2—

  19 February 1996

  16 April 1996

  3—

  Central Middlesex NHS Trust

  Ambulatory Care and Diagnostic Centre (ACAD)

  2—

  9 April 1996

  29 May 1996

  3—

  Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust

  Clinical Information System (CIS)

  2—

  March 1996

  27 March 1996

  3—

  City Hospital NHS Trust

  Replacement Patient Administration Scheme (PAS)

  2—

  June 1996

  28 June 1996

  3—

  Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Trust

  HISS

  2—

  February 1996

  29 February 1996

  July 1996

  South Tyneside Health Care NHS Trust

  Reprovision of Pathology services

  2—

  9 September 1994

  6 December 1994

  4 September 1996

  Royal Victoria Infirmary and Associated Hospital NHS Trust

  Multi-Storey Car Park

  2—

  5n/a

  12 September 1996

  17 September 1996

  United Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust

  Power Station

  2—

  24 April 1995

  2 May 1995

  14 July 1995

  United Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust and Bradford Hospitals Trust

  Reconfiguration of Pathology Services

  2—

  October 1995

  October 1995

  13 February 1997

  Leeds Community and Mental Health Services Teaching NHS Trust

  North West Community Unit for the elderly

  2—

  4 April 1996

  8 October 1996

  3—

  Leeds Community and Mental Health Services Teaching NHS Trust

  North West Central Community Unit for the elderly

  2—

  4 April 1996

  8 October 1996

  3—

  Rotherham General Hospitals NHS Trust

  Concourse Redevelopment

  2—

  5n/a

  July 1995

  3—

  Rotherham General Hospitals NHS Trust

  Clinical Waste Incinerator

  2—

  5n/a

  February 1996

  3—

  Nottingham Ambulance NHS Trust

  Radio Replacement Scheme

  2—

  August 1996

  September 1996

  20 December 1996

  Nottingham Health Authority

  Standard Court (HQ building for the Health Authority)

  2—

  5n/a

  January 1997

  3—

  Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust

  Combined Heat and Power Facility

  2—

  September 1996

  January 1997

  3—

  Barnet Healthcare NHS Trust

  Residential Accommodation for elderly mentally ill

  2—

  February 1996

  February 1996

  July 1996

  East Sussex Health Authority

  Nursing Homes

  2—

  5—

  October 1992

  31 March 1994

  St. Peter's Hospital NHS Trust

  Housing Redevelopment and Management

  2—

  November 1994

  March 1995

  6 June 1995

  Mayday Health Care NHS Trust

  Energy Centre

  2—

  15 August 1995

  May 1996

  3—

  700
  the cost to the NHS from travel-related infection is not held centrally. Questions relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, respectively.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Gunnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answers to the hon. Member for City of Durham (Mr. Steinberg) of 29 January,Official Report, columns 269–72 on PFI schemes in the health service, if he will list for each PFI scheme within his Department's responsibility not included in those answers information equivalent to that set out in the table in columns 271–72. [14852]

  Mr. Horam
  The table gives the information requested for schemes, where the information is held centrally which have reached preferred bidder status or beyond, and which are not included in the tables referred to in my reply to the hon. Member for the City of Durham (Mr. Steinberg) on 29 January at columns 269–72.
  701

  Trust

  Scheme

  Preferred bidder

  Health authority approval1

  FBC approval

  Contract signature

  Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust

  Patient Hotel and Conference Facilities

  2—

  October 1995

  October 1995

  October 1995

  Warrington Hospital NHS Trust

  Magnetic Resonance Imager

  2—

  December 1994

  October 1995

  November 1995

  Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust

  Staff Residences

  2—

  October 1995

  October 1995

  16 January 1997

  Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust

  HISS

  2—

  October 1995

  23 August 1996

  6 December 1996

  Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Trust

  HISS

  2—

  February 1996

  29 February 1996

  July 1996

  Lancashire Ambulance Services NHS Trust

  Mobile Radio Communications Systems

  2—

  October 1995

  9 July 1996

  3—

  East Cheshire NHS Trust

  Patient Management Systems

  2—

  October 1996

  9 October 1996

  3—

  Hull and Holderness4 Community Health NHS Trust

  Replacement of Withernsea Hospital

  2—

  2 August 1996

  5 December 1996

  3—

  Southampton Community4 Health Services

  Lymington Hospital Reprovision

  2—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  South Kent Community4 Health Care NHS Trust

  Community Hospital in Tenterden

  2—

  October 1996

  October 1995

  3—

  1 Date of Health Authority not known centrally for cases which have not received full business case approval.

  2 Selected.

  3 Not yet approved or signed.

  4 These three schemes are for new hospitals which the NHS Executive have been informed of since the answer given in column 271–272 of the Official Report of 29 January 1997.

  5 Not applicable either because the Health Authority itself is commissioning the scheme or because Health Authority approval is not required in cases where the scheme has no impact on the method or delivery of clinical services.

  Disability Services
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given to local authority social services departments concerning(a) the unit cost of the personal care needs of disabled people and (b) the unit cost of services provided by or on behalf of the authority for personal care when considering eligibility for assistance with independent living. [16269]

  Mr. Burns
  Local authorities have the responsibility to assess individual needs and, where appropriate, to arrange support cost effectively. The Department of Health does not give detailed guidance on these issues.

  Hazardous Materials (Departmental Buildings)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the presence of(a) hazardous materials and (b) ozone-depleting substances within those buildings which his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16277]

  Mr. Horam
  In the buildings for which it is responsible, the Department of Health has undertaken surveys to identify the presence of hazardous materials and ozone-depleting substances. Positive action has been taken to reduce or safely contain any such elements.

  (a) Hazardous materials: buildings occupied by the Department do not contain any significant amounts of hazardous substances. Where their presence is unavoidable, they are identified, registered and recorded in accordance with legislation.

  (b) Ozone-depleting substances: halon fire extinguishers are being phased out of all our buildings and refrigeration units are being replaced with energy efficient CFC-free equipment. Major air conditioning systems in our buildings are equipped with leak-detection sensors.

  Environmental Audit (Departmental Buildings)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the ways in which his Department has demonstrated the ability to improve efficiency and 702
  competitiveness through an environmental audit of waste management within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16416]

  Mr. Horam
  In the buildings for which it is responsible, the Department of Health operates an effective energy and environment action plan, which promotes all aspects of green housekeeping and which is reviewed regularly.

  Each of our main buildings has been equipped with recycling facilities for common waste items for some time and we continue to look at ways of extending the range of waste collected for recycling. We now monitor the volumes of waste in these buildings to give a quantitative measure of the progress we are making in this area.

  Penile Implants
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the health effects on men of silicone leakage from penile implants. [16901]

  Mr. Horam
  No research has been commissioned or evaluated on silicone leakage from penile implants.

  Breast Implants
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the health effects on women of silicone migration from breast implants. [16900]

  Mr. Horam
  The Department of Health has established a national breast implant registry to facilitate future research projects. Department of Health officials together with the relevant independent expert groups have evaluated all published research on this subject.

  Health Service Staff Contracts
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff employed by NHS trusts or health boards are on local contracts outwith Whitley agreements. [16745]
  703
  Mr. Malone
  Precise information is not available centrally. However, the current estimate is that in England 13 per cent. of staff are on locally negotiated contracts.

  Out-of-hours Patients (Transport)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received regarding the provision of transport for out-of-hours patients in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [16609]

  Mr. Malone
  We have received no representations on this subject recently. The new general practitioner out-of-hours arrangements have been a great success, improving the quality of care for patients while easing the personal burden on the individual GP.

  Mr. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what mechanisms financial support is given towards the costs of travel of out-of-hours patients required by their doctor to make their way to primary care centres. [16610]

  Mr. Horam
  There is no provision for reimbursing any costs patients may incur while travelling to receive primary care.

  Glaucoma
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients suffering from glaucoma were treated by general practitioners during(a) 1992–93, (b) 1993–94 and (c) 1994–95. [16611]

  Mr. Malone
  Information on the number of patients treated by their general practitioner for glaucoma is not available centrally.

  Nurses and Midwives (Training)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pre-registration nursing and midwifery students commenced training as initial entrants by means of(a) salaried student places, (b) Project 2000 and (c) undergraduate study in each of the last five years. [16612]

  Mr. Horam
  The information requested is not available centrally. I refer the hon. Member to the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for England for the information that is available on entries to and discontinuation from training.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16757]

  Mr. Horam
  Non-departmental public bodies are responsible for monitoring the use of external consultants as part of their operational management responsibilities; but the Department would expect to be made aware of plans for any major consultancies.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Hazardous Materials (Departmental Buildings)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment his Department had made of the presence of(a) hazardous materials and (b) ozone-depleting substances within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16317]

  Mr. Bates
  The Cabinet Office, its agencies and the Central Office of Information undertake assessments of hazardous materials in accordance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988. The use of ozone depleting substances is kept to the minimum.

  Mr. Jones
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment his Department had made of the presence of(a) hazardous materials and (b) ozone-depleting substances within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16306]

  The Deputy Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Paymaster General.

  Environmental Audit (Departmental Buildings)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the ways in which his Department has demonstrated the ability to improve efficiency and competitiveness through an environmental audit of waste management within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16428]

  Mr. Bates
  The Cabinet Office, the agencies and the Central Office of Information play a full part in supporting the initiatives being carried forward in response to the 1990 White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", including membership of the Green Ministers' Group. Minimising waste is at the core of the Department's energy and environmental policy, which is supported by an action plan. The policy has proved effective during the first five years of the Government's campaign to reduce energy consumption and improve environmental performance; the Department has achieved its objective of meeting the Government's target of a 15 per cent. reduction in energy consumption to April 1996. The headquarters buildings in London recently received an award from Westminster city council for its contribution since 1992 to its recycling scheme.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Mustard Gas Experiments
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what steps the War Pensions Agency has taken to evaluate the systems in(a) Australia, (b) the United States of America and (c) Canada for compensating former service personnel who are suffering long-term ill health as a result of mustard gas experiments conducted by their own Governments in previous years; [14383]

  (2) if the burden of proof is on the claimant to prove his or her case in cases in which service personnel are claiming disablement as a result of experiments at the chemical defence establishment at Porton Down; [14384]
  705
  (3) if he will list the regulations introduced by his Department since 1986 which relate to claims made by individuals claiming disablement as a result of experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down; [14390]

  (4) what evaluation has been made by the War Pension Agency of the findings on the long-term health effects of mustard gas and lewisite reached by the US Institute of Medicine committee in its report "Veterans at Risk—the health effects of mustard gas and lewisite" edited by Constance Pechura and David Rall published in January 1993; and what was the basis of the evaluation. [14847]

  Mr. Heald
  No steps have been taken to evaluate either the US Institute of Medicine report quoted, or the systems in Australia, Canada and the United States of America for compensating former service personnel who may be suffering long-term ill health as a result of mustard gas experiments.

  Under the war pensions scheme, where a claim is made within seven years of termination of service, the onus is on the Secretary of State to show beyond reasonable doubt that service has played no part in the cause or course of the claimed disablement. For claims made more than seven years after leaving service, where the onus is on the claimant, he is required only to raise at least a reasonable doubt, based on reliable evidence, that a condition may be due to service. The benefit of any reasonable doubt is always given to the claimant.

  No regulations relate specifically to Porton Down experiments. The Naval, Military and Air Forces etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order 1983, applies to all claims in respect of disablement due to service.

  1987–165: Uprating order.

  1988–248: Uprating order plus changes relating to income support.

  1988–2248: Provisions for payment of pension by direct credit transfer.

  1989–156: Uprating order plus amendments due to introduction of the community charge.

  1990–250: Uprating order plus amendment to definition of the term "public funds".

  1990–1308: Extension of entitlement to mobility supplement to the deaf-blind.

  1991–766: Uprating order plus extension of entitlement to mobility supplement to certain amputees.

  1992–710: Uprating order plus abolition of dependent's allowance and reduction in qualifying period for mobility allowance.

  1992–3208: Abolition of gratuities for noise— induce sensorineural hearing loss of less than 20 per cent.

  1993–598: Uprating order plus abolition of rank additions, education allowance and restoration of certain widow's pensions and amendments consequential to the introduction of council tax.

  1994–772: Uprating order plus amendment to the definition of "injury" to exclude the effects of tobacco and consumption of alcohol and provisions relating to the suspension of pensions pending an appeal.

  1994–1906: Supplementary pension for "pre-1973" widows.

  1995–766: Uprating order plus effect of the disability living allowance mobility component on entitlement to mobility supplement and minor amendments concerning the suspension of pension pending appeal.

  706

  1996–732: Uprating order plus restoration of widow's pensions.

  1996–1638: Provision for "pre-1914 War" and "inter war years" cases.

  1996–2882: Manner and date of claim provisions.

  Back-to-work Bonus
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the number of(a) men and (b) women who have received a back-to-work bonus; what has been the average amount of the bonus in each case; and what has been the total cost of the scheme to date. [15075]

  Mr. Burt
  The information requested is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table:

  Back-to-work bonus statistics1

  All claimants

  Number of bonus payments made from October 1996 to January 19912

  3,000

  Total amount of bonus payments made from October 1996 to January 19973

  £248,000

  Estimated average bonus payment4

  £85.34

  Estimated administrative cost of bonus payments made from October 1996 to January 19975

  £18,263

  Claimants with an accrued bonus at the end of January 19976

  119,000

  Sources:

  1. Back-to-work bonus management information statistics.

  2. The departmental "Ready Reckoner" and "The Benefit Agency Whole Unit Guide".

  Notes:

  1 Provisional data based on claims held on the income support computer system (ISCS) and the jobseeker's allowance payment system (JSAPS). No clerically processed claims included. Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand.

