Written Answers of 20 January 1997

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Personalised Number Plates
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many personalised number plates there are in the Government car pool; and if he will list them. [11239]

  Mr. Freeman
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated under the terms of its framework document to the Security Facilities Executive under its chief executive, Mr. John King. The agency is therefore responding to the question.

  Letter from John King to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 17 January 1997:
  I have been asked by Mr. Freeman, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (who has Ministerial responsibility for the Government Car Service (GCS)), to provide you with a response to your Parliamentary Question concerning the use of personalised number plates by the Government Car Service. I am the Chief Executive of the Agency with operational responsibility for the GCS.
  I can confirm that the Government Car Service does not have any number plates which are personalised to individual users or to the GCS itself.
  We do however have one number plate which does not include a letter indicating the cars year of registration. This is used on a 15 year old Daimler Limousine which operates as part of the pool fleet. It is the only Limousine on the fleet.

TREASURY

  Labour Statistics
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the methodology used by his Department to calculate labour force statistics. [9889]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 13 January 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Dr. Kim Howells, dated 20 January 1997:
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to your recent question asking for a statement on the methodology used to calculate labour force statistics.
  The main official sources of labour market statistics are the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the Workforce in Employment (WiE) figures and the monthly unemployment claimant count. All these are published by the ONS.
  The LFS is a quarterly household survey collecting information from individuals on a wide range of labour market issues (e.g. employment, unemployment, training job-search methods). The LFS uses the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions of
  426
  labour market statuses, including unemployment, which are suitable for international comparison. A description of the LFS was published in the October 1992 Employment Gazette (page 483).
  The other regular source of employment data is the WiE series. This is a count of jobs based mainly on a survey of employers. A comparison of the LFS and WiE employment figures and methodologies was published in the January 1996 edition of Labour Market Trends (page 19).
  The other major source of unemployment data is the monthly administrative count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits. This is dependent on rules relating to benefit entitlement and is not suitable for international comparisons. The methodologies for both the claimant count and the LFS ILO unemployment measure are described and compared in the booklet How Exactly is Unemployment Measured?.
  The Government's policy on the collection and presentation of labour market statistics is set out in its Response to the Third Report from the Employment Committee Session 1995–96: Unemployment and Employment Statistics (30 October 1996).
  Copies of all the above publications are available in the House of Commons Library.

  VAT
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will personally sign future explanatory memoranda supplied to the Vote Office accompanying documents deposited there by Her Majesty's Government concerning changes in the system of value added taxes from within the European Community. [10809]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  No. Explanatory memoranda reflect the Chancellor's policy but are sometimes signed by junior Ministers within their own area of responsibility.

  Construction Industry
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reconcile the figures published by(a) the Office for National Statistics and (b) the Department of the Environment for the number of people employed in the construction industry; and what assessment he has made of the increase in productivity in the construction industry over the last 10 years. [11031]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The Office for National Statistics and the Department of the Environment expect to reconcile the figures by the end of 1997.

  The index of output per person employed is published by ONS in "Labour Market Trends". The index uses value added data from DOE and employment data from the ONS work force in employment series. The index increased by 16.4 per cent. in the 10 years to the third quarter of 1996.

  Exchange and Trading Systems and Credit Unions
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the(a) number, (b) distribution and (c) benefits of (i) local exchange and trading systems and (ii) credit unions in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [10534]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 16 January 1997]: Information about the number and distribution of local exchange and trading systems is not held centrally.

  As for credit unions, 554 are currently registered under the Credit Unions Act 1979.
  427
  This distribution is:

  England: 408

  North: 80

  North West: 118

  Yorks and Humberside: 61

  East Midlands: 12

  West Midlands: 57

  South West: 10

  South East: 62

  East Anglia: 8

  Scotland: 113

  Wales: 33.

  Personalised Number Plates
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many personalised number plates there are in the ownership of the executive agencies operated by his Department; and if he will list them. [11415]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  None.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Land
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will list the(a) total area of land administered by the Church Commissioners, (b) amount assessed as agricultural land, (c) amount of land let for the purpose of farming and (d) total number of tenant farmers; and if he will make a statement. [10519]

  Mr. Alison
  The commissioners administer land for investment in agricultural, residential and commercial property and, in addition, small areas occupied by bishops' residences. Statistics of total area are available only for agricultural land. As at 31 December 1995, the latest date for which figures are available, the commissioners owned 55,518 hectares—137,185 acres—of agricultural land; 52,788 hectares—130,438 acres—were let for the purpose of farming. For the purpose of calculating only the number of tenant farmers, the commissioners define a farm as an area of land over 20 hectares—50 acres. As at 31 December 1995, there were 371 tenanted farms.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Child Care Facilities
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if Ministers are entitled to use child care facilities supported by his Department. [11600]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  Ministers of the Crown are able to make use of the child care facilities provided by the Department.

  EC Gas Directive
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress was made towards agreeing a428
  European directive on gas liberalisation at the EU Energy Council of Minsters meeting on 3 December; and if he will make a statement. [10823]

  Mr. Page
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Smith) on 9 December,Official Report, column 30 and the hon. Member for Blaneau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 11 December, Official Report, column 274.

  Small and Medium Enterprises
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what conclusions his Department has drawn from the Grant Thornton 1996 European business survey regarding(a) the percentage of United Kingdom SME which export, (b) the figures in each European Union country and (c) the European Union average. [11229]

  Mr. Page
  I welcome the survey's findings that as many as 45 per cent. of United Kingdom SMEs export, and that the share is significantly higher in only six other European Union countries. SMEs clearly make an important contribution to Britain's position as the world's fifth largest trading nation.

  Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much has been spent to date on the prior options review of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; and from which budget these sums were paid. [11098]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 January,Official Report, columns 133–34.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many(a) United Kingdom, (b) European and (c) international committees include employees of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology as representatives of UK interests; and how many of these employees are leading the UK team on their committee; [11100]

  (2) how many (a) United Kingdom, (b) European and (c) international committees are chaired by employees of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. [11101]

  Mr. Taylor
  The staff at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology are employed by the Natural Environment Research Council. The prior options process is designed to ensure that the interests of the United Kingdom are best served by these bodies. In most cases, membership in fact reflects the professional or personal qualifications of the individual. However, information on committee membership is set out in the table.

  Chair/President

  Members

  United Kingdom

  4

  40

  European

  1

  9

  International

  3

  24

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the expected future costs of the prior options review of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; and from which budget these sums will be paid. [11099]

  Mr. Taylor
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 January,Official Report, columns 136–37.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prison Inmates (Prosecutions)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been of prison inmates during the past 12 months; what were the principal offences for which they were prosecuted; and if he will make a statement. [9937]

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is not available centrally.

  Prisoners (Custody Costs)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average cost of custody per inmate month in adult prisons in the last year for which figures are available. [10922]

  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. Alun Michael, dated 20 January 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the average cost of the custody per prisoner month in adult prisons in the last year for which figures are available.
  The average net operating cost per prisoner per month in adult male prisons in 1995–96 was £1,776. This figure includes establishments which may contain facilities for some young offenders and female prisoners. It excludes all female establishments, most of which may contain both adults and young offenders.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average cost of custody per inmate month in(a) open and (b) closed youth establishments in the last year for which figures are available. [10923]

  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. Alun Michael, dated 20 January 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the average cost of custody per prisoner month in a) open and b) closed youth establishments in the last year for which figures are available.
  The average net operating cost per prisoner per month in open youth establishments in 1995–96 was £2,071 and in closed youth establishments it was £1,730. The figure for closed establishments includes remand centres. These figures exclude all female establishments, most of which may contain both adults and young offenders.

  Non-custodial Sentences (Costs)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average monthly cost of supervision under the Children and Young Persons Acts for the last year for which figures are available; [10925]
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  (2) what was the average monthly cost of a supervision order combined with intensive, intermediate treatment or specified activities in the last year for which figures are available; [10926]

  (3) what was the average monthly cost of a probation order in the last year for which figures are available;[10929]

  (4) what was the average monthly cost of a community service order in the last year for which figures are available. [10930]

  Mr. Sackville
  Information on monthly unit costs collated from probation service returns is given in the following table:

  Estimated monthly cost per case supervised by the probation service in England and Wales, by type of order, 1995–96

  £ per case Cost

  Supervision order under the Children and Young Persons Act 1969

  180

  Probation Order

  190

  Community service order

  140

  The figure for supervision orders relates to work by the probation service, and does not cover work by social services departments. Information on supervision orders with an additional requirement is not identified separately.

  Bail Support Schemes (Costs)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average monthly cost of bail support schemes in the last year for which figures are available. [10928]

  Mr. Sackville
  Bail support schemes, which vary widely in scope and coverage, are organised and funded locally by area probation services and social services. No information is held centrally about their cost.

  Fire Service College
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the consideration given to health and safety at work issues at the Fire Service College. [11231]

  Mr. Sackville
  We are satisfied with the consideration given to health and safety at work issues at the Fire Service College. Responsibility for these matters rests with the college management, but the arrangements are monitored by professionally qualified Home Office health and safety officers, Health and Safety Executive inspectors and local authority environmental health officers.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are currently held in Her Majesty's prison establishments; and how many of them are accused of committing a crime. [11611]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  As at 11 December 1996, the latest date for which information is available, 292 persons who had sought asylum were detained in Prison Service establishments solely under Immigration Act powers. In
  431
  addition to these, a further 121 asylum seekers were detained in prisons under powers other than, or in conjunction with, those contained in the Immigration Act 1971. Information on the number of these persons who are being held on criminal charges, as opposed to those serving a court imposed sentence, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Year Against Racism
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations his Department has received in relation to the EC's Year Against Racism, and from whom. [11213]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  The Department has received many inquiries of many different kinds about aspects of the European year from a wide range of organisations and individuals and has established a database of several hundred names.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives are planned as the United Kingdom's contribution to the European Year Against Racism. [11211]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  The first major event of the year will take place on 28 January, when the Secretary of State for Employment and Education and Sir Herman Ouseley, the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, will be jointly hosting a conference to promote the business case for race equality. We shall then be launching the year formally in February. Other activities are being planned throughout the year, both by Government and by a wide range of other organisations. These are being collated into a calendar of events which will be widely disseminated in due course.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department is the lead Department for the United Kingdom's contribution to the EC's 1997 Year Against Racism. [11214]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  Yes.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations his Department has held with groups and organisations in the voluntary sector, and with local authority associations about the European Year Against Racism. [11210]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  In addition to informal contacts, we have set up a national co-ordinating committee which I am chairing personally. The committee met for the first time on 2 December and meets again on 26 February. The following organisations have been invited on to the committee: the Commission for Racial Equality; Association of County Councils; Association of District Councils; Association of Metropolitan Authorities; British Phonographic Industry; Confederation of British Industry; Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; Interfaith Network; Race for Opportunity; Runnymede Trust; SIA; Trades Union Congress; training and enterprise councils; Welsh Local Government Association; Home Office; Department for Education and Employment; Department of Health; Department of the Environment; and Northern Ireland Office. Lady Flather, the United Kingdom member of the European Union Consultative Committee on Racism and Xenophobia, is also a member of the committee.
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  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information his Department has made available with regard to the activities surrounding the EC's designation of 1997 as a Year Against Racism; and what sums have been set aside for such activity. [11212]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  I am pleased to say that the European year has generated an enormous amount of interest in the United Kingdom and my Department has responded to a large number of inquiries. We have also disseminated widely the newsletter produced by the European Commission. We are providing specific funding to the Commission for Racial Equality to run a helpline and information service for the year and the first United Kingdom newsletter will be issued very shortly to the lists of contacts collated by the Home Office and the Commission for Racial Equality.

  In addition, Government Departments will mark the year in appropriate ways, although no specific central budget has been set aside for this purpose.

  The European Commission has set aside a budget of 4.7 million ecu to stimulate action and involvement in the year. We expect the Commission to announce details shortly of how organisations in member states can apply for this funding.

  Data Protection (Registration Fees)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates he has made of the fees likely to be received from applicants for registration under the Data Protection Act 1984 in the next three financial years; and what plans he has to transform the registration fee into a tax on data users. [11238]

  Mr. Sackville
  The current estimates are:

  Financial Years

  £ million

  1997–98

  4.4

  1998–99

  6.5

  1999–2000

  4.9

  The fee has been set at a level which will ensure that the full costs of the Data Protection Registrar's activities, since the exception of her office, are met on an accruals accounting basis. Fee income for 1998–99 and 1999–2000 may be affected by changes to the registration arrangements with the implementation by October 1998 of the European Community directive on data protection. We have not yet decided the form of the new arrangements.

  Probation Service
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of expenditure in the current financial year on the probation service in(a) England and Wales and (b) Wales; and if he will express this expenditure as a percentage of expenditure on police and prisons. [11017]
  433
  Mr. Sackville
  The information requested is set out in the table:

  England and Wales

  Wales

  Current estimate of expenditure on probation service 1996–97

  £350.2 million

  £18.1 million As percentage of estimated

  As percentage of estimated expenditure on police

  9.9 per cent.

  10.4 per cent.

  As percentage of estimated expenditure on prisons

  21.3 per cent.

  1—

  1 Separate figures for expenditure on the Prison Service in Wales are not kept.

  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the expenditure of the probation service in each of the counties of Wales since 1992, indicating the annual percentage increases or decreases on the previous year's expenditure. [11019]

  Mr. Sackville
  Net specified expenditure by probation areas in Wales between 1992–93 and 1995–96, and year-on-year percentage changes are given in the table. The probation areas correspond with the pre-April 1996 counties, with the exception of north Wales, which comprises the former counties of Clwyd and Gwynedd.

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  Dyfed

  Expenditure (£)

  1,700,530

  1,845,785

  2,020,753

  2,144,641

  Percentage change on previous year

  —

  +8.5

  +9.5

  +6.1

  Gwent

  Expenditure (£)

  2,277,894

  2,456,291

  2,614,526

  2,698,153

  Percentage change on previous year

  —

  +7.8

  +6.4

  +3.2

  North Wales

  Expenditure (£)

  2,991,103

  3,166,670

  3,439,321

  3,612,692

  Percentage change on previous year

  —

  +5.9

  +8.6

  +5.0

  Powys

  Expenditure (£)

  630,889

  701,511

  782,941

  867,437

  Percentage change on previous year

  —

  +11.2

  +11.6

  +10.8

  South Glamorgan

  Expenditure (£)

  3,307,601

  3,506,904

  3,791,970

  4,023,999

  Percentage change on previous year

  —

  +6.0

  +8.1

  +6.1

  Mid Glamorgan

  Expenditure (£)

  3,474,121

  3,725.125

  3,934,732

  4,064,822

  Percentage change on previous year

  —

  +7.2

  +5.6

  +3.3

  West Glamorgan

  Expenditure (£)

  2,819,039

  3,034,418

  3,223,813

  3,307,664

  Percentage change on previous year

  —

  +7.6

  +6.2

  +2.6

  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what national standards or criteria are currently in force in determining the average case load 434
  of probation officers (a) dealing with community service orders, (b) dealing with offenders in custody and (c) dealing with supervision orders. [11021]

  Mr. Sackville
  Decisions on allocation of case load to make best use of available staff resources are matters for individual probation committees, having regard to local circumstances; and no national standards or criteria have been issued.

  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the percentage change in expenditure upon the probation service in England and Wales since 1992; and what are the equivalent figures for the police and prison services. [11018]

  Mr. Sackville
  Central Government support for the probation service in England and Wales, current and capital, between 1992–93 and 1995–96 increased by 9.6 per cent. The equivalent figures for the police and the Prison Service are 19.1 per cent. and 3.5 per cent. respectively.

  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of probation officers currently dealing directly with cases in each of the counties of Wales; and what assessment he has made of the change in the number of officers following the proposed budgets for 1997–98. [11020]

  Mr. Sackville
  The latest available published figures for the numbers of probation officers and senior probation officers1 employed by probation committees in Wales at 30 June 1996 are given in the table.

  It is for individual probation committees to determine their spending priorities, including staff numbers, in the light of the expenditure limits implied by the level of their grant support in 1997–98.

  Number

  Dyfed

  29

  Gwent

  65

  North Wales

  64

  Powys

  10

  South Glamorgan

  71

  Mid Glamorgan

  67

  West Glamorgan

  51

  1 Whole-time equivalents.

  Baboons
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many project licence applications for the use of wild-caught baboons have been approved by the Animal Procedures Committee since 1994 for research; what checks were made to ensure that these animals did not suffer unduly during trapping and transport to the United Kingdom; and what was the country of origin of these animals. [11169]

  Mr. Sackville
  Since the start of 1994, three project licences authorising the use of wild-caught baboons have been approved by the Animal Procedures Committee.

  We announced in 1995 a ban on the use of wild-caught non-human primates unless specific and exceptional justification could be made. Details of the trapping, housing and transport arrangements for any holding

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  centres must now be submitted to the Home Office before animals acquired from these sources can be used in regulated procedures.

  All the animals originated in Kenya. Following a visit by one of the animals (scientific procedures) inspectors to the holding centre concerned, many further application to use animals acquired from this source will not be considered until adequate improvements have been made to the facilities.

  Personalised Number Plates
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many personalised number plates there are in the ownership of the executive agencies operated by his Department; and if he will list them. [11416]

  Mr. Howard
  None.

ENVIRONMENT

  Health and Safety (Co-Steel)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many Health and Safety Executive inspectors have visited Co-Steel to speak to employees without management present since August 1996. [11083]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  An HSE inspector who made three visits to investigate a fatal accident which occurred on 28 September 1996 interviewed several employees without management being present. An HSE inspector who carried out an inspection on 5 December 1996 had a discussion with two employees without management being present.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to initiate an investigation into safety procedures at Co-Steel, following the withdrawal of the British Safety Council's safety award. [11082]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Health and Safety Executive carried out an inspection of Co-Steel Sheerness plc in May 1996 and were generally satisfied with the company's health and safety arrangements. However HSE is currently examining the arrangements for complying with the reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which elected workers representatives have access to documents relevant to workplace health and safety in derecognised workplaces. [11084]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Under the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996, employers who choose to consult their employees via elected representatives are required to provide the representatives with the information necessary to carry out their functions. Employers must let workers representatives see the records of work-related injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences which relate to the representatives' responsibilities.

  Derelict Land Grant (Corby)
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was paid in derelict land grant to Corby district borough council in each year since 1979. [11068]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Information about expenditure from 1979–80 to 1994–94 was given in my answer of 26 April 1995,Official Report, columns 530–31. English Partnerships paid £2,148,392 from its land reclamation programme in 1995–96. There have been no payments as yet in the current financial year, but English Partnerships expects to make a payment of £193,000.

  Landlords (Gas Appliance Safety)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to ensure that landlords comply with the amendment made to regulation 35 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1996: and if he will make a statement. [10952]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Gas safety publicity is an important plank in the Health and Safety Commission's strategy for promoting compliance by duty holders with gas safety legislation. The duties enjoined on relevant landlords by the second amendment to the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994, as amended, are the primary focus of the commission's current gas-related carbon monoxide poisoning publicity campaign.

  Enforcement of the 1994 regulations is a priority activity for the Health and Safety Executive. There was more than a tenfold increase in formal enforcement action against landlords for breaches of regulation 35A in 1995–96 compared with 1994–95. Enforcement of the 1994 regulations, including the second amendment, will continue to be a priority activity for the HSE.

  Telecommunications Masts
  Sir Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce measures to ensure(a) that the direction of all telecommunications masts is properly controlled and (b) that numbers are kept to the practical minimum in (i) Dorset and (ii) the United Kingdom. [11581]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Controls over the erection of telecommunications masts are already in place. Masts over 15 m in height require a full application for planning permission wherever they are located, as do all masts in specified protected areas. Outside these areas, licensed telecommunications operators have the right to erect masts up to 15 m in height, subject to a prior approval procedure operated by local planning authorities under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. To help minimise the number of masts, our planning policy guidance encourages mast sharing wherever practicable and licences issued under the Telecommunications Act require operators to consider this. These controls apply to England and Wales. Other controls are a matter 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.

  Ancient Hedgerows
  Mr. Donald Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the implications of the judgment in Hull county court by Judge Cracknell concerning the preservation of ancient hedgerows. [11424]

  Mr. Clappison
  In the case referred to, Mr Colin Seymour and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust obtained from Hull county court a declaration that Flamborough parish council is bound for ever by the Flamborough Inclosures Act 1765, and subsequent award under it, to maintain a particular hedge that is owned by the council. The judge heard only one side of the argument. However, his judgment illustrates that obligations arising under Inclosure Acts and awards may still be enforceable; and that, in appropriate circumstances, the court may find that a local resident has locus standi to challenge the failure of a local authority to perform them. As he pointed out, the outcome depended on the wording of the particular Inclosure Act and award, and others may be expressed differently. It would therefore be wrong to read too much into this case.

  Radioactive Waste (Disposal)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received a copy of the memorandum by John Holmes of the Nirex science department, dated 10 December 1996, concerning the outstanding scientific matters that need attention in regard to the rock characterisation facility and proposals for the disposal of radioactive wastes. [11801]

  Mr. Clappison
  Yes.

  Stockton City Challenge
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish his decision on the public inquiry into the Stockton city challenge scheme for the redevelopment of Stockton high street. [11871]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Good progress is being made in considering the inspector's report and a significant amount of post-inquiry correspondence. Some complex issues are involved which need careful consideration, and the decision will be issued as soon as it is practicable to do so.

  Christ the King School
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will(a) make a statement on and (b) announce a decision on, the application referred to him by Spelthorne borough council to divert a footpath currently running through the playground of Christ the King school, Stanwell. [10916]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The order will be decided by an inspector appointed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State following an exchange of written representations between Spelthorne borough council and the objector. The exchange of representations is complete and the inspector will visit the site before making his decision on the order.

  Building Research Establishment
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total financial allocation(a) from his Department and (b) from other Government Departments and agencies for research to be carried out by the Building Research Establishment executive agency in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 1997–98. [11268]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The total amount expected to be spent at the Building Research Establishment in 1996–97 by my Department will be in the order of £32 million.

  The Department is discussing with BRE proposed contracts for 1997–98, when it is anticipated that BRE will be in the private sector.

