Written Answers of 7 July 1997

HEALTH

  Information Technology
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for (i) increasing the use of information technology in communications and information management in the health service and (ii) achieving better value for money and functional effectiveness in these investments. [6069]

  Mr. Milburn
  The role of information technology in the National Health Service is currently under consideration.

  HIV Tests
  Dr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances HIV tests may be carried out on health professionals without their explicit and informed consent. [6593]

  Mr. Milburn
  HIV tests should not be carried out on health professionals without their explicit and informed consent. In very rare and exceptional circumstances where there is a serious public health risk, a magistrate may, on the application of the local authority supported by a certificate from the local authority's medical adviser, order that a person believed to have suffered or to be suffering from a specified disease, including AIDS, or carrying an organism capable of causing the disease, be medically examined and tested.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what(a) annual and (b) other disclosure he proposes in respect of profits made by consortiums involved in NHS PFI schemes. [6554]

  Mr. Milburn
  The private sector companies which comprise a consortium involved in a Private Finance Initiative project with a National Health Service trust usually establish a new corporate entity known as a "special purpose vehicle". This is a limited company whose sole purpose and activity will be to sign the contract and take on the responsibilities under that contract. As a limited company it must observe the provisions of the Companies Acts and publish annual accounts; these must be lodged with the Registrar of Companies where they are available for public inspection.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if consortiums involved in NHS PFI schemes for NHS trusts are restricted in their ability to market or promote private health insurance. [6552]

  Mr. Milburn
  There is no specific national policy in place which restricts consortia involved in private finance initiative projects with National Health Service trusts from 308
  marketing or promoting private health insurance. However, all NHS trusts must ensure that the interests of NHS patients remain paramount and that the public service values of accountability, probity and openness underpin all decisions they take, as set out in the guidance documents Code of Conduct and Accountability" (1994) and "Standards of business conduct for NHS staff (1993). Particular emphasis is placed based on identifying and avoiding possible conflicts of interest and inducements.

  Individual NHS trusts are required to draw up a local code of conduct and accountability which must be based on the national guidelines and take into account local circumstances.

  Junior Doctors' Hours
  Dr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources the Government are providing to implement the recent agreement on junior doctors' hours. [6592]

  Mr. Milburn
  In 1997–98 £1.6 million central funding has been provided to support local medical workforce advisory groups and New Deal task forces, who will work together to reduce junior doctors' hours.

  Higher Specialist Training
  Dr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government intends to make funding the implementation of the Calman report on higher specialist training a priority for purchasing authorities. [6595]

  Mr. Milburn
  Implementation of the reforms of higher specialist training was agreed by the previous Government in December 1993 on the basis that it would be managed at a pace and in a manner which minimised additional costs and enabled these to be absorbed. Continuing the phased implementation of the specialist registrar grade is a specific objective for health authorities and National Health Service trusts in the Priorities and Planning Guidance for the NHS: 1997–98.

  NHS Financial Review
  Mr. Maples
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what are the terms of reference of the fundamental review of NHS spending; [6542]

  (2) which (a) ministers and (b) officials of his Department sit on the fundamental review of NHS spending panel; [6544]

  (3) what is the role of the Treasury in the fundamental review of NHS funding; [6543]

  (4) what is the timetable for reporting the conclusions of the fundamental review of NHS spending. [6483]

  Mr. Milburn
  My right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, in his statement to the House on 11 June, column 1143, said that terms of reference for Departmental reviews would be published shortly; that the review would take 12 months to complete, and its conclusions would inform a new set of public spending plans for the rest of this Parliament. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health, said to the House on 25 June, column 916, that the review would involve Health Department officials, National Health Service staff
  309
  and people from outside both services, and that Ministers would be involved at all stages. Treasury officials are also involved in the review.

  Mr. Tony Colman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the health authority funding arrangements. [6419]

  Mr. Milburn
  An announcement will be made in due course.