  2 Claims authorised for payment recorded on JSAPS and ISCS.

  3 Total amount authorised for payment recorded on ISCS and JSAPS.

  4 Based on total amount authorised for payment recorded on ISCS and JSAPS.

  5 the cost of processing 3,000 bonus payments based on average salaries. Includes superannuation and employers' national insurance costs.

  6 Live claims on ISCS and JSAPS with a bonus accrual plus claims which have ended with a bonus accrual but no bonus payment has been made (claimants who return to benefit within 12 weeks and have not claimed a bonus retain the amount accrued during the previous claim).

  Child Support Agency
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many section 18 appeals have been(a) upheld and (b) turned down by the Child Support Agency in each month since April 1993. [15085]

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

  Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Miss Liz Lynne, dated 19 February 1997:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the number of section 18 appeals handled by the Child Support Agency.

  707
  There are no such things as section 18 appeals but the Agency handles section 18 reviews (normally referred to as second tier reviews). These are usually requested, in writing, when a client—either absent parent or parent with care—disagrees with a Child Support Officer's decision. If the client is still not satisfied following the review, they have the option to lodge an appeal, which will be handled by an independent Appeal Tribunal.
  The attached table shows the breakdown of second tier review applications which have been cleared by the Agency; a monthly breakdown is available only from August 1994.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Child Support Agency Second Tier Reviews (August 1994-December 1996)

  Month

  Second Tier Reviews Requests Refused/Withdrawn

  Second Tier Reviews Completed

  August 1994

  1,364

  741

  September 1994

  1,178

  855

  October 1994

  1,308

  1062

  November 1994

  1,303

  1,137

  December 1994

  1,002

  970

  January 1995

  1,240

  1,205

  February 1995

  1,250

  1354

  March 1995

  1,294

  1,470

  April 1995

  1,409

  880

  May 1995

  897

  1,014

  June 1995

  1,141

  999

  July 1995

  1,040

  1,170

  August 1995

  1,412

  1,124

  September 1995

  1,329

  883

  October 1995

  1,510

  929

  November 1995

  1,638

  975

  December 1995

  1,027

  651

  January 1996

  1,552

  872

  February 1996

  1,607

  1,174

  March 1996

  1,249

  1,182

  April 1996

  1,409

  857

  May 1996

  1,576

  883

  June 1996

  2,023

  955

  July 1996

  1,869

  1,022

  August 1996

  1,981

  1,005

  September 1996

  2,198

  1,152

  October 1996

  2,654

  1,276

  November 1996

  2,754

  1,140

  December 1996

  1,759

  798

  Total

  43,973

  29,735

  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what actions are being taken by the Child Support Agency concerning allegations of fraud in respect of the production of posters for the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement. [15659]

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

  Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 19 February 1997:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about action being taken by the Child Support Agency into allegations of fraud in respect of the production of posters.
  I am unaware of any such allegations. However, internal control systems within the Agency raised serious concerns over a service for distribution of posters. I can confirm that last year the Agency passed papers to the police in connection with previous business dealings with a private firm.
  It would not be appropriate to comment further or speculate on a case which is still under police investigation.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Medical Appeal Tribunals (Posthumous Claims)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many successful posthumous claims in respect of(a) pneumoconiosis and (b) chronic bronchitis and emphysema were made to medical appeal tribunals in areas with former and present coal-mining communities in each of the last five years. [15246]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Posthumous claims can be considered under normal rules for pneumoconiosis and in respect of those who died after 13 September 1993 for chronic bronchitis and emphysema. However, information on the numbers of such cases is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Invalid Care Allowance
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of invalid care allowance also undertake part-time study. [15869]

  Mr. Burt
  It is estimated that 10,000 recipients of invalid care allowance are also undertaking part-time study. Estimates are based on sample data which may be unrepresentative.

  Source:

  Family Resources Survey 1994–95.

  Notes:

  1. Estimates are rounded to the nearest 5,000.

  2. Part-time study is defined in invalid care allowance as less than 21 hours a week.

  Medical Services Centres (Targets)
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list by centre the targets negotiated by each medical services centre in its service level agreement with each disability benefits centre, for disability living allowance and attendance allowance in respect of(a) medical advice, (b) scrutiny, (c) assessment, (d) examinations and (e) complaints. [16497]

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of the Benefits Agency medical services is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Alan Howarth, dated 19 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking if he will list by centre the targets negotiated by each medical services centre in its service level agreement with each disability benefits centre, for disability living allowance and attendance allowance in respect of (a) medical advice, (b) scrutiny, (c) assessment, (d) examinations and (e) complaints.
  Details of all the negotiated targets are in the attached appendix.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Targets from service level agreements between medical services centres and disability benefit centres for disability living allowance and attendance allowance

  Birmingham

  Target

  Special rules

  1 day

  Written advice (normal)

  3 days

  Written advice (non standard GP factual reports/hospital case notes/consultants reports)

  5 days

  Oral advice

  On demand

  Standard and non standard factual reports

  3 days

  709

  Targets from service level agreements between medical services centres and disability benefit centres for disability living allowance and attendance allowance

  Birmingham

  Target

  Standard and non standard factual reports (need to contact author)

  5 days

  Non standard reports

  5 days

  Medical appeals tribunals (advice on IIDB/SDA cases)

  Within 5 days

  Medical appeals tribunals—FME written request

  10 days

  Bootle

  Target

  New claims (oral)

  Same day

  New claims (written)

  Within 3 days

  Special rules (normal)

  Within 1 day

  Special rules (need to contact GP)

  Within 2 days

  Severe mental impairment

  Within 3 days

  Reviews

  As for new claims

  Factual reports

  Within 3 days

  Factual reports (clarification with author)

  Within 5 days

  Medical appeals tribunals—advice on MAT cases

  5 days from receipt

  Medical appeals tribunals—preparation of requests for reports

  10 days from receipt

  Medical appeals tribunals—preparation of extracts of hospital case notes

  10 days from receipt

  Bristol

  Target

  Medical advice (written)

  3 days

  Medical advice (oral)

  1 day

  Factual report (normal)

  3 days

  Factual reports (need to contact author)

  5 days

  Special rules

  1 day

  Special rules (need to contact author)

  2 day

  Severe mental impairment

  3 days

  Medical appeal tribunals

  5 days

  Cardiff

  Target

  Medical advice (oral/written including special rules)

  Same day

  Non standard factual reports

  3 days

  Non standard factual reports (contact author)

  5 days

  Medical appeals tribunals (primary)

  95 per cent. In 5 days

  Medical appeals tribunals (secondary)

  100 per cent. in 10 days

  Edinburgh

  Target

  Medical advice (oral)

  Same day

  Medical advice (written)

  1 day unless longer is considered necessary

  Non standard factual reports

  5 days

  Medical appeals tribunals

  5 days

  Glasgow

  Target

  Factual reports (normal)

  3 days

  Factual reports (need to contact author)

  5 days

  Special rules

  1 day

  Special rules (need to contact GP)

  2 days

  Mental impairment

  3 days

  Advice on MAT cases

  5 days

  710

  Glasgow

  Target

  Complaints re factual reports (acknowledgement)

  5 days

  Complaints reply

  10 days

  Non standard factual reports

  3 days

  Medical appeals tribunals

  5 days

  Leeds

  Target

  Special rules (need to contact GP)

  2 days

  Special rules (other)

  1 day

  Severe mental impairment

  3 days

  Normal rules

  3 days

  Reviews and appeals

  3 days

  Standard/non standard factual reports

  Normal

  3 days

  Need to contact author

  7 days

  Medical appeal tribunals

  Initial scrutiny pre hearing

  5 days

  FME pre hearing

  5 days

  Provide precis of hospital pre hearing case notes

  10 days

  Manchester

  Target

  Special rules (normal)

  1 day

  Special rules (need to contact GP)

  2 days

  General advice (oral)

  1 day

  General advice (written)

  5 days

  Standard and non standard factual reports

  3 days

  Medical appeal tribunals

  5 days

  Newcastle

  Target

  Special rules (except where UP contacted)

  1 day

  Other written advice

  3 days

  Standard and non standard factual reports

  3 days

  Standard and non standard factual reports (where GP needs to be contacted)

  5 days

  Medical appeals tribunals

  7 days

  Sutton

  Target

  Normal rules primary

  95 per cent. in 3 days

  Normal rules secondary

  100 per cent. in 5 days

  Special rules primary

  98 per cent. in 1 day

  Special rules secondary

  100 per cent. in 2 days

  Medical appeals tribunals primary

  70 per cent. in 3 days

  Medical appeals tribunals secondary

  98 per cent. in 5 days

  Wembley

  Target

  Normal rules

  5 days

  Special rules

  1 day

  Special rules (where GP needs to be contacted)

  2 days

  Standard and non standard factual reports (normal)

  3 days

  711

  Wembley

  Target

  Standard and non standard factual reports (where author needs to be contacted)

  5 days

  Medical appeals tribunals

  5 days

  Benefits Agency Medical Services
  Mr. Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what targets for quality of service in addition to clearance times are currently set for the Benefits Agency medical services. [16496]

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of the Benefits Agency medical service is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon.Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Alan Howarth, dated 19 February 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking what targets for quality of service in addition to clearance times are currently set for the Benefits Agency Medical Service (BAMS).
  Targets for standards of service are set out in the BAMS Professional Standards, and the Client Service Standards. Details have been placed in the Library.
  I hope this reply is helpful.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to publish the results of the disability living allowance benefit review. [16666]

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Social Security and Disabled People gave to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) on 12 February 1997,Official Report, column 250.

  A copy of the review is available in the Library.

  Benefits Agency Report
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what instructions he has given to the Benefits Agency in Wales on changes in the consultation period on the BA-area strategy unit report. [16525]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The Benefits Agency has been instructed that none of the measures within the consultation document "BA Wales—Blue Print for The Future" are to be implemented during the consultation period.

  All comments and concerns raised during the consultation period will be given full consideration.

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what payments and expenses derived from part-time employment by jobseeker's allowance claimants are not treated as earnings by the Benefits Agency. [16764]
  712
  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information is as follows:

  Employed earners
  Income tax deducted; primary class 1 national insurance contributions deducted; one-half of any sum paid as a contribution towards an occupational or personal pension; payments in kind; payments (whether or not reimbursed by the employer) in respect of expenses wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred in the performance of the duties of the employment (but not including travelling expenses incurred by the claimant between his home and place of work or expenses incurred under arrangements made for the care of a member of the claimant's family owing to his absence from home).

  Self-employed earners
  An amount in respect of income tax; an amount in respect of class 2 and class 4 national insurance contributions; one-half of any sum paid as a contribution towards a personal pension; expenses wholly and exclusively defrayed for the purposes of the employment (but excluding capital expenditure, depreciation, sums employed or intended to be employed in the setting up or expansion of the business, loss incurred before the period over which the earnings are being assessed, capital repayments on loans taken out for the purposes of the business and business entertainment); excess of VAT paid over VAT received in the period over which the earnings are assessed; income expended in the repair of existing assets except to the extent that any sum is payable under an insurance policy for its repair and interst on loans taken out for the purposes of the business.

  Note:
  Part-time employment for the purposes of jobseeker's allowance is work in which a person is engaged for less than 16 hours a week on average (24 hours in the case of partners of people receiving income-based jobseeker's allowance).

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16750]

  Mr. Burt
  The use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies—NDPBs—is discussed and agreed with the Department,usually during the planning and allocation process and as such are included in any business or corporate plans. The results of any consultancy exercise are monitored each year as part of an established accountability review process and actual expenditure is recorded and monitored on a monthly basis throughout the financial year. The Department's NDPBs are also subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office and by the Department's own internal audit team.

  Personal Pensions
  Mr. Denham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the net present cost, in 1996 prices, of national insurance rebates and incentives paid to those who have joined appropriate personal pensions since 1988–89, assuming the social discount rate used by his Department. [13841]

  Mr. Heald
  [holding answer 4 February 1997]: For the years 1987–88 to 1994–95, the latest date for which certified figures are available, the cost of national insurance rebates and incentives was £21.7 billion at net present value. This figure has been calculated using the GDP deflator and a social discount rate of 3.75 per cent, consistent with the Government Actuary's review of contracting out terms (Cm 3221). The figure includes the cost of providing flat rate rebates, incentives and age

  713
  additions to holders of appropriate personal pensions during this period. From 6 April 1997, flat rate rebates for APPs, and the age addition, will be replaced by age-related rebates. The costs of the new rebates will be contained by tailoring the amount needed by a funded pension to replace the state pension foregone according to the age of the policyholder. The allowance made for administrative expenses in the rebates are based on those of the more efficient providers. The rebates will also be capped to avoid excessive rebate levels.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the expenditure by his Department on housing benefit subsidy paid to local authorities in each of the years from 1989–90 to 1996–97; and what is his estimate for 1997–98 in respect of tenants of housing associations created as a result of large-scale voluntary transfer. [15164]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  [holding answer 10 February 1997]: This information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table:

  Estimates of DSS housing benefit subsidy paid to local authorities in respect of private sector tenancies created as a result of large scale voluntary transfers

  Year

  Subsidy (£ million)

  1990–91

  9

  1991–92

  13

  1992–93

  37

  1993–94

  70

  1994–95

  110

  1995–96

  154

  1996–97

  216

  1997–98

  227

  Source:

  Departmental estimates used to inform the Public Expenditure Survey for the relevant year adjusted by the GDP deflator.