  In 1996–97, other Government Departments have commissioned work valued at £2.1 million. It is a matter for individual Departments to decide whether and when to let contracts to BRE in 1997–98.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the names and qualifications of the Building Research Establishment executive agency visitors. [11270]

  Mr. Jones
  The visitors of the Building Research Establishment executive agency are appointed by its chief executive, and I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from R.G. Courtney to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 16 January 1997:
  The Secretary of State for the Environment has asked me to reply to your question on the names and qualifications of the Building Research Establishment Executive Agency Visitors.
  The BRE Visitors are:
  N. Armstrong, Director, North East Region Housing Corporation
  J. B. Deal, Technical Director, Haden Young Limited
  Dr. B. C. Hutt, Chairman of the Building Group, W. S. Atkins Consultants Limited
  Professor P. E. O'Sullivan OBE, Head of the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College, London
  Dr. D. G. Anderson, Technical Director, Lambson Fine Chemicals Limited
  R. Crotty, Computer Executive, Bovis Construction Limited
  D. Kincaid, Building Management Consultant
  Professor C. L. Page, Department of Civil Engineering, Aston University
  Professor D. Bradley FRS, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds
  Dr. D. D. Drysdale, Fire Safety Engineering Unit, University of Edinburgh
  Professor T. J. Shields, Director, Fire Research and Testing Centre, University of Ulster
  Professor J. B. Burland, Professor of Soil Mechanics, Imperial College, London
  E. C. Chaplin, Company Chief Engineer, Tarmac Construction Limited
  B. W. Smith, Flint and Neill Partnership
  Professor R. Webster, Faculty of Design, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.

  I regret that we do not hold details of their qualifications.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what sources of professional advice his Department will have available after the transfer of
  439
  the Building Research Establishment executive agency to the private sector to enable his Department to arbitrate on plans for novel buildings; and if he will make a statement. [11272]

  Mr. Jones
  My Department employs its own professional officers to advise on cases referred to it under the Building Act 1984, but where appropriate advice will continue to be sought from the Building Research Establishment after its transfer to the private sector.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total amount allocated to the negotiated research programme for the Building Research Establishment executive agency for the financial year 1996–97 by his Department. [11267]

  Mr. Jones
  The total amount expected to be spent at the Building Research Establishment in 1996–97 under the negotiated construction research programme is £15.85 million.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to ensure the continuing maintenance of the Buildings Research Establishment executive agency's large building test facility at Cardington after the transfer of the agency to the private sector. [11275]

  Mr. Jones
  In response to a question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Watford (Mr. Garel-Jones) on 2 April 1996,Official Report, columns 163–64, my right hon. Friend made it clear that the Government want BRE to remain a single entity. That is the basis on which BRE is being offered for sale.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has undertaken to solicit the views of the construction industries throughout the United Kingdom regarding his intention to transfer the Building Research Establishment executive agency to the private sector; and if he will make a statement. [11280]

  Mr. Jones
  A large number of construction industry bodies were consulted as part of the review of the options for privatisation of BRE carried out by PA Consulting. In addition, three senior industry representatives were members of the advisory group which oversaw PA Consulting's work.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are being taken to ensure that those parts of the land on which the Building Research Establishment executive agency is situated which are sites of special scientific interest will be protected in the event of the transfer of the Building Research Establishment to the private sector. [11278]

  Mr. Jones
  There are no sites of special scientific interest on the sites occupied by the Building Research Establishment.
  440
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when funding for the negotiated research programme for the Building Research Establishment executive agency for the financial year 1997–98 will be allocated by his Department. [11266]

  Mr. Jones
  Within the Department the allocation for construction research programmes has been made. The Department is discussing with BRE proposed contracts for 1997–98, when it is anticipated that BRE will be in the private sector.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action is being taken to establish the nature of the waste deposited in refuse tips on land on which the Building Research Establishment executive agency is sited at Garston, and the extent of the contamination of that waste; and if he will make a statement. [11279]

  Mr. Jones
  An environmental liabilities audit was commissioned by the Department as part of the preparation for the sale of BRE. This concluded that the area of the Garston site previously used for tipping does not present a risk to the current activities.

  Knowsley Heights (Fire)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research has been carried out, and by which organisations, into building and other fire safety issues raised by the fire at Knowsley Heights in Liverpool in April 1991. [11269]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The Building Research Establishment was commissioned by the Department to investigate the fire at Knowsley Heights. This subsequently led to a programme of research by BRE into the spread of fire in relation to cladding systems, particularly those of the "rainscreen" type. The project included appraisal of some of the hygrothermal properties of cladding systems.

  Lightweight Polymer-cored Sandwich Panels
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he has commissioned to be carried out into the fire safety implications of the presence of lightweight polymer-cored sandwich panels in the food processing industry; and by which organisations this research was carried out. [11271]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Officials in my Department have been working on this question with colleagues in the Home Office who had commissioned the Building Research Establishment to undertake an initial review of the fire safety of large insulated sandwich panels. My Department will commission follow-up tests with larger specimens shortly.

  Pollutants
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research has been carried out on his behalf, and by which organisations, into pollutants in the home in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years. [11273]
  441
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  The Department of the Environment has commissioned a substantial body of research into pollutants in the home over recent years. The research contracts which have been let over the past five years, and the organisations performing these contracts, are as follows:

  Contract title

  Contractor

  Contract duration

  Indoor air quality

  Building Research

  1990–93

  Establishment

  1993–96

  1996–99

  Assessment of the risks to health and well being of occupants from exposure to various pollutants in homes

  MRC Institute for Environment and Health

  1994–99

  ALSPAC daily health diaries

  University of Bristol

  1994–95

  The siting of carbon monoxide detectors for use in domestic premises

  Building Research Establishment (joint DoE/HSE contract) 1995–97

  Size Selective Sampling of Indoor Air Quality—Exposure to Tobacco Smoke and Allergens

  AEA Technology

  1996–98

  Estimation of Personal Exposures to Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants

  University of Birmingham

  1996–98

  Stainless Steel (Swimming Pools)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research has been carried out on his behalf, and by which organisations, into the behaviour of stainless steel in swimming pool construction. [11274]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Since 1988 my Department has commissioned research at the Building Research Establishment on the risks associated with the use of stainless steel in swimming pools. The work has been carried out in collaboration with interested parties such as British Steel and the Institute of Sports and Recreation Management. BRE has published a guidance document and has provided information for several journal articles. The work has provided advice on recommended stainless steel grades, inspection and maintenance and has generally raised awareness of the issues for designers and swimming pool owners.

  Water Industry
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the responses he has received into his consultation paper on competition in the water industry; and how many were in favour of extending competition into the domestic sector. [11049]

  Mr. Clappison
  A list of responses to the consultation paper "Water—Increasing Customer Choice" is in the Library. The paper invited comments on a number of measures to extend competition. These included giving domestic customers the right to make their own connections to the water main, on which there was general support. On common carriage arrangements, our proposals related to large users of water, and we did not invite comments on extending the proposals to the domestic sector.
  442
  Mrs. Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been spent by his Department and the regulator on consultancy advice on the feasibility of extending competition in the water industry. [11050]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Department and the Office of Water Services jointly funded a report on the hydraulic, network and quality issues raised by common carriage at a cost of £21,150.

  Mrs. Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the results of his consultation exercise into extending competition in the water industry. [11051]

  Mr. Clappison
  My right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement soon about how the Government intend to proceed.

  Large Building Design (Bomb Attacks)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to reassess the current robustness requirements for large buildings, following recent bomb attacks in London and Manchester; and which organisations have acted on his behalf in assessing the damage and formulating design guidance aimed at limiting the impact of terrorist attacks. [11263]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  My Department did commission the Building Research Establishment, and others, to undertake limited investigations of the London bombings at St. Mary Axe in 1992 and at Bishopsgate in 1993, but not the Manchester incident. More detailed studies of such incidents are routinely carried out by experts in the explosives safety branch on behalf of the Home Office. Close liaison is maintained by my Department with ESB in order to monitor the performance of those buildings subjected to explosive attack. We have no plans to amend the Building Regulations to increase the resistance of buildings to bomb attack, although we have supported the development of design guidance specifically aimed at limiting the effect of explosions on buildings which are considered to be at particular risk of terrorist attack.

  British Standards Institution
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the names, qualifications and employing organisations of the Government's funded representatives on each BSI committee; and what arrangements he proposes to make for Government representation on each committee in the event of the transfer of the Building Research Establishment executive agency to the private sector. [11363]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  A list of representatives funded by the Department of the Environment of BSI committees has been deposited with the Library of the House. That list shows the information requested except the qualifications of each individual, which are not recorded centrally. The expertise of Building Research Establishment staff is expected to remain available to assist with the representation of government interests in the development of standards following the transfer of BRE to the private sector.

  Capital Challenge
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reconcile the figures for the
  443
  reductions in the provision for local authority capital approvals and capital grants by service in 1997–98 that were made to provide for the introduction of capital challenge with the estimated supplementary credit approvals to be allocated to each service under the capital challenge pilot scheme. [11650]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The information available is in a different form from that requested.

  The pool of resources for the capital challenge pilot scheme was created by transferring provision from Government Departments' budgets for support for local authority capital expenditure. Table 1 shows departmental contributions in each of the three financial years of the pilot scheme.

  Table 1

  £ million

  Department

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  2.6

  4.4

  3.5

  Department of Transport

  44.2

  74.8

  59.8

  Department of the Environment

  66.3

  108.9

  87.1

  Home Office

  3.0

  4.9

  3.9

  Lord Chancellor's Department

  1.2

  2.0

  1.6

  Department for Education and Employment

  25.4

  43.5

  34.8

  Department of Health

  7.2

  11.6

  9.3

  Totals

  150.0

  250.0

  200.0

  Columns may not sum due to rounding. Table 2 shows the estimated uptake of supplementary credit approvals by service over the three years of the pilot scheme.

  Table 2

  £ million

  Service

  Credit approvals sought by successful bids

  Education

  104.9

  Housing

  121.5

  Personal social services

  15.4

  Transport

  203.9

  Magistrates' courts committees

  7.3

  Fire and civil defence

  18.7

  Probation committees

  2.9

  Coast protection/flood defence

  1.3

  Sport and recreation

  15.0

  Economic development

  60.3

  Waste collection

  16.8

  Parks and open spaces

  10.0

  Arts and libraries

  11.6

  Other

  22.2

  Total

  611.8

  A total of £600 million is available under the capital challenge pilot scheme. Ministers have approved a slight surplus of projects since it is likely that some will not proceed according to plan.

  The services shown cannot be reconciled directly with the departmental contributions shown in table 1 since some services, for example economic development, will include the policy interests of more than one Department. The precise profiling of individual projects has not yet been agreed with authorities, and it is not therefore possible to show estimated expenditure for each service for individual financial years.

  Earth Summit
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the targets agreed at the Rio summit in 1992, indicating progress so far achieved with each of them by(a) the United Kingdom, (b) each other country for which information is readily available and (c) internationally. [10818]

  Mr. Clappison
  [holding answer 13 January 1997]: At the Rio earth summit, the Prime Minister and other world leaders agreed the Rio declaration, conventions on climate change and biodiversity, a statement of forest principles, and Agenda 21. Shortly after Rio, the United Kingdom, with other members of the European Union and the Group of Seven, adopted an action plan to give practical effect to the Rio agreements. The United Kingdom has met in full its commitments under that action plan, including the ratification of the climate change and biodiversity conventions, and the production of a national strategy for sustainable development.

  The strategy sets out measures and targets designed to promote the implementation of Agenda 21 and is monitored through annual White Papers which report on progress.

  The UN's Commission on Sustainable Development was established after Rio to monitor progress on the implementation of the Rio agreements. The United Kingdom submits annual reports to the commission, copies of which are placed in the Library. We do not keep information on other countries' progress in implementing Rio commitments.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Indonesia
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasion the British Council has provided or facilitated training for the Indonesian paramilitary or police personnel(a) in Indonesia and (b) in the United Kingdom; and if he will list the cost and content of such training and what proposals there are for future support. [10707]

  Mr. Hanley
  The British Council has provided or facilitated training for Indonesian police personnel, in Indonesia and in the United Kingdom, under non-aid-funded arrangements, in addition to its involvement, on behalf of the Overseas Development Administration, in the national police management training project in Indonesia. Details of the latter have been provided to the hon. Lady and to the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central (Mr. Jones) in earlier replies on 8 February 1995,Official Report, columns 294–95, 3 March 1995, Official Report, column 727,12 July 1995, Official Report, columns 609–12, and 16 May 1996, Official Report, columns 522–26.

  The British Council in Indonesia has provided English language training to prepare police personnel for training in Britain. This language training has been funded under the Chevening awards scheme by the diplomatic wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The number of

  445
  police trainees and associated costs over the past five years, and estimated figures for the coming financial year, are as follows:

  Year

  Trainees

  Cost (£)

  1992–93

  1

  1,000

  1996–97

  2

  2,000

  1997–98

  1

  1,500

  Figures in respect of training arranged by the British Council in the United Kingdom for these Indonesian police personnel, all under the Chevening awards scheme, are as follows:

  Year

  Trainees

  Cost (£)

  1992–93

  1

  12,000

  1996–97

  2

  29,000

  1997–98

  1

  15,000

  The four students listed have followed, or will follow, courses in police studies, business administration, banking and finance, and traffic studies.

  In 1993–94 and 1994–95 the British Council also provided English language training in Jakarta to two groups of 15 traffic police. This was fully funded under the auspices of a World bank project managed by a British consultancy company.

  The British Council has not provided for facilitated training for Indonesian paramilitary organisations.

  British Citizens (Death Sentence)
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if consular access has been granted and made to Mr. Krishna Maharaj in Florida. [11480]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  Our consular staff became aware of Mr. Maharaj's situation in October 1988. He received his first consular visit on 3 January 1989. We have been in regular touch with him ever since.

  Mr. Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens abroad his Department estimates to have been(a) sentenced judicially to death and (b) executed in the past 10 years. [11476]

  Dr. Fox
  The answer is(a) eight, and (b) four.

  Mr. Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received about the reason for the replacement of the judge who initially presided in the Florida murder trial of Mr. Krishna Maharaj. [11478]

  Dr. Fox
  The first judge was removed from the trial in order to face bribery charges in an unrelated case.

  Mr. Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens abroad outside the EU have been provided with financial resources to defend themselves or to appeal against verdict or sentence in cases that could end with judicial execution in the past 10 years. [11477]
  446
  Dr. Fox
  None.

  Mr. Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the legal options available to Mr. Krishna Maharaj; and how much time has been made available to Mr. Krishna Maharaj to present arguments to the Florida Supreme court for a new trial. [11479]

  Dr. Fox
  Mr. Maharaj is able to make use of the US post-conviction appeals process. His state appeal was heard in April 1996. The Florida Supreme court ruled in December 1996 that his case should be returned to the Miami court for an evidentiary hearing to decide whether or not he is entitled to a retrial.

  United Nations
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the United Nations regular budget in 1996 was financed by borrowing from the peacekeeping budget; and what assessment he has made of the impact of this on peacekeeping operations. [11344]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  The UN regular budget at the end of 1996 was most recently forecast to have been in deficit by $195 million—down from $198 million at the end of 1995. This end of year balance of funds was cross-borrowed from the peacekeeping budget.

  The borrowing of funds from peacekeeping budgets to meet cash shortfalls on the UN regular budget is a short-term measure and is within UN financial regulations. It has no appreciable impact in the day-to-day work of UN peacekeeping operations. We do not, however, believe that this is good accounting practice.

  Mr. Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much outstanding debt is owed to the United Nations(a) in total and (b) by the United States; how much of this is owed to the peacekeeping budget; and if he will make a statement about the financial situation of the United Nations. [11345]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  At 15 December 1996, outstanding assessed contributions to the UN totalled $2.26 billion. Of this, $1.71 billion was for peacekeeping operations. The total US debt was $1.3 billion, including $926 million for peacekeeping operations.

  We firmly believe that all UN member states including the US, must pay their dues promptly, in full and without conditions, in accordance with their legal obligation. The EU proposals for UN financial reform include penalties for late or non-payers.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review export controls and the supply of arms to Bosnia. [11587]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  In my written answer to the hon. and learned Member for Harborough (Mr. Gamier) on 15 July,Official Report, column 358, I announced continuing restrictions on UK arms exports to the states of the former Yugoslavia, in line with an EU common position. We have no plans at present to review this policy.

  Venezuela (Prisoners)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to secure the release of James Miles and Paul Loseby from custody in Venezuela. [11530]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  Our consular staff in Caracas are in regular contact with Mr. Miles and Mr. Loseby to ensure that they are treated fairly. They have provided information about local lawyers and the Venezuelan legal system. The date of their release is a matter for the Venezuelan judicial authorities.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to conclude a prisoner exchange agreement between Britain and Venezuela. [11531]

  Dr. Fox
  Yes. Steps are in hand.

  Personalised Number Plates
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many personalised number plates there are in the ownership of the executive agencies operated by his Department; and if he will list them. [11417]

  Mr. Hanley
  None.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place concerning the loss of life of asylum seekers trying to travel to European Union countries; and if he will make a statement. [11180]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  Meetings take place on a regular basis with our European Union partners to discuss asylum matters. There has been no discussion on this specific issue.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Greece concerning the reported loss of life of people trying to reach Greece by sea. [11181]

  Mr. David Davis
  None.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Domestic Air Travel
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what guidelines are issued to hon. Members about the use of air travel funded by the House of Commons within the United Kingdom; and if he will list the airlines and airports in the United Kingdom that hon. Members are able to use. [11680]

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  Hon. Members may use any United Kingdom airport or any airline appropriate to their parliamentary duties.

PRIME MINISTER

  Ministerial Visit (Indian Sub-continent)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the cost to public funds of his visit to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh; and who accompanied him on his visit. [11666]

  The Prime Minister
  I was accompanied by my wife and my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. We took 24 members of my office and other staff, 23 members of the press and 48 representatives of British industry, although not all of them accompanied us throughout the entire visit.

  Detailed cost information is not yet available. The representatives from industry and the press will, of course, be charged in the normal manner.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Millennium Exhibition
  Sir Peter Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the progress of the millennium exhibition project at Greenwich. [12056]

  Mrs. Viginia Bottomley
  My Department issued a statement on 18 January setting out the basis on which the millennium exhibition project will go ahead. The text of the statement is reproduced as follows:On 6 December last year, the Millennium Exhibition operating company, Millennium Central, submitted its proposals for a National Exhibition to the Millennium Commission. The Commissioners decided at their meeting on 11 December that an Exhibition will take place in Greenwich in the year 2000.
  At its meeting on 13 January 1997, the Commission agreed that the indicative budget now available provides a basis on which a grant of £200 million can be made. Immediate negotiations on the terms and conditions of grant will begin in parallel with the preparation of a detailed business plan and the creation of the management team. This will be done in such a way as to drive costs down.
  In addition to the Commission's grant, the Exhibition will be funded through commercial income including private sector sponsorship. The Millennium Commission has a target of £150 million for sponsorship, of which more than half has been identified. Entrance charges will be set at a level which allows as many people as possible to attend but which also maximises revenue.
  The operational targets for visitor numbers and income for the Exhibition are, of course, estimates and will remain so, even when the detailed business plan is prepared. The Government will expect the business plan to be delivered within the indicative budget and will keep progress under continuous review to ensure that a first class exhibition is delivered at Greenwich in the most cost effective way. Nevertheless, the Government has taken the view that the Commission should have provision to cover variations from the estimates in the plan without prejudicing its existing grant programmes and the possibility of a fourth round of capital projects.
  The National Lottery etc. Act of 1993 allows for money from the National Lottery to be channelled to the Millennium Commission only until 31 December 2000, although that period may be extended by Order. An Order will accordingly be brought forward to extend the funding life of the commission for one year. Millennium Central understands that should the need for provision to cover variations arise, it will be required to make a new application to the Commission for this purpose. But any such application will only be made for contingencies and inflation which at present cannot be predicted and both the Government and Opposition agree that everything possible must be done to keep within the existing budget.

  449
  The Government is putting in place the normal public sector procedures necessary to monitor and review a project of this sort. No public expenditure will be committed to the Exhibition beyond that which will be made available to English Partnerships to acquire and prepare the site.
  The Government has decided that the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Mr. Roger Freeman, should assume responsibility for Millennium Central. It would not be right for the Secretary of State for National Heritage to take this role in view of her position as Chairman of the Millennium Commission. To do so would also fetter her discretion as Secretary of State to act properly under the terms of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. Mr. Freeman will be advised by the Department of National Heritage. He will be the company's shareholder and will appoint its Board members and be answerable to Parliament for its performance.
  The Government is also pleased to announce that Robert Ayling, Chief Executive of British Airways, is to be Chairman of Millennium Central and that Jennifer Page, currently Chief Executive of the Millennium Commission, will be Chief Executive of the company.
  The Government has discussed the Millennium Commission's plans in detail with the Opposition, who are represented on the Commission. The Opposition remain enthusiastic about the proposed exhibition at Greenwich. They will want, if elected, to review all aspects of the project delivery, to ensure it is cost effective and properly implemented, so that it will come within the existing budget. The Government is pleased that the Shadow Heritage Secretary, Dr. Jack Cunningham, who has supported the plan for a National Exhibition from the start, has agreed the terms of this announcement.
  A National Exhibition should be a landmark in the lives of British people; it should be an event of which the whole country can be proud and which other nationals will admire, and be a worthy successor to the 1851 Great Exhibition and the 1951 Festival of Britain. The decontamination and regeneration of the 300-acre Greenwich Peninsula—the largest single derelict site in Southern England, just six miles for Westminster—will be one of the great legacies of the event. Five thousand people will work to build the Exhibition. The associated national programme will involve the whole country in the celebration of the Millennium. This will be an exhibition for the whole nation.

  Historic Buildings (Advice Charges)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what sources of advice on the reduction of fire risks in historic buildings are currently available to her; and if she will list the amount paid in charges for such advice for each of the last three years. [11282]

  Mr. Sproat
  There are number of sources of advice available to me including: Sir Alan Bailey's report, "Fire Protection Measures for the Royal Palaces", produced in May 1993; and the National Research Co-ordinating Committee for Fire Safety in Historic Buildings, on which most organisations with an interest in fire safety in heritage buildings are represented. Advice has also been sought from Lawrence Webster Forrest/Klimat, International Fire Consultants, Warrington Fire Research, C. S. Todd and Associates and the Building Research Establishment. Over the last three years, the following amounts have been paid in charges for such advice: 1993–94—£52,000; 1994–95—£109,000; 1995–96— £163,000.