  Prescription Fraud
  Ms Kelly
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the annual cost of prescription fraud in Bolton, West; [6473]

  (2) what measures Bolton NHS Trust has taken to tackle prescription fraud; [6472]

  (3) what estimate he has made of the savings which will be made in Bolton West due to the proposed measures to tackle prescription fraud. [6471]

  Mr. Milburn
  The report of the Efficiency Scrutiny into Prescription Fraud, which was published last month, estimated levels of prescription fraud in England and Wales as £85 million to £115 million per year. It is estimated that the loss of revenue from patient charge evasion in Bolton Family Health Services Authorities in 1995–96 was approximately £0.1 million. We are not able to estimate the level of other forms of prescription fraud for the period.

  While we are in the process of implementing a number of measures aimed at reducing the level of prescription fraud as well as improving its detection, it is impossible to estimate the amount of savings that will result in particular health authorities.

  Guidance on the secure handling of prescriptions has been issued to all hospitals. We do not hold centrally information on the measures being taken by Bolton National Health Service Trust to tackle prescription fraud, but my hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman of the Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, Mrs. Peacock, Royal Bolton Hospital, Minerva Road, Farnworth, Bolton BL4 OJR.

  Vitamins and Dietary Supplements
  Mrs. Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on prescription policy, with special reference to the continuing availability of vitamin and dietary supplements on prescription. [6418]

  Mr. Milburn
  Any vitamins and dietary supplements which are licensed as medicines under the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations Etc) Regulations 1994 and the Medicines Act 1968 may be prescribed on the National Health Service by general medical practitioners unless they are listed in schedule 10 to the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992. Unlicensed vitamins and dietary supplements, unless they are listed in this same schedule, may also be prescribed on the NHS by general practitioners but such prescriptions may be subject to challenge by health authorities who may, subject to an appeals mechanism, require the practitioner to pay for them.

  Medical Students
  Dr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Government plans to implement the medical work force standing advisory committee recommendation on increasing medical student numbers. [6591]

  Mr. Milburn
  The Medical Workforce Standing Advisory Committee's second report (June 1995) recommended an increase in medical student intake to 4,970 by the year 2000. This is currently being implemented by the Higher Education Funding Councils ahead of schedule and within existing undergraduate medical schools. Figures are provided in the table.

  Table 3. Entrants to United Kingdom medical schools

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  Target

  4,119

  4,119

  4,119

  4,470

  4,470

  4,736

  4,834

  Actual

  4,320

  4,449

  4,531

  4,778

  4,699

  4,820

  n/a

  Source:

  Higher Education Funding council for England (HEFCE).

  Wheelchairs
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the actions he proposes to take to ensure that guidance issued to health trusts on the allocations of power-assisted wheelchairs to severely disabled children is properly implemented. [6737]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Health Service Guidance about powered indoor/outdoor wheelchairs, which was issued in May 1996, states clearly that the National Health Service should provide powered chairs for severely disabled people, including children, who could benefit from them. It is the duty of the health authority to assess local needs and determine local eligibility criteria for the supply of powered indoor/outdoor wheelchairs, within the broad national framework set out by the NHS Executive. One of the criteria is that the disabled person should be able to handle the chair safely. It is therefore a matter of local decision whether individual disabled children are deemed to be capable of handling a powered chair safely. Health authorities are not allowed to refuse to supply a powered wheelchair solely on age grounds.

  NHS Doctors
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors were in the service of the NHS in 1996; and how many he estimates the service will require in each of the next five years. [6745]

  Mr. Milburn
  The statistics from the Department of Health Census of Hospital Medical and Dental Workforce of 30 September 1996 should be published at the end of July. The number of doctors working in general medical services on 1 October 1996 are given in the table.

  Number

  Unrestricted principals

  26,855

  Restricted principals

  115

  Assistants

  662

  Trainees

  1,305

  All practitioners

  28,937

  311
  Since February 1995, the Specialist Workforce Advisory Group (SWAG) has been advising Ministers on the numbers of higher specialist trainees needed in each hospital speciality in England and Wales. This is in order to ensure sufficient suitably trained doctors for consultant posts over the following five years. Because the factors affecting requirements are complex, SWAG reviews each specialty annually. At present, it does not review trainees in general practice, but there are proposals to do so.

  SWAG recommended an additional 1,500 higher specialist trainees for 1996–97. For 1997–98, SWAG's recommended increases were within a range of 250 to 850.