  Notes:

  1. The information relates only to the estimates of the housing benefit subsidy paid to local authorities in respect of private sector tenancies created as a result of large scale voluntary transfers for the years 1990–91 to 1997–98.

DEFENCE

  Tornado GR1 Aircraft
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average annual running cost of a squadron of Tornado GR1 aircraft. [16563]

  Mr. Soames
  The average cost of operating a Tornado GR1 squadron, including the variable hourly flying costs and the apportionment of the station's fixed costs and overheads, is £78 million per annum.

  Regimental Museums
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money his Department provided in each year since 1990–91 towards staff pay in(a) all the regimental museums in the United Kingdom and (b) the museum of the Royal Dragoon Guards and Prince of Wales's Own Regiment in York. [16648]
  714
  Mr. Soames
  My Department currently contributes some £1.68 million in total to the operating costs of some 70 Army regimental and corps museums. The information for previous years is not available in the form requested.

  The information requested for the museum of the Royal Dragoon Guards and the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment is as follows:

  Financial Year

  RDG £

  PWO £

  1992–93

  9,300

  8,800

  1993–94

  11,000

  10,000

  1994–95

  11,000

  10,300

  1995–96

  11,100

  10,400

  1996–97 (estimate)

  12,000

  8,900

  The figures for the financial year 1990–91 and 1991–92 are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  WE-177 Bomb
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what have been the operating costs of the WE-177 bomb in each of the past 15 years at 1995–96 prices. [16562]

  Mr. Soames
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 18 December 1996,Official Report, column 627.

  Environmental Information Regulations
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many inquiries have been received by his Department under the terms of the Environmental Information Regulations 1992; how many of these have been refused, and on what grounds; what has been the cost of substantive responses to such requests; and what amount has been received from those making requests towards recovery of these costs. [16807]

  Mr. Soames
  My Department's records indicate that, from 1 January 1993 to 31 January 1997, we received 108 questions. Before November 1995, only queries quoting the Environmental Information Regulations 1992 were classed as made under those terms. Subsequently, all queries on environmental issues have been treated as made under EIR92; 102 such queries have been received. None has been refused an answer.

  My Department seeks to recover costs only if it is estimated that the work involved will exceed four man hours. Questioners in such cases are advised beforehand of the estimated costs and asked to confirm that they wish to proceed; to date, none has done so.

  No records are made of the actual costs of providing substantive answers for which no charge is raised.

  Army (Readiness to Change)
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to adapt the readiness of the Army to changing strategic circumstances. [17103]
  715
  Mr. Portillo
  Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw pact, we can assume that we would have longer warning of any re-emerging threat to the UK or western Europe by conventional forces. On the other hand, recent events have underlined that it is important that we should be able to dispatch forces rapidly to deal with crises elsewhere.

  In response, I have decided to shift the balance of investment in the Army further towards those units required to be at higher operational readiness. The changes build on the one army concept by taking account of the synergy between regular and reserve units.

  For the two parachute battalions in the joint rapid deployment force, the present enhancement of some 105 Gurkhas will finish in 2000. The strengths of each battalion will then be increased by some 60 posts. With effect from 1 April this year, arrangements will be made to provide dedicated manpower and equipment for the Pathfinders—5 Airborne Brigade's reconnaissance platoon.

  I have also decided to increase the manning levels of two of our three multiple-launch rocket system regiments by some 100 posts each to ensure they are fully ready to deploy without the need for reinforcement from elsewhere in the Army. The third regiment will not be required for short-notice operations. I have therefore decided that it should be transferred to the Territorial Army, in place of one of its two FH 70—155mm howitzer—artillery regiments. Consequently, the TA will be equipped with one of the Army's most modern and powerful equipments.

  At the same time, we now assess that the majority of the TA will not be required for short-notice operations as formed units. Those units can therefore be moved to more extended readiness. That will not, however, reduce the scope for TA personnel to take part as individuals, or in small teams, in a wide range of operations. That is demonstrated by their significant and invaluable contribution in Bosnia. Furthermore, opportunities for individuals will be significantly improved by the Reserve Forces Act 1996. There will be no change to the establishment levels of the TA, or to the TA's vital role in deploying as formed units in a major crisis. We shall, however, be able to reduce the numbers required to be fully trained, while protecting training and activity levels across the whole range from individual to formation training. Certain specialist units will remain at higher readiness.

  Some adjustments will also be made to the manning and equipment of the 12 regular light-roled national defence battalions to bring them in line with current requirements.

  Gulf War Syndrome
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 18 December 1996,Official Report, column 630, on Gulf war syndrome, when he expects to answer the question relating to (a) Mr. Rucker's inquiry and (b) the number of missing medical records. [15961]
  716
  Mr. Soames
  I have written to the hon. Member and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

  BSE
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many BSE-infected carcases are stored at former RAF Quedgeley; and if he will make a statement. [16910]

  Mr. Soames
  There are no BSE-infected carcases stored at RAF Quedgeley.

  Nimrod Accident (Canada)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the board of inquiry into the Nimrod accident in Canada in September 1995 found evidence that other members of the Nimrod's crew had expressed misgivings to the pilot concerning the manoeuvres to be flown in the air display. [16936]

  Mr. Soames
  No.

  Efficiency Savings
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the value of efficiency savings made by(a) his Department, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force in each of the last three years. [16893]

  Mr. Soames
  The information requested is available in the following publications, copies of which are in the Library of the House:1993–94: Departmental report by the MOD—the Government's expenditure plans 1995–96 to 1997–98 (Cm2801) (pages 30–31)
  1994–95: MOD performance report 1994–95 (Cm3055 (pages 36–37)
  1995–96: MOD performance report 1995–96 (Cm3448) (page 9)
  In the course of researching this question, an inconsistency in the reporting of the figures for 1993–94 has come to light. This is being examined and I will write to the hon. Member when the matter has been resolved. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Lost or Stolen Articles
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records are kept in respect of articles lost or stolen whose value is less than(a) £150,000, (b) £100,000 and (c) £50,000. [16674]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  All losses must be thoroughly investigated by the unit concerned and a full and factual record made. Losses under £100,000 value are reported as a total sum; those over £100,000 are reported individually.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total cost of the items that have gone missing without explanation in each of the past three years; and what were the five most valuable items in each service in each year. [16675]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Losses are reported individually only where the value exceeds £100,000. Unexplained losses over £100,000 during the last three financial years were as follows:
  717

  Value £

  1993–94

  No cases

  1994–95

  1. Thermal imager lost in transit

  118,000

  2. Consignment of 3 in rockets lost in transit

  104,000

  1995–96

  1. Radar receiver lost in transit

  130,000

  2. One kit printed circuit lost in transit

  164,000

  3. 12 Harrier forward relay panels lost in transit

  115,000

  All losses were thoroughly investigated with a view to recovering the item in question and preventing a recurrence. When the search proved unsuccessful, the items in question were written off and noted in the relevant appropriation account.

  Royal Flight
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the average flying hours for each of the last five years of aircraft used by the royal family. [16886]

  Mr. Soames
  The total hours flown by the aircraft concerned, covering communications, VIP and royal tasks—plus essential training—are as follows:

  Financial year

  BAe 146

  Wessex

  BAe 125

  1992–93

  1,769

  740

  4,645

  1993–94

  1,781

  739

  3,993

  1994–95

  1,440

  791

  3,511

  1995–96

  1,448

  748

  3,657

  1996–97

  (to 31 December 1996)

  1,085

  502

  2,578

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost to public funds of pre-positioning aircraft of the royal squadron for the private use of a member of the royal family(a) in each of the last five years and (b) for the flight from Nassau to Rock sound in March 1996. [16892]

  Mr. Soames
  The information requested at(a) is not readily available and could not be produced without incurring disproportionate costs. With respect to (b), there was no cost to public funds associated with pre-positioning as the aircraft was already in Nassau in support of official business.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what basis repayments are calculated for private use of aircraft of the royal squadron. [16888]

  Mr. Soames
  The basis of the charge for private use of aircraft of No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron is the marginal cost of operating the aircraft for the particular flight. Where appropriate, a "waiting" charge of £60 per hour is also levied. The only exception to this approach is when a member of the royal family is advised to use an aircraft of No. 32—the royal—squadron for safety or security reasons for a private journey when he or she could otherwise have used a commercial service. In such circumstances, the household in question will be charged the equivalent commercial rate.
  718
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rules govern whether a journey involving an aeroplane of the royal squadron is official or private. [16887]

  Mr. Soames
  A journey by a member of the royal family involving the use of an aircraft of No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron is considered to be official if it is undertaken in pursuance of royal duties.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the payments made to his Department for private flights in aircraft of the royal squadron by members of the royal family in each of the years 1990 to 1994. [16885]

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice), of 31 January,Official Report, column 436, relating to royal flights, if he will list the equivalent data for 1995. [16912]

  Mr. Soames
  In accordance with the wishes of Her Majesty the Queen, the costs of private flights in aircraft of No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron have been reimbursed to the MOD since 1 April 1995. The information requested for the period 1 April 1995 to 31 December 1995 is as follows:

  Date of journey

  Passenger

  Route

  Cost reimbursed £

  1 July 1995

  HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

  Sandringham to Kensington Palace

  1,215

  1 July 1995

  HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

  Kensington Palace to Sandringham

  1,325

  1 July 1995

  HRH The Prince of Wales

  Dyce to RAF Northolt

  735

  1 July 1995

  HRH The Prince of Wales

  Heathrow to Dyce

  735

  3 September 1995

  Her Majesty The Queen

  Dyce to Teesside

  1,558

  5 September 1995

  Her Majesty The Queen

  Teesside to Dyce

  1,558

  10 December 1995

  Her Majesty The Queen

  Blackpool to Northolt

  1,186.67

  Beef
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what percentage of beef provided for the armed services is(a) of British origin, (b) of EU origin and (c) of Argentinian origin; [16907]

  (2) what factors are used in determining the country of origin of beef consumed by the armed forces. [16908]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The procurement of food for the armed forces is currently contracted to the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes. My Department does not specify the source or origin from which the NAAFI should obtain beef, or any other meat, but expects it to seek the best market prices for the products. There are no constraints on the choice of British meat products which are considered
  719
  equally with meat products sourced generally in the open market. The majority of our requirements are, however, for frozen beef.

  The British market deals predominantly in fresh beef and consequently does not normally offer frozen British beef at the most competitive prices. As a result, most of our requirements are sourced from south America—mainly Brazil and Uruguay—New Zealand and Australia. A limited range of beef products including sirloin, foreribs, minced and diced beef are currently procured in the UK on value for money grounds. No records are kept of the volumes or percentages provided from the UK, EU or South America and this will, in any event, vary dependent upon markets providing the best value for money.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16761]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Advice on the use of external consultants is available to all of my Department's non-departmental public bodies, as listed in "Public Bodies", to ensure that they operate within the framework of controls set out in the Treasury and Cabinet Office guidance "Non-Departmental Public Bodies: A Guide for Departments".

  My Department's non-departmental public bodies do not make significant use of external consultants, as shown in my answer to the hon. Member on 14 January 1997, Official Report, columns 233–34. In the past five years, only two of our bodies, the Oil and Pipelines Agency and the RAF Museum, have spent money on services of this sort. In the case of the Oil and Pipelines Agency, there is a requirement for prior approval from my Department for all consultancy services. In the case of the service museums, different arrangements apply depending on the circumstances of the body, but there is a very close relationship between the museums and their departmental sponsoring divisions which ensures that any plans to use consultancy services should be known in advance.

  Junior Leaders Scheme
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he announced the closure of the junior leader unit at Harrogate, North Yorkshire; when the site closed; when his Department put the Harrogate site up for sale; which estate agent was hired to sell the site; what has been the total cost to public funds to date of the attempted sale of the site; and if he will make a statement. [16844]

  Mr. Soames
  Following an initial announcement on 10 March 1992 by my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Sir A. Hamilton) when Minister of State for the Armed Forces,Official Report, column 496, about the future of junior leader and apprentice training, it was announced on 16 December 1992 that Harrogate was not to be converted to accommodate an Army junior leader regiment and that alternative defence uses would be sought. The site was formally closed on 1 December 1996. The Leeds office of Knight Frank commenced the marketing campaign in November 1995, but work on the
  720
  sale of the site has been suspended pending a decision on the location of the proposed Army Foundation college. For reasons of commercial confidentiality, I am withholding information on the fees incurred in relation to this commission under exemption 7 of the code of practice on access to Government information.

  Dr. Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he announced the termination of the junior leaders scheme. [16843]

  Mr. Soames
  My right hon. Friend the member for Epsom and Ewell (Sir A. Hamilton), when Minister of State for the Armed Forces, announced the cessation of the junior leaders scheme in his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Dr. Goodson-Wickes) on 16 December 1992,Official Report, columns 335–36.

  Efficiency Savings
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the value of efficiency savings made by(a) the royal yacht and (b) royal squadron in each of the last three years. [16894]

  Mr. Soames
  The annual running costs of HMY Britannia, excluding repair and refits, have remained broadly constant over the past three years. I refer the hon. Member also to my answer of 9 January 1996 to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe)Official Report, column 96.

  Prior to 1 April 1995, royal flying tasks were undertaken by the Queen's Flight, based at RAF Benson. From that date, the flight was incorporated into No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron, tasked with undertaking a full range of communications, VIP and royal flying duties. This change was designed to achieve improvements in cost-effectiveness through better use of aircraft assets and through greater efficiency in support areas. Subsequently, the new arrangements for the funding of royal travel announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 16 October 1996 will facilitate further improvements in cost-effectiveness through the closer involvement of the royal household as the customer for the service provided by the squadron for royal tasks.