  In addition, English Heritage operates a technical research programme which can include research into the reduction of fire risks in historic buildings. The results of that research are generally made available to the public either free or at a small price.
  450
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what sources of advice on the protection of stone in historic buildings are currently available to her; and if charges are made for such advice. [11281]

  Mr. Sproat
  English Heritage, in consultation with the Building Research Establishment, operates a technical research programme which can encompass research into the protection of stone in historic buildings. The results of such research are generally made available to the public either through leaflets or through publications. The former tend to be free; the latter tend to be at a small charge. English Heritage also offers guidance on technical issues on request, for which a charge is not levied.

DEFENCE

  Malathion
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what clinical assessments have been conducted by or on behalf of his Department on the health effects of malathion powder containing organophosphates. [10634]

  Mr. Soames
  None.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what licensing procedures apply in respect of use of malathion by British armed forces. [10640]

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 13 January 1997]: Malathion-based dusting powder has been discontinued and replaced in the inventory of UK armed forces by coopex powder, a pyrethroid-based pesticide. Residual stocks of the malathion-based dusting powder are being disposed.

  Post-viral Fatigue Syndrome
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what data have been collected by his Department in each year since 1979 on the occurrence of post-viral fatigue syndrome or related illness contracted by environmental health assistants serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps. [10891]

  Mr. Soames
  Data on post-viral fatigue syndrome are not collected in this form.

  Gulf War Syndrome
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary for Defence what assessment his Department's research into Gulf war syndrome made of the possible linkage between the use of vaccines against hepatitis B and post-viral fatigue syndrome manifested in Gulf war veterans. [10894]

  Mr. Soames
  My Department has made no specific assessment of the possible linkage between the use of vaccines against hepatitis B and post-viral fatigue syndrome manifested in Gulf war veterans.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department's inquiry into Gulf war syndrome has made of articles published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association"; and what is his policy on reviewing American publications on post-Gulf war illness. [11028]
  451
  Mr. Soames
  My Department is currently assessing the four articles and editorial on the health of US Gulf war veterans which were published in the 15 January edition of the "Journal of the American Medical Association". We continue to monitor articles on Gulf health issues in American publications, reviewing them and conducting detailed assessments as medical staff consider appropriate. The Medical Research Council has also agreed to review research carried out or in progress in the US on our behalf, in order to establish its relevance to UK Gulf health issues.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of the vaccines provided for use by personnel who served during the conflict with Iraq included anti-malarial agents. [11292]

  Mr. Soames
  None of the vaccines provided for use by the personnel who served in the Gulf during the conflict with Iraq included anti-malarial agents.

  Diazinon
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what examination his Department's research into Gulf war syndrome undertook of the transitional breakdown products of the pesticide, diazinon; and what externally produced research papers on this pesticide have been evaluated by his Department. [10898]

  Mr. Soames
  My Department has not undertaken any research into the health effects of pesticides containing diazinon. As was stated in the report of the organophosphate pesticide investigation team, paragraph 3.D.31, there is a possibility that during deployment to the Gulf in 1990–91 a small number of personnel could have used a pesticide containing diazinon, which was purchased locally, for a limited period. As far as the Department is aware, these are the only circumstances under which British forces may have used a pesticide containing diazinon. The Ministry of Defence has not evaluated any externally produced research papers on diazinon.

  Ballistic Missiles
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to develop technology-based defence against ballistic missile attack. [11029]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  We are currently assessing whether we have a national requirement for ballistic missile defence, taking into account risks posed by ballistic missiles and evaluating the options for responding to these risks.

  Naval Helicopters (Training)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many departures from the agreed flight plan of naval helicopters on training flights occurred in each year since 1992. [11527]

  Mr. Soames
  This information is not available. Military aircraft are not required to file flight plans other than if transmitting through civil controlled airspace. Departures from a sortie plan can occur for a variety of emergency, operational or air traffic control reasons.

  Duke of York (Helicopter Flight)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the flight path and the stopping-off places of the naval helicopter which carried the Duke of York on a training flight on 13 November 1996. [11520]

  Mr. Soames
  The aircraft left its home base at Portland, delivered a flight crew to the royal naval auxiliary yard Fleetlands, Gosport and then proceeded to collect HRH the Duke of York at Sunningdale while carrying out navigation training in the London helicopter route. A visit to Cowarth Park school was then undertaken during this training and after HRH was returned to Sunningdale the aircraft proceeded to RAF Manston for a military exercise.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who was responsible for agreeing the flight plan of the helicopter which carried the Duke of York on 13 November 1996. [11518]

  Mr. Soames
  The sortie was fully planned and authorised through the normal chain of command at the royal naval air station, Portland.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the training flight of the naval helicopter which carried the Duke of York on 13 November 1996. [11519]

  Mr. Soames
  The cost of individual flights is not routinely recorded. The cost of the helicopter training flight which carried HRH the Duke of York on 13 November was accommodated within overall annual training hours and fuel allocations.

  Child Care Facilities
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Ministers are entitled to use child care facilities supported by his Department. [11598]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  Ministers of the Crown are eligible to make use of the child care facilities provided by the Department. If use were made of my Department's child care facilities by my ministerial colleagues or by me, we would expect to pay the full non-subsidised cost of the care provided.

  Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress is being made to clean up the North Ponds area at AWE Aldermaston; and if he will make a statement. [11482]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The North Ponds area receives surface water from within the Aldermaston site. Radiological levels are within limits set by the Environment Agency and other regulatory bodies. The area is being remodelled as part of a scheme to improve water management at Aldermaston, with completion expected next year. Some decontamination work will then be needed.

  Nuclear Co-operation
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many requests have been made by the
  453
  United States of America for permission to transfer nuclear weapons information of British provenance to France since 1967. [11536]

  Mr. Soames
  We are not aware of any official requests for the transfer of nuclear weapons information under the 1958 agreement.

  Defence Police (Highlands and Islands)
  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number and location of his Department's police within the Scottish highlands and islands. [11898]

  Mr. Soames
  This is a matter for the chief constable/chief executive of the Ministry of Defence Police agency. I have asked the chief constable/chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from W. E. E. Boreham to Mr. Charles Kennedy, dated 20 January 1997:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number and location of Ministry of Defence Police officers located in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, as this falls into my area of responsibility as Chief Constable/Chief Executive of the Ministry of Defence Police Agency.
  There are no Ministry of Defence Police officers stationed in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

  Sunken Ships
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a list of sunken ships which are listed as war graves indicating their approximate location. [12016]

  Mr. Soames
  Consideration of whether a sunken ship falls to be considered as a war grave, as now defined in the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, has been on a case-by-case basis. It has not in the past proved necessary to compile a list of such vessels, and to do so now would be possible only at disproportionate cost.

  Naval Vessels (Assistance)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions are given to United Kingdom naval vessels regarding the assistance to be rendered when there is danger to life on the high seas in a non-combat situation. [11183]

  Mr. Soames
  The United Kingdom abides by customary international law, which recognises the requirement to render humanitarian assistance on the high seas whenever possible. This requirement is enshrined in the Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy, as well as in a number of other standing instructions and general guidance. All officers in command of Her Majesty's ships, vessels and establishments are required to observe and obey these regulations, and to ensure that their ships' companies do the same.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  European Union Aid
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of the European Commission directorates concerned with the 454
  dispersal of aid have underspent in each of the past five years; for what reasons such underspend occurred; and what measures have been taken in response. [10971]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  All European Community external assistance directorates—Directorates-General VIII, DG, IA, DG, IB, and the EC Humanitarian Office, ECHO—have underspent against their initial annual budget in each of the five years 1991 to 1995 inclusive, except ECHO in 1991, 1992 and 1994 and DGIA in 1993 and 1994.

  There are a number of reasons for the persistent underspending: over-ambitious increases in the external assistance budgets; weaknesses in forecasting systems; and insufficient staffing.

  The UK Government consistently argue for both realism and restraint during EC budgetary negotiations. We are working with the Commission to improve its forecasting systems. We continue to press the Commission to address staffing issues. We also second ODA staff to Brussels and EC delegations to help improve aid delivery systems.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he is taking to increase the amount and percentage of European Union aid funds that are channelled through British non-governmental organisations. [10970]

  Dr. Fox
  The Government press for fair competition for all European Community development co-operation spending, in order to ensure both value for money and effectiveness. British non-governmental organisations are extremely effective and well placed to benefit from this approach.

  Consortium for Street Children
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the projects of the Consortium for Street Children funded by the aid programme in 1995 and 1996 and the level of funding given; and if he will list the projects, and their cost, to be supported in 1997, 1998 and 1999, or the level of funding to be offered in these years if specific projects have not yet been agreed. [11248]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  ODA has supported the following projects:Production of a resource directory: £30,000 spread over two financial years 1994–95 and 1995–96;
  Pilot project on girl street children: £16,100 in 1995–96; and legal handbook: £12,000 in 1996–97.

  Outline proposals for 1997–98 are under consideration. The director of the Consortium for Street Children is aware that ODA cannot make multi-year commitments.

  Indonesia
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at what locations in eastern Indonesia and East Timor reception tests were carried out to test the effectiveness of the transmitters installed under the shortwave radio transmitters project. [11645]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  Reception tests were carried out by the Indonesian authorities. Neither the Overseas Development Administration nor the UK contractor has information regarding the locations at which tests were carried out.
  455
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department had with the Government of Portugal regarding the developmental benefits to East Timor of the regional physical planning programme for transmigration, the national overview of land resources, and the regional physical map improvement and training projects in Indonesia. [11649]

  Dr. Fox
  None.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of the Radio Republic Indonesia reports which his Department used to assess the developmental value of the radio studies rehabilitation project in Indonesia. [11646]

  Dr. Fox
  No such reports are on file. The assessment was carried out by an appraisal team which visited Indonesia in September and October 1985.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Pardes House and Beis Yaakov School
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she received an application for grant-maintained status from the Pardes House and Beis Yaakov school; and when she expects to determine it. [11208]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Department received the application from the Pardes House and Beis Yaakov School on 20 September 1996. A decision on the application will be made as soon as possible.

  Science Studies
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what assessment she has made of the reasons why so many young people cease to continue science studies after 16 years of age; [10958]

  (2) what plans she has in respect of the science education at age over 16, for those who do not plan a career in a science-related job. [10959]

  Mrs. Gillan
  It is of course ultimately for young people after 16, in consultation with their schools and colleges, to choose the right subjects for them. The Department undertook a review in 1994 on the supply and demand of newly qualified young people in mathematics and science. Most recently, Sir Ron Dearing's report last year on 16 to 19 qualifications made several recommendations on increasing take-up and achievement in both mathematics and the sciences. The joint committee of the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority and the National Council for Vocational Qualifications has been taking forward work on those recommendations. My right hon. Friend will of course consider carefully any further advice and specific proposals for action they make.

  Back-to-work Measures
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures have been introduced since 1992 to help the long-term unemployed back to work; and what assessment her Department has made of their effectiveness. [10963]
  456
  Mr. Forth
  Since 1992, new jobs have been created and unemployment has fallen. There is clear evidence that our labour market is now more flexible and working more effectively. The UK is the only major European country with unemployment below 2 million, and long-term unemployment has fallen consistently for almost three years.

  The Government's labour market policies have sought to build on this progress, and to help long-term unemployed people in particular to compete successfully for the jobs becoming available. Through the introduction of the jobseeker's allowance, Employment Service advisers can now spend more time helping each individual jobseeker. We have also introduced a number of measures to improve incentives to work, and we have maintained year by year the level of 1.5 million opportunities for unemployed people in employment and training programmes.

  We have kept the range of employment and training programmes under continual review, and since 1992 have introduced a number of new measures designed to do more to help long-term unemployed people back to work. New programmes for those unemployed for one year or more have included: 1-2-1, jobplan workshops, workwise—worklink in Scotland—restart courses and the jobfinder's grant. A number of other measures have also been piloted.

  The Department's programmes and pilot programmes are fully evaluated, and evidence on the comparative effectiveness of individual measures has been used to improve the balance of provision for long-term unemployed people.

  In his November Budget statement, my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a new package of employment measures to help people who have been unemployed for two years or more. We are extending project work: from February, a total of 31 project work pilots will provide help for up to 100,000 people. In addition, a new contract for work pilot initiative will explore ways in which the talents of the private sector might be used to help more very long-term unemployed people back to work.

  From April, under a new jobfinder programme, people reaching two or more years unemployment will benefit from an intensive series of one-to-one interviews with an Employment Service adviser which will focus on helping the individual jobseeker back to work. We will also be making the jobmatch programme—which helps people to leave unemployment for a part-time job—available nationally to those aged under 25 who have been unemployed for two years or more; and, within the existing training for work programme, there will be new opportunities for long-term unemployed people whose job prospects can best be increased through training designed to improve their basis skills.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many(a) schools,

  457
  (b) primary schools and (c) secondary schools there are in England; and how many schools have (i) held ballots to decide whether or not to opt out of local education authority control and (ii) decided to opt out of local education authority control; and what are (i) and (ii) as a percentage of (a), (b) and (c) for England for each year since 1990 [11356]

  All schools

  Primary schools

  Secondary schools

  Year

  Percentage of schools holding ballots

  1Percentage of ballots resulting in yes vote

  Percentage of schools holding ballots

  Percentage of ballots resulting in yes vote

  Percentage of schools holding ballots

  Percentage of ballots resulting in yes vote

  1990

  0.2

  78.2

  0.0

  0.0

  1.4

  79.6

  1991

  1.1

  78.7

  0.5

  76.6

  4.6

  79.8

  1992

  1.7

  78.3

  0.6

  79.8

  8.0

  77.8

  1993

  2.3

  74.9

  1.6

  77.6

  6.3

  71.3

  1994

  0.9

  55.8

  0.7

  63.8

  1.9

  37.1

  1995

  0.4

  59.6

  0.3

  61.1

  0.8

  46.7

  1996

  0.5

  63.0

  0.4

  62.8

  0.9

  50.0

  1 Figures for all schools include special schools and grant maintained schools in each year but exclude nursery schools, which are not eligible for GM status. Special schools became eligible in 1993.

  Mr. Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the grant-maintained schools which have sought her approval for a change of character(a) by extending the age range of pupils for which the school provides and (b) by selecting pupils according to aptitude or ability, stating in each case, whether their application has been successful. [11431]

  Mr. Squire
  The following table lists grant-maintained schools which have published statutory proposals either to extend the age range of the school or to select pupils by ability or aptitude, and whether the proposals were accepted or rejected.

  LEA area

  School name

  Proposals to add or extend a sixth form Approved

  Birmingham

  Baverstock GM school

  Birmingham

  Bishop Challoner school

  Birmingham

  Small Heath school

  Cambridgeshire

  Sawtry village college

  Derbyshire

  The Merrill community school

  Derbyshire

  Chellaston school

  Derbyshire

  Heanor Gate GM school

  Derbyshire

  Woodlands community school

  Derbyshire

  West Park community school

  Derbyshire

  Friesland GM school

  Derbyshire

  Noel Baker community school

  Dorset

  Budmouth technology college

  Dudley

  Ellowes Hall GM school

  Essex

  West Hatch school

  Essex

  Beauchamps GM school

  Essex

  Bromfords school

  Essex

  Chalvedon school

  Essex

  The King John school

  Essex

  The Greensward school

  Essex

  The Philip Morant GM technology college

  Essex

  St. Thomas More high school for boys

  Essex

  The King Edmund school

  Essex

  Furtherwick park

  Gloucestershire

  Cheltenham Kingsmead school

  Gloucestershire

  Balcarras school

  Hampshire

  Ringwood school

  Hampshire

  The Arnewood school

  458
  Mr. Forth
  In January 1996, there were 23,265 primary, secondary and special schools in England, of which 18,480 were primary and 3,594 secondary. Some 1,744 schools have balloted parents on whether to seek grant-maintained status; 1,297 ballots have resulted in a yes vote. The following table sets out the proportion of schools holding ballots and voting yes in each year since 1990.

  LEA area

  School name

  Hampshire

  The Burgate school

  Hampshire

  Hardley school

  Hampshire

  Bay House school

  Hampshire

  Applemore technology college

  Havering

  The Frances Bardsley school

  Kent

  The Cornwallis school

  Kent

  The Maplesden Noakes school

  Kent

  Angley school

  Kent

  Thamesview school

  Kent

  Hayesbrook school

  Kent

  Northfleet school for boys

  Kent

  Pent Valley school

  Kent

  The Malling school

  Kent

  Senacre technology school

  Kent

  St. George's CE high school

  Kent

  Oldborough Manor community college

  Kent

  Aylesford school

  Kent

  Wrotham school

  Kent

  Herne Bay high school

  Kent

  Sandwich high school

  Kent

  Meopham school

  Kent

  Brockhill Park GM school

  Lambeth

  La Retraite RC girls' GM school

  Lincolnshire

  William Fair CE school

  Lincolnshire

  St. Peter and St. Paul school

  Lincolnshire

  Gleed Girls

  Lincolnshire

  Monks Dyke school

  Norfolk

  Sheringham high school

  Norfolk

  Costessy high school

  Nottinghamshire

  Greenwood Dale GM school

  Rochdale

  Wardle high school

  Sandwell

  Heathfield GM school

  Surrey

  Heathside school

  Tameside

  Audenshaw high school (GM)

  Trafford

  New Wellington GM CTC high school

  Waltham Forest

  Chingford GM school

  Waltham Forest

  Higham Park school

  Warwickshire

  Queen Elizabeth school

  Wiltshire

  St. Augustine's RC GM school

  Wolverhampton

  Moseley Park GM school

  Rejected

  Birmingham

  Ninestiles GM school

  Cambridgeshire

  The Queen's school

  459

  LEA area

  School name

  Cambridgeshire

  Comberton village college

  Croydon

  Riddlesdown GM high school

  Derbyshire

  Noel Baker community school

  Dorset

  Highcliffe school

  Essex

  The Thorpe Bay high school

  Essex

  The Philip Morant school

  Essex

  The King Edmund school

  Gloucestershire

  Pittville school

  Gloucestershire

  St. Benedict's school

  Hampshire

  Bay House school

  Hampshire

  Testwood school

  Hereford and Worcester

  The Blessed Edward Oldcorne school

  Hertfordshire

  Hockerill school

  Kent

  Aylesford school

  Kent

  Meopham GM school

  Kent

  The Montgomery school

  Kent

  Wrotham school

  Kent

  Senacre technology school

  Kent

  Thamesview school

  Kent

  Oldborough manor school

  Lincolnshire

  Gleed Girls' school

  Lincolnshire

  Castle Hills GM school

  Lincolnshire

  Sir William Robertson GM school

  Lincolnshire

  The Giles school

  Norfolk

  Cromer high school

  Norfolk

  Great Yarmouth GM high school

  Norfolk

  Lynn Grove high school

  Norfolk

  Acle high school

  Norfolk

  Flegg high school

  Rochdale

  Hollingsworth high school

  Shropshire

  Abraham Darby school

  Sandwell

  Heathfield high school

  Surrey

  Winston Churchill school

  Trafford

  The New Wellington school

  Waltham Forest

  Higham Park school

  Proposals to add or extend a nursery Approved

  Berkshire

  Holy Family RC school

  Berkshire

  Castleview combined school

  Bexley

  Barnehurst infant school

  Cambridgeshire

  The Park Lane GM primary

  Cumbria

  Flookburgh CE GM primary

  Cumbria

  Dalton St. Mary's CE school

  Cumbria

  Broughton GM primary school

  Cumbria

  Eaglesfield Paddle CE GM

  Cumbria

  Beaconside infant school

  Cumbria

  Warwick Bridge GM primary

  Dudley

  Alder Coppice GM primary

  Ealing

  Three Bridges school

  Ealing

  Montpelier school

  East Riding

  Wold Newton GM primary

  Essex

  Katherines primary school

  Essex

  Northwick Park infant school

  Essex

  Eastwood infant school

  Essex

  Chase Lane GM primary school

  Essex

  Prince Avenue primary school

  Essex

  Leverton infant school

  Essex

  Milton Hall primary school

  Gloucestershire

  Robinswood primary school

  Hertfordshire

  Cuffley primary school

  Kensington and Chelsea

  Our Lady of Victories school

  Kent

  Holy Trinity CE primary

  Lambeth

  St. Bede's RC infant school

  Lincolnshire

  Old Leake school

  Lincolnshire

  Bourne Abbey (GM) primary

  Norfolk

  Dersingham First school (GM)

  Norfolk

  Loddon First school

  Norfolk

  Gresham village school

  Northants

  Woodnewton Way infant school

  Sutton

  All Saints CE primary school

  460

  LEA area

  School name

  Warwickshire

  Dunchurch First school

  Warwickshire

  Ash Green GM school

  Rejected

  Buckinghamshire

  Brookmead school

  Buckinghamshire

  Overstone GM combined school

  Cambridgeshire

  The Park Lane GM primary

  Cambridgeshire

  Orton Wistow primary school

  Cheshire

  St. Wilfrids RC GM school

  Cheshire

  Mottram St. Andrew's school

  Cumbria

  St. Paul's CE GM school1

  Cumbria

  Bowness on Solway GM primary

  Derbyshire

  Wiliam Gilbert school

  East Riding

  Barmby Moor school

  Lincolnshire

  Washingborough GM school

  Lincolnshire

  St. Andrews CE GM primary

  Northamptonshire

  Millbrook GM infant school

  Surrey

  The Manor First school1

  Surrey

  Hawkedale First school1

  Surrey

  Send CE GM school

  Wiltshire

  Studley Green GM primary

  Proposals for other change of age range Approved

  Berkshire

  Herschel GM grammar school

  Berkshire

  Langley GM grammar school

  Berkshire

  Slough GM grammar school

  Berkshire

  Cippenham middle school

  Berkshire

  The Westgate school

  Ealing

  Wood End middle school

  Ealing

  Wood End first school

  Ealing

  Drayton Manor high school

  Ealing

  Northolt high school

  Ealing

  Greenford high school

  Ealing

  Brentside high school

  Hampshire

  Hardley school (GM)

  Hampshire

  The City of Portsmouth Boys' school

  Hampshire

  Testwood school

  Hampshire

  Front Lawn middle school

  Hampshire

  Purbrook park school

  Hampshire

  Calmore middle school

  Hampshire

  Abbotswood middle school

  Hampshire

  Lyndhurst middle primary school

  Merton

  Ursuline convent school

  Surrey

  Glyn school

  Surrey

  Rosebery secondary school

  Surrey

  The Beacon secondary school

  Surrey

  Send CE first school (GM)

  Surrey

  Collingwood GM school

  Surrey

  Epson and Ewell high school

  Surrey

  Guildford county school

  Surrey

  Park Mead first school (GM)

  Surrey

  Yattendon middle school

  Warwickshire

  Queen Elizabeth GM school

  Warwickshire

  Dunchurch first school

  Warwickshire

  Rugby high school

  Warwickshire

  Hartshill school

  Warwickshire

  Myton school

  Warwickshire

  Ash Green GM school

  Warwickshire

  Middlemarch middle school

  Warwickshire

  Dunchurch first school

  Rejected

  Lincolnshire

  King Edward VI school

  Sheffield

  Clifford first school

  Warwickshire

  Ash Green school

  Proposals to select pupils by aptitude or ability Approved

  Barnet

  Queen Elizabeth Boys' school

  Barnet

  Mill Hill county high school

  Berkshire

  Reading Girls school

  461

  LEA area

  School name

  Bromley

  Hayes school

  Cumbria

  Queen Elizabeth grammar school1

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  London Oratory School

  Hertfordshire

  Watford Grammar school for girls

  Hertfordshire

  Watford Grammar school for boys

  Hertfordshire

  Parmiters school

  Hertfordshire

  Rickmansworth school

  Hertfordshire

  Chancellors school

  Kent

  Chaucer technology school

  Kingston

  Holy Cross school

  Lambeth

  Archbishop Tenison's GM school

  Lambeth

  St. Martin in the Fields high school

  Lambeth

  Dunraven GM school

  Surrey

  Roseberry GM girls' school

  Wandsworth

  Graveney GM school

  Wandsworth

  Burntwood school

  Rejected

  Hertfordshire

  The Bishop's Stortford high school

  Kent

  The Westlands school

  Kirklees

  Castle Hall GM school1

  Lambeth

  Dunraven GM school

  Surrey

  Glyn ADT GM technology school

  Sutton

  Cheam high school

  1 For these schools there were also simultaneous proposals for other changes of age range.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many job vacancies were advertised in the(a) Kilwinning and (b) Irvine job centres in each of the past six months; and how many people were registered as being unemployed during these periods in the parliamentary constituency of Cunninghame, South. [11334]

  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. Brian H. Donohoe, dated 20 January 1997:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of job vacancies advertised in the Kilwinning and Irvine Jobcentres in each of the last six months; and how many people were registered as being unemployed during these periods in the parliamentary constituency of Cunninghame South. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  For ease of reference I have attached, as Annex 1, a breakdown of the number of vacancies advertised in Kilwinning and Irvine Jobcentres over the last six months.
  In answer to the second part of your question I have listed below the total number of unemployed claimants registered in the Cunninghame South constituency over the last six months.