  NHS Trusts and Health Authorities
  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will name each member of each NHS trust and health authority in Nottinghamshire; when they were appointed; and when their appointment terminates. [6794]

  Mr. Milburn
  The information requested is as follows:

  Appointed from

  Appointed to

  Bassetlaw Hospital and Community Services NHS Trust

  Mrs. Valerie Dickinson (Chairman)

  1 December 1993

  30 November 1997

  Mr. Richard Hassctt

  1 December 1993

  30 November 1997

  Mrs. Linda Turner

  1 December 1995

  30 November 1999

  Mrs. Jennifer Lee

  1 December 1993

  30 November 1997

  Mr. Peter Reynard

  1 December 1995

  30 November 1999

  Mr. Robert Goslin

  23 December 1996

  30 November 2000

  Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  Mr. George Vere-Laurie (Chairman)

  1 November 1996

  31 October 1998

  Mrs. Elizabeth Hanson

  1 November 1996

  31 October 1999

  Mrs. Stephen Brown

  1 November 1994

  31 October 1998

  Mr. Martin Everitt

  1 November 1994

  31 October 1998

  Ms. Ann Vinter

  1 November 1994

  31 October 1998

  Mr. David Hunt

  1 November 1996

  31 October 1999

  King's Mill Centre for Health Care Services NHS Trust

  Mr. Derrick Venn (Chairman)

  1 November 1995

  31 October 1997

  Mr. Derrick Willingham

  1 November 1995

  31 October 1998

  Mrs. Frances Stein

  1 November 1995

  31 October 1999

  Mr. Brian Meakin

  1 November 1995

  31 October 1999

  Mrs. Angela Donen

  1 November 1995

  31 October 1998

  Mr. Michael Cannon

  1 November 1995

  31 October 1997

  Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust

  Mr. Norman Deakin (Chairman)

  1 December 1993

  30 November 1997

  Mr. Reginald Ilingworth

  1 December 1993

  30 November 1997

  Mr. Angus Walker

  1 December 1993

  30 November 1997

  Miss Sharon Turner

  1 December 1995

  30 November 1997

  Mr. Graham Martin

  1 December 1995

  30 November 1999

  Professor Ian Johnson

  1 December 1993

  30 November 1997

  Nottingham Community Health NHS Trust

  Mr. Ian Maclean (Chairman)

  1 December 1993

  30 November 1997

  Mr. A. Ripley

  1 December 1993

  30 November 1997

  Mrs. J. Sterck

  1 December 1993

  30 November 1997

  Mr. Brian Cooke

  1 December 1993

  30 November 1997

  Mr. Vivian Oliver

  1 December 1995

  30 November 1999

  Professor Clair Chilvers

  1 December 1993

  30 November 1997

  Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust

  Mr. Robert Little (Chairman)

  1 November 1995

  31 October 1999

  Mrs. Hilary Markson

  1 November 1995

  31 October 1999

  Mrs. Usha Sood

  1 November 1995

  31 October 1997

  Mr. John Tarrant

  1 November 1995

  31 October 1999

  Mr. Gordon Waine

  1 November 1995

  31 October 1997

  Professor Alan

  Aitkenhead

  1 November 1995

  31 October 1997

  312

  Appointed from

  Appointed to

  Nottinghamshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

  Mrs. Peter Featherby (Chairman)

  1 November 1996

  31 October 1998

  Mr. Mukesh Panchal

  1 November 1996

  31 October 1999

  Miss Mary Newby

  1 November 1996

  31 October 1998

  Mr. Alan Baines>

  1 November 1994

  31 October 1998

  Mrs. Geraldine Coppel

  1 November 1994

  31 October 1997

  Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust

  Mr. Martin Suthers (Chairman)

  1 November 1994

  31 October 1998

  Mr. Geoffrey Longbottom

  1 November 1996

  31 October 1999

  Mr. Laurence Coppel

  1 November 1994

  31 October 1998

  Mrs. Christine Bowering

  1 November 1994

  31 October 1998

  Mr. Alan Hawksworth

  11 November 1996

  31 October 2000

  Professor Edwin Symonds

  1 November 1996

  31 October 2000

  North Nottinghamshire Health Authority

  Mr. Alan Tolhurst (Chairman)