  Personnel Administration and Pay Organisations
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about defence agency status for the armed forces' personnel administration and pay organisations. [17293]

  Mr. Soames
  The Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency will be launched on 1 April 1997. The aim of AFPPA is the cost-effective provision, on a tri-service basis, of data and systems for the payment of military personnel, and to support the personnel management function, in peace, including crisis, transition to war and war. The agency will be formed from the Directorate of Naval Personnel Services and the Directorate of Naval Pay and Pensions at Gosport; the Directorate of Administrative Information Systems (Army) at Worthy Down, near Winchester; and the Directorate of Administrative Information Systems (RAF) and the RAF Pensions Branch at Innsworth, near Gloucester. In addition, a small agency headquarters office will be created at Innsworth in the first instance. On formation, the agency will employ some 1,000 civilian
  721
  and 200 military staff. It is also the intention, at a later date, that pay, pensions and personnel administrative elements of the recently formed Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow should come within the agency.

  The agency proposal followed a feasibility study which concluded that personnel administration offered scope for significant harmonisation and, eventually, the development of an integrated tri-service computer system. Arrangements are in hand to contract a private sector partner under the Government's private finance initiative to deliver most of the services required of the agency. The partner would also be responsible for developing and operating new computer systems to improve efficiency, whilst at the same time shouldering much of the business risk involved.

  AFPAA has developed a comprehensive set of performance indicators, including measures to monitor the quality, timeliness and efficiency of its outputs. The chief executive has been set the following targets for the agency's first full year:

  Pay, allowances and pensions payments.
  Whilst making 100 per cent. of payments of pay, allowances and pensions by the due date, the number of errors per 1,000 payments not to exceed 10 for pay and allowances, and not to exceed five for pensions.

  Accuracy of personnel records and liabilities data.
  Determine measures to set base line of completeness and accuracy of the record of service.

  Currency of personnel records and liabilities data.
  Update all records within three days of receipt of valid input.

  Responsiveness.
  Resolve inquiries across all three services within 10 working days of receipt.

  Customer satisfaction.
  Develop systematic and objective methods of ensuring customer satisfaction, in consultation with the owner and customers.

  Private sector participation.
  Agree a private finance initiative service delivery contract with a private sector partner by July 1997, to provide significantly better value for money than the public sector comparator.

  Efficiency.
  Develop cost ratios and implement appropriate measures for benchmarking efficiency. in core personnel administration services.

  Bett Review
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the results of his consideration of Sir Michael Bett's independent review of the armed forces manpower, career and remuneration structure; and if he will make a statement. [17294]

  Mr. Soames
  It is clearly essential that the armed forces have pay structures, allowances, and other terms and conditions of service that attract and retain people of the calibre and exceptional qualities that we need.

  Our personnel policy must recognise and reflect the unique demands of service life, while at the same time taking account of the terms and conditions of service applicable to relevant civilian groups. We need to recruit and retain substantial numbers of high-quality men and women to ensure that the armed forces continue to be able to fulfil their operational commitments. We must also offer careers which are satisfying and rewarding. We can
  722
  achieve those aims only if terms and conditions of service are right. We must also take account of modern practices in management and career planning. Since the independent review was published in April 1995, we have undertaken much further work on our policies.

  Our plans are set out in an information document entitled "The Armed Forces of the Future—a Personnel Strategy". A copy is in the Library of the House.

  We have decided to introduce pay ranges for all ranks, up to and including brigadier and its equivalent, underpinned by a new job evaluation system which we can use to allocate jobs to pay ranges. That will enable other ranks for the first time to progress through a pay range rather than be paid a spot rate. Everyone will have the opportunity to increase their earnings within their rank, in recognition of experience and qualifications, subject to satisfactory performance. This should be a welcome retention incentive.

  Changes in the allowances payable to service personnel will allow us to target allowances more efficiently where they are most needed to assist recruitment and retention, and to compensate for the extra costs and disadvantages of service life. A longer separated service allowance will be introduced, targeted on those who serve long or frequent periods on operations, exercise or other training away from their base. The Government have accepted the Armed Forces Pay Review Body's recommendations of the rates of LSSA, and the consequential changes to the allowances currently paid for service in Northern Ireland and South Georgia. There will also be a new "get you home" allowance, providing a contribution to the cost of travelling home for those on detached duty or courses. These represent significant improvements for those personnel most disrupted by absences from their base and families.

  The main offset for these proposals will be the withdrawal, from 1 April 1998, of the majority of leave travel warrants issued currently to all personnel. Only those in their first three years of service would retain the current entitlement. Beyond that, all single personnel with more than three but less than nine years' service would retain one leave warrant.

  Detailed information about these plans is being widely disseminated within the three services. The plans have the whole-hearted support of the chiefs of staff.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the conclusion of the study commissioned in co-operation with the United States and Canadian Governments into the feasibility of epidemiological research to examine a possible linkage between noise from low-flying military aircraft and adverse health effects. [17295]

  Mr. Soames
  The study, commissioned with the institute of sound and vibration research of the university of Southampton, as prime contractor, supported by the National Physical Laboratory and the Medical Research Council, was completed in December 1996. Because of the wide dispersion of military low flying, and the infrequency of exposure to noise from this source by the average person, the study concluded that it would not be practicable to carry out a meaningful epidemiological
  723
  study of the effects of noise from low flying military aircraft on the health of overflown populations. Statistical calculations suggested that an initial sample of at least 20,000 people would need to be included in any study population; however, in order to allow for confounding factors and uncertainties in the pattern of exposure, the size of the study population would have to be increased by a factor of between five and 10.

  A comprehensive field validation study carried out in the Vale of Evesham found that the daily noise exposure in the most heavily over flown areas did not exceed that experienced by over a quarter of the population of England and Wales from general ambient noise. No individual aircraft event exceeded 120db(A) and the majority of events were below 100db(A). This reaffirms our belief that, although the restrictions placed on the heights, speeds and operating procedures of military aircraft are designed to ensure that noise levels on the ground do not exceed 125db(A), a level which research suggests provides a margin of safety to human hearing, in practice any exposure to noise from military low flying is likely to be significantly lower.

  Copies of a composite document comprising reports by ISVR and the MCR, and an executive summary by the tri-national steering committee have been placed in the Library of the House.

  My Department will continue to be involved in scientific research on noise and health. Should new research suggest a linkage between military low flying and adverse health effects, we will consider what changes to our aircraft operating procedures should be made. In the meantime, we firmly believe that they reflect the best available scientific and medical advice.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Scottish Grand Committee
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the cost to public funds of the attendance of(a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department at meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee in Scotland since December 1994; and if he will list the meetings of the Committee which (a) and (b) have attended, indicating the cost of attendance and the names of those who attended. [16569]

  Mr. Lang
  Ministers attend Scottish Grand Committee meetings as part of their normal parliamentary duties and officials do so as part of their normal departmental duties. Expenditure falling to my Department has been limited to travelling costs. I attended the Scottish Grand Committee meeting on 5 July 1996 in Dumfries and no officials from my Department were in attendance.

  Regional Selective Assistance
  Mr. Brian David Jenkins
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what studies he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the comparative success of each English region in securing funding for regional selective assistance. [17192]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  Funding for RSA is held centrally by the Department but the appraisal of most applications and decisions on whether to offer support are taken by 724
  the relevant Government Office against criteria which are common to all regions. There is no pre-set allocation of RSA funds between regions. The amount of RSA offered in each region depends on the applications received and whether these meet the scheme criteria. Data for individual regions is published by HMSO in the annual report on the Industrial Development Act 1982.

  Loan Guarantee Scheme
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 13 February,Official Report, column 278, what criteria for new lenders to the loan guarantee scheme have been agreed; on what date he will be writing to potential lenders; and if he will list the potential lenders. [16940]

  Mr. Page
  The criteria to be used in assessing potential lenders are:should have the expertise, experience and capacity to appraise technology based commercial borrowing proposals from both technical and commercial viewpoints;
  should have a proven track record (ideally of several years experience) of successful lending to small businesses;
  could make worthwhile use of the scheme;
  is reputable;
  should have effective appraisal techniques;
  should have well established procedures in operation to monitor and review borrowers;
  should add something extra to the range of services already available.

  We are aiming to write to all potential lenders by early March.

  It is not appropriate to list potential lenders since interest in lending under the scheme is commercially confidential to the firms concerned.

  Limited Liability Partnership Legislation
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress his Department has made with developing proposals for limited liability partnership legislation in the United Kingdom. [17296]

  Mr. Lang
  I am pleased to announce that the Government are publishing today a consultation paper, "Limited Liability Partnership: A New Form of Business Association for Professions". The consultation paper sets out detailed proposals for legislation to create a new structure for professional businesses, in line with the Government's commitment to maintain a competitive and up-to-date legal framework for business in the United Kingdom.

  The publication of the consultation paper today follows my announcement on 7 November in answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin), Official Report, column 700, that the Government intended to bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity to make limited liability partnership available to regulated professions in the UK, subject to appropriate safeguards to protect the interests of those doing business with the limited liability partnership. I said then that we would publish our proposals before Easter.

  The proposals are being made in response to the concerns of many in the professions that, under present partnership law in the UK, the personal assets of the

  725
  active members of the partnership are at risk from the business decisions of other partners even though, in modern business conditions, it may well be impossible for partners even to know all the other partners.

  Limited liability partnership is already widely available in the USA and in an increasing number of other countries. It should be available in the UK too: the present gap in our legal framework risks undermining the confidence of businesses which play a key role in the success of the UK economy.

  The proposals are designed to retain the tried and tested benefits of partnership—flexibility of its capital requirements, the flexibility and privacy of its internal constitution, its avoidance of the separation of ownership and management, and the way in which earning are taxed—while protecting individual members against unlimited personal liability for matters in which they are not personally at fault. A robust package of safeguards is proposed to protect the interests of those dealing with the partnership, including the public disclosure of information about the partnership and safeguards in the case of insolvency.

  The closing date for responses to the consultation is 16 May 1997. I look forward to receiving the views of the professions, those dealing with them and business generally.

  Export Controls
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what the results of the public consultation on strategic export controls were; and when he will announce what action the Government will be taking in response to the consultation. [17297]

  Mr. Lang
  I am placing copies of the responses received to the consultative document on strategic export controls (Cm 3349), except where confidentiality has been requested in the Libraries of both Houses. I am also placing copies in the library of my Department where members of the public can arrange to see them if they wish.

  My Department, in consultation with other Departments, is considering the way forward on strategic export controls, taking account of the responses received to the consultation. Where relevant, the conclusions of the committee established in November to inquire into the controls and procedures relating to arms trafficking, set out in the reply given on 21 January by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will also be taken into account.

  Given the complexity of the subject some further, more detailed consultation with directly interested parties is likely to be needed in developing any proposed changes to strategic export controls. An announcement will be made in due course.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16749]
  726
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Non-departmental public bodies are established to operate at arm's length from Government, often under specific statutory powers. The NDPB's governing board is responsible for the management and control of the body's functions.

  My Department is responsible for monitoring the performance of the NDPBs it sponsors, and for ensuring that they operate within the framework of controls set out in the Treasury and Cabinet Office guidance, "Non-Departmental Public Bodies: A Guide for Departments."

  Guidance on best practice on the procurement of external consultants is contained in the efficiency unit scrutiny report, "The Government's Use of External Consultants", which is available to all the Department's NDPBs.

  Water Cannons (Export Licences)
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list for each of the last five years the number of export licences granted for the sale of water cannons, indicating in each case, the recipient country. [9990]

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 13 January 1997]: Licences identified from computer records as issued for the export of water cannon and equipment incorporating water cannon during the last five years are as follows.

  Year

  Number of licences

  Destination

  Number of water cannon

  1992

  1

  Mauritius

  1

  1

  Venezuela

  40

  1994

  1

  Indonesia

  3

  1995

  2

  Indonesia

  6

  1996

  1

  Indonesia

  7

  1

  Ghana

  4

  Computer records cannot always identify individual items on an export licence application if they are part of a larger export package. Further research could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

  Mid Kent Water
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 22 January,Official Report, column 641, what representations his Department received from parties to the proposed acquisition of Mid Kent Holdings by Companie Générale des Eaux and SAUR Water Services; in what form such representations were made; to whom they were made; and at what stage of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission investigation they were made. [15200]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  [holding answer 12 February 1997]: In this case, after the MMC had begun its inquiry into the proposed merger, my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade was required under the provisions of the Water Industry Act 1991 to consider whether it appeared to him that it was or might be the fact that an actual merger had already taken place and hence whether the terms of the reference should be varied. In reaching his decision to vary the reference, which was

  727
  announced on 13 September 1996, my right hon. Friend considered the views of General Utilities, Mid Kent Holdings and SAUR Water Services.

  In addition, the Department received various representations about the merger either directly from the companies or attached to correspondence from hon. Members or members of the public. It is not my right hon. Friend's policy to make public further details concerning an individual merger case once the report describing the results of the thorough inquiry conducted by the MMC has been published and my right hon. Friend's decision has been announced.

  Mergers
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 30 January,Official Report, column 325, if he will define the exceptional circumstances in which Ministers in his Department receive representations from companies with a direct interest in a Monopolies and Mergers Commission merger report prior to a decision being made on the report; and if any such exceptions have been made during the last 18 months, indicating in which cases and for what reasons. [15199]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  [holding answer 12 February 1997]: It is clearly not possible to define in advance exceptional circumstances. However, very occasionally, one of the parties to a merger may, for example, inform the Department of a significant change of circumstances in the market under examination that has occurred after the MMC has reported and Ministers would not be able properly to reach a decision without taking that new information into account.