  December 1996: 2,995

  November 1996: 2,926

  October 1996: 3,109

  September 1996: 3,225

  462

  August 1996: 3,585

  July 1996: 3,501

  I hope this is helpful.

  Vacancies notified to Kilwinning Jobcentre

  December 1996: 95

  November 1996: 84

  October 1996: 159

  September 1996: 287

  August 1996: 146

  July 1996: 174

  Vacancies notified to Irvine Jobcentre

  December 1996: 370

  November 1996: 441

  October 1996: 302

  September 1996: 376

  August 1996: 281

  July 1996: 345

  Surplus School Places
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if she will list the proportion of school places in each English county which her Department has identified as surplus in each of the last three years in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools; [11354]

  (2) if she will list the proportion of surplus places in each county in the last three financial years in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools. [11355]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information available is given in the following table. The Department's figures on surplus places represent a snapshot of the position each January and were first collected in 1994. Figures for January 1996 are not yet available.

  Percentage of surplus places in the English Counties (excluding GM schools in stage 1 authorities) at January 1994 and January 1995

  Percentage

  Primary

  Secondary

  1994

  1995

  1994

  1995

  Isles of Scilly

  27

  30

  65

  63

  Avon

  9

  8

  18

  18

  Bedfordshire

  15

  15

  17

  15

  Berkshire

  9

  8

  14

  11

  Buckinghamshire

  17

  13

  8

  8

  Cambridgeshire

  13

  10

  7

  5

  Cheshire

  15

  15

  12

  12

  Cleveland

  12

  11

  19

  16

  Cornwall

  8

  8

  8

  4

  Cumbria

  14

  12

  17

  13

  Derbyshire

  13

  12

  16

  14

  Devon

  10

  10

  7

  6

  Dorset

  7

  8

  9

  8

  Durham

  14

  14

  18

  15

  East Sussex

  12

  10

  10

  8

  Essex

  12

  9

  16

  15

  Gloucestershire

  13

  12

  10

  8

  Hampshire

  13

  13

  12

  7

  Hereford and Worcester

  11

  11

  15

  12

  Hertfordshire

  16

  13

  17

  16

  Humberside

  13

  12

  16

  15

  Isle of Wight

  5

  6

  10

  10

  Kent

  11

  9

  15

  13

  Lancashire

  9

  9

  13

  11

  463

  Percentage of surplus places in the English Counties (excluding GM schools in stage 1 authorities) at January 1994 and January 1995

  Percentage

  Primary

  Secondary

  1994

  1995

  1994

  1995

  Leicestershire

  10

  9

  15

  14

  Lincolnshire

  13

  13

  12

  11

  Norfolk

  11

  10

  9

  8

  North Yorkshire

  14

  13

  13

  10

  Northamptonshire

  9

  8

  11

  11

  Northumberland

  21

  21

  11

  10

  Nottinghamshire

  14

  11

  25

  22

  Oxfordshire

  17

  12

  16

  15

  Shropshire

  12

  11

  17

  8

  Somerset

  7

  6

  11

  10

  Staffordshire

  20

  14

  7

  6

  Suffolk

  10

  9

  11

  10

  Surrey

  11

  10

  11

  6

  Warwickshire

  15

  14

  21

  18

  West Sussex

  12

  9

  13

  13

  Wiltshire

  14

  14

  14

  12

  Shire Counties

  13

  11

  14

  12

  All England

  12

  11

  14

  12

  Education Spending
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the education component of standard spending assessment and actual

  New entrant to initial teacher training by phase and gender 1992 to 1996

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97 England only1

  England and Wales

  England only1

  Primary

  18,364

  17,980

  15,090

  14,930

  12,467

  Secondary

  13,616

  15,240

  16,410

  16,090

  15,979

  Total

  31,980

  33,220

  31,500

  31,020

  28,446

  Percentage female

  72

  70

  69

  Notes:

  From 1993–94 figures include School Centred ITT (SCITT) and Open University.

  Source:

  England: DFE Annual Recruitment Survey 1992–93 and 1993–94; Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey 1994–95; TTA Survey of ITT Providers 1995–96, 1996–97.

  Wales: Welsh Office 1992–93 to 1994–95; Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey 1995–96.

  Gender: DfEE Further and Higher Education Statistical Records 1992–93, 1993–94; Higher Education Statistics Agency's Student Record 1994–95.

  1 Provisional.

  Teacher Statistics
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the(a) gender profile, (b) average length of service and (c) average age of the teaching profession. [11341]

  Mr. Forth
  In March 1995, 34 per cent. of full-time teachers in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools were men, and the average age for all teachers was 41. Information on average length of service is not available, since records are not available prior to 1962.

  Hyperactivity
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will require the assessment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder of children suspended from school more than three times; and if she will make a statement. [11509]
  464
  spending per pupil, and pupil numbers (a) between five and 10 years and (b) between 11 and 15 years, expressed in cash and constant prices, in (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97 and (iii) 1997–98 in each local education authority and on average. [11433]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The data are contained in a number of tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library. The tables set out the level of primary and secondary education standard spending assessment per pupil between 1995–96 to 1997–98 in cash terms and in 1997–98 prices and the underlying pupil numbers. The figures and pupil numbers for 1997–98 are provisional. Outturn spending per pupil for the years in question is not yet available.

  Teacher Training
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people entered courses of initial teacher education, broken down by gender, for primary and secondary schools in each year since 1992. [11339]

  Mr. Forth
  The following table shows new entrants to teacher training for primary and secondary from 1992 to 1996. An overall gender split is given for 1992 to 1994: the split is not available for primary and secondary separately. Data on gender for 1995 will be published in "Education Statistics for the United Kingdom 1996" which will be available on 31 January.

  Mrs. Gillan
  No; decisions about whether to undertake a statutory assessment of special educational needs are for the local education authority following referral by a child's school, another agency or a request from a parent. The assessment is to determine a child's educational needs rather than to make a clinical diagnosis, although the authority will take advice from others, including the medical and educational psychology services. Throughout the process, the local education authority must have regard to the code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs.

  Non-teaching Staff
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many non-teaching staff were employed by local education authorities throughout the United Kingdom for each year since 1990; and if she will make a statement. [11481]
  465
  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information is as follows:

  Full-time equivalent of non-teaching staff1 employed by local authorities in England—June 1990 to June 1996

  Years as at June

  FTE of Non-teaching staff3

  1990

  362,400

  1991

  364,200

  1992

  360,300

  1993

  318,200

  1994

  320,300

  1995 (revised basis)2

  269,300

  1996 (provisional)

  266,000

  Source:

  The main source of information about local authority employment is a survey carried out by the Local Government Management Board on behalf of the joint staffing watch group, on which both local and central government are represented.

  Notes:

  1 The table includes all manual and non-manual staff whether employed in schools or centrally based. Staff employed by grant-maintained schools are excluded throughout. The figures for 1993 to 1996 exclude staff in colleges that transferred to the new FE sector in April 1993.

  2 The figures for 1994 and 1995 were not calculated on a comparable basis because of changes to the survey. Previously FTEs were estimated using national statistics of average hours worked. Since 1995 more reliable FTEs are calculated by local authorities at employee level. Also, staff doing two or more jobs in an authority are now recorded for each job separately. It is estimated that, using the 1995 basis of calculation, there was a growth of about 2,000 FTE non-teaching staff between 1994 and 1995.

  3 Non-teaching staff include educational support, clerical, school meals and premises related staff employed in schools and colleges, together with central services and administration within the education service.

  Local Authority Education Expenditure
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the capital expenditure on education by each local authority in England in each year since 1989–90. [11432]

  Mrs. Gillan
  The following tables gives capital expenditure by each local education authority in England in each year from 1990–91 to 1994–95. Information on 1989–90 and 1995–96 is not available.

  Capital expenditure on education by local authorities: 1990–91 to 1994–95 (cash terms)

  £000s

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  City of London

  18,181

  0

  25

  2

  2,779

  Camden

  1,256

  2,819

  1,542

  409

  1,353

  Greenwich

  1—

  1,501

  1,122

  402

  2,182

  Hackney

  1,492

  1,203

  1,212

  1,535

  2,585

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  2,169

  2,071

  4,738

  3,398

  2,304

  Islington

  3,872

  1,947

  598

  851

  1,283

  Kensington and Chelsea

  5,046

  2,798

  2,023

  2,412

  2,339

  Lambeth

  894

  1,587

  2,144

  1,789

  2,071

  Lewisham

  1,522

  1,534

  757

  1,967

  4,795

  Southwark

  1—

  2,159

  3,148

  3,906

  4,407

  Tower Hamlets

  19,602

  17,103

  12,918

  12,068

  11,718

  Wandsworth

  3,818

  4,306

  5,835

  6,114

  7,694

  City of Westminster

  1,301

  1,848

  1,298

  1,025

  3,016

  Barking and Dagenham

  2,073

  7,249

  6,604

  3,013

  5,561

  Barnet

  5,255

  2,300

  2,734

  5,278

  5,572

  466

  Capital expenditure on education by local authorities: 1990–91 to 1994–95 (cash terms)

  £000s

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Bexley

  2,666

  2,365

  3,206

  5,606

  5,411

  Brent

  6,447

  3,727

  2,496

  1,639

  1,321

  Bromley

  5,527

  7,215

  6,189

  6,311

  13,453

  Croydon

  15,764

  8,439

  4,532

  3,772

  7,045

  Ealing

  2,816

  1,926

  3,524

  4,561

  5,054

  Enfield

  20,457

  16,146

  2,990

  2,356

  2,131

  Haringey

  1,339

  2,047

  693

  2,801

  2,615

  Harrow

  3,057

  3,538

  5,442

  5,099

  5,741

  Havering

  7,618

  4,848

  2,739

  1,024

  1,631

  Hillingdon

  4,958

  1,717

  5,513

  9,195

  4,842

  Hounslow

  5,300

  5,304

  7,311

  5,877

  3,528

  Kingston upon Thames

  4,144

  4,213

  1,257

  1,406

  3,117

  Merton

  10,861

  3,955

  3,468

  3,538

  4,791

  Newham

  7,128

  10,662

  6,751

  1,818

  3,087

  Redbridge

  5,842

  3,264

  5,370

  3,413

  5,337

  Richmond upon Thames

  3,010

  2,946

  2,713

  2,554

  2,898

  Sutton

  7,536

  7,292

  3,907

  3,426

  4,353

  Waltham Forest

  6,973

  3,441

  5,869

  7,264

  3,996

  Birmingham

  14,121

  14,507

  12,690

  12,853

  16,647

  Coventry

  11,415

  6,877

  5,388

  3,042

  3,052

  Dudley

  4,640

  6,667

  10,935

  4,047

  4,746

  Sandwell

  4,352

  2,740

  2,190

  5,581

  5,625

  Solihull

  3,275

  3,389

  2,644

  3,481

  3,497

  Walsall

  2,957

  2,447

  2,508

  1,528

  1,791

  Wolverhampton

  2,189

  2,631

  3,224

  3,304

  2,298

  Knowsley

  2,885

  1,297

  2,548

  2,496

  2,069

  Liverpool

  3,371

  2,477

  2,367

  3,457

  7,193

  St. Helens

  4,530

  7,084

  2,168

  1,698

  1,708

  Sefton

  4,854

  3,636

  2,294

  2,996

  1,199

  Wirral

  4,135

  4,630

  2,718

  1,294

  1,165

  Bolton

  3,683

  1,530

  2,037

  1,642

  1,777

  Bury

  1,324

  1,085

  1,047

  618

  1,491

  Manchester

  1—

  6,907

  9,807

  9,171

  12,593

  Oldham

  4,701

  10,989

  8,573

  4,278

  6,148

  Rochdale

  4,640

  7,362

  9,114

  2,068

  3,129

  Salford

  4,868

  3,651

  2,096

  3,365

  3,726

  Stockport

  3,123

  2,552

  2,033

  1,933

  1,694

  Tameside

  2,250

  1,949

  1,910

  1,231

  2,549

  Trafford

  11,207

  5,333

  5,572

  5,515

  4,008

  Wigan

  3,980

  5,322

  3,813

  1,323

  1,044

  Barnsley

  2,011

  1,910

  4,133

  2,704

  1,662

  Doncaster

  478

  410

  794

  1,580

  5,800

  Rotherham

  1,976

  1,331

  2,401

  1,855

  486

  Sheffield

  1—

  6,302

  7,022

  8,188

  8,181

  Bradford

  10,019

  12,505

  12,102

  9,380

  10,612

  Calderdale

  2,149

  2,153

  2,227

  1,856

  1,999

  Kirklees

  4,779

  4,463

  7,514

  9,087

  6,683

  Leeds

  10,903

  20,429

  25,556

  21,537

  9,799

  Wakefield

  1—

  3,299

  5,609

  11,768

  11,471

  Gateshead

  4,384

  5,078

  3,992

  1,837

  1,577

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  2,520

  3,387

  2,490

  3,280

  6,037

  North Tyneside

  2,122

  1,963

  2,331

  3,603

  4,854

  South Tyneside

  4,650

  4,584

  1,911

  1,849

  1,014

  Sunderland

  4,229

  4,223

  5,855

  5,553

  2,002

  Isles of Scilly

  212

  50

  117

  35

  22

  Avon

  10,539

  15,323

  14,077

  8,979

  8,069

  Bedfordshire

  3,219

  1,872

  5,880

  5,531

  5,207

  Berkshire

  10,662

  7,357

  16,234

  17,656

  17,079

  Buckinghamshire

  13,941

  13,312

  11,931

  9,766

  12,078

  Cambridgeshire

  16,232

  22,713

  23,230

  8,596

  10,921

  Cheshire

  10,778

  16,465

  21,908

  19,022

  21,310

  Cleveland

  6,643

  4,954

  4,786

  4,103

  5,715

  Cornwall

  12,333

  11,435

  14,611

  10,787

  7,989

  Cumbria

  8,306

  10,100

  12,325

  12,859

  10,016

  Derbyshire

  16,357

  14,459

  15,921

  10,512

  11,057

  467

  Capital expenditure on education by local authorities: 1990–91 to 1994–95 (cash terms)

  £000s

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Devon

  26,053

  32,599

  26,643

  25,308

  23,282

  Dorset

  8,900

  13,195

  14,622

  11,837

  20,180

  Durham

  5,822

  7,159

  8,218

  6,863

  6,684

  East Sussex

  13,937

  17,275

  18,156

  16,494

  17,832

  Essex

  19,713

  23,992

  19,844

  17,971

  23,824

  Gloucestershire

  11,956

  10,569

  7,331

  9,338

  10,775

  Hampshire

  33,101

  25,013

  23,715

  24,508

  34,322

  Hereford and Worcester

  11,919

  10,656

  5,493

  7,807

  8,427

  Hertfordshire

  14,040

  14,091

  13,432

  11,702

  16,845

  Humberside

  10,291

  8,578

  9,379

  7,123

  5,307

  Isle of Wight

  2,712

  3,299

  2,184

  2,597

  4,044

  Kent

  18,956

  24,964

  25,898

  23,190

  28,825

  Lancashire

  20,675

  20,255

  24,096

  25,019

  27,548

  Leicestershire

  13,282

  12,543

  12,373

  10,344

  10,374

  Lincolnshire

  11,667

  18,463

  19,485

  15,641

  16,346

  Norfolk

  6,936

  6,152

  5,707

  7,490

  6,724

  North Yorkshire

  5,586

  10,844

  8,170

  7,070

  4,715

  Northamptonshire

  4,956

  3,966

  3,250

  8,438

  5,701

  Northumberland

  2,969

  5,460

  5,338

  2,968

  2,503

  Nottinghamshire

  6,294

  6,318

  7,772

  5,767

  5,966

  Oxfordshire

  11,583

  3,524

  10,784

  11,824

  18,543

  Shropshire

  6,561

  7,384

  4,256

  4,856

  7,623

  Somerset

  7,777

  5,770

  11,132

  10,412

  8,466

  Average size of single teacher classes and pupils on register in maintained primary and secondary schools in each local education authority area in England 1994–1996

  Position in January each year

  Primary schools

  Secondary schools

  Total pupils on register

  Average class size

  Total pupils on register

  Average class size

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Corporation of London

  214

  219

  214

  27.0

  26.8

  26.8

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Camden

  10,928

  11,083

  11,153

  27.1

  27.3

  27.3

  10,657

  10,768

  10,861

  20.4

  19.8

  20.5

  Greenwich

  21,080

  21,234

  21,535

  26.1

  26.4

  25.5

  13,980

  13,994

  13,653

  21.9

  21.7

  21.6

  Hackney

  16,883

  17,936

  18,077

  25.7

  26.1

  26.1

  7,445

  7,453

  7,366

  21.9

  21.5

  23.0

  Hammersmith

  9,191

  9,430

  9,502

  25.2

  25.6

  26.1

  5,885

  5,971

  5,953

  21.0

  22.8

  22.6

  Islington

  15,657

  15,998

  16,255

  25.9

  26.6

  26.2

  7,215

  7,450

  7,537

  23.1

  23.2

  22.8

  Kensington and Chelsea

  6,441

  6,418

  6,512

  24.9

  25.1

  24.4

  3,162

  3,177

  3,202

  19.1

  18.5

  20.4

  Lambeth

  18,932

  19,034

  19,123

  24.2

  24.6

  24.6

  6,306

  6,677

  6,601

  21.6

  21.5

  22.1

  Lewisham

  20,814

  21,061

  21,602

  26.0

  25.4

  25.7

  10,888

  10,951

  10,879

  22.6

  21.6

  21.2

  Southwark

  22,520

  22,768

  22,883

  26.9

  26.9

  26.1

  9,384

  9,172

  9,160

  24.3

  24.7

  24.4

  Tower Hamlets

  21,732

  22,051

  22,416

  26.4

  26.7

  25.8

  11,888

  12,293

  12,707

  22.4

  23.1

  23.1

  Wandsworth

  17,437

  17,567

  17,915

  25.0

  25.2

  25.4

  8,941

  9,181

  9,183

  21.2

  21.7

  21.7

  Westminster

  9,226

  9,479

  9,582

  24.0

  25.3

  24.9

  7,464

  7,551

  7,627

  20.8

  21.1

  21.9

  Barking

  16,102

  17,250

  17,601

  26.1

  26.7

  26.7

  9,756

  9,953

  10,054

  21.8

  21.2

  21.1

  Barnet

  24,002

  24,443

  24,809

  26.4

  26.5

  26.3

  18,790

  19,158

  19,437

  19.8

  19.4

  19.1

  Bexley

  19,508

  21,062

  21,856

  27.5

  28.6

  28.6

  14,525

  14,549

  14,748

  22.0

  21.4

  21.6

  Brent

  22,404

  22,478

  22,665

  27.0

  26.9

  26.7

  12,688

  13,233

  13,432

  20.9

  21.0

  20.9

  Bromley

  22,430

  23,055

  23,832

  28.1

  28.4

  28.7

  17,150

  17,801

  18,069

  21.1

  20.2

  20.4

  Croydon

  27,016

  28,414

  29,568

  27.6

  28.1

  28.3

  14,909

  15,238

  15,306

  21.9

  22.2

  22.0

  Ealing

  25,595

  26,257

  26,921

  26.6

  26.6

  27.2

  13,480

  13,872

  14,185

  22.2

  22.1

  22.3

  Enfield

  23,823

  24,500

  25,309

  27.8

  28.4

  28.5

  17,848

  18,218

  18,637

  21.2

  21.0

  21.5

  Haringey

  19,777

  20,538

  21,251

  26.7

  27.2

  27.0

  9,222

  9,673

  10,056

  21.2

  21.5

  21.7

  Harrow

  19,348

  19,579

  19,918

  26.8

  27.1

  27.8

  8,320

  8,453

  8,409

  23.4

  22.9

  22.7

  Havering

  20,108

  20,396

  20,710

  27.5

  27.4

  27.9

  14,892

  14,908

  14,667

  22.2

  22.0

  22.1

  Hillingdon

  20,543

  21,188

  21,949

  27.1

  26.8

  26.6

  14,115

  14,326

  14,644

  21.0

  20.7

  20.9

  Hounslow

  19,595

  19,751

  19,914

  26.2

  27.4

  27.3

  14,526

  14,879

  15,110

  21.3

  21.5

  20.9

  Kingston upon Thames

  10,771

  11,033

  11,420

  28.9

  29.5

  30.0

  7,787

  7,959

  8,034

  20.5

  20.0

  20.2

  Merton

  15,654

  15,868

  16,119

  27.2

  27.0

  28.1

  7,313

  7,495

  7,595

  22.0

  22.0

  23.3

  Newham

  25,586

  27,432

  28,114

  27.5

  27.5

  27.9

  14,067

  14,775

  15,261

  24.5

  24.2

  24.8

  Redbridge

  19,707

  19,814

  20,585

  29.3

  29.2

  29.0

  15,362

  15,703

  16,336

  20.9

  20.6

  21.3

  Richmond upon Thames

  11,195

  11,444

  11,918

  25.7

  26.1

  26.7

  7,622

  7,650

  7,700

  23.3

  23.5

  22.9

  Sutton

  13,470

  13,883

  14,272

  28.3

  28.0

  27.3

  11,359

  11,753

  12.001

  21.4

  21.5

  20.7

  Waltham Forest

  20,164

  20,690

  21,158

  26.8

  26.5

  26.4

  11,506

  12,082

  12,101

  22.5

  23.0

  23.5

  Birmingham

  107,700

  108,635

  110,045

  28.2

  28.2

  27.8

  64,728

  65,504

  66,095

  22.1

  21.7

  21.6

  Coventry

  29,825

  30,113

  30,314

  27.1

  27.8

  27.2

  19,013

  19,274

  19,343

  22.9

  22.9

  22.4

  Dudley

  29,582

  30,010

  30,623

  27.0

  27.3

  26.9

  18,124

  18,448

  18,628

  22.7

  229

  23.0

  Sandwell

  32,291

  32,723

  33,061

  27.9

  28.2

  28.6

  18,418

  18,993

  19,023

  21.2

  21.9

  22.1

  Solihull

  20,120

  20,747

  21,395

  27.3

  27.6

  28.2

  13,505

  13,929

  14,160

  21.8

  21.6

  21.6

  Walsall

  28,526

  28,554

  28,864

  25.7

  26.0

  26.0

  19,506

  19,803

  19,755

  20.6

  20.4

  20.8

  468

  Capital expenditure on education by local authorities: 1990–91 to 1994–95 (cash terms)