  1 April 1996

  31 March 1998

  Mrs. Frances Kelly

  1 April 1996

  31 March 2000

  Mr. Albert Deakin

  1 April 1996

  31 March 1998

  Mrs. Chris Gunn

  1 April 1996

  31 March 2000

  Mr. Gordon Rees

  1 April 1996

  31 March 1998

  Mr. Brian Basford

  1 April 1996

  31 March 1998

  Nottingham Health Authority

  Sir David White (Chairman)

  1 April 1996

  31 March 1998

  Councillor Stephen Taylor

  1 April 1996

  31 March 1998

  Mr. Francis Boot

  1 April 1996

  31 March 2000

  Mrs. Clarice Turnbull

  1 April 1996

  31 March 2000

  Mr. Richard Turton

  1 April 1996

  31 March 2000

  Professor David Greenaway

  1 April 1996

  31 March 1998

  Surrogacy
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for the review of the law on surrogacy; and if the public and interested bodies will be able to make submissions to the review team. [6433]

  Ms Jowell
  We expect the review team to issue a consultation document to a wide range of interested bodies later this summer, with copies being available to anyone else who asks for it. We shall make an announcement about the availability of the document and details of how to obtain a copy at the time it is issued. Following a sufficient period to allow responses to be made, we expect to receive the team's report early next year.

  Trust Boards
  Sir David Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many working days notice were given to hon. Members to make suggestions to him as to appointments to trust boards; and if he will make a statement. [6775]

  Mr. Milburn
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health's letter to hon. Members inviting nominations for appointments to trust boards was an addition to the normal consultation processes, designed to widen the field of candidates to include more members of the local community. His letter of 26 June asked for nominations to reach him by 7 July, allowing seven working days in which to respond.

  Hospital Trusts (Disabled Employees)
  Mr. Berry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many disabled people are employed by each hospital trust in England and Wales. [7059]

  Mr. Boateng
  All employers in the National Health Service with over 20 staff must comply with the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995, which changed the definition of disability from that previously used. We are working with the NHS to consider how to monitor both the letter and the spirit of the law. Historic figures under the previous definition of disability are available in the annual "Employment Gazette/Labour Market Trends", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Rural Health Care
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the Government's definition of rural for the purposes of health care provision; and if the definition used is the same as that set out on page 9 of the Department of Health publication of November 1996, Developing Health and Social Care in Rural England. [6960]

  Mr. Milburn
  There is no generally used definition of "rural" for the purposes of health care provision.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will publish her Department's submissions relating to freedom of information legislation. [6036]

  Clare Short
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 4 July 1997 by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister,Official Report, column 294.

  Montserrat
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the recent natural disasters in Montserrat. [6416]

  Clare Short
  The Soufriere Hill volcano has been active since July 1995. There was an escalation in volcanic activity on 25 June that resulted in the loss of 8 lives. My department immediately deployed the services of 4 helicopters, for search and rescue purposes. 17 people were rescued.

  Following an on-the-spot assessment, my department gave immediate approval for vital emergency work such as setting up communications equipment and maintaining fuel and food supplies and sanitation. With the airport out of commission, a daily ferry service was set up operating from the Little Bay Jetty (recently constructed with DFID funds) to Antigua for the use of foot passengers and for the transportation of goods to ensure safe and sustainable conditions in the north of the island. HMS Liverpool was also sent to the scene and is assisting in the rescue effort. Further temporary shelter has been identified as the highest priority for immediate action and we are looking urgently at the best way of providing it.
  314
  HMG is fully committed to providing the people of Montserrat with a secure future, and we are planning a rapid consultation with them on the options.

  Uganda
  Mr. Timms
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to secure the early implementation of Uganda's debt relief under the highly indebted poor countries initiative. [6816]

  Clare Short
  The World Bank, IMF and Paris Club of government creditors have agreed that, on the basis of the government's continued implementation of its economic reform programme, Uganda will receive debt relief in April 1998. My Department is ready to help the African Development Bank meet some of its costs in giving debt relief in Uganda.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Investment (Sustainable Development)
  Mr. Tony Colman
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action she is taking to ensure that the OECD Multilateral Agreement on Investment takes account of the principles of Agenda 21. [6391]

  Mrs. Roche
  The Government will work to ensure that its commitments to sustainable development and environmental protection are fully taken account of in the Multilateral Agreement on Investment. We are fully aware of the concerns raised by NGOs in this respect and support consultations with them as the negations continue.