  It is not my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade's policy to make public further details concerning an individual merger case once the report describing the results of the thorough inquiry conducted by the MMC has been published and my right hon. Friend's decision has been announced.

  Millennium Club
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many times over the last three years, he has addressed the Millennium Club in his official capacity; and if he will list the names of those present and the companies they represented on each occasion; and if he will make a statement. [15695]

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 13 February 1997]: I have not addressed the Millennium Club in my official capacity.

  Mr. Alan Lewis
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his intervention with the Russian Deputy Prime Minister on behalf of Mr. Alan Lewis during the period when civil proceedings in the Russian courts were in progress. [15662]

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 13 February 1997]: I wrote to Russian Deputy Prime Ministers Bolshakov and Kazakov on 28 June 1996 following up a meeting of the UK—Russia Steering Committee on Trade and Investment which I had co-chaired with Mr. Bolshakov the previous month. The letter addressed the uncertainties that investors
  728
  faced in Russia and our shared aim to create there an attractive investment climate, and referred to Illingworth Morris as an example.

  I also wrote to Mr. Bolshakov on 4 December 1996 concerning negotiations involving other companies. Correspondence of this type is normally regarded as commercially confidential.

  Throughout, all correspondence and contact with the Russian Government were based wholly on the advice of officials in my Department and at the British Embassy in Moscow. Neither I nor any other Minister or official corresponded with the Chief Justice of the Russian High Arbitration court over this case.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the occasions on which he has met Mr. Alan Lewis in an official capacity; and what subjects were discussed on each occasion. [15663]

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 13 February 1997]: In my official capacity as President of the Board of Trade I have met Mr. Lewis once. We discussed his company's business interests.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what factors led him to write to the Russian Deputy Prime Minister on behalf of Illingworth Morris about negotiations in which the company was involved in Russia; if he will place copies of the relevant correspondence in the Library; in what other cases he has written to Russian Ministers concerning individual company negotiations in Russia; and if he will make a statement. [15697]

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 13 February 1997]: I wrote to Russian Deputy Prime Ministers Bolshakov and Kazakov on 28 June 1996 following up a meeting of the UK-Russia Steering Committee on Trade and Investment which I had co-chaired with Mr. Bolshakov the previous month. The letter addressed the uncertainties that investors faced in Russia and our shared aim to create there an attractive investment climate, and referred to Illingworth Morris as an example.

  I also wrote to Mr. Bolshakov on 4 December 1996 concerning negotiations involving other companies.

  Correspondence of this type is normally regarded as commercially confidential.

  Throughout, all correspondence and contacts with the Russian Government were based wholly on the advice of officials in my Department and at the British Embassy in Moscow.

  Commonwealth of Independent States
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the ministerial visits made to each CIS country since 1992. [15734]

  Mr. Nelson
  [holding answer 17 February 1997]: Listed are DTI ministerial visits to CIS countries since 1992:

  Country visited

  Date

  Mr. Heseltine

  Azerbaijan and Russia

  September 1992

  Mr. Eggar

  Kazakhstan

  September 1993

  Mr. Eggar

  Uzbekistan

  May 1994

  729

  Country visited

  Date

  Mr. Eggar

  Turkmenistan

  February 1995

  Mr. Eggar

  Azerbaijan and Georgia

  May 1995

  Mr. Eggar

  Russia

  September 1995

  Lord Goschen— (Transport Minister, but let a DTI Mission)

  Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan

  September 1995

  Mr. Lang

  Russia

  May 1996

  Mr. Eggar

  Azerbaijan and Georgia

  June 1996

  Lord Goschen— (Transport Minister but led a DTI Mission)

  Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia

  September/October 1996

  Lord Fraser

  Azerbaijan

  January 1997

  Airbus
  Sir Cranley Onslow
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total expenditure in launch aid for the Airbus A320; and how much of this has so far been recouped. [15854]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  [holding answer 18 February 1997]: Total launch aid of £249.3 million was granted for the Airbus A320. A total of £250.2 million has so far been received in repayment. Repayment, including a rate of return, is made by a levy on sales.

TRANSPORT

  British Rail Subsidiaries
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the gross proceeds of sales of former subsidiaries of British Rail in 1996–97. [15399]

  Mr. Watts
  Total gross proceeds of companies, which were previously owned by British Rail and which have been sold in the current financial year pursuant to the Railways Act 1993, are £2.13 billion. This sum includes gross proceeds of £1.93 billion from the sale of Railtrack; deferred payments; dividends of some £14 million paid before the sales this year of BR infrastructure companies; and gross proceeds of the following companies which were sold since my answer to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) of 27 November 1996,Official Report, columns 273–76.

  Company

  Purchaser

  Gross proceeds £ million

  Sale date

  Scientifics Ltd.

  Atesta Group Ltd.

  1.8

  9 December 1996

  BR Research Ltd.

  AEA Technology PLC

  10.752

  19 December 1996

  Nationwide Fire Services

  Serco Ltd.

  10.106

  6 January 1997

  BR Business Systems

  Sema Group UK Ltd.

  27.0

  31 January 1997

  National Railway Supplies Ltd.

  Gresty Supplies Ltd. (MBO)

  31.026

  31 January 1997

  Rail Operational Research Ltd.

  BR Projects Ltd. (an associate company of General Practice Investment Corp Ltd.)

  1.5

  4 February 1997

  1 Excludes collection of outstanding debts.

  M6/M61 Junction Signs
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what decision he has reached concerning the inclusion of Bolton on the M6/M61 junction signs; and if he will make a statement. [15712]

  Mr. Watts
  I am pleased to say that the Highways Agency has prepared a design for the signs on the four gantries involved at the M6/M61 junction which will allow the addition of Bolton. This work will be completed in March.

  Rail Services
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the causes of train delays and cancellations that are(a) recorded and (b) not recorded in the four-weekly track record on punctuality and reliability under the terms of the citizens charter. [15964]

  Mr. Watts
  Delays or cancellations caused by circumstances outside the control of the rail industry, such as vandalism, suicides or terrorist threats, are excluded from the passengers charger statistics. Services provided on certain days are also excluded: these are Sundays—except for Gatwick express and Island line—public holidays; and days when bus services are substituted, for example during engineering works, or when no effective service can be provided and season tickets are extended or refunded.

  Except where exclusions apply, the services included in passengers charter punctuality and reliability results are as follows. For punctuality:
  London commuter train companies (formerly Network SouthEast)—Mondays to Fridays only, trains arriving at London termini between 07.00 and 10.00 and trains departing from London between 16.00 and 19.00. Trains are punctual if they arrive at their destination within four minutes 59 seconds of the scheduled time.
  InterCity train companies—all trains Monday to Saturday. Trains are punctual if they arrive at their destination within nine minutes 59 seconds of the scheduled time.
  Other train companies (ex Regional Railways)—all trains Monday to Saturday. trains are punctual if they arrive at their destination within 4 minutes 59 seconds for short distance routes and 9 minutes 59 seconds for long distance routes.
  Gatwick express—all trains Monday to Sunday. Trains are punctual if they arrive at their destination within 4 minutes 59 seconds of the scheduled time.

  For reliability:
  the number of trains scheduled to run in the published timetable, including any emergency timetable. A train is counted as run if it has completed at least 50 per cent. of its scheduled route mileage.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of a timetabled journey under the passengers charter a train must complete to count as(a) a cancellation and (b) a train run; and if these criteria apply to all train operating companies. [15965]

  Mr. Watts
  For passengers charter purposes, a train is counted as cancelled if it fails to complete at least 50 per cent. of its scheduled route mileage. A train would be counted as run if it had completed at least 50 per cent. of
  731
  its scheduled route mileage. These criteria apply to all train operating companies and have not changed since 1992.

  Isle of Sheppey (Bridge)
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the proposal for a new Swale bridge to the Isle of Sheppey; what provision has been made for this project in his Department's future programme; and what priority has been accorded to the project. [16025]

  Mr. Watts
  Proposals for a second crossing of the Swale to the Isle of Sheppey are part of the A249 Iwade-Queenborough improvement scheme. Draft line and side roads orders under the Highways Act 1980 were published for the scheme on 23 January. Economic, environmental and engineering assessments were carried out as part of that process. The economic appraisal involved the usual cost-benefit methodology applied to all major trunk road improvement proposals. The environmental assessment, in accordance with EC regulations, considered visual impact—including consulting Royal Fine Arts Commission—the effect on the local ecology, as well as more general environmental impacts.

  The results of this assessment were also published in an environmental statement on 23 January and placed on deposit locally for public inspection. The engineering assessment, comprised value management and value engineering as well as checks to ensure that the proposals comply with our national standards.

  At cash prices £ million

  Year

  Core business capital grant

  Core business revenue support grant

  New lines and extensions capital grant

  Total grant

  1978

  69

  51

  —

  120

  1979

  106

  51

  —

  157

  1980

  138

  80

  —

  218

  1981

  135

  82

  —

  217

  1982

  190

  123

  —

  313

  1983

  167

  175

  —

  342

  1984–851

  137

  186

  —

  323

  1985–86

  182

  125

  —

  307

  1986–87

  224

  66

  —

  290

  1987–88

  159

  44

  —

  203

  1988–89

  150

  20

  —

  170

  1989–90

  204

  44

  —

  248

  1990–91

  366

  74

  44

  484

  1991–92

  405

  103

  65

  573

  1992–93

  546

  254

  83

  883

  1993–94

  506

  66

  120

  692

  1994–952

  363

  10

  413

  786

  1995–96

  443

  —

  461

  904

  1996–973,4,5

  Breakdown of figures not yet available for these years

  973

  1997–984,5,6

  701

  1998–994,5,6

  352

  1999–20005,6

  163

  1 15 months accounting period.

  2 In addition to grant in 1994–95 LT benefitted substantially from proceeds from the sale of the subsidiaries of London Buses Ltd.

  3 1996–97 outturn figure subject to end-year flexibility arrangements.

  4 Apportionment of grant between LT core business and the JLE will be determined by LT in the light of emerging requirements.

  5 Includes Croydon Tramlink.

  6 £30 million grant carried forward from 1995–96 not yet allocated to a particular year.

  732
  This scheme has been given priority to progress it to draft order stage. Its future progress will depend upon the successful completion of the remaining statutory procedures.

  Private Employment Agencies
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the private employment agencies used by his Department and its agencies in each of the last three years for which figures are available, indicating(a) the names of the agencies, (b) the numbers employed by the agencies in work for his Department, (c) the total cost to his Department of using employment agencies and the median cost paid to the agency per person recruited and (d) the average length of contract for persons recruited via such agencies. [16180]

  Mr. Bowis
  The extensive information requested concerning the private employment agencies used by my Department and its agencies will take some time to assemble. I shall write to the hon. Member when I have further details and place a copy of the information in the Library.

  London Transport Finance
  Mr. Keith Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the(a) total grants, (b) core business capital grants, (c) new lines and extensions capital grants and (d) revenue support grants, excluding the docklands light railway, awarded to London Transport in each year since 1978; and what is the planned expenditure for each year between 1996–97 and 1999–2000 in (i) cash prices and (ii) 1996–97 prices. [16027]

  Mr. Bowis
  The information requested is set out in the following tables.
  733

  At 1996–97

  Year

  Core business capital grant

  Core business revenue support grant

  New lines and extensions capital grant

  Total grant

  1978

  211

  156

  —

  367

  1979

  278

  134

  —

  412

  1980

  306

  177

  —

  483

  1981

  273

  165

  —

  438

  1982

  358

  232

  —

  590

  1983

  301

  315

  —

  616

  1984–851

  235

  319

  —

  554

  1985–86

  296

  203

  —

  499

  1986–87

  354

  104

  —

  458

  1987–88

  238

  66

  —

  304

  1988–89

  211

  28

  —

  239

  1989–90

  268

  58

  —

  326

  1990–91

  445

  90

  54

  589

  1991–92

  463

  118

  74

  655

  1992–93

  599

  279

  91

  969

  1993–94

  540

  70

  128

  738

  1994–952

  380

  10

  433

  823

  1995–96

  453

  —

  471

  924

  1996–973 4 5

  Breakdown of figures not yet available for these years

  973

  1997–984 5 6

  687

  1998–994 5 6

  338

  1999–20005 6

  154

  1 15 months accounting period.

  2 In addition to grant in 1994–95 LT benefitted substantially from proceeds from the sale of the subsidiaries of London Buses Ltd.

  3 1996–97 outturn figure subject to end-year flexibility arrangements.

  4 Apportionment of grant between LT core business and the JLE will be determined by LT in the light of emerging requirements.

  5 Includes Croydon Tramlink.

  6 £30 million grant carried forward from 1995–96 not yet allocated to a particular year.

  Railtrack
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people Railtrack employed(a) in total, (b) in its Intercity East Coast zone and (c) in its regional Railways North East zone at the time of its share flotation. [16643]

  Mr. Watts
  As detailed in the prospectus, as at 31 March 1996, Railtrack had approximately 11,500 employees. The information is not available by zone.