  £000s

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  Staffordshire

  8,949

  10,160

  10,792

  6,917

  9,536

  Suffolk

  12,377

  11,109

  12,328

  11,256

  10,900

  Surrey

  17,896

  17,366

  15,917

  22,179

  22,566

  Warwickshire

  5,618

  3,602

  4,200

  4,726

  6,485

  West Sussex

  17,028

  14,753

  13,845

  21,437

  21,431

  Wiltshire

  9,483

  10,009

  9,949

  6,403

  5,626

  England

  2812,749

  797,677

  797,610

  732,158

  802,199

  1 LEA did not submit information.

  2 Totals have been grossed to compensate for non returns.

  Class Sizes
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list average class sizes in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools and total primary pupil numbers and total secondary pupil numbers in each of the past three years in each local education authority. [11426]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The information requested is shown in the following tables.
  469 470

  Average size of single teacher classes and pupils on register in maintained primary and secondary schools in each local education authority area in England 1994–1996

  Position in January each year

  Primary schools

  Secondary schools

  Total pupils on register

  Average class size

  Total pupils on register

  Average class size

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Wolverhampton

  25,608

  25,867

  26,283

  25.9

  26.2

  26.5

  16,001

  16,093

  15,930

  20.5

  21.6

  21.2

  Knowsley

  19,000

  20,122

  20,117

  27.7

  28.0

  27.6

  9,096

  9,449

  9,494

  22.1

  22.4

  21.6

  Liverpool

  51,616

  50,364

  50,374

  26.9

  27.1

  26.8

  30,556

  31,138

  31,510

  20.4

  20.7

  20.8

  St. Helens

  17,635

  17,698

  17,829

  26.8

  27.0

  27.5

  11,759

  11,873

  11,789

  19.7

  20.3

  20.0

  Sefton

  27,399

  27,867

  28,198

  27.2

  27.6

  27.5

  19,030

  19,453

  19,497

  20.9

  21.9

  21.3

  Wirral

  31,632

  31,741

  32,126

  25.9

  26.1

  26.4

  21,159

  21.424

  22,753

  20.9

  20.5

  20.9

  Bolton

  27,638

  28,085

  28,435

  28.1

  28.7

  28.5

  17,031

  17,324

  17,491

  21.1

  21.3

  21.8

  Bury

  176,248

  17,542

  17,952

  27.5

  27.8

  28.3

  10,332

  10,689

  10.853

  22.7

  23.0

  23.6

  Manchester

  46,923

  47,056

  46,856

  26.5

  26.9

  27.0

  21,693

  22,126

  22,019

  22.4

  22.3

  22.3

  Oldham

  24,774

  24,961

  25,114

  28.6

  28.5

  28.6

  16,331

  16,607

  16,693

  22.5

  22.8

  21.8

  Rochdale

  21,658

  21,830

  22,287

  29.5

  29.2

  29.2

  12,942

  13,204

  13,177

  22.8

  23.3

  23.0

  Salford

  23,265

  23,734

  23,919

  27.1

  27.3

  27.4

  11,639

  11,949

  11,977

  22.3

  21.9

  22.4

  Stockport

  25,595

  25,925

  26,449

  27.7

  27.5

  27.7

  16,019

  16,273

  15,655

  21.6

  21.9

  22.5

  Thameside

  23,296

  23,678

  23,907

  29.6

  29.5

  29.3

  13,372

  13,781

  14,058

  23.7

  23.8

  23.5

  Trafford

  20,565

  21,134

  21,502

  29.0

  29.0

  28.7

  11,947

  12,461

  12,882

  21.6

  21.8

  22.0

  Wigan

  29,963

  29,932

  30,272

  27.9

  28.0

  28.2

  19,523

  19,923

  19,898

  21.4

  21.6

  21.6

  Barnsley

  21,502

  21.703

  21,910

  27.4

  27.5

  28.2

  12,730

  12,976

  12,988

  22.9

  22.8

  23.2

  Doncaster

  29,459

  28,916

  30,614

  27.5

  28.1

  28.2

  21,868

  22,978

  21,515

  21.1

  21.4

  21.7

  Rotherham

  24,954

  25,215

  25,645

  25.1

  25.8

  26.9

  18,187

  18,771

  18,953

  20.5

  21.4

  21.7

  Sheffield

  44,563

  45,225

  45,850

  26.3

  26.8

  26.8

  26,981

  27,359

  27,503

  22.4

  22.6

  23.1

  Bradford

  41,229

  41,547

  42,190

  27.3

  27.8

  27.9

  4.6,297

  46,584

  46,072

  22.5

  22.8

  22.7

  Calderdale

  19,881

  20,316

  20,487

  27.9

  27.5

  27.7

  13,390

  13,657

  13,810

  20.2

  21.0

  20.9

  Kirklees

  37,719

  38,189

  38,501

  27.2

  28.2

  28.7

  24,875

  25,225

  25,363

  21.4

  20.9

  21.7

  Leeds

  69,428

  70,583

  71,135

  27.9

  28.2

  28.1

  43,627

  44,282

  44,274

  20.5

  20.5

  21.1

  Wakefield

  30,708

  31,180

  31,840

  27.5

  27.9

  28.0

  20,084

  20,708

  20,428

  21.8

  21.7

  21.8

  Gateshead

  18,366

  18,564

  18,684

  25.8

  26.0

  25.9

  11,751

  11,780

  11,853

  20.7

  20.4

  20.6

  Newcastle upon

  Tyne

  22,441

  22,460

  22,389

  27.3

  27.6

  27.7

  16,902

  17,285

  17,288

  21.5

  21.3

  21.6

  North Tyneside

  16,615

  16,952

  17,015

  26.5

  26.9

  27.0

  14,342

  14,440

  14,316

  21.9

  22.1

  21.9

  South Tyneside

  16,023

  16,233

  16,398

  26.3

  26.3

  26.8

  9,570

  9,755

  9,650

  22.5

  22.6

  22.4

  Sunderland

  30,057

  29,942

  30,324

  25.6

  25.4

  25.6

  19,436

  19,586

  19,311

  20.9

  21.0

  21.2

  Isles of Scilly

  169

  157

  152

  18.7

  17.3

  13.7

  122

  126

  113

  24.0

  26.0

  15.0

  Avon

  80,700

  82,079

  83,196

  27.7

  27.8

  27.7

  54,418

  54,667

  54,720

  21.2

  21.1

  21.4

  Bedfordshire

  43,511

  44,045

  44,604

  26.3

  26.8

  27.1

  44,711

  45,476

  45,966

  22.0

  21.9

  22.5

  Berkshire

  62,455

  63,732

  65,313

  27.1

  27.0

  27.3

  47,005

  47,620

  47,834

  20.1

  20.3

  20.4

  Buckinghamshire

  62,365

  63,960

  65,156

  27.2

  27.3

  27.8

  37,166

  37,739

  37,999

  21.1

  20.6

  21.4

  Cambridgeshire

  59,127

  59,686

  60,492

  27.4

  27.3

  27.8

  40,904

  41,702

  41,762

  22.3

  21.8

  22.3

  Cheshire

  89,944

  90,598

  92,088

  27.4

  27.3

  27.4

  63,583

  64,707

  64,942

  21.1

  21.3

  21.3

  Cleveland

  65,102

  65,169

  65,607

  26.8

  26.9

  26.9

  36,437

  37,128

  37,240

  22.1

  22.1

  22.1

  Cornwall

  40,531

  41,055

  41.667

  26.8

  27.0

  27.3

  28,977

  29,387

  29,515

  22.2

  22.2

  22.4

  Cumbria

  42,840

  43,140

  43,969

  25.7

  26.2

  26.0

  31,215

  31,711

  32,076

  20.6

  21.0

  21.0

  Derbyshire

  85,418

  86,478

  88,613

  27.3

  27.9

  28.9

  57,548

  58,397

  58,514

  21.4

  21.7

  22.3

  Devon

  80,633

  82,430

  83,698

  26.4

  26.7

  27.2

  58,826

  60,429

  61,351

  21.1

  21.3

  21.3

  Dorset

  45,803

  47,042

  48,075

  27.5

  27.6

  27.7

  41,286

  42,201

  42,828

  21.9

  21.8

  22.0

  Durham

  56,334

  56,549

  57,246

  27.5

  27.7

  28.4

  37,708

  38,265

  37,976

  21.6

  21.9

  22.5

  East Sussex

  51,981

  53,190

  54,875

  27.4

  27.5

  27.7

  34,349

  35,407

  35,690

  21.0

  21.3

  21.1

  Essex

  123,997

  128,567

  132,554

  26.9

  26.9

  26.9

  95,893

  96,325

  96,681

  21.9

  21.9

  21.8

  Gloucestershire

  43,597

  44,764

  45,679

  26.4

  26.7

  27.2

  33,389

  34,001

  34,394

  21.5

  21.6

  22.1

  Hampshire

  137,313

  135,389

  137,986

  27.4

  27.7

  27.8

  79,199

  84,415

  85,427

  22.2

  22.3

  22.4

  Hereford and

  Worcester

  49,251

  50,662

  51,430

  25.1

  25.5

  25.9

  47,472

  48,173

  47,796

  21.7

  21.9

  21.8

  Hertfordshire

  84,825

  87,464

  89,738

  26.4

  26.5

  26.7

  68,347

  69,532

  70,371

  20.1

  20.0

  20.2

  Humberside

  85,409

  86,432

  87,757

  27.5

  27.7

  27.9

  56,111

  56,877

  57,075

  22.6

  22.8

  22.3

  Isle of Wight

  7,214

  7,279

  7,435

  26.0

  26.3

  26.9

  10,498

  10,648

  10,805

  22.2

  22.1

  22.4

  Kent

  129,234

  133,025

  135,598

  27.6

  27.7

  27.7

  102,229

  102,764

  103,769

  20.9

  20.7

  20.6

  Lancashire

  130,576

  132,402

  133,891

  27.7

  27.9

  28.4

  84,257

  86,116

  86,918

  21.4

  21.6

  22.4

  Leicestershire

  80,448

  81,429

  82,493

  25.8

  26.5

  26.7

  59,963

  60,973

  61,552

  21.5

  22.2

  22.2

  Lincolnshire

  49,844

  51,488

  52,763

  26.5

  26.8

  26.7

  37,841

  38,605

  39,221

  19.9

  20.0

  20.2

  Norfolk

  62,631

  63,972

  64,844

  25.1

  25.4

  26.0

  41,078

  41,410

  41,441

  20.2

  20.0

  20.1

  North Yorkshire

  59,240

  60,605

  61,850

  25.7

  26.2

  26.3

  44.013

  45,065

  45,638

  20.8

  20.7

  20.8

  Northamptonshire

  51,265

  52,446

  53,649

  26.4

  26.7

  26.5

  44,910

  45,270

  45,659

  20.6

  20.8

  21.3

  Northumberland

  21,692

  21,621

  21,737

  27.0

  27.2

  27.1

  29,329

  29,758

  29,804

  22.0

  22.7

  22.6

  Nottinghamshire

  92,884

  94,094

  95,703

  27.0

  27.4

  28.3

  63,768

  64,998

  65,414

  20.5

  20.6

  21.2

  Oxfordshire

  41,313

  42,765

  43,912

  25.6

  25.9

  26.8

  35,127

  35,888

  36,281

  21.0

  21.1

  21.9

  Shropshire

  35,991

  36,764

  37,664

  26.4

  26.6

  27.3

  25,223

  25,820

  25,780

  21.1

  21.5

  21.6

  Somerset

  36,453

  37,237

  37,849

  26.9

  27.0

  27.3

  28,038

  28,545

  28,845

  22.1

  22.5

  23.2

  Staffordshire

  93,514

  94,651

  96,188

  27.7

  27.6

  27.7

  69,487

  70,645

  71,093

  22.1

  22.0

  22.3

  Suffolk

  44,355

  45,582

  46,696

  24.8

  24.9

  25.1

  48,024

  48,798

  49,040

  20.7

  20.9

  21.0

  Surrey

  73,325

  74,600

  77,049

  25.5

  25.6

  25.8

  45,405

  50,534

  50,777

  21.6

  21.6

  21.6

  Warwickshire

  46,446

  46,650

  47,209

  26.5

  26.9

  27.9

  25,087

  26,005

  26,260

  20.3

  20.6

  21.3

  West Sussex

  53,158

  54,995

  56,516

  26.2

  26.5

  26.8

  39,952

  40,415

  40,426

  21.6

  21.9

  21.7

  Wiltshire

  48,205

  49,351

  50,861

  26.6

  26.9

  27.1

  34,487

  35,294

  35,776

  21.3

  21.4

  21.3

  England

  4.241,750

  4,312,200

  4,389,364

  26.9

  27.1

  27.3

  2,933,598

  2,993,256

  3,011,284

  21.4

  21.5

  21.6

  1 Not applicable.

  471
  Mr. Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she expects the form 7 figures to have been processed in order to provide class size information as at January 1997; and if she will make a statement. [11360]

  Mr. Squire
  [holding reply 17 January 1996]: Provisional figures on class sizes in maintained primary and secondary schools as at January 1997 are expected to be published in a statistical press notice at the end of June.

  Westwood St. Thomas School
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she will announce her decision on the application of Westwood St. Thomas school, Salisbury, for grant-maintained status. [11007]

  Mr. Forth
  The application is under consideration. A decision will be made as soon as possible, consistent with full consideration of the proposals.

  Public Examination Boards
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to reduce the number of public examination boards; and if she will make a statement. [11186]

  Mrs. Gillan
  My right hon. Friend made it clear in response to the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority—Office for Standards in Education report on "Standards in Public Examinations 1975 to 1995", published on 5 December, that she believed that it was now right to consult on moves to reduce and rationalise the number of examining and awarding bodies. She will be publishing a consultation paper on possible options early next month.

  Small Firms Training Loan Scheme
  Mrs. Roche
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she plans to re-launch the small firms training loan scheme; and with what changes. [11230]

  Mr. Paice
  The small firms training loans scheme was re-launched in September 1996. The following changes in rules and procedures were introduced at that time:the capital and interest repayment holiday offered to SFTL borrowers is now based on the amount of the loan. Loans up to £700 receive a six-month holiday, loans between £701 and £15,000 receive nine months and those over £15,000 receive 12 months;
  endorsement of applications by a training and enterprise council or local enterprise company is now mandatory only for loan applications for amounts over £15,000 submitted to a bank other than the bank holding the applicant's main business accounts;
  eligibility for SFTL support has been extended to cover the costs of an employee acting as in-house trainer, providing that the named trainer is relieved of normal operational duties while training others;
  the application form has been simplified.

  School Day
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what plans she has to change the current regulations on the length of the school day; [12075]
  472
  (2) what estimate she has made of the additional cost of increasing the length of the school day to an average of eight hours; and if she will make a statement. [12076]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  It is for governing bodies to determine the length of the school day and we have no plans to change this. The Department has carried out no studies of the cost of extending the school day, although it is known that some schools have a significantly longer compulsory day than others.

SCOTLAND

  Arrestments
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) bank arrestments and (b) earnings arrestments there were in each year since 1993; and what statistics his Department (i) collects and (ii) publishes on this subject. [10946]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Details of the numbers of arrestments of moveable property in the hands of third parties have been collected centrally only since 1 January 1996. These figures do not distinguish between arrestment of bank accounts and arrestment of other property. The total to 30 September 1996, the latest date for which figures are currently available, is 65,570. The statistics which are collected on arrestments are published in the annual "Civil Judicial Statistics, Scotland".

  The information requested in relation to earnings arrestments is given in the table.

  1993: 69,195

  1994: 90,350

  1995: 82,677

  1996 (to 30 September): 84,485

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research he has conducted on the trends and impact of bank arrestments arising from civil court judgments. [10947]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  None.

  NHS Property Sales
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 28 November,Official Report, column 338, if he will list for each health board and NHS trust in Scotland for the (a) 1993–94, (b) 1994–95 and (c) 1995–96 financial years and in total for each of these periods (i) how much has been raised from the sale of surplus property and (ii) how much of this has been reallocated to the health board or NHS trust which disposed of the surplus property. [10965]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is set out in the tables.

  With regard to NHS trusts, all receipts are retained by the trust responsible for the sale. The expenditure of these receipts is controlled by the external financing limit.

  As for health boards, for 1993–94 and 1994–95 all receipts were retained by the board responsible for the sale. Since 1995–96, receipts from the sale of surplus land and buildings by health boards are normally remitted to the management executive and are used to offset the

  473
  capital programme for the whole of the NHS in Scotland. A case can be submitted by health boards to retain capital receipts. In 1995–96 Dumfries and Galloway health board and Tayside health board retained £3.285 million and £0.15 million, respectively.

  Receipts from disposal of assets

  £000

  Trust

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  Aberdeen Royal Hospitals

  NHS Trust

  —

  —

  126

  Angus NHS Trust

  —

  48

  185

  Argyll and Bute NHS

  Trust

  —

  —

  157

  Ayrshire and Arran

  Community Healthcare

  NHS Trust

  864

  229

  126

  Borders Community Health

  Services NHS Trust

  —

  —

  8

  Borders General Hospital

  NHS Trust

  —

  —

  1

  Caithness and Sutherland

  NHS Trust

  67

  1

  92

  Central Scotland

  Healthcare NHS Trust

  121

  —

  80

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Acute and Maternity

  Hospitals NHS Trust

  —

  4

  —

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Community Health NHS

  Trust

  —

  —

  45

  Dundee Healthcare NHS

  Trust

  —

  43

  32

  Dundee Teaching Hospitals

  NHS Trust

  4

  —

  51

  East and Midlothian NHS

  Trust

  —

  —

  —

  Edinburgh Healthcare NHS

  Trust

  —

  6

  22

  Edinburgh Sick Children's

  NHS Trust

  —

  541

  —

  Falkirk and District Royal

  Infirmary NHS Trust

  —

  —

  280

  Fife Healthcare NHS Trust

  31

  243

  Glasgow Dental Hospital

  and School NHS Trust

  —

  —

  1

  Glasgow Royal Infirmary

  University NHS Trust

  —

  —

  —

  Grampian Healthcare NHS

  Trust

  2,427

  1,170

  1,626

  Greater Glasgow

  Community and Mental

  Health Services NHS trust

  —

  —

  98

  Hairmyres and Stonehouse

  Hospitals NHS Trust

  —

  —

  8

  Highland Communities

  NHS Trust

  —

  27

  362

  Inverclyde Royal Infirmary

  NHS Trust

  —

  87

  —

  Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals

  NHS Trust

  —

  —

  2

  Lanarkshire Healthcare

  NHS Trust

  —

  —

  24

  Law Hospital NHS Trust

  —

  —

  —

  Lomond Healthcare NHS

  Trust

  —

  —

  72

  Monkslands and Bellshill

  Hospitals NHS Trust

  1

  —

  —

  Moray Health Services

  NHS Trust

  37

  —

  42

  North Ayrshire and Arran

  NHS Trust

  —

  —

  333

  Perth and Kinross

  Healthcare NHS Trust

  —

  219

  261

  474

  Receipts from disposal of assets

  £000

  Trust

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  Queen Margaret Hospital NHS Trust

  —

  119

  16

  Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust

  6

  24

  13

  Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  —

  27

  12

  Royal Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

  —

  114

  13

  Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust

  —

  30

  16

  Scottish Ambulance Service NHS Trust

  —

  —

  302

  South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  299

  99

  7

  Southern General Hospital NHS Trust

  4

  12

  —

  Stirling Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  —

  11

  —

  Stobhill NHS Trust

  —

  —

  2

  Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust

  —

  —

  751

  West Glasgow Hospitals University NHS Trust

  —

  —

  —

  West Lothian NHS Trust

  40

  18

  34

  Western General Hospitals NHS Trust

  —

  —

  106

  Yorkhill NHS Trust

  —

  —

  20

  Total

  3,770

  2,880

  5,549

  1 These receipts relate to the Royal Scottish National Hospitals NHS Trust which merged with Forth Valley Healthcare to become Central Scotland NHS Trust 1994–95.