  Supervisory Bodies
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidelines govern the ethical conduct of the recognised supervisory bodies; and who ensures their compliance with such guidelines.[6468]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  There are no specific guidelines on the ethical conduct of the Recognised Supervisory Bodies (RSBs). Complaints about their general conduct are a matter for my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

  The standards which must be applied by the RSBs in their regulation of those auditors for whom they are responsible are set out in Schedule 11 to the Companies Act 1989. These include standards covering professional integrity and independence, procedures for the investigation of complaints and procedures for discipline. Section 37 of that Act gives my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade the power to require information from RSBs for the exercise of her functions under Part II of the Act. Reports which are received under this section are laid in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

  Money Laundering
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions accountants and auditors have notified the banking, building societies and financial services regulators of suspicious transactions,(a) with and (b) without the knowledge of their audit clients. [6477]
  315
  Mr. Ian McCartney
  The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NICS) is the authority which, under the guidance supporting the money-laundering legislation, must be notified of suspicious transaction involving money-laundering. The number of such reports received in the past five years was as follows:

  Year

  1996: 75

  1995: 44

  1994: 6

  1993: 2

  1992: 1.

  It is a criminal offence for the client to be informed that such a notification has been made.

  Figures for the sources of other notifications of suspicious transactions to the regulatory authorities are not held by the authorities concerned.

  Post Office (Quadrant Catering)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consultation was undertaken with trade unions prior to her Department's announcement of a proposed private finance participation in the Quadrant Catering operation in the Post Office; and if she will make a statement. [6602]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  Consultations with trade unions on matters relating to the Post Office are the responsibility of Post Office management. The Department's approval of the proposed joint venture arrangement between Quadrant and a private sector partner is part of the process of granting greater commercial freedom to the Post Office in line with our Election manifesto commitment. A joint venture arrangement will open up wider job and career opportunities within the larger organisation to all Quadrant staff.

PRIME MINISTER

  Regional Aid
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Prime Minister which Department has primary responsibility for regional selective assistance and other forms of regional aid. [6297]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 1 July 1997]: My right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade, has primary responsibility for the Industrial Development Act 1982 which provides the powers for granting financial assistance to industry assisted areas.

  WPC Yvonne Fletcher
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer of 24 June,Official Report, column 677, what factors underlie the length of time to be taken over the police investigation into the contents of the Channel 4 programmes relating to the death of WPC Yvonne Fletcher. [6174]

  The Prime Minister
  The Metropolitan police's review of the contents of the programme involves a good deal of detailed analysis of the extensive documentation already generated by their investigation.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the letter written on his behalf by Mr. Philip Barton, Private Secretary at 10 Downing Street, to Mrs. Pamela Dix, Secretary of UK Families Flight 103, what is the result of the careful consideration he undertook to give to representations received about Lockerbie; and what is the result of the continuing discussion of the issues involved with the United States administration. [6143]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers that I gave him on 18 June,Official Report, column 309. The Lockerbie evidence is kept under continual review. The United Kingdom, along with the United States, will argue for the UN sanctions against Libya to be maintained until Libya complies with the UN Security Council resolutions.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what response he has sent to the letter of 22 June to him from ex-police surgeon Dr. David Fieldhouse of Bradford, about the circumstances of the body count after the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie. [6652]

  The Prime Minister
  Dr. Fieldhouse's letter is being studied carefully. A reply will be sent shortly.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what response he has sent to the letter of 23 June to him from Peter Anderson of Simpson Marwick WS about the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie and the legal implications. [6653]

  The Prime Minister
  Mr. Anderson's letter raises a number of points about the Lockerbie investigation. Those responsible for that investigation are currently studying the letter carefully. A reply will be sent shortly.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the proposal made to the UN Security Council by the Secretary General of the Arab League and the Secretary General of the Organisation of African Unity that the Libyans accused of the Lockerbie Pan Am bombing be tried by Scottish judges under Scottish law in a neutral country. [6654]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave to him and the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (Sir Teddy Taylor), on 18 June,Official Report, columns 309–10.