  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the Government's estimate of the value of Railtrack's(a) capital assets, including stations, light maintenance depots, arch accommodations and commercial property, investment property, track, bridges, tunnels, signalling systems and other land and capital assets and (b) annual commercial turnover (i) in total, (ii) in the Intercity East Coast zone and (iii) in the regional Railways North East zone at the time of the share flotation. [16642]

  Mr. Watts
  The historical cost of Railtrack's capital assets as described in the sale prospectus was £5,915 million as at 31 March 1994 and £6,492 at 31 March 1995 at current cost. The annual turnover for the year ended 31 March 1995 again as stated in the prospectus was £2,275 million and for the six months ended 30 September 1995 £1,139 million. The information is not available broken down by zone.

  South West Trains
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the compliance of South West Trains with its franchise agreement; what 734
  penalties it is subject to for non-compliance with its franchise agreement; and what liabilities it has incurred to date. [16914]

  Mr. Watts
  Compliance with franchise agreements is a matter for the franchising director. He has a range of options open to him to ensure that franchisees observe the terms of their agreements with him. In the case of South West Trains, the franchisee will be penalised financially for peak period cancellations he has made following the introduction of revised working arrangements for drivers. South West Trains has introduced a temporary timetable to minimise disruption to passengers, especially peak period services. Penalties are of the order of £600 per peak period cancellation.

  London Underground (Disabled People)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to ensure that(a) existing London underground stations and (b) London underground stations which are currently under construction are accessible for disabled people. [16521]

  Mr. Bowis
  This is a matter for London Underground. I understand that its policy is to maintain and improve existing levels of access for disabled passengers where practicable and to incorporate improved accessibility into all new and rebuilt trains, new lines and extensions and station redevelopments. For example, the Jubilee line extension, when completed, will be fully accessible to wheelchair users.

  More generally, access to stations and other public transport stations and terminals is covered by the provisions of part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which provides for the removal of physical barriers to access where that is deemed reasonable. The

  735
  Government have consulted on the timetable for implementation of those provisions and an announcement will be made shortly.

  Metrolink
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce a decision in relation to the outcome of the public inquiry into the extension of Metrolink into the Wythenshawe constituency; if the Minister from his Department to be present will make a statement about this at the meeting of the North West Regional Association on 24 February; and if he will make a statement. [16773]

  Mr. Watts
  The Secretary of State's decision on the application by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive for the Greater Manchester (LRTS) (Airport Extension) Order is expected shortly. If the decision is announced before the meeting of the Regional Annual Consultative Committee on 24 February, that meeting would provide an opportunity for any questions about the decision to be raised.

  Driving Standards Agency
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving examiners employed by the Driving Standards Agency have worked only one day in any one month period in the last 12 months; and on how many occasions a driving examiner employed by the Driving Standards Agency worked only one day in a month in the last 12 months. [16845]

  Mr. Bowis
  During 1996, all contract examiners were employed to the maximum of their guaranteed work under the terms of their particular contract. The reduced use of contract examiners started in December 1996 in response to falling demand for tests. Twenty contract examiners were employed for only one day in January 1997.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16747]

  Mr. Bowis
  Provision for all non-departmental public bodies is reviewed regularly and before annual budgets are set including expenditure on consultants. Audited accounts are published for each of these bodies.

  British Rail Property Board
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what residual liabilities will need to be met through payment of grant in aid after the sale of the British Rail Property Board; [16502]

  (2) what provisions have been made in respect of the residual liabilities of British Rail Property Board following its sale. [16501]

  Mr. Watts
  No property assets or liabilities are to be included in the sale of the British Rail Property Board, which would become a property management business. No new liabilities would arise from its sale. Existing 736
  liabilities would remain with the BR board and provision would be made in the BR board's annual report and accounts in the usual way.

  Royal Train
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what rules govern whether a journey involving the use of the royal train by a member of the royal family is official or private. [16891]

  Mr. Watts
  A journey by a member of the royal family involving the use of the royal train is considered to be official if it is undertaken in pursuance of royal duties.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what basis repayments by members of the royal family are calculated for private use of the royal train. [16889]

  Mr. Watts
  Members of the royal family do not make private use of the royal train.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prisoners' Behaviour (Diet)
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department(a) has commissioned and (b) plans to commission into the effects of diet on prisoners' behaviour; and if he will make a statement. [15284]

  Miss Widdecombe
  We have not commissioned such research, but we have agreed to facilitate the nutritional rehabilitation project being run by Natural Justice Ltd. in Aylesbury young offender institution.

  Young Offender Institution (Colchester)
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the first offenders to arrive at the new young offender institution in Colchester and if he will make a statement. [15292]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The first intake of young offenders arrived at Colchester young offender institution today.

  Closed Circuit Television
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department has taken to increase the number of closed circuit television schemes. [15294]

  Mr. Maclean
  We will be investing more than £50 million in closed circuit television, funding more than 10,000 new cameras; 365 winning local partnerships have already been awarded more than £22 million. We will be announcing the results of the third competition, with another £15 million, very soon.

  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many CCTV cameras have been installed under the Government's CCTV challenge competitions in 1995 and 1996. [15302]

  Mr. Maclean
  If all the winning schemes go ahead as planned, we estimate that more than 4,000 closed circuit television cameras will be installed with the assistance of funding from the first two challenge competitions.
  737
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to increase the number of closed circuit television schemes. [15302]

  Mr. Maclean
  We will be investing more than £50 million in closed circuit television through our CCTV challenge competitions; 365 winning local partnerships have already been awarded more than £22 million in the first two competitions. We will be announcing the results of the third competition, with another £15 million, very soon.

  Crime Statistics
  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces experienced a fall in their recorded crime figures in(a) 1995 and (b) the 12 months to June 1996. [15295]

  Mr. Maclean
  For both periods, the majority of police forces recorded falls in crime. In the 12 months to June 1996, 24 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales recorded decreases. For 1995, 35 forces recorded decreases.

  Prisoners (Handcuffing)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the guidelines issued to the Prison Service concerning the handcuffing of prisoners receiving hospital or hospice treatment. [15296]

  Miss Widdecombe
  On 18 January 1996, my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary made a statement to the House setting out policy on the handcuffing of prisoners receiving medical or antenatal treatment or giving birth outside the prison. The following day, the director of security and programmes issued an internal instruction announcing the new arrangements.

  The Prison Service has now issued further internal instructions giving more detailed guidance. These form part of the "Manual on Security", copies of which are held in the Library.

  Warwickshire Fire and Civil Defence Authority
  Mr. Olner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received concerning Warwickshire fire and civil defence authority. [15297]

  Mr. Sackville
  Representations have been received from one hon. Member about fire service funding. In addition, my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State with responsibility for the fire service, met a deputation in November to discuss the fire standard spending assessment distributional formula.

  Drug Trafficking and Dealing
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last discussed with the Director General of the National Criminal Intelligence Service further initiatives to counter illegal drug trafficking and dealing. [15300]
  738
  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. and learned Friend has not had such discussions recently with the Director General of the National Criminal Intelligence Service. However, the director general and his staff have regular contacts with Ministers and officials on a wide range of issues concerning serious and organised crime.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are currently detained in prisons and in detention centres. [15301]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  As at 31 January 1997, there were a total of 768 persons whose detention resulted solely from powers conferred by schedules 2 or 3 of the Immigration Act 1971 and who had sought asylum at some stage.

  Mobile Phones (Police Investigation)
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the use of mobile phones in police investigations. [15303]

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary's reply of 12 February,Official Report, columns 215–16.

  Religious Cults
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance his Department provides to the families of members of religious cults. [15305]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Department provides advice about the legal position and about other sources of help, including organisations which offer information and counselling.

  Prosecutions
  Mr. Berry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the proportion of recorded crime that resulted in prosecutions in(a) 1979 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available. [15306]

  Mr. Maclean
  The latest information relates to 1995 and indicates that 10 per cent. of recorded offences against individuals and their property resulted in a prosecution. Information for 1979 is not available in the form requested and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

  Security Breaches (Prisons)
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that every prison has a suitable emergency procedure to follow in the event of a breach of security by prisoners. [15299]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Every prison establishment is required to have and maintain contingency plans for incidents that may occur within it, including breaches of security by prisoners.

  Drugs Seizures
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many seizures of(a) soft drugs and (b) hard drugs have been made from private dwellings in each of the past three years; what was the estimated street value of the seizures in each case; and if he will make a statement. [15461]

  Mr. Maclean
  No distinction is made between "soft" and "hard" drugs in drugs seizure statistics. National statistics on drug seizures are produced on the basis of class and type of drug. Seizure figures for each class for 1993,1994 and 1995 are as follows:

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Class A

  12,102

  13,876

  17,344

  Class B

  77,068

  95,997

  101,445

  Class C

  1,129

  1,627

  1,867

  Figures for 1996 are not yet available.

  Information relating to the place where drugs have been seized has not been collected at a national level since 1992. The street values of drugs seized are also not collected. Although they provide a useful operational tool for police officers, they are too subjective and liable to fluctuation to be included in national statistics.

  Holocaust Denial
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider his response to recent proposals for legislation to make holocaust denial an offence. [15466]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  The Government's position on holocaust denial is well known and we have no plans to change it.

  Prison Inspectorate Reports
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 4 February,Official Report, column 554, if he will publish a list showing which prison each of 25 reports awaiting publication refer to; and how long each report has been awaiting publication. [14862]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The 25 establishments for which, at 4 February, an inspection report had been received from Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons but had not yet been published, and the date on which the report was received from the inspectorate by my right hon. and learned Friend, is set out in the table:

  Establishment

  Date inspection report was received by the Home Secretary

  Acklington

  16 December 1996

  Albany

  22 October 1996

  Belmarsh

  17 December 1996

  Channings Wood

  22 October 1996

  Chelmsford

  16 December 1996

  Dartmoor

  29 August 1996

  Dover

  7 October 1996

  Eastwood Park

  6 January 1997

  Everthorpe

  14 November 1996

  Featherstone

  15 August 1996

  Gloucester

  22 October 1996

  Guys Marsh

  29 November 1996

  740

  Establishment

  Date inspection report was received by the Home Secretary

  Hatfield

  8 October 1996

  Holloway

  14 August 1996

  Lancaster Castle

  18 November 1996

  Low Newton

  22 October 1996

  Onley

  19 June 1996

  Portland

  8 October 1996

  Ranby

  15 August 1996

  Risley

  3 September 1996

  Shepton Mallet

  6 November 1996

  Usk/Prescoed

  14 November 1996

  The Verne

  15 August 1996

  Whitemoor

  29 November 1996

  Wormwood Scrubs

  31 October 1996

  The reports of the inspections of Portland and Hatfield were published on 13 February and 17 February respectively and those of four establishments, Guys Marsh, Holloway, Low Newton and Risley, will be published on 21 February.

  The reports of the inspections of the following 10 establishments are expected to be published during February and March: Channings Wood, Dartmoor, Dover, Featherstone, Gloucester, Lancaster Castle, Onley, Ranby, The Verne and Wormwood Scrubs.

  The remaining nine reports are under consideration. They will be published as soon as possible, but action in response to the recommendations made in an inspection report does not wait until publication of the report.

  Prisoners (Unlocked Periods)
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average amount of time prisoners spent unlocked(a) for each prison, (b) for each prison type and (c) for the whole Prison Service, (i) for each month since January 1996 and (ii) for each year since 1989–90. [15976]

  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. George Howarth, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking for the average amount of time prisoners spent unlocked (a) for each prison, (b) for each prison type and (c) for the whole Prison Service, (i) for each month since January 1996 and (ii) for each year since 1989–90.
  Tables giving details of the information you requested have been placed in the Library. Time out of cell figures are not available for individual prisons prior to April 1994 so the yearly figures you requested are for April 1994 and April 1995 only.

  Prisoners (Employment)
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list(a) the number of employment places provided by Prison Service laundries and (b) the number of prisoner hours spent working in Prison Service laundries in each year since 1989–90. [15974]
  741
  (2) if he will list (a) the number of employment places, (b) the total net cost of these employment places offered by Prison Service industries and farms and (c) the total number of hours of inmate occupation provided by these places in each year since 1989–90; [15972]

  (3) if he will list (a) the number of inmates and (b) the number of hours spent by inmates working directly for the private sector on a subcontract basis in each year since 1989–90. [15973]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for these matters 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. George Howarth, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your three recent Questions about the employment of prisoners.
  The attached tables detail the information you requested.
  The figures provided are from the earliest records available which, with the exception of the information for private sector work, exclude the period 1989–90. Figures provided for the current year are estimated rather than actual. Statistics relating to private sector work undertaken in prisons are not yet available for the period 1996–97.

  Year

  Number of employment places

  Net hours of work undertaken within Prison Service laundries

  1990–91

  988

  1,061,000

  1991–92

  1,090

  1,040,000

  1992–93

  1,051

  1,050,000

  1993–94

  1,053

  960,000

  1994–95

  982

  1,090,000

  1995–96

  984

  1,080,000

  1996–971

  906

  976,000

  1 Only estimated figures are available for the current year.

  Year

  Number of employment places

  Net cost of employment places £

  Number of hours of inmate occupation

  1991–92

  11,003

  26,107,000

  11,553,150

  1992–93

  10,172

  28,550,000

  10,680,600

  1993–94

  10,024

  27,748,000

  10,625,440

  1994–95

  9,250

  27,327,000

  10,175,000

  1995–96

  9,626

  27,369,000

  10,444,210

  1996–971

  10,320

  29,711,000

  11,868,000

  1 Only estimated figures are available for the current year.

  Year

  Number of inmates

  Number of hours spent by inmates working directly for the private sector on a sub-contract basis

  1989–90

  2,537

  1,602,255

  1990–91

  2,142

  1,465,637

  1991–92

  2,033

  1,296,000

  1992–93

  1,806

  1.387,058

  1993–94

  1,637

  1,395,239

  1994–95

  1,646

  1,416,024

  1995–961

  1,876

  1,587,917

  Figures are not available for 1996–97.