  Health boards

  1993–94 £000

  1994–95 £000

  1995–96 £000

  Argyll and Clyde

  701

  534

  0

  Aryshire and Arran

  120

  945

  180

  Borders

  45

  171

  0

  Dumfries and Galloway

  104

  612

  3,285

  Fife

  0

  1,800

  0

  Forth Valley

  93

  1,068

  575

  Grampian

  474

  425

  0

  Greater Glasgow

  1,822

  2,969

  3,899

  Highland

  824

  523

  0

  Lanarkshire

  1,347

  1,531

  969

  Lothian

  6,648

  5,737

  3,789

  Orkney

  0

  130

  14

  Shetland

  2

  68

  32

  Tayside

  299

  0

  150

  Western Isles

  125

  0

  0

  Total

  12,604

  16,513

  12,893

  Caledonian MacBrayne
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the annual revenue earned by Caledonian MacBrayne from carriage of commercial goods vehicles on all routes to and from the Western Isles in 1995–96. [11586]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A total of £3,537,000. This figure comprises all revenue earned from the carriage of commercial vehicles on the company's Oban-Castlebay-Lochboisdale, Mallaig-Castlebay-Lochboisdale, Uig-Tarbert-Lochmaddy, and Ullapool-Stornoway services.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the representations he has had from the International Bar Association in relation to the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie. [9943]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It is my understanding that neither the Attorney-General nor the Lord Advocate has received representations from the International Bar Association in relation to the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie. In May 1995 the Lord Advocate received intimation from the president of the International Bar Association of a motion concerning the establishment of a permanent international criminal court which was to be put before the council of the International Bar Association in Edinburgh in June 1995. In May 1996 the president of the International Bar Association wrote once again to the Lord Advocate inviting him, or a representative from the Crown Office, to attend the conference being held jointly by the International Bar Association and the Arab Lawyers Union. That invitation was declined. The Lord Advocate has received a report of the discussions at the conference including the proposals of the keynote speaker, Professor Bassiouni, concerning trial in Scotland. These proposals are, in fact, broadly in line with the approach that the Lord Advocate and Her Majesty's Government have taken to the case and the undertakings concerning the fair trial and treatment of the accused which have already been given to the Libyans.

  Historic Buildings (Advice Charges)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what sources of advice on the protection of stone in historic buildings are currently available to him; and if he will list the amount paid in charges for such advice for each of the last three years. [11283]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Since these are matters for Historic Scotland, I have asked the agency's chief executive, Mr. Graeme Munro, to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Graeme Munro to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 20 January 1997:
  I refer to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the sources of advice on the protection of stone in historic buildings available to the Secretary of State for Scotland. It has been referred to me for answer since this is an operational matter falling within the remit of Historic Scotland.
  The Secretary of State for Scotland has, within Historic Scotland's Properties in Care Division, a regional structure of qualified architects well versed in the conservation of stone. This skill and knowledge is put to use in the preservation of monuments in his care, and through the historic building repair grant scheme, is made available to owners of historic buildings. This advice is also available in support of scheduled monument consent and listed building consent schemes.
  In addition, Historic Scotland, commissions research into the conservation and repair of stone in historic buildings and publishes the findings as Research Reports and Technical Advice Notes. To date these include "Stonecleaning in Scotland—Research Report" in 3 Volumes, Literature Review and Research Summary (1992), "Proceedings of the International Conference 1992", "Stonecleaning—A Guide for Practitioners" (1994); "The Repair of Historic Buildings in Scotland" (1995), "Preparation and Use of Lime Mortars" (1995), "Line Conference Proceedings" (1995), and "Case Studies of Traditional Lime Harling" (1966).
  476
  Further research projects currently in progress include an investigation into "Carved Stone Decay", "The Cleaning of Granite", "Graffiti Removal", "Sandstone Consolidants and Waterproofers", "Laser Stonecleaning in Scotland" and "Biological Growths on Sandstone Buildings", and it is intended that reports and technical guidance will be published as these projects are concluded.
  The costs of these commissioned research projects amount to £70,180 for 1994–95, £94,363 for 1995–96, and £11,815 for April 1996—December 1996. These costs are partially offset by the income accruing from the sales of published Research Findings and Technical Advice Notes amounting to £9,069.7 (1994–95), £5,983.01 (1995–96), and £3,550.34 (April 1996 to December 1996).
  I hope this information is helpful.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what sources of advice are currently available to him on the reduction of fire risk in historic buildings; and if he will list the amount paid in charges for such advice for each of the past three years. [11284]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Since these are matters for Historic Scotland, I have asked the agency's chief executive, Mr. Graeme Munro, to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Mr. Graeme Munro to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 20 January 1997:
  I refer to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the sources of advice on the reduction of fire risk in historic buildings available to the Secretary of State for Scotland. It has been referred to me for answer since this is an operational matter falling within the remit of Historic Scotland.
  In common with others, the Secretary of State for Scotland has available to him technical guidance on the reduction of fire risk in historic buildings published by the Fire Prevention Association, including "Fire Prevention in Historic Buildings and Town Centres" (published 1992) and "Heritage under Fire" (1995), and by Historic Scotland in "The Repair of Historic Buildings in Scotland" (1995) and other guidance prepared by fire brigades.
  Historic Scotland, on behalf of the Secretary of State commissioned, in 1995, a multi-disciplinary research project from Edinburgh University to consider "Fire Protection in Scottish Historic Buildings". The research team is due to submit the report in Spring 1997 and, after consideration, it is hoped to publish a Technical Advice Note. The University research team is assisted by a Steering Group compromising representatives from the Scottish Office Environment Department and Fire Service, Historic Scotland, the Fire Protection Association, Strathclyde Fire Brigade, the National Library of Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland and the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland. The project has been initiated as a direct consequence of the increasing awareness of the high loss to fire of Scotland's built heritage, and is likely to lead to further research on specific topics to enhance the understanding of fire risk and the means of providing increased protection for historic buildings. The cost of the current research project is £67,500 of which £40,690 was paid in 1995–96.
  Historic Scotland is also currently preparing a Technical Advice Note in conjunction with the Fire Prevention Association on the sensitive installation of fully-charged water sprinkler systems in historic buildings. This publication will develop and enhance the experience gained during the installation of such a system in one of the Secretary of State's own properties, Duff House. Banff, (William Adam 1735) during its recent conversion to a country house art gallery.
  The Secretary of State for Scotland is represented by Historic Scotland on the National Research Co-ordinating Committee for Fire Safety in Historic Buildings, set up by English Heritage to review the implementation of the Bailey Report following the Windsor Castle fire of 1992.

  477
  Representative bodies on the committee are:

  Department of National Heritage

  The Home Office

  Historic Scotland

  Historic Royal Palaces

  Fire Protection Association

  English Heritage

  The Royal Household

  The National Trust

  The terms of reference of this body are to meet quarterly to report on implementation of the Bailey recommendations, to collect and publish fire safety research data, to co-ordinate research based on prioritised needs and to seek research funding by pooling resources, grants from existing programmes and additional share of PES bids.
  Following the Windsor Castle fire and major fires in other historic buildings an internal report was prepared in 1992 by the then Head of the Works Services Division of Historic Scotland to assess the fire risk in the ancient monument estate. This resulted in the drawing-up by the Agency's professional staff with the assistance of local fire brigades, Fire Action Plans and an Emergency Procedures Manual for the most vulnerable monuments in state care and this work is on-going.
  I hope this information is helpful.

  Newcastle Disease
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many recognised outbreaks of Newcastle disease have been recorded on farms in Scotland by area in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [11547]
  478
  (2) how many (a) chickens, (b) turkeys and (c) other birds have been affected by Newcastle disease in Scotland in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [11545]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 17 January 1997): There have been no recognised outbreaks of Newcastle disease in Scotland in the last five years. Widespread vaccination of poultry has been instrumental in maintaining the health status of the national poultry flock during the last decade.

  Frozen Pipes Warnings
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what work has been carried out for his Department to determine a severe weather trigger for warnings to the general public of possible damage from burst pipes in buildings; what has been the role of the Building Research Establishment Executive Agency in this work; and if he will make a statement. [11276]

  Mr. Kynoch
  The severe weather working party, which was set up by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland in January 1996, received guidance from the Building Research Establishment Scottish laboratory on the development of a tentative weather trigger for the likely freezing of pipes in loft spaces in severe conditions in Scotland. The Scottish Office subsequently commissioned BRE to develop an appropriate cold weather indicator to act as a trigger for the issue of warnings to householders and others in Scotland of imminent severe weather and of the consequent risk of freezing and bursting of water pipes. BRE reported in October 1996.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Live Animal Transport
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Department has made of the advantages of withholding live animal export licences at times when disruption of the continental road system interferes with journey plans, to the detriment of the welfare of animals in transit. [10988]

  Mrs. Browning
  A licence is not required to export live farm animals to other member states of the EU. However, during periods of disruption, such as that recently caused by French lorry drivers, the Department checks closely on the circumstances prevailing at the time on routes declared to us on route plans, with a view to intervening if this is justified.

  Cattle Cull
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 13 January,Official Report, column 157, if he will list the locations of the dry warehouses in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, in which meat and bonemeal from animals slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme is stored, and the cold storage depots in the United Kingdom. [11305]

  Mr. Baldry
  The locations of the dry warehouses and cold storage depots referred to in my previous answer are as follows:

  Location

  Number of dry warehouses

  Number of cold storage depots

  England

  Wellingborough

  —

  1

  Gillingham, Kent

  —

  1

  Grimsby

  —

  2

  Craven Arms

  —

  1

  Bristol

  —

  2

  London

  —

  1

  Lancaster

  —

  1

  Taunton

  —

  1

  Hull

  —

  2

  Tonbridge

  —

  1

  Exeter

  1

  1

  Gainsborough

  —

  1

  Hereford

  —

  1

  Manchester

  —

  2

  Richmond

  —

  1

  Liverpool

  1

  1

  Stoke on Trent

  —

  1

  Sheffield

  —

  1

  Wallsend

  —

  1

  Swanley

  —

  1

  Cambridge

  —

  1

  Wigan

  —

  1

  Preston

  1

  —

  Wrangton

  1

  —

  Longton

  1

  —

  N. Ireland

  Ardglass

  —

  1

  Dundrum

  —

  1

  Craigavon

  —

  2

  Newtown Butler

  —

  1

  Belfast

  2

  —

  Newtownstewarat

  1

  —

  480

  Location

  Number of dry warehouses

  Number of cold storage depots

  Mallusk

  1

  —

  Lisnaskea

  —

  1

  Scotland

  Fraserburgh

  —

  1

  Glasgow

  —

  1

  Locabriggs

  —

  1

  Inverness

  —

  1

  Ross Shire

  —

  1

  Aberdeen

  —

  1

  Fife

  1

  Kirknewton

  1

  —

  Wales

  Cardiff

  —

  1

  Newport

  —

  1

  Gaerwen

  —

  1

  In addition, over-30-months scheme carcases have been stored at two container sites, one in Kent and the other in Hull. I regret that these were omitted in my previous answer.

  Mrs. Jackson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the weekly cost of storage of(a) rendered meat and bonemeal and (b) carcases of cattle slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme; and when he expects the disposal to be completed. [11306]

  Mr. Baldry
  The weekly cost of storage depends upon stock levels. It is currently around £45,000 for rendered meat and bonemeal and £220,000 for unrendered carcase material. Disposal will be completed at a pace determined by control requirements and the availability of rendering and incineration capacity.

  Mrs. Jackson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what disposal options others than high-temperature incineration are under consideration for cattle slaughtered and rendered under the over-30-months scheme. [11307]

  Mr. Baldry
  None.

  Vitamin B6
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by whom, and for what purpose, the Food Advisory Committee was asked to consider at its December meeting the use of vitamin B6, and if he will make a statement on the conclusions reached at that meeting. [11491]

  Mrs. Browning
  I asked the Department of Health's Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment—for advice on the toxicity of vitamin B6 in response to concerns expressed by the Consumers Association about the safety of dietary supplements containing high doses of vitamins and minerals. The COT's advice was passed to the Food Advisory Committee so that it could consider what action should be taken. The FAC endorsed the COT's conclusions and recommended that discussions be held with interested parties to explore the possibility of a voluntary limit on levels of vitamin B6 in dietary supplements. It also made it clear that it wishes to
  481
  consider this matter further in the light of those discussions and information about the market for high dose supplements.

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the Food Advisory Committee and the committee on toxicity consulted Consumers for Health Choice and the Society for the Promotion of Nutritional Therapy about the use of vitamin B6 prior to reaching conclusions on its safety. [11492]

  Mrs. Browning
  Neither the Food Advisory Committee nor the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment consulted Consumers for Health Choice or the Society for the Promotion of Nutritional Therapy before reaching its conclusions on the safety of vitamin B6. However, the FAC has recommended that officials discuss the conclusions with interested parties.

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many adverse reactions as a result of vitamin B6 supplement in the United Kingdom were reported to his Department in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [11493]

  Mrs. Browning
  No arrangement exists for the reporting to this Department of adverse reactions to vitamin and mineral supplements. A report into the toxicological problems resulting from exposure to traditional medicines and food supplements commissioned by this Department did not reveal any cases of adverse reactions to vitamin B6 during the period. However, evidence of adverse reactions has been published in the scientific literature.

TRANSPORT

  Sleep-related Road Accidents
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy in respect of financing the erection of permanent advisory "Tiredness Can Kill" signs on roads which have had a high incidence of sleep-related accidents. [9851]

  Mr. Bowis
  Sleep-related accidents are associated with particular times of day as well as types of road. The need for, and financing of "Tiredness Can Kill" signs on trunk roads and motorways is considered on the basis of local circumstances.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to raise public awareness of the dangers of driving while sleepy. [9852]

  Mr. Bowis
  We issued preliminary advice to drivers on how to combat sleepiness in September 1995. Further research is in progress into the relative effectiveness of other possible measures to ensure that the best advice is made available to drivers on how to minimise the risk of having a sleep-related accident. This phase of the research will report later this year, following which we will review the requirement for new advice.
  482
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of drivers who (i) undertake truck driving during the day and taxi driving at night, (ii) work for two companies, with consequences for their total tachograph entry and (iii) run more than one tachograph. [9853]

  Mr. Bowis
  None; we have no way of quantifying this.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into roads which have a higher than average incidence of sleep-related vehicle accidents. [9855]

  Mr. Bowis
  Current casualty data do not allow a clear identification of roads with a higher than average incidence of sleep-related accidents. We are midway through a research programme into accident causation which is seeking to develop methods which will more accurately identify the incidence of such accidents. This will report later this year.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the extent to which rumble strips are effective in alerting sleepy drivers of large-wheel coaches and heavy goods vehicles with power transmissions. [9854]

  Mr. Bowis
  Rumble strips—raised rib markings—were initially introduced on motorways to separate the edge of the hard shoulder from the main carriageway, by improving the visual delineation in wet conditions at night. They also provide an audible/vibratory warning to vehicle drivers should they stray from the carriageway for any reason. Their effect in alerting sleepy drivers is an additional benefit.

  We have not made an assessment of the effectiveness of rumble strips in alerting drivers; US studies suggest that they can reduce run-off-road accidents by 20 to 50 per cent.

  Railway Station Car Parks
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the implications of the High Court decision of 29 November in the case of Clarke v. Kato and others with regard to the status of railway station car parks and the possible future role of local authorities in designating taxi ranks in such car parks; and if he will make a statement. [11046]

  Mr. Watts
  The decision was made on the particular facts of the case in question and does not lay down a general principle. The significance of the decision is that if a car park is a "road" under the Road Traffic Act 1988, the general provisions of road traffic law will apply to it, such as the requirement for compulsory insurance. The case does not mean that land which is a road within the meaning of the Act because the owner permits the public to use it—as distinct from land over which the public have a right of way—no longer remains under the control of the owner. He remains free to decide what traffic is to be allowed over the land and for what purpose.

  The decision therefore has no bearing on the designation of taxi ranks at railway station car parks, which remain a matter for the appropriate station operator.

  Channel Tunnel (Safety)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what investigations are being carried out on his behalf, and by which organisations, into issues raised by the lorry fire in the channel tunnel on 18 November 1996, to ensure the safety of future passengers crossing under the English channel. [11264]

  Mr. Watts
  The Channel Tunnel Safety Authority is conducting an investigation Into the channel tunnel fire. This investigation is being undertaken on behalf of both the French and UK Governments in line with the duties and responsibilities of the Intergovernmental Commission and the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, established in articles 10 and 11 of the treaty of Canterbury 1986, Cmnd 9745.

  Bus Emissions
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many inspections of bus emissions have been made in the South Yorkshire area during 1996; and how many of these have resulted in(a) prosecution and (b) a fine; [11047]

  (2) if he will list the prosecutions brought and fines levied against bus companies, by region, which have breached the diesel emission limits during each of the past three years. [11048]

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

  Letter from Ron Oliver to Ms Helen Jackson, dated 20 January 1997:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the number of inspections of bus emissions made in the South Yorkshire area during 1996; and how many of these have resulted in (a) prosecution and (b) a fine; and the prosecutions brought and fines levied against bus companies by region, which have breached the diesel emissions limits during each of the last three years.
  478 inspections of bus (PSV) emissions were carried out in the Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire area during the 1995/96 financial year which resulted in the issue of 5 delayed prohibition notices. No immediate prohibitions were issued.
  It is not usual practice for breaches of PSV emissions limits to be dealt with by a prosecution or fine. The issue of a prohibition notice is considered an effective means of dealing with emissions failures in respect of licensed PSV operators. Prohibition notices issued to licensed operators are available to the Traffic Commissioners to consider whether disciplinary action is required.

  Vessels and Passengers (Requests for Assistance)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requests for assistance from ships containing refugees in the Mediterranean have been reported to his Department since December 1996. [11179]

  Mr. Bowis
  None.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance is given to United Kingdom-registered ships concerning the assistance to be offered to vessels or passengers in distress. [11182]
  484
  Mr. Bowis
  The annual summary of admiralty notices to mariners and volume 5 of the admiralty list of radio signals, which are mandatory carriage on UK-registered ships, give explicit guidance to the masters of British ships. UK law provides that
  "the master or person in charge of a vessel shall, so far as he can do so without serious danger to his own vessel, her crew and passengers (if any), render assistance to every person, … who is found at sea in danger of being lost."
  The master of a British ship, on receiving at sea a distress signal or information from any source that a vessel or aircraft is in distress, must proceed with all speed to the assistance of the persons in distress—informing them, if possible, that he is doing so—unless he is unable, or in the special circumstances of the case considers it unreasonable or unnecessary to do so, or unless he is released from this obligation under certain conditions.

  Rail Privatisation
  Mr. Chris Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the estimated sums to be paid by way of subsidy in the financial year ending 31 March 1997 to the British Railways Board and each of the companies formerly owned by the board which have been privatised or franchised in the past five years. [11427]

  Mr. Watts
  My current estimate of the net payments of support, excluding payments under the performance regime, to be made by the franchising director to the British Railways Board and to franchise operators in the financial year 1996–97 is listed in the table.

  Estimated payments in 1996–97

  Payments to franchise operators

  £ million

  Anglia Railways Train Services Ltd.

  8.777

  Cardiff Railway Co. Ltd.

  10.014

  CrossCountry Trains Ltd.

  30.675

  Gatwick Express Railway Co. Ltd.

  -4.192

  Great Eastern Railway Ltd.

  5.778

  Great Western Trains Co. Ltd.

  61,825

  InterCity East Coast Ltd.

  61.468

  Island Line Ltd.

  0.937

  LTS Rail Ltd.

  25.146

  Merseyrail Electrics Ltd.

  7.703

  Midland Main Line Ltd.

  16.188

  Network SouthCentral Ltd.

  73.610

  South Wales and West Railway Ltd.

  37.625

  South West Trains Ltd.

  63.207

  Thames Trains Ltd.

  18.780

  The Chiltern Railway Co. Ltd.

  11.650

  The South Eastern Train Co. Ltd.

  59.257

  West Anglia Great Northern Railway Ltd.

  14.208

  Total Payments to Franchise Operators

  502,655

  Payments to British Rail

  1,260.367

  Total Payments

  1,763,022

  Marine Accident Reports
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidelines he sets the marine accidents investigation branch for the time scale for producing reports following accidents or incidents. [11513]

  Mr. Bowis
  Major accidents require an inspector's inquiry to be conducted, leading to a chief inspector's report being produced. The chief inspector's target is to
  485
  submit the final report to the Secretary of State within 12 months of the date of the accident. Consultation with those considered by the chief inspector to have been adversely affected by the report may sometimes prevent this target being met.

  In other accidents requiring full and detailed examination, summary reports may be released generally or to interested parties. Where these are to be published, the target is to do so within 10 months from the date of the accident.

  MV Canberra (Inquiry)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what factors underlay the delay in producing the marine accidents investigation branch report into the incident involving the MV Canberra in December 1994. [11514]

  Mr. Bowis
  This was a complex investigation which involved not only the causes of the power failure but the actions of the master and officers with respect to navigational decisions and communication.

  In addition, the consultation and validation process was complex, and some time was spent in exploring the legal implications of publishing the report in the light of the consultation.

  Aircraft Safety
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those airlines found to be(a) using unapproved parts and (b) flying without maintenance releases during the last two years. [11511]

  Mr. Bowis
  The Civil Aviation Authority routinely audit both airlines and their maintenance organisations. All CAA-approved maintenance organisations have procedures to reject on receipt unapproved parts and prevent their fitting to aircraft. However, the CAA has recorded one case in February 1995 where a part fitted was found not to be in full accordance with approved standards. The part presented no hazard to the safety of the aircraft, which was operated by Maersk Air, and appropriate action has been taken to prevent any recurrence. Procedures for the strict regulation and control of aircraft parts were outlined on 22 March 1996 by my hon. Friend the Member for Epping Forest (Mr. Norris)Official Report, column 392.

  In the past two years, one case has been found where a UK-registered aircraft has been released into service from routine maintenance without there being in force a certificate of release to service as required by Joint Aviation Authorities requirement JAR-145. This one case is currently under investigation by the CAA. It would be inappropriate to name the airline concerned while the investigation is under way.

  Jubilee Line Extension
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has commissioned to be carried out into the structural safety of the Jubilee line extension to the London underground system during its construction, and by which organisations. [11265]
  486
  Mr. Bowis
  This is a responsibility of London Transport, for which safety is the top priority. I understand that the Jubilee line extension construction safety record is commendable by the standards of the construction industry nationally.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions, during the current parliamentary Session, answers to parliamentary questions which reveal information of a sort which is not normally disclosed, as defined in paragraph 5 of the guidance to officials on drafting answers to parliamentary questions, have been referred to him for a decision on whether or not a reply is given. [11285]

  Sir George Young
  None.