  Tibet
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions took place between British and Chinese representatives during his recent visit to Hong Kong on the subject of Tibet; and if he will make a statement. [6900]

  The Prime Minister
  At the Hong Kong handover, my right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary, and I met Chinese leaders for the first time since taking office. This was an historic occasion and provided a unique opportunity for general discussion of our future relations, including human rights. It also laid the foundations for more substantive discussions, including on Tibet.

  Millennium
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Prime Minister how many representations he has received(a) in favour and (b) against the proposals to construct the Millennium Dome. [6897]

  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of representations expressing a wide range of opinion about the Millennium Dome.

  Budget Leaks
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Prime Minister if Ministers disclosed to journalists any information regarding the Budget proposals for ACT prior to the Budget statement; and if he will make a statement. [7068]

  Mr. Bernard Jenkin
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will make a statement on contact between his Ministers and journalists on the Financial Times prior to the Budget statement; [7075]

  (2) what breaches of Budget secrecy took place prior to the Budget statement; and if Ministers were responsible. [7073]

  (3) what inquiries have been initiated concerning possible premature disclosure of information in the Chancellor's Budget Statement; [7123]

  (4) if (a) Ministers and (b) their (i) officials and (ii) advisers disclosed details of the Budget proposals for (1) ACT, (2) the live-year deficit reduction programme and (3) market reaction to the Budget prior to the Budget statement. [7074]

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing further to add to the replies that I gave to the right hon. Member, the Leader of the Opposition, on 2 July,Official Report, columns 288–89.

TREASURY

  Overseas Accounts
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the use by the Treasury of bank accounts overseas, indicating(a) what funds are held overseas, (b) in which countries these funds are held and (c) how much interest has been raised in each of the past five years for which figures are available. [5019]

  Mrs. Helen Liddell
  The Government's gold and foreign currency reserves are managed by the Bank of England in the Exchange Equalisation Account. Some of the assets of the Account are held with overseas banks. For reasons of security and confidentiality, no further details are published. Under section 4 of the Exchange Equalisation Account Act 1979, the Comptroller and Auditor General is required to certify to the House of Commons that operations on, and transactions in connection with, the Account have been in accordance with the provisions of the legislation.

  Housing Conditions
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated
  318
  regarding the relationship between the level of capital investment in social housing and the level of the housing benefit budget. [5295]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Under-Secretary with responsibility for London and construction, my hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford), on 26 June 1997, column 593.

  Beer (Illegal Imports)
  Ms Jenny Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he proposes to take to reduce the volume of illegally imported beer. [6235]

  Dawn Primarolo
  A review aimed at reducing alcohol and tobacco smuggling and fraud was announced on Budget day. This will look at finding new ways to protect the revenue and reduce illegal activity and consider health issues. In the meantime Customs continues to take action to counter fraud and smuggling.

  Landowners (Tax Exemptions)
  Mrs. Ballard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the cost to the Exchequer of landowners' tax exemption for allowing some public access to their land in each of the last three years. [5970]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The information requested is as follows:

  Year

  Estimated cost (£ million)

  1994–95

  negligible

  1995–96

  5

  1996–97

  5

  (These estimate are particularly tentative).

  Mrs. Ballard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulations there are governing the advertisement of access to land owned by landowners who have negotiated conditional exemption from tax payment. [5969]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 6 June, column 278.

  Building Society Conversions
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of money released in the current calendar year from building society conversions; and what assessment he has made of its effect on(a) consumer demand, (b) interest rates and (c) the balance of payments. [6240]

  Mrs. Liddell
  A full account of recent economic developments and prospects, including the effect of money released from building society conversions and takeovers, was published with the Budget on 2 July.

  Sanitary Protection (VAT)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received concerning the reduction or removal of VAT from sanitary protection; and if he will make a statement. [5821]
  319
  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 1 July 1997]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Bury, South (Mr. Lewis) on 18 June, column 230.