  1 Only estimated figures are available for this period.

  Minimum Age Requirements
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the minimum age requirements enforced by his Department. [15916]

  Mr. Howard
  The Home Office is responsible for legislation which sets various minimum age requirements covering firearms, gambling, liquor, sexual consent, supply of videos, access to cinemas and other matters, marriage, elections, nationality and aspects of the criminal law relating to juveniles. Readily available information on existing statutory provisions is set out in the table.

  In each case, criminal offences are not themselves enforced by the Home Office.

  Subject

  Age

  Details of legal requirement

  Firearms

  17

  Minimum age under the Firearms Acts to purchase or hire a rifle, pistol, revolver, high-powered air gun, shotgun or airgun or ammunition for such a firearm; or to have an air weapon in a public place (with various exceptions).

  15

  Minimum age under the Firearms Acts to have an assembled shotgun (unless with an adult) or to be given or lent a shotgun or ammunition for it.

  14

  Minimum age under the Firearms Acts to possess or be given or lent a rifle, pistol, revolver or high-powered airgun (with various exceptions); to be granted a certificate by the police for such a firearm or to have (unless under the supervision of someone 21 or over), or be given, an air weapon or ammunition for it.

  Gambling

  18

  Minimum age for participating in betting under the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963; for participating in casino gambling under the Gaming Act 1968; for participating in bingo under the Gaming Act 1968; and for using amusement arcades with all cash amusement-with-prizes machines under the Gaming Act 1968.

  16

  Minimum age under the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 for participating in football pools; and for participating in lotteries (excluding the National Lottery) under the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976.

  Liquor

  18

  Minimum age under the Liquor Licensing Act 1964 to purchase alcohol in bars and off-licences; work in a licensed bar (soon to be 16 under current deregulation measure) or to sell alcohol unsupervised in an off-licence.

  16

  Minimum age under the Liquor Licensing Act 1964 to buy beer or cider with a meal.

  14

  Minimum age under the Liquor Licensing Act 1964 to be in the bar of licensed premises, unless a children's certificate is in force.

  Tobacco

  16

  Minimum age for buying tobacco or tobacco products under the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991.

  Intoxicating substances

  18

  Under the Intoxicating Substances (Supply) Act 1985, it is an offence to supply a substance to a person under 18 knowing or believing that the substance or its fumes are likely to be inhaled for the purposes of causing intoxication.

  Street trading

  17

  Minimum age under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 and London Local Authorities Act 1990 for holding a street trading licence or street trading consent.

  743

  Subject

  Age

  Details of legal requirement

  Pedlars

  17

  Minimum age for holding a pedlars certificate under the Pedlars Act 1871.

  Hypnotism

  18

  Minimum age to be hypnotised as part of a public performance of hypnotism under the Hypnotism Act 1952.

  Tattooing

  18

  Minimum age for having a tattoo under the Tattooing of Minors Act 1969.

  Sexual consent

  18

  Minimum age for consent to male homosexual acts under the Sexual Offences Act 1967.

  16

  Minimum age for consent to heterosexual acts under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 (and de facto to female homosexual acts).

  Supply of video recordings

  18/15/12

  Under the Video Recordings Act, videos classified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) as '12', '15', or '18' may not be supplied to people under those ages.

  Access to cinema films

  18/15/12

  Under the Cinemas Act 1985, public cinemas must be under local authority licence which will require them to abide by age restrictions set in the classification certificates issued by the BBFC.

  Access to licensed sex establishments

  18

  Minimum age for access to, working in or being granted a licence to run, a sex shop or cinema in local authority areas which have adopted the relevant powers of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.

  Indecent photographs

  16

  Minimum age to be the subject of an indecent photograph (connected offences contained in the Protection of Children Act 1978 and the Criminal Justice Act 1988).

  Marriage

  18

  Minimum age for marriage without the consent of a parent, parents or guardian under the Marriage Act 1949, as amended by the Family Law Act 1969.

  16

  Minimum age for marriage under the Marriage Act 1949, as amended by the Family Law Act 1969.

  Elections

  21

  Minimum age to stand for election at Parliamentary, European Parliamentary or local elections, under the Parliamentary Elections Act 1695, the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1978 and the Local Government Act.

  18

  Minimum age to vote in Parliamentary, European Parliamentary or local elections, under the Representation of the People Act 1983 and the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1978, amended by the Family Law Reform Act 1969.

  Criminal law and penalties

  10

  Age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales. (The jurisdiction of the youth court covers 10–17 year olds, though a juvenile may appear in the adult Magistrates' Court if charged with an adult, or in the Crown Court if the offence with which he is charged warrants it.)

  10

  Minimum age at which fines, compensation orders, bindovers, supervision orders, attendance centre orders and long term detention or detention during Her Majesty's pleasure become available, under the Children and Young Persons Acts 1933 and 1969, and the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (all as amended).

  744

  Subject

  Age

  Details of legal requirement

  12

  Minimum age at which secure training order becomes available under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (maximum age 14). [Provisions not yet implemented.]

  15

  Minimum age at which detention in a Young Offender's Institution becomes available under the Criminal Justice Act 1982, as amended.

  16

  Minimum age at which probation orders, community service orders, combination orders or curfew orders become available under the Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973 and the Criminal Justice Act 1991.

  18

  Minimum age at which custody for life becomes available under the Criminal Justice Act 1982, as amended.

  Nationality

  18

  Minimum age for application for naturalisation as a British citizen and for renunciation of British citizenship by single person under the British Nationality Act 1981.

  10

  Minimum age for application for registration as a British citizen by certain persons born in the UK who did not acquire citizenship at birth and for application for registration as a British citizen by a person born stateless outside the UK but resident in the UK for the past 5 years under the British Nationality Act 1981.

  In addition, services for which the Home Office or its Agencies have responsibility set the following minimum age requirements for recruitment:

  18 years for appointment as a firefighter (under the Fire Services (Appointment and Promotion) Regulations 1978);

  22 years for appointment as a probation officer (under the Probation Rules 1984);

  18 years and six months for appointment to a police force (under the Police Regulations 1995);

  18 years for appointment as an immigration officer;

  16 years for appointment as an assistant immigration officer, and

  20 years for appointment as a prison officer (this requirement is under review).

  Prisoners (Education)
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many hours were spent in education by prisoners in each financial year since 1987–88; [15986]

  (2) what estimates he has made of level of (a) numeracy, (b) literacy and (c) educational and vocational qualifications of prisoners on (i) first reception into prison and (ii) leaving prison; [15971]

  (3) how much was paid by the Prison Service to local education authorities for teaching services in each financial year since 1985–86. [15987]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for these matters 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. George Howarth, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your three recent questions about education provision in prisons.

  745
  Information on the number of hours spent in education by prisoners is not available in the form requested. Since the contracting out of prison education in 1993 the number of hours spent in education by prisoners has been collected on a calendar year basis. The total number of prisoner hours spent in education was 9.2 million in 1994, the first full year under the contract arrangements, rising to 9.4 million in 1995. The predicted hours for 1996 are expected to be similar to 1995.
  Education hours for the financial years before contracting out, as published in the Prison Service Annual Report, are set out in the attached table.
  The Prison Service has made no specific estimates of the level of numeracy, literacy or educational and vocational qualifications of prisoners on first reception into prison and on leaving prison. Since 1 January this year, all prisoners are invited to take the Basic Skills Screening Test on reception into prison. This will provide comparative data on the level of literacy and numeracy among prisoners at the beginning and end of their sentences.
  The amounts paid by the Prison Service to local education authorities for teaching services are set out in the attached table. Expenditure for 1993–94 onwards covers all education providers contracted to supply teaching services to prison establishments, not just local education authorities.

  Education hours as published in the prison service annual report 1987–1993

  Hours

  1987–88

  5.56 million

  1988–89

  6.84 million

  1989–90

  7.75 million

  1990–91

  1Not available

  1991–92

  7.55 million

  1992–93

  7.57 million

  April to December 1993

  2Not available

  1 No figure published because the disturbances of that year made returns unreliable and incomplete.

  2 Developing and implementing the contracting-out process prevented figures from being collected for this period.

  Payments by the prison service to local education authorities for teaching services in each financial year since 1985–86

  Financial year

  £000s

  1985–86

  10,849

  1986–87

  13,445

  1987–88

  14,984

  1988–89

  17,395

  1989–90

  20,235

  1990–91

  22,924

  1991–92

  26,245

  1992–93

  28,383

  1993–94

  27,628

  1994–95

  33,069

  1995–96

  33,573

  Private Employment Agencies
  Mr. Hall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the private employment agencies used by his Department and its agencies in each of the last three years for which figures are available, indicating(a) the names of the agencies, (b) the numbers employed by the agencies in work for his Department, (c) the total cost to his Department of using employment agencies and the median cost paid to the agency per person recruited and (d) the average length of contract for persons recruited via such agencies. 116177]

  Mr. Howard
  The information recorded centrally is set out below. Additional information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The information given for the agencies has been provided by the Director General of the 746
  Prison Service and the chief executives of the Passport Agency, the Forensic Science Agency and the Fire Service College.

  Home Office (excluding the Agencies)

  (a) The following employment agencies have been used by central personnel units in the last three years:

  Alfred Marks

  Belle Recruitment

  Brook Street

  Excel Recruitment

  Josephine Sammons

  Kelly Services

  Manpower

  Michael Page Finance

  Office Angels

  Purcon

  Reed Employment

  Other agencies may have been used by local managers.

  (b) This information is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  (c) The total cost to central personnel units was approximately £260,000 in 1995 and £592,000 in 1996. Additional costs may have been incurred locally. The median cost paid to the agency per person recruited could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  (d) This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The majority of agency staff used are typists and secretaries who are booked on a weekly basis as required to provide cover for staff on sick leave, maternity leave or annual leave.

  HM Prison Service

  (a) The following employment agencies have been used by the central personnel unit in the last three years:

  Account Temps

  Adecco Alfred Marks

  Badenoch and Clark

  Capita

  Certes

  DBI Associates

  Excel

  Harrison Willis

  Hays Accountancy Personnel

  Inline KPG

  Insight

  Josephine Sammons

  Manpower

  Reed Employment

  R. Page

  (b) On 17 February 1997 the following agency staff were working in the Prison Service: 16 personal secretaries, four analysts, two administrative staff, 12 accounts clerks and 19 accountants. The total number of agency staff used in a year is not recorded.

  (c) This information is not recorded centrally as costs are met from local budgets.

  (d) This information is not recorded centrally as the arrangements in each case are made by local managers.

  Passport Agency

  (a) The following agencies have been used in the last two years:

  Kelly Services

  Manpower

  Maureen Lynn RA

  747

  (b) 1995: two agency staff were used.

  1996: four agency staff were used.

  (c) The total cost was £2,603.67 in 1995 and £25,865.14 in 1996.

  (d) Agency staff have been used for periods between 11 hours and eight months.

  Forensic Science Service

  (a) The following agencies have been used in the period 199394 to 1995–96:

  Alfred Marks

  Blue Arrow

  Brook Street

  Ecco

  Excel

  Harrison Willis

  Lab Staff

  Purcon

  The information available in response to (b), (c) and (d) is as follows:

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–961

  Average number of agency staff used

  6

  23

  47

  Total cost

  £66,000

  £254,000

  £763,000

  Average length of stay (in weeks)

  31

  30

  42

  1 The establishment of the National DNA Database required a number of temporary posts at the outset which were subsequently converted to permanent positions.

  Fire Service College

  (a) The following agencies have been used in the period April 1995 to date:

  Apex

  Infomatch

  Premier (CBR)

  (b) This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  (c) The total cost in 1995–96 was £33,147 and the total cost to date in 1996-97 has been £60,157. These figures include VAT which is not recoverable as the Fire Service College has exempt status for VAT purposes.

  (d) This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Open Prisons (Foreign Prisoners)
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if convicted foreign nationals may be held in open prison. [16108]

  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. Peter Bottomley, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about whether convicted foreign nationals may be held in open prisons.
  Foreign nationals serving a sentence of imprisonment may not be held in open conditions if they are subject to removal from the United Kingdom at the end of the sentence under provisions of the Immigration Act 1971. This may be by reason of a court recommendation for deportation, a notice of intention to deport, a deportation order, a notice of illegal entry or a notice of refusal of leave to enter.

  Drug Misuse
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department has initiated to combat drugs misuse in north-west England. [16154]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Government's strategy for combating drugs misuse is aimed at reducing both the supply of and demand for illegal drugs. In support of this, 105 local drug action teams have been set up across the country; 16 of these are in the north-west. In addition, two Home Office drugs prevention teams, based in Liverpool and Salford, are working with local people and groups to find effective and lasting ways to prevent drugs misuse in the community.

  Police and Customs activity in the region has achieved notable successes. A combined operation with Dutch police resulted in the seizure last October of cocaine valued at £75 million as well as considerable quantities of heroin and Ecstasy, and the breaking up of a major international drug trafficking organisation based in the north-west of England.

  Prisons (Lancashire)
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisons there were in Lancashire in(a) 1996 and (b) 1979; [16152]

  (2) how many prisoners there were in Lancashire in (a) 1996 and (b) 1979. [16153]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for these matters 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. Nigel Evans, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the number of prisons and prisoners in Lancashire in 1996 compared with 1979.
  The Information you requested is as follows:

  1979

  1996

  Number of prisons

  6

  8

  Number of prisoners

  1,786

  3,046

  Source:

  Prison Service Annual Reports 1979 and 1995–96.