  Coastguard Services
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the coastguard stations which are currently only on day watch; and what plans he has to restrict other coastguard stations to day watch operations over the next five years. [9761]

  Mr. Bowis
  No coastguard stations are currently on day watch only. There are no plans to restrict coastguard stations to day watch operations over the next five years.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) which coastguard stations he is planning to downgrade; [9763]

  (2) if he will place a copy of the Coastguard agency five-year plan in the Library. [9762]

  Mr. Bowis
  There is no five-year plan for the Coastguard agency. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked the agency's chief executive to develop a strategy for using the benefits of new communications technology to meet the expected requirements for distress monitoring and search and rescue co-ordination by Her Majesty's Coastguard into the 21st century. No strategy has yet been submitted. Coastguard staff will be consulted before any decisions are taken. In the meantime, we have no plans to downgrade any coastguard stations.

  M11 Link Road
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on the M11 link road to date; and what is the current estimated total cost. [11058]

  Mr. Bowis
  Total spending to date is £176 million. The current estimated total cost is £340 million.

  Driver Eyesight Standards
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers of groups 1 and 2 vehicles he estimates will be unable to meet the new eyesight standards set out in the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1996. [11525]

  Mr. Bowis
  There are no changes in eyesight standards for group 1 drivers as a result of the new regulations. However, from 1 January 1998, group 1 drivers who obtained their licence before 1 January 1997 who, when renewing their licence, wish to retain the associated D1
  487
  entitlement—minibuses—will have to meet the higher group 2 eyesight standards. It is not possible to determine the numbers of licence holders who may be affected.

  Drivers of group 2 vehicles who obtained their licence before 1 January 1997, who are unable to meet the revised eyesight standards for such vehicles in the new regulations but who can continue to meet the standards applicable when they obtained their entitlement, may renew their licence provided that they are able to satisfy the Secretary of State that they have not been involved in a road accident in the preceding 10 years where defective eyesight was a contributory factor and that they have had recent adequate experience of driving these vehicles. The number of existing group 2 drivers falling below the new eyesight standards is estimated at 3,000. It is not possible to determine how many of these would be unable to satisfy the Secretary of State that their licences should be renewed.

  Personalised Number Plates
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many personalised number plates there are in the ownership of the executive agencies operated by his Department; and if he will list them. [11412]

  Mr. Bowis
  There are none.

  Marine Pollution Incidents
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents involving the discharge into the sea by merchant shipping of(a) noxious liquid substances and (b) pollution hazard substances took place in the most recent year for which figures are available; and how many successful prosecutions were brought. [11523]

  Mr. Bowis
  In 1996, 347 incidents of suspected discharges of noxious liquid or other polluting substances in contravention of international regulations were reported to the marine pollution control unit. The source of these suspected violations was identified on 30 occasions, of which 23 involved oil and seven involved other substances. Of these 30 cases, three were referred to the Treasury Solicitor or procurator fiscal and in eight cases it was considered more appropriate to refer to the relevant flag state for action. Ten cases remain under investigation.

  Radar Equipment (Milford Haven)
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he has taken to ensure the effective operation of radar equipment operating in the area of Milford Haven; what reports he has received regarding the effectiveness of the equipment on St. Ann's head since 1 January 1996; and if he will make a statement. [11350]

  Mr. Bowis
  The operation of this radar equipment is a matter for the Milford Haven port authority.

  Overloaded Aircraft
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those airlines found to be operating overloaded aircraft during the last two years. [11512]

  Mr. Bowis
  The Civil Aviation Authority audits UK airlines to ensure, among other things, that aircraft are operated within the weight limitations specified in their 488
  performance manuals. Incidence of operations outside these limitations is very low. Details of such operations are not held centrally and the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Child Care Facilities
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if Ministers are entitled to use child care facilities supported by his Department. [11596]

  Mr. Bowis
  The only child care facilities provided by my Department in central London are provided through the interdepartmental Westminster holiday playscheme, which is subsidised by the Department. Ministers may apply to use the facilities in the same way as members of staff.

  Driver Accident Rates
  Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the accident rate for drivers over the age of 70 years, and for each 10-year age group below 70 over the past 10 years. [11489]

  Mr. Bowis
  The latest available estimates are shown in the following table. The table shows that driver involvement rates in road injury accidents, in relation to the number of driving licence holders in the age group, fall with age. However, older car drivers and younger, mainly novice, drivers, drive fewer miles per year. When this reduced exposure to accident risk is taken into account, the table shows that, in relation to miles driven, the driver involvement rate increases for age groups over 60, and in relatively higher for 17 to 20-year-olds. There has been little change in relative rates between age groups since 1985–96.

  Rate of car driver involvement in road injury accidents

  Age band

  1985–86

  1993–95

  Per thousand1 car driving licence holders

  Per million vehicle kilometers

  Per thousand1 car driving licence holders

  Per million vehicle kilometers

  17–20

  30

  3.3

  27

  3.4

  21–29

  15

  1.4

  14

  1.3

  30–39

  11

  0.9

  10

  0.8

  40–49

  9

  0.7

  8

  0.6

  50–59

  7

  0.6

  7

  0.5

  60–69

  6

  0.7

  5

  0.6

  70+

  6

  0.9

  5

  0.9

  1 The rates for each car driver age group are expressed as car driver involvements in injury accidents in relation to the number of full licence holders in each age group. The 17 to 20 year age group does not take into account provisional licence holders because their driving mileage is relatively very low, and accompaniment while learning could reduce their accident involvement risk. Inclusion could unduly bias comparisons between age groups.

  Heavy Goods Vehicles
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the programme of bridge inspection and strengthening associated with the use of 40-tonne lorries will be completed by 1 January 1999; and what is the present estimate of the cost of this programme. [10903]

  Mr. Watts
  The current programme of assessment and strengthening of highway structures is not associated purely with the use of 40-tonne lorries; it is also aimed at ensuring that these structures continue to be safe for use by the large numbers of 38-tonne vehicles that now use
  489
  them. It is not the case that every structure on every road must be strengthened by 1 January 1999. Our objectives are that all assessments should have been completed by that date and that routes carrying significant flows of international traffic, including all trunk roads, should be capable of bearing 40-tonne lorries.

  The trunk road network is the responsibility of the Highways Agency. The agency's latest estimate of the cost of assessing and strengthening trunk road structures alone is £450 million.

  Other public roads are the responsibility of local highway authorities. Since 1991–92, my Department has made some £700 million available to local highway authorities for assessment and strengthening and a further £112 million is to be provided under the 1997–98 transport policies and programmes settlement. It is not possible at the present to provide an accurate estimate of the cost of outstanding assessment and strengthening work for local authority structures.

HEALTH

  Dental Services
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average salary by decile for NHS dentists. [9012]

  Mr. Malone
  General dental practitioners are largely paid through fees—such as item of service fees and continuing care—rather than salaries. The table shows average gross fee earnings by decile for dental rates study group, DRSG, dentists in England.

  Average gross fee earnings1 by the decile for DRSG2 dentists in 1995–96 in England

  Decile3

  Average gross fee earnings1£

  Bottom

  8,000

  2

  26,000

  3

  43,000

  4

  61,000

  5

  75,000

  6

  87,000

  7

  99,000

  8

  112,000

  9

  131,000

  Top

  188,000

  1 These have been rounded to the nearest £1,000. Gross fee payments do not account for all NHS earnings, which can include other payments such as maternity payments, long-term sickness payments and seniority payments. These additional payments amount to about £2,000 per practitioner on average.

  2DRSG dentists are those who have been in practice throughout 1995–96. Dentists who have joined or left during the year have been excluded, as well as some other small groups.

  3There were 13,687 DRSG dentists in England in 1995–96. Each decile comprises about 1,369 dentists.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 13 January,Official Report, columns 165–66, how many adult patients and children were registered with the highest paid NHS dentist in each year from 1991–92 to 1995–96. [11890]

  Mr. Malone
  The dentist with the highest level of gross earnings in each of the years 1991–92 to 1994–95 had a very small number of registrations, and was engaged 490
  mainly in orthodontic treatment. For 1995–96, the dentist with the highest level of gross earnings had 8,991 adult registrations and 2,258 child registrations.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 14 January,Official Report, column 220, in which London postal district the practice of the highest earning NHS dentist was situated in 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, and 1994–95. [11889]

  Mr. Malone
  Giving this information would be in breach of the open government code of practice, which exempts information which could facilitate an unwarranted invasion of privacy.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish for consultation draft proposals for making extensive and wholly unnecessary dental treatment a criminal offence. [11900]

  Mr. Malone
  Extensive and wholly unnecessary dental treatment can constitute an assault for the purposes of the criminal law and there is therefore no need to introduce any further legislation.

  Pay Parity
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he has had with the Department for Education and Employment on the matter of pay parity between clinical and academic medicine. [10839]

  Mr. Malone
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment have discussed this issue. We fully support the arrangements announced by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment to enable pay parity to be maintained between clinical academics and their counterparts in the national health service.

  Miss Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he has had with the Treasury on the matter of pay parity between clinical and academic medicine. [10838]

  Mr. Malone
  None.

  Anti-malarial Tablets
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department has made available about the side effects of mefloquine anti-malarial tablets. [11241]

  Mr. Malone
  Information on the side effects associated with mefloquine is provided to health professionals in the manufacturer's product information which is authorised by the Licensing Authority. An information leaflet for patients is also provided.

  In July 1996, information on neurological and psychiatric side effects associated with mefloquine was published in a bulletin called "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance". This bulletin is distributed to all doctors and pharmacists and a copy is placed in the Library.

  The British National Formulary also provides information on the side effects of mefloquine and the Department of Health pays for this to be sent to general practitioners twice a year. Information on mefloquine was

  491
  circulated to all doctors in the chief medical officer's update—10 May 1996—and in the book "Health Information For Overseas Travel", a copy of which has been sent to every general practitioner.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out the amount spent by each NHS trust on consultancy fees for every PFI project costing £5 million or more. [11255]

  Mr. Horam
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Dulwich (Ms. Jowell) on 25 November 1996,Official Report, column 119.

  Acute Beds
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS from the blocking of acute beds by patients awaiting assessments or care arrangements from social services. [11195]

  Mr. Burns
  Information on costs is not collected centrally. An extra £16 million has been allocated to 69 health authorities for continuing care in 1996–97.

  Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if Greenwich Healthcare NHS trust will be required to pay for public transport arrangements to the Queen Elizabeth hospital. [11254]

  Mr. Horam
  Greenwich Healthcare NHS trust has agreed to underwrite the excess costs of certain specified public transport services to its new site at the Queen Elizabeth hospital, up to a fixed limit, for a maximum period of 18 months.

  Damages and Ex Gratia Payments
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total sum paid out in damages and ex gratia payments by each health authority and trust in England for each of the last five years arising from litigation initiated against that health authority or trust and the total annual legal costs incurred in respect of such claims. [11078]

  Mr. Horam
  The information is not centrally available.

  NHS Trusts (Joint Responsibilities)
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many locations in England more than one NHS trust is responsible for activities taking place on the same site. [11252]

  Mr. Horam
  This information is not held centrally.

  Personalised Number Plates
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many personalised number plates there are in the ownership of the executive agencies operated by his Department; and if he will list them. [11418]

  Mr. Horam
  None.

  Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost to the NHS of purchasing the use of an MRI scanner for an NHS patient at a private hospital. [11883]

  Mr. Horam
  No details of the costs of magnetic resonance imager scanning are held by the Department of Health.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many MRI scanners are available in the NHS; and what estimate he has made of the number in the private health sector. [11884]

  Mr. Horam
  Data on the numbers of magnetic resonance imager scanners in the national health service and the private health sector is not held centrally by the Department of Health.

  Photo-refractive Keratectomy
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the(a) effectiveness and (b) risks of photo-refractive keratectomy; and if he will make a statement. [11822]

  Mr. Horam
  The effectiveness and risks of photo-refractive keratectomy have been the subject of considerable research both in the United Kingdom and abroad, and the results have been made widely available in the professional literature. The decision on whether to provide this treatment in an individual case is primarily a matter for the patient and doctor concerned.

  Refugee Children
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of refugee children who have been taken into care or whose families have been supported by social services due to their prospect of destitution. [11178]

  Mr. Burns
  The information requested is not collected centrally.

  Drug Wastage
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his current estimate of the amount(a) in volume and (b) in value of drugs prescribed by doctors in the NHS and then not used by patients in the course of a year; and what plans he has to ensure that wastage is minimised. [11242]

  Mr. Malone
  This information is not collected. However, following publication last year of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys—now Office for National Statistics—report "Residual Medicines", the Department is currently engaged in setting up repeat dispensing trials to test whether this would reduce drug waste. The Department, thorough a variety of measures, seeks to encourage general practitioners to review and effectively control their repeat prescribing. Repeat prescribing has been identified as a priority area in the Department's research programme.

  Mental Health
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 13 January,Official Report,

  493
  column 175, relating to funds returned to the general allocation for 1997–98, if he will provide the information separately in respect of patients with mental illness and patients with learning disabilities. [11638]

  Mr. Burns
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what extra allocation has been given to health authorities for 1997–98 in respect of(a) mental illness and (b) learning disability; and if he will list the authorities receiving such extra funding; [11637]

  (2) if he will list by health authority and other appropriate bodies the reductions in 1997–98 in the special allocation which funds (a) the care of patients with mental illness admitted before June 1970 and (b) patients with learning disabilities admitted before June 1970 in (i) hospital-based and (ii) community-based accommodation. [11639]

  Mr. Horam
  All health authorities have received increases in their general allocations for 1997–98. It is for individual health authorities to decide the level of resources to allocate to mental illness and learning disability.

  In addition, £25 million has been set aside centrally to support the further development of mental health services, comprising a new challenge fund of £10 million, and £15 million for further facilities for mentally disordered offenders. Details of the health authorities that will benefit from this extra funding will be announced shortly.

  Changes for 1997–98 in the level of funding to health authorities for the old long stay—OLS—special allocation, which funds the care of patients with a mental illness admitted before 1 January 1971 and patients with a learning disability admitted before 1 January 1970, are shown in the table.

  Some 0.1 per cent. of the growth in health authority general allocations is in place of the net reduction in the OLS special allocation to ensure that spending on mental health and people with learning difficulties can be maintained. These increases are shown in the table.

  £000s

  Health authorities

  A 0.1 per cent growth in general allocations

  B Increases in OLS special allocation

  C Reduction OLS special allocation

  Avon

  400

  —

  2,095

  Barking and Havering

  179

  70

  —

  Barnet

  147

  —

  —

  Barnsley

  102

  —

  271

  Bedfordshire

  208

  —

  387

  Berkshire

  286

  896

  —

  Bexley and Greenwich

  211'

  —

  599

  Birmingham

  475

  —

  643

  Bradford

  213

  35

  —

  Brent and Harrow

  226

  99

  —

  Bromley

  127

  —

  36

  Buckinghamshire

  245

  —

  14

  Bury and Rochdale

  172

  —

  108

  494

  £000s

  Health authorities

  A 0.1 per cent growth in general allocations

  B Increases in OLS special allocation

  C Reduction OLS special allocation

  Calderdale and Kirklees

  254

  —

  197

  Cambridge and Huntingdon

  158

  —

  200

  Camden and Islington

  238

  —

  287

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  212

  —

  217

  County Durham

  277

  —

  124

  Coventry

  133

  —

  —

  Croydon

  143

  —

  627

  Doncaster

  129

  —

  241

  Dorset

  308

  —

  54

  Dudley

  126

  —

  396

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  340

  —

  1,296

  East and North Hertfordshire

  192

  231

  —

  East Kent

  269

  222

  —

  East Lancashire

  236

  —

  93

  East London and the City

  340

  —

  —

  East Norfolk

  253

  —

  176

  East Riding

  244

  —

  252

  East Surrey

  173

  —

  2,680

  East Sussex, Brighton and Hove

  348

  —

  729

  Enfield and Haringey

  233

  —

  772

  Gateshead and South Tyneside

  176

  —

  71

  Gloucestershire

  229

  46

  —

  Herefordshire

  68

  —

  95

  Hillingdon

  110

  —

  296

  Isle of Wight

  64

  —

  15

  Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

  196

  —

  1,148

  Kingston and Richmond

  148

  —

  184

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  413

  —

  8

  Leeds

  316

  —

  Leicestershire

  352

  —

  1,470

  Lincolnshire

  262

  —

  240

  Liverpool

  239

  —

  52

  Manchester

  236

  —

  420

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  305

  —

  184—

  Morecambe Bay

  143

  —

  —

  Newcastle and North Tyneside

  232

  —

  —

  North and East Devon

  209

  —

  363

  North and Mid Hampshire

  206

  —

  1,333

  North Cheshire

  143

  —

  —

  North Cumbria

  135

  —

  106

  North Derbyshire

  158

  —

  —

  North Essex

  344

  —

  221

  North Nottinghamshire

  162

  —

  278

  North Staffordshire

  207

  —

  318

  North West Anglia

  167

  80

  —

  North West Lancashire

  218

  —

  235

  495

  £000s

  Health authorities

  A 0.1 per cent growth in general allocations

  B Increases in OLS special allocation

  C Reduction OLS special allocation

  North Yorkshire

  298

  —

  156

  Northamptonshire

  236

  —

  101

  Northumberland

  132

  —

  74

  Nottingham

  266

  —

  169

  Oxfordshire

  217

  —

  69

  Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  226

  1,087

  —

  Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  218

  —

  —

  Rotherham

  112

  71

  —

  Salford and Trafford

  209

  —

  27

  Sandwell

  137

  —

  156

  Sefton

  135

  —

  54

  Sheffield

  254

  41

  —

  Shropshire

  166

  —

  77

  Solihull

  79

  —

  232

  Somerset

  197

  83

  —

  South and West Devon

  263

  259

  —

  South Cheshire

  274

  —

  38

  South Derbyshire

  230

  —

  19

  South Essex

  281

  —

  682

  South Humber

  137

  —

  63

  South Lancashire

  131

  —

  —

  South Staffordshire

  226

  —

  43

  Southampton and South West Hampshire

  218

  171

  —

  St. Helen's and Knowsley

  150

  —

  26

  Stockport

  117

  —

  —

  Suffolk

  264

  —

  274

  Sunderland

  138

  262

  —

  Tees

  250

  46

  —

  Wakefield

  143

  134

  —

  Walsall

  112

  —

  3

  Warwickshire

  207

  —

  159

  West Hertfordshire

  221

  —

  826

  West Kent

  381

  55

  —

  West Pennine

  210

  —

  —

  West Surrey

  260

  55

  —

  West Sussex

  318

  —

  553

  Wigan and Bolton

  252

  —

  360

  Wiltshire

  238

  —

  35

  Wirral

  152

  —

  Wolverhampton

  110

  —

  —

  Worcestershire

  211

  —

  14

  Total

  21,412

  3,942

  23,742

  1. All figures are at 1997–98 prices.

  2. Figures may not sum exactly due to roundings.

  3. Columns B and C show changes between the 1996–98 OLS special allocation.

  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the decisions of mental health review tribunals that are contrary to the advice of the responsible medical officer. [11494]

  Mr. Burns
  Mental health review tribunals are independent judicial bodies and there is no provision in the Mental Health Act 1983 for review of tribunal decisions by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
  496
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if mental health review tribunals are advised whether the patient has a history of violence. [11495]

  Mr. Burns
  Information on whether a patient has a history of violence is provided for mental health review tribunals in the context of the statements by the responsible authority and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State required under the Mental Health Review Tribunal Rules 1983.

  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to require mental health review tribunals to obtain the opinion of a doctor approved under section 12 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in addition to that of the responsible medical officer. [11496]

  Mr. Burns
  None.

  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if mental health review tribunals are required to ensure that proper provision and support, in accordance with the care programme approach, has been made before deciding to discharge a patient. [11497]

  Mr. Burns
  Legislation under the Mental Health Act 1983 provides for mental health review tribunals to receive up-to-date reports on the patient's medical condition and social circumstances. Such reports will include recommendations for continuing care. The tribunal must take account of this information in deciding whether a patient should be discharged, and may direct a patient's discharge on a future date to allow time for aftercare arrangements to be put in place.

  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what activities he has initiated in preparation for a review of the Mental Health Act 1983. [11498]

  Mr. Burns
  Officials will, from time to time, as with any other major policy area, meet individuals with a key interest to discuss issues relating to the operation of the Act.

  Secure Accommodation (Young People)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average monthly cost of keeping a young person in secure accommodation in the last year for which figures are available. [10924]

  Mr. Burns
  Local authorities in England spent £31.5 million gross on the provision of secure accommodation during the year ending 31 March 1995, while the average number of children accommodated during the year was 245. The average monthly cost per child was therefore approximately £10,700.

  Children's Health
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the occurrence in children of(a) tuberculosis, (b) rickets, (c) iron deficiency and (d) gastroenteritis. [11839]

  Mr. Malone
  The Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food commissioned a comprehensive survey of diet and nutrition in pre-school children in 1993 entitled "National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Children Aged 11/2to41/2. This
  497
  showed that no particular socio-economic group was malnourished, and that average heights and weights continue to increase.

  The Department is aware of occasional cases of rickets, caused by vitamin D deficiency. To address this issue, vitamin D has been made available to pregnant women and new mothers, and children under the age of five. Asian infants are thought to be at the highest risk of rickets, and a current departmental survey, "Infant Feeding in Asian Families", will determine whether further action is needed. The results of the survey are due in February.

  The Department's policy research programme—PRPis funding a research initiative into improved nutritional health, with a budget of £2.4 million. Target groups covered by this include children. The research initiative is jointly managed by the Department and the Medical Research Council.

  On a regional level, South West region has funded research into "Infant anaemia—who should be screened and when?", which was undertaken at the university of Bristol with a contribution of £50,000 from the NHS.

  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by month and year for each of the last five years the number of(a) diagnosed and (b) newly suspected cases of the new strain of CJD; to what extent the trends enable him to make assessments of future numbers; and what assessment he has made of likely future numbers. [11719]

  Expenditure

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  £million

  £million

  percentage change

  £million

  percentage change

  £million

  percentage change

  Surgical specialties

  5,158

  5,258

  1.9

  5,574

  6.0

  5,856

  5.1

  Non-surgical specialties

  9,281

  6,426

  1.6

  9,700

  2.9

  10,133

  4.5

  Accident and emergency

  567

  642

  13.3

  650

  1.1

  686

  5.7

  Notes:

  1. Surgical includes: total of surgical specialties; renal transplant; heart transplantation; and surgical supra-regional services.