  Erb's Palsy
  Dr. Brand
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what statistics his Department collates on the incidence of Erb's palsy; and what are the figures for its incidence in each of the last 10 years. [6364]

  Mrs. Liddell
  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. Peter Brand, dated 7 July 1997:
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply, as Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), to your recent parliamentary question on Erb's palsy.
  The ONS collects information through the National Congenital Anomaly System. This system, which is voluntary at all stages, has been monitoring congenital anomalies in England and Wales since 1964. The primary purpose of this system is to detect changes in the frequency of reporting any particular anomaly or group of anomalies rather than trying to estimate the prevalence at birth.
  The following table shows babies notified with Erb's Palsy1, numbers and rates per 10,000 live and stillbirths, England and Wales 1986–1995.

  Number

  Rate

  1986

  25

  0.4

  1987

  37

  0.5

  1988

  34

  0.5

  1989

  37

  0.5

  1990

  24

  0.3

  1991

  30

  0.4

  1992

  21

  0.3

  1993

  36

  0.5

  1994

  24

  0.4

  1995

  34

  0.5

  1 International Classification of Diseases 9th revision 767.6 1986–1994.

  International Classification of Diseases 10th revision P14.0 1995. 'Data as at 1 July 1997'.

  Source:

  National Congenital Anomaly System.

  Unemployment (Chipping Barnet)
  Sir Sydney Chapman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the registered number of unemployed in(a) the former Chipping Barnet constituency area and (b) the new enlarged area for (i) April and (ii) May; and if he will make a statement. [6425]

  Mrs. Liddell
  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 Mr. Tim Holt to Sir Sydney Chapman, dated 7 July 1997:
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent question on the numbers registered unemployed in the former Chipping Burnet constituency area and the new enlarged area.
  320
  The data you have requested can only be derived from the monthly count of people claiming unemployment-related benefits (i.e. Jobseekers Allowance or National Insurance credits). Essentially, all people who attend an Employment Service office to sign on the designated day are counted.
  The data you have requested is shown in the attached table.
  The 1991 Chipping Barnet constituency contains the following wards:

  Arkley

  Brunswick Park

  East Barnet

  Hadley

  Totteridge

  In addition to the wards listed above, the 1995 constituency also contains Friern Barnet.

  Number of persons claiming unemployment-related benefits, April and May 1997

  Former Chipping Barnet constituency area (1991 boundaries)

  New Chipping Barnet constituency area (1995 boundaries)

  April 1997

  1,597

  1,955

  May 1997

  1,541

  1,881

  Economic Stability
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of whether economic stability is a precondition for high and stable levels of growth and employment; and if he will assess the correlation between those factors in the period 1977 to 1997. [6845]

  Mrs. Liddell
  I refer my hon. Friend to the Financial Statement and Budget Report laid before the House on 2 July, and in particular chapters 1 and 3.

  Internet
  Mr. Edward Davey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to amend the rules relating to VAT on commercial activities conducted on the Internet; and if he will make a statement. [6273]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 3 July 1997]: Customs are closely involved in initiatives with both the European Union and the OECD which are seeking to identify solutions to the perceived problems with trading over the Internet. It is important that any changes made are done so in concert with other countries so that the risk of double or non-taxation of these supplies is avoided.

  Mr. Davey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money he estimates is lost to the Treasury by people failing to pay duties on commercial transactions conducted over the Internet; and if he will make a statement. [6274]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 3 July 1997]: There is no reliable estimate of revenue lost in this way.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy in respect of reducing VAT on equipment specially(a) designed and (b) adapted for disabled use. [6430]
  321
  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 3 July 1997]: There is already VAT relief on equipment designed solely for use by disabled people and the service of adapting goods for use by them. Such supplies are zero-rated for VAT purposes.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  County Court Closures
  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many county courts have been closed in each of the last five years. [6237]

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

  Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Keith Hill, dated 7 July 1997:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about how many county courts have closed in each of the last five years.
  The figures are as follows:

  1993: 5 court closures

  1994: 16 court closures

  1995: 8 court closures

  1996: 13 court closures

  1997: 2 court closures (to date).

  Although 44 courts have been closed in total, 15 of those still provide a service for office callers but have no hearing facilities. Additionally, 19 of the courts closed have undertaken to continue local District Judges sittings in suitable accommodation subject to demand.