  The figures for 1979 relate to the calendar year and for 1996 to the financial year 1995–96.

  The daily average prison population for these two years was 42,220 and 51,664 respectively.

  Crime Prevention (Lancashire)
  Mr. Nigel Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policies his Department has initiated to help the police combat crime in the north-west of England since 1992. [16151]

  Mr. Maclean
  Our policies to combat crime, which benefit the north-west of England equally with the rest of the country, are to prevent offences from being committed in the first place, to help the police catch criminals, to ensure that, when caught, suspects are tried fairly and speedily, and to give the courts the powers they need to punish the guilty. This approach has involved major new
  749
  legislation: substantial changes in the criminal justice system, including the creation of new offences and the revision of penalties; the development of new measures on crime prevention; and the targeting of persistent offenders.

  In the north-west, we have increased funding for the police—by £32.29 million in 1996–97 compared with 1995–96; we have provided nearly £2 million under the last two closed circuit television challenge competitions to assist with the installation of 36 schemes; and the single regeneration budget has provided nearly £14.5 million to successful round 1 bids in the area of crime and community safety.

  Through partnership initiatives to combat crime and the steadfast work of the police, we have seen recorded crime fall in the north-west by more than 13 per cent. during the past three years for which figures are available.

  Prison Medical Service
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the expenditure(a) in cash (b) at current prices and (c) per head of prison population incurred by the prison medical service in each year since 1990 on (a) mental illness research, (b) treatment by prescription medicines for (i) tranquillisers and (ii) anti-depressants and (c) treatment of drug abuses for each year. [15233]

  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. Jim Cousins, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about expenditure by the prison medical service each year since 1990 on mental illness research, prescription medicines for tranquillisers and anti-depressants and treatment of drug abuse.
  We do not keep full central records on expenditure in the categories you ask, which could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However we estimate that around £400,000 has been spent on research relating to mental disorder in prisoners between 1990 and 1996.

  Secure Accommodation (Kirklees)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assist Kirklees metropolitan borough council in meeting the costs of providing secure accommodation for Glenn and John Howells. [16440]

  Miss Widdecombe
  The cost of accommodating juveniles remanded to local authority accommodation is entirely a matter for the local authority concerned.

  Since the conviction and sentence of Glenn and John Howells on 12 February, the cost of their detention in secure local authority accommodation has been met by the Prison Service.

  Mr. Oscar Okoye (Death)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the circumstances leading to the death of Mr. Oscar Okoye following his arrest in south London. [16414]
  750
  Mr. Maclean
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that Mr. Okoye was arrested on Friday 14 June 1996 for failing to give a specimen of breath, being suspected of driving while under the influence of alcohol and suspected assault. Mr. Okoye was seen by the custody officer at Streatham police station and then referred to a forensic medical examiner, who was concerned about the level of alcohol Mr. Okoye had consumed as he was a diabetic. Mr. Okoye was taken to St. George's hospital. He was then transferred to Atkinson Morely hospital, where a scan revealed a frontal haematoma. An operation was carried out on 18 June, which appeared at that stage to be successful. Mr. Okoye remained in hospital and died on 11 November from acute renal failure, diabetes militis and intracerebral haemorrhage.

  Stalking
  Ms Janet Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his proposed timetable for implementing the provisions contained in the Protection from Harassment Bill. [16441]

  Mr. Maclean
  The exact timetable will depend on the progress of the Bill through Parliament. I expect that there will be a short period between Royal Assent and implementation of the provisions of the Bill in England and Wales to allow for the preparation of the courts, police and other relevant agencies. It is, however, the Government's intention to implement the provisions of this Bill as speedily as possible.

  Special Secure Units
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the principal conclusions of the report by Sir Donald Acheson into the effects of the current special secure unit regime on prisoners' health; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library. [16350]

  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. Kevin McNamara, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the conclusions of the report by Sir Donald Acheson into the effects of the current special secure unit (SSU) regime on prisoners' health.
  Sir Donald's report contained the following recommendations:

  1. Given the short duration of the present regime it is premature to come to a firm conclusion on its impact on prisoners' health. We therefore advise that the general health of prisoners detained in SSUs be reviewed at regular intervals, taking into account their degree of susceptibility to psychological symptoms.

  2. A standard set of procedures applicable to all SSUs should be devised, circulated to all parties and enforced to ensure the most expeditious transfer of prisoners requiring emergency treatment to NHS hospitals.

  3. SSUs should be provided with the same level of first aid and emergency aid equipment as other wings in the prison. Personnel trained in using the equipment should be on duty in the SSU at all times.

  4. Prisoners should be held in SSUs for as short a period possible.

  751

  5. Prisoners should be informed when their cases are coming before the SSU committee and be given the opportunity to submit written representations. When feasible, an indication as to how long prisoners will be required to stay in the SSU system should be given.

  6. Sentence planning should be introduced as with other long term prisoners.

  7. More opportunities for mental stimulation and physical exercise should be provided, including the provision of meaningful activity.

  8. It is the unanimous view of the group that in the interests of health prisoners in the SSUs should have access to open visits with members of their immediate family. We believe that it should be possible for the Prison Service to devise visits which prevent the passage of unauthorised items while at the same time retaining the advantages to the prisoners of physical contact possible only in open visits. Given the logistics involved in conducting secure open visits, it is for the Prison Service to determine their frequency and management.

  9. Staff should be encouraged to form relationships with prisoners, yet remain sufficiently detached to maintain objectivity and resist being compromised.

  A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date a system for three-monthly reviews of the health of individual prisoners in special secure units was introduced; who has been asked to conduct the reviews; how many prisoner shave been examined; and if he will make a statement. [16351]

  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. Kevin McNamara, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the health reviews of prisoners in special secure units.
  A revised version f the Operating Standards for special secure units was issued on 7 January 1997. The Standards incorporated the amendments made to reflect the recommendations of the Acheson Report, including the requirement for the health of prisoners to be reviewed every three months. The first reviews will take place next month. Reviews will be undertaken by medical officers at each establishment with outside assistance where appropriate.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints about the behaviour of sniffer dogs have been made by visitors to each of the prisons containing special secure units in each of the last four years; how many of these complaints were upheld; and what action was taken as a result. [16352]

  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. Kevin McNamara, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of complaints made regarding the behaviour of sniffer dogs, by visitors to prisons containing special secure units.
  The Prison Service has received two complaints in the last four years. These complaints were fully investigated and no evidence was found to support them, consequently no further action was taken.
  752
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if consultations between prisoners held in special secure units and their legal advisers remain subject to closed visit restrictions. [16353]

  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. Kevin McNamara, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the closed visits policy for category A prisoners.
  Prison Service policy requires that exceptional risk category A prisoners have closed visits except in exceptional circumstances.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) who made the decision that category A exceptional risk prisoners held in special secure units in 1994 did not have to have movement records in category A books within the discrete area of the special secure unit; and if this decision applied to all prisoners held in the special secure unit; [16545]

  (2) what is his Department's definition of the discrete area of a special secure unit; [16546]

  (3) if the Whitemoor escape trial prisoners had category A books before their arrival at HM prison Whitemoor; [16547]

  (4) where the information, other than movement records, normally held in a category A book, was kept for those involved in the Whitemoor attempted escape; [16548]

  (5) if he will place in the Library a sample of a category A book. [16549]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for these matters 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 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions relating to the decision that category A prisoners held in the special secure unit (SSU) at Whitemoor prison did not need to have their movements within the discrete area of the SSU recorded in category A books.
  The governor of Whitemoor prison took the decision not to use category A books in the special secure unit, and this policy was applied to all prisoners in the SSU.
  The special secure unit is discrete from the rest of the prison as it is a self-contained building within its own secure perimeter inside the main prison. It contains living and cell accommodation, an exercise area, activity area and a visits facility.
  A category A book contains records of a prisoner's movement from one discrete area of the prison to another, signatures of the members of staff responsible for these movements and a photograph of the prisoner to facilitate identification. As these books were not used at Whitemoor this information was not recorded.
  Prior to their transfers to Whitemoor prison, three of the Whitemoor escape trial prisoners were subject to category A books. The remaining three were held in special units which did not use such books.
  I have arranged for a blank copy of a category A book to be placed in the Library. It is the same book as is used for prisoners on the escape list. I attach for your convenience a photocopy of the cover and of one of the pages (all of which are identical).
  755

  Whitemoor Prison (Escape)
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long each of the accused in the Whitemoor escape trial was held in a special secure unit. [16544]

  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. Kevin McNamara, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how long each of the accused in the Whitemoor prison escape trial was held in a special secure unit.
  The attached table shows how long the six prisoners involved in the attempted escape from the Whitemoor special secure unit have been held in a special secure unit.

  Number

  Name

  Date to special Number Name secure unit

  B83693

  Liam McCotter

  9 December 1988

  BR3783

  Paul Magee

  16 June 1992

  L48616

  Gilbert McNamee

  28 October 1987

  MT2485

  Liam O'Duibhir

  7 December 1990

  JA0023

  Andrew Russell

  15 April 1992

  B75880

  Peter Sherry

  24 June 1986

  Failed Prosecutions (Cleveland)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of Cleveland regarding the role played by his officers in the failure of the cases Rv. Charrington and R v. Berriman; and if he will make a statement. [15286]

  Mr. Maclean
  No. The issues raised by these cases are matters for the relevant chief constables. It would not be appropriate for me to comment or intervene.

  Consultants
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16756]

  Mr. Howard
  The use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies is not routinely monitored, since this would be incompatible with the delegated responsibility given to the governing bodies, but their use of consultants will often have been taken into account in the scrutiny of their annual budgets and business plans.

  Prisons (Education and Work Opportunities)
  Mr. Thomason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions the Minister responsible for prisons has had with(a) trade unions, (b) boards of visitors and (c) prison managers about education and work opportunities in prisons. [15304]

  Miss Widdecombe
  I have met trade union representatives and representatives of boards of visitors on a number of occasions. I have also had opportunities to discuss a range of issues including education and work 756
  opportunities with them during the 119 visits I have so far made to prison establishments. I meet prison managers frequently. I have made clear my support for the director general's guidance to governors that work and education are important elements of the prison regime.

  Anti-terrorist Legislation
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Lord Lloyd of Berwick's recommendations in the report of his inquiry into legislation against terrorism. [17353]

  Mr. Howard
  Lord Lloyd has produced a thoughtful and comprehensive set of recommendations for new permanent counter-terrorism legislation covering the whole of the United Kingdom in the event of a lasting peace being established in Northern Ireland. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I are very grateful for this work, but in the continuing absence of a lasting peace we believe that it is too early to reach a firm view on possible fundamental legislative change. We hope that there will soon be a permanent cessation of violence which would enable us to look again at the possibility of providing a new legislative framework for combating terrorism.

  The Government do, however, intend to bring forward in due course proposals to strengthen existing controls on terrorist finances, along the lines of Lord Lloyd's very helpful analysis. These proposals will include extending existing controls more widely to international terrorism.

  Prison Service Funding
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much extra funding was made available, or expenditure incurred, in respect of implementing the recommendations for the Prison Service of(a) the Woodcock report and (b) the Learmont report, so far as separately identifiable for (i) 1994–95, (ii) 1995–96 and (iii) 1996–97. [15511]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 17 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 Sir Ivan Lawrence, dated 20 February 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how much extra funding was made available, or expenditure incurred, in respect of implementing the recommendations for the Prison Service of (a) the Woodcock Report and (b) the Learmont Report, so far as separately identifiable, for (i) 1994–95 (ii) 1995–96 and (iii) 1996–97.
  The funding for 1996/97, the first year after the publication of the Learmont Report, includes money for both Woodcock and Learmont recommendations. It is not practical to separate spending on Woodcock and Learmont, as many of the measures funded by the 1996/97 provision implemented recommendations made in both reports. The figures are as follows:

  £million

  1994–95 Outturn

  1995–96 Outturn

  1996–97 Provision

  Current

  0

  114.5

  40.6

  Capital

  23.3

  236.6

  239.2

  1 Estimated outturn: Our accounting system does not separately identify current expenditure on Woodcock.

  2 Does not include fees for design work etc.

  St. Helena: UK Aid
  St. Helena: UK Aid
  NATO: Nuclear Guarantees
  NATO: Nuclear Guarantees
  NATO Enlargement: Equipment Requirements
  NATO Enlargement: Equipment Requirements
  Iraq: "Atonement" Letter
  Iraq: "Atonement" Letter
  Overseas Aid: Arms Deals
  Overseas Aid: Arms Deals
  UN: International Criminal Tribunal
  UN: International Criminal Tribunal
  Great Lakes Region
  Great Lakes Region
  Legislation Against Terrorism: Report
  Legislation Against Terrorism: Report
  Basking Shark: Protection
  Basking Shark: Protection
  English Nature: Review
  English Nature: Review
  Sevso Hoard
  Sevso Hoard
  Gas Cookers: Unlawful Supply
  Gas Cookers: Unlawful Supply
  Agriculture Council, Brussels, 17 February
  Agriculture Council, Brussels, 17 February
  EU Structural Funds: Support Areas
  EU Structural Funds: Support Areas
  Operation Warden
  Operation Warden
  Armed Forces: Personnel Strategy
  Armed Forces: Personnel Strategy
  Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency
  Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency
  Low-Flying Military Aircraft: Noise Study
  Low-Flying Military Aircraft: Noise Study
  The Army: Operational Changes
  The Army: Operational Changes