  2. Non-surgical includes: total of medical specialties; maternity; psychiatric specialties; other specialties; renal dialysis; national poisons information services; psychiatric services for deaf people; and retinoblastoma services.

  3. Figures are taken from purchaser expenditure data, but the breakdown between specialty groups has been derived from NHS providers' financial returns.

  4. The 1995–96 figures are provisional.

  Source:

  1. The annual financial returns of national health service trusts.

  2. The annual financial returns of the directly managed units of health authorities.

  3. The annual financial returns of the special health authorities of the London postgraduate teaching hospitals.

  4. Hospital and community health services programme budget.

  Regional Health Authorities (Management Expenditure)
  Ms. Jowell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by each regional health authority on(a) conference registration fees, (b)lease cars for
  498
  Mr. Horam
  The latest figures on the number of confirmed definite and probable cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United Kingdom, including the new variant, were published in a Department of Health press release on 6 January 1997, copies of which are available in the Library. Figures on suspected cases are not available. The classification of cases changes as the course of the disease proceeds and a definite diagnosis is usually possible only after death. In the past, about half the cases referred to the unit have turned out not to be CJD.

  There is still very little known about new variant CJD, including important information on the incubation period, the route of infection, the level of exposure required to cause disease and the role of genetic susceptibility, so it is likely to be some years before we have sufficient information to make firm predictions of future numbers of cases.

  Expenditure Statistics
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of expenditure on (i) intensive treatment units, (ii) surgical departments, (iii) non-surgical departments, and (iv) accident and emergency departments for each year since 1992(a) nationally and (b) in the west midlands in (1) cash terms and (2) as a percentage change on the previous year. [10310]

  Mr. Horam
  [holding answer 13 January 1997]: It is not possible to identify separately expenditure on intensive treatment units, because expenditure is measured by consultant specialty rather than type of treatment. The details requested of expenditure on other hospital services are in the table. It would be possible to provide data for the west midlands region only at disproportionate cost.

  Managers,(c) United Kingdom and overseas air travel, (d) hospitality and (e) business travel within the United Kingdom in (i) 1993–94, (ii) 1994–95 and (iii) 1995–96. [11718]

  Mr. Melone
  The information is not held centrally.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Serious Fraud Office
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Attorney-General when he next plans to meet officials from the Serious Fraud Office to discuss the work of the office. [9942]

  The Attorney-General
  I meet the director of Serious Fraud Office regularly to discuss matters of departmental interest, including particular cases.

  Court of Appeal (Judgments)
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the advantages, in cases considered by the Court of Appeal on grounds of undue leniency, of the reasons for judgments being given at the same time as or within a short time of the judgment. [9944]

  The Solicitor-General
  It is for the Court of Appeal to decide in each case what is the appropriate course. When the court wishes to formulate detailed reasons, for example, in an important guideline case, it may announce its decision at the conclusion of the hearing but promulgate its reasoned judgment later.

  Rights of Audience
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General what proposals he has for securing rights of audience in the High Court for barristers employed by the Crown Prosecution Service. [9945]

  The Attorney-General
  An application by the Law Society for higher courts rights of audience for employed solicitors, including Crown prosecutors, is at present being considered by the Lord Chancellor and the designated judges. A decision relating to employed banisters has been postponed until this application has been determined.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Attorney-General how many qualified lawyers are employed by the Crown Prosecution Service. [9946]

  The Attorney-General
  As at 31 December 1996, the Crown Prosecution Service employed the equivalent of 2,010 full-time lawyers.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Veterinary Laboratory, Omagh
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the saving from the proposed closure of the veterinary laboratory at Omagh; and if he will make a statement. [10835]

  Mr. Ancram
  The proposed closure of the veterinary science division, Omagh laboratory, would have made an annual saving of up to £320,000 in departmental running costs and a one-off saving of approximately £250,000 for the installation of a new incinerator, to meet emission standards required by the anticipated legislation and stemming from Council directive 84/360/EEC.

WALES

  Road Improvements
  Sir David Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total spending by central Government on roads in Wales since 1979; and how many miles of motorway and trunk roads have been constructed since that year. [9917]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Since 1979, total spending on the roads programme in Wales is nearly £3 billion, including £510 million transport grant, 36 miles of motorway and 171 miles of trunk road have been completed or improved. Three major improvement schmes totalling another 16 miles are under construction.

  GP Fundholders
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many GP fundholders there are in Wales; and what plans there are to extend this scheme. [9918]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  There are 210 and a further 25 are expected to become fundholders from 1 April next. Fundholding now covers 52 per cent. of the population of Wales and I expect its popularity to continue to increase.

  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the population in Wales is served by fundholding GPs. [9932]

  Mr. Jones
  Fifty-two per cent. of the Welsh population are now covered by fundholding GPs, and this will rise to 55 per cent. by next April.

  NHS Expenditure
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent on the NHS in Wales in 1996 as a percentage of that spent in 1995. [9920]

  Mr. Hague
  In 1995–96, spending on the NHS in Wales as a percentage of that spent in 1994–95 was 105.8 per cent.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the treasurers of Welsh county and county borough councils to discuss local authority finance for 1996–97 in Wales. [9921]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  A meeting of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance was held on 16 December 1996.

  Nursery Vouchers
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what further representations he has had about the introduction and implementation of nursery vouchers in(a) Clwyd and (b) Wales. [9922]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Since my reply to the hon. Member's question on 15 July 1996 the Welsh Office has received some 1,700 further letters and some 20 petitions about the scheme, including some 60 letters and two petitions from the area covering the former Clwyd.

  Roads Programme
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his Department's road programme for 1997–98. [9923]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Details of improvements to the road network in 1997–98 will be published in the Welsh Office's departmental report in the spring.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the proposed expenditure on assisted places in 1997–98. [9924]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  None.

  Economic Prospects
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the prospects for the Welsh economy in 1997. [9925]

  Mr. Hague
  Prospects for the Welsh economy in 1997 are very good indeed. Employment is rising and unemployment continues to fall; independent forecasters expect GDP in 1997 to grow faster in Wales than in the UK as a whole; and for Wales to continue to have the strongest manufacturing growth of all regions. Business surveys show that businesses in Wales remain very confident.

  Income Statistics (Carmarthenshire)
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will express the income per head in Carmarthenshire as a percentage of the United Kingdom figure. [9926]

  Mr. Hague
  There are no official data on income per head in Carmarthenshire. However, in April 1996, the average gross weekly earnings of full-time employees in Carmarthenshire were 87 per cent. of the UK average.

  Burgner Report
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will publish his response to the Burgner report; and if he will make a statement. [9927]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health published the Burgner report on 18 October 1996. On that date he announced the Government's response to some key recommendations of the report in a speech to the annual conference of the Association of Directors of Social Services. He also announced that a more detailed response will be included in a social services White Paper, which the Government expect to publish in February.

  Meningitis (Cardiff University)
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with(a) university authorities and (b) Bro Taf health authority concerning meningitis at Cardiff university in autumn 1996. [9928]
  502
  Mr. Hague
  I have asked for reports from the vice-chancellor at the university of Wales and Bro Taf health authority on the outbreak. Both reports are expected by the end of January.

  Further Education Funding
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimates he has made of the trends in funding of further education between 1996–97 and 1997–98. [9929]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  Following my right hon. Friend's announcement on 12 December regarding public expenditure in Wales for 1997–98, the Department's officials wrote to the chief executive of the Further Education Funding Council for Wales giving details of the council's grant for further education in 1996–97 and 1997–98 and indicative funding for the next two years. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.

  Youth Unemployment
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about youth unemployment in Wales. [9930]

  Mr. Hague
  Claimant unemployment among under-25s in Wales fell by 3,900, 12.3 per cent., in the year to October 1996. The rate in Wales is significantly lower than those in France, Italy and Spain, as well as below the EU average.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money he expects to be raised through PFI projects in the next three years. [9931]

  Mr. Hague
  I expect the initiative to bring about £350 million of private sector capital investment in Welsh Office schemes.

  Local Government Services
  Mr. Donald Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the effect of the Budget settlement on local government services. [9933]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  My right hon. Friend and I discussed our proposals for the local government revenue settlement and capital spending plans for 1997–98 with representatives of local government at a meeting of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on 16 December 1996. In addition, my right hon. Friend and I have received around 20 written representations from the Welsh Local Government Association, Members of Parliament and individual local authorities.

  Tai Cymru
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many new units of social housing were provided by Tai Cymru in the past 12 months for which figures are available; and how many he forecasts for the next 12 months. [9934]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  During 1995–96, 3,802 dwellings were completed. Tai Cymru's target for 1996–97 is 3,500 dwellings.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he will take to ensure equity of distribution of job-creating inward investment between the east of Wales and the west of Wales; and if he will make a statement. [9935]

  Mr. Hague
  I will continue to work hard for the whole of Wales. Decisions on location are ultimately a matter for the companies concerned. I have, however, set targets for the Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales to attract investment to areas outside the east of Wales.

  A465 Construction
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he estimates the A465 Aberdulais to Glynneath road construction will be completed. [11034]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  I shall be writing to the hon. Member shortly, inviting him to the opening ceremony for this scheme, which is planned for the end of February.

  Health Authority Savings Targets
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 17 December,Official Report, column 588, on savings by health authorities, if he will list the principal elements of the savings targets for the health authorities which will be achieved in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99. [11807]

  Mr. Hague
  It is a matter for health authorities to determine how to make the savings, and when, provided that they achieve the overall target by the end of 1998–99. Progress towards the £8 million savings will be monitored through health authority annual accounts when the information becomes available.

  Health Service Car Leasing Schemes
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance his Department has issued to health authorities and health trusts on car leasing schemes for executive staff; and if he will make a statement. [11837]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Guidance was issued in March 1996 in circular DGM(96)59 and repeated in DGM(96)125 issued in June 1996. Copies will be placed in the Library as soon as possible.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received on the car leasing scheme of Dyfed-Powys health authority which was amended in 1996; and if he will make a statement on that scheme. [11836]

  Mr. Jones
  None. The scheme is a matter for the health authority.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what monitoring his Department has made of health authorities and health trusts, car leasing schemes for executive staff. [11838]

  Mr. Jones
  Statutory auditors examine schemes, and Welsh Office officials do not undertake any specific monitoring.

  North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre
  Mr. Richards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on progress in the negotiations between his Department and the North Wales health authority regarding the operational running costs of the proposed cancer treatment centre at Glan Clwyd national health service trust. [11720]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Welsh Office officials are discussing revenue funding with the North Wales health authority and an announcement will be made shortly.

  Sea Fisheries Committees
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will undertake to meet any future funding deficit of the South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee. [11782]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  No. Provision for the funding of sea fisheries committees is included in the annual local government revenue settlement. The funding of committees is a matter for the participating authorities.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to support the South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee to allow it to fulfil its increased statutory responsibilities as manager of the marine environment. [11783]

  Mr. Evans
  Sea fisheries committees are one of a large number of fisheries and conservation groups which have been granted relevant authority status under EU conservative directives. It will be some time before the committees can assess what, if any, specific role they will agree to accept under these directives, and they have been advised that any resource implications will be discussed with them at the appropriate time.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the effects of the reorganisation of local authorities in Wales on the funding and effectiveness of sea fisheries committees. [11784]

  Mr. Evans
  Ministers and officials have met sea fisheries committees on several occasions to discuss this matter, and a further meeting is planned for this week. We have also written, on a number of occasions, to all the local authorities concerned, inviting them to advise us of any proposals they have for the future of sea fisheries committees. No proposals have come forward which have the support of all the authorities involved.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what additional resources will be made available if sea fisheries committees are given additional powers to develop regional management of fisheries as part of a review of the common fisheries policy. [11785]

  Mr. Evans
  There are no plans for sea fisheries committees to develop regional management of fisheries as part of a review of the common fisheries policy.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Staff
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for his Department(a) how many people in total are employed, (b) how many of the total

  505
  number of staff are (i) male and (ii) female and (c) how many (I) men and (II) women are employed on a (1) full-time and (2) part-time basis. [9491]

  Mr. Burt
  The information is in the table.

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  97,966

  30,948

  855

  49,335

  16,828

  Figures as at 1 October 1996.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of incapacity benefit also receive disability living allowance. [10215]

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  As at 31 May 1996, 641,0001 claimants of incapacity benefit were also in receipt of disability living allowance.
  1Five per cent. scan of the incapacity benefit and disability living allowance computer systems. Excludes a small number of cases paid clerically.

  Benefit Fraud Hotline
  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many calls received by the benefit fraud hotline can be related to the Sheffield area; and if he will make a statement. [10303]

  Mr. Heald
  The numbers of calls for each individual area are not recorded separately. However, for the Sheffield area, the number of referrals for fraud investigation, generated by calls to the hotline, is 1,169 as at 22 November 1996.

  Invalid Care Allowance
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what guidance was issued in respect of new arrangements affecting maximum earnings and allowed expenses for those in receipt of invalid care allowance; and on what date; [10332]

  (2) when the new arrangements for invalid care allowance come into effect. [10333]

  Mr. Burt
  The Social Security Benefit (Computation of Earnings) Regulations 1996 and Social Security (Invalid Care Allowance) Amendment Regulations 1996 came into force on 25 November 1996.

  For those claiming invalid care allowance for the first time after this date, a leaflet explaining the changes has been inserted in the claim pack. After the regulations had been laid before the House, but before the changes came into force, the Benefits Agency issued a loose-leaf notice in copies of the autumn edition of "Touchbase" magazine. "Touchbase" goes to approximately 90,000 organisations and bodies including libraries, citizens advice bureaux and associations representing carers. Additionally, when a case is due for review, and it appears that the customer will be affected, the customer is notified of the changes.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many employers sought to avoid 506
  the payment of national insurance contributions by using shares and share options in ways which the Social Security (Contributions) Amendment (No. 6) Regulations 1996 will prohibit in the last year. [10415]

  Mr. Heald
  The information is not available in the format requested. However, these provisions are expected to increase contributions revenue by about £30 million a year.

  Centenarians
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) men and (b) women who are over 100 years of age living in the United Kingdom are in receipt of a state retirement pension. [10883]

  Mr. Heald
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.

  As at 31 March 1996, there were 1,440 men and 7,960 women who were over 100 years of age living in Great Britain and in receipt of a state retirement pension.

  For the numbers of men and women who are over 100 years of age living in Northern Ireland I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
  Notes:1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample.2. State retirement pension comprises contributory retirement pension, non-contributory retirement pension and graduated retirement benefit.Source:"The Retirement Pension Bi-Annual Enquiry" at 31 March 1996.

  Benefits Agency Medical Services
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to publish the results of the survey of service standards in the Benefits Agency medical services. [10992]

  Mr. Burt
  A copy has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the annual running cost of the Benefits Agency medical services. [10995]

  Mr. Burt
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) on 5 November 1996,Official Report, column 555.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Hanson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy that weather stations situated in Wales be used for monitoring in respect of cold weather payments for all postcode areas in Wales. [11425]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  No. Postcodes are linked to specified weather stations based on expert advice from the Meteorological Office as to similarity of climate and not according to administrative boundaries.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what work has been carried out for his Department to determine the effect of wind chill on
  507
  buildings; what has been the role of the Building Research Establishment executive agency in this work; and if he will make a statement. [11277]

  Mr. Evans
  Traditionally, wind chill is a concept designed to show the impact of wind on humans in the outside air and not its impact on buildings.

  Advice received from the Meteorological Office—recommendations by the Meteorological Office for the summer of 1996 review of the cold weather payment scheme (August 1996)—placed in the Library, October 1996—suggested that, for much of the country, the effects of wind are too small and highly variable for there to be merit in reviewing the cold weather payment scheme for it, but invited the Government to decide whether further work was appropriate.

  As said—to the Sixth Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation (18 December 1996, Official Report, column 10) and in the Cold Weather Payments (Wind Chill Factor) Bill Second Reading debate (17 January 1997, Official Report, column 593)—the merits of this approach will be considered as part of this summer's review.

  Benefits Agency (Property Sales)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the Benefits Agency offices which have been assessed as (i) core, (ii) flexible and (iii) surplus in his Department's proposal to sell the property estate. [11002]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information has been placed in the Library.

  The proposed transfer of responsibility for the DSS estate aims to improve value for money, increase ability to match accommodation to changing operational needs, and bring in private sector expertise in managing estates, leaving the Benefits Agency to concentrate on benefit delivery.

  The Benefits Agency has reviewed its future estates needs and, for the purpose of the procurement, categorised its accommodation in three ways:
  Core means an expected continued need for accommodation over the full 20-year duration of the proposed contract;
  Flexible means that the agency will be able, but not committed to, vacate such property over a period of years should that reflect operational needs. It does not mean a formal decision to leave the accommodation at any particular time;
  Surplus means it is not required from the start of the contract. The agency is currently paying for a considerable amount of unoccupied space.

  Any proposed office closures continue to be subject to the normal consultation process, including ministerial approval.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which of the bidders for the Benefits Agency's property estate are led by British companies. [11003]

  Mr. Evans
  The three consortiums bidding to provide the DSS with serviced accommodation are:

  Mapley Holdings Ltd.

  Partnership Property Management Ltd. (PPM)

  OPUS.

  508
  The first two are led by American banks, Goldman Sachs and Nations bank, and the third by the Japanese bank, Nomura. However, each consortium bidding to provide the Department with serviced accommodation, includes property and facilities management companies, many of which are British and all the consortiums have appointed British chairman and are likely to appoint British chief executives.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has had with trade unions regarding the sale of the Benefits Agency's property estate. [11004]

  Mr. Evans
  The departmental trade unions have been consulted on the outcome of the feasibility study regarding the potential for such a transaction, the decision to implement the transfer of the estate to the private sector and the progress of the project since that decision.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultation period he has provided before determining the nature of the sale of the property estate of the Benefits Agency; what estimate he has made of the revenue accruing from the sale; and what redundancies he estimates will ensue. [11005]

  Mr. Evans
  In September 1995, the Department commissioned a feasibility study to identify and consider options for the future ownership and management of the departmental estate and announced the decision to implement the transfer on 28 June 1996. The details of the transfer, which is part of the Department's estate transaction, are part of the on-going negotiations with three consortiums and will continue following the identification of the single preferred supplier.

  The successful consortiums will be required to pay £250 million on completion of the contract to realise the immediate underlying value of the estate and the remaining value will be achieved through reduced running costs.

  If jobs transfer to the private sector, it is envisaged that the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 will apply. It will be necessary to reorganise the contract management arrangements and we will always seek to redeploy staff. Compulsory redundancies will be avoided wherever possible.

  Income Support (Mortgage Interest)
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the Treasury's current assumed rate of interest on mortgage repayments used to assess payments for people in receipt of housing benefit on their mortgages. [11052]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The standard rate of interest used to calculate payments of income support mortgage interest is currently 6.89 per cent. This figure is the weighted average of the rates charged by the main building societies; it is based on statistics provided monthly by the Office for National Statistics. Movements of plus or minus 0.25 per cent. trigger a change in the standard rate.

  Help with mortgage interest is paid with income support and not as housing benefit.
  509
  Mrs. Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the dates and changes made in the Treasury assumed rate of interest on mortgage repayments used to assess housing benefit over the past 12 months. [11053]

  Mr. Evans
  Changes in the standard interest rate set by the Department and used to calculate income support mortgage interest—not housing benefit—over the past 12 months are as follows:

  Rate (per cent.)

  Date of commencement

  8.00

  21 January 1996

  7.74

  21 April 1996

  7.48

  23 June 1996

  7.16

  25 August 1996

  6.89

  15 December 1996

  War Pensions
  Ms. Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of Social Security if he will make a statement on the proposals to change the rules on backdating of awards to war pensioners in respect of ex-military service men who face a disablement not originally recognized as being caused by military service where medical evidence proves at some later date that military service was the cause of the disablement with particular reference to Gulf war syndrome. [11362]
  510
  Mr. Heald
  Under the war pensions scheme, awards may be made in respect of any disablement which is attributable to service. Where a claim is made within seven years of termination of service—which is the case for all claims received so far in respect of service in the Gulf—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. The benefit of any reasonable doubt is always given to the claimant.

  Where a claim has been rejected solely on the ground that medical opinion is that the aetiology of particular condition is such that it is not caused by service, and there is a subsequent change in medical opinion on that issue, the Secretary of State may review his decision and make an award. He has the discretion to make the award for any period preceding the date of his review.

  In order to simplify administration of the scheme and reduce the cost of delivery, it is proposed that where there is a change of medical opinion, any resulting award will be backdated for a maximum of one year preceding the review. No final decision on this proposal will be taken until comments from members of the Central Advisory Committee on War Pensions—who have been consulted on the change— have been fully considered. Any amendment to the law will apply to all changes of medical opinion, including any which affect conditions claimed due to service in the Gulf.

  UN Centre for Human Rights: Report
  UN Centre for Human Rights: Report
  Turkey: Human Rights Abuses
  Turkey: Human Rights Abuses
  Turkey: Death of Mr. Metin Goktepe
  Turkey: Death of Mr. Metin Goktepe
  Turkey: Demonstrations
  Turkey: Demonstrations
  Foreign and Defence Policy Negotiations: Co-ordination
  Foreign and Defence Policy Negotiations: Co-ordination
  Right of Individual Petition: Official Records
  Right of Individual Petition: Official Records
  Anti-Discrimination Legislation
  Anti-Discrimination Legislation
  Gulf War Syndrome: Press Statement by the Countess of Mar
  Gulf War Syndrome: Press Statement by the Countess of Mar
  National Lottery
  National Lottery
  VAT Rate Changes
  VAT Rate Changes
  Gulf War Veterans: Pension Claims
  Gulf War Veterans: Pension Claims
  Child Labour
  Child Labour
  Chief Inspector of Prisons: Electronic Publication of Reports
  Chief Inspector of Prisons: Electronic Publication of Reports
  Asylum Seekers: Detentions
  Asylum Seekers: Detentions
  Prison Service: Electronic Publication Licensing
  Prison Service: Electronic Publication Licensing
  Prisoners' Allegations to Prisons Ombudsman
  Prisoners' Allegations to Prisons Ombudsman
  Prostitutes Aged Under 18
  Prostitutes Aged Under 18