  Small Claims
  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many occasions a party to a case which is subject to automatic reference to small claims arbitration has(a) applied for and (b) been granted an application for recission of the reference in the last 12 months. [6229]

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

  Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Keith Hill, dated 7 July 1997:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of occasions a party whose case has been referred to automatic small claims arbitration have applied for, and been granted, recission.
  The number of occasions in the 12 months from April 1996 up to March 1997 when a party has applied for recission to automatic arbitration is 738. The actual number who were granted recission is 622.

  Litigants
  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate the total number of litigants entitled to a refund of court fees paid between 15 January and 13 March and the total cost to the Court Service of repaying fees. [6231]
  322
  Mr. Hoon
  The question concerns a matter which has been assigned to the Court Service under the terms of its framework document. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to write to the Hon. Member.

  Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Keith Hill, dated 7 July 1997:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the numbers of litigants entitled to a refund of court fees paid and the total cost of this to the Court Service.
  The information requested is unknown and could only he provided at a disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many litigants have(a) applied for and (b) were granted a refund of court fees paid between 15 January and 13 March in (i) county court proceedings. (ii) high court proceedings and (iii) family proceedings. [6234]

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

  Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Keith Hill, dated 7 July 1997:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of litigants who have applied for and been granted refunds of court fees.
  Detailed figures of refunds of court fees to litigants in person are not held centrally, and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. However, information is collected on the total number of refunds and is broken down into months and fees by type of fees order (County, Supreme, Family). This information is as follows but is only available for the months of March, April and May.

  County

  Supreme

  Family

  Total

  March

  327

  1

  2,349

  2,677

  April

  367

  31

  3,254

  3,652

  May

  237

  9

  1,246

  1,492

  931

  41

  6,849

  7,821

  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many litigants in person have issued proceedings in(a) the county court, (b) the county court under the small claims procedure, (c) the High Court and (d) the Court of Appeal in each of the last five years. [6230]

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

  Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Keith Hill, dated 7 July 1997:
  The parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about proceedings issued by litigants in person over the last five years.
  Detailed statistics for actions instigated by litigants in person are not held centrally, and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

  Court Fees
  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many litigants who have(a) applied for and (b) been granted a refund of court fees paid between 15 January and 13 March were in receipt of (i) income support, (ii) income-related jobseeker's allowance. (iii) family credit, (iv) disability working allowance and (v) housing benefit. [6232]

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

  Letter front Michael Huebner to Mr. Keith Hill, dated 7 July 1997:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of litigants who have applied for and been granted refunds in respect of court fees.
  Details of refunds of court fees to litigants in person are not held centrally in the terms requested, and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. However, information is collected on the total number of refunds and the total money refunded and is available for March, April and May. During these months 7,821 refunds were granted. The total sum refunded was £242,816.90.

  Office Refurbishment
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the cost of the current refurbishment of offices used by his Department within the Palace of Westminster. [6567]

  Mr. Hoon
  There is currently no refurbishment work being carried out in the offices used by the Lord Chancellor's Department within the Palace of Westminster. There is however, a proposal to refurbish, in a way consistent with the conservation and preservation of a building of such outstanding national importance, the Lord Chancellor's Official Residence together with the office he uses in the Palace of Westminster. This is shortly to be considered by the House of Lords Administration and Works Sub Committee who will decide how to proceed on the basis of a memorandum submitted by Black Rod, who is independent of the Lord Chancellor and responsible for the care and upkeep of the House of Lords accommodation within the Palace of Westminster. They still have to take a number of decisions which will affect the costs of the proposal, but it is estimated that the total cost of both projects will be in the region of £650,000.

  Mental Incapacity
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to act on the Law Commission report (Law Com 231) to clarify the law on mental incapacity. [5524]
  324
  Mr. Hoon
  The Government recognises the importance of clarifying the law in this area to provide a clear framework for those involved in making decisions on behalf of incapacitated adults and to ensure that the welfare and interests of the incapacitated person are adequately protected. It is hoped that progress will be made on the subject at an early opportunity.

CABINET OFFICE

  Ministerial Responsibilities
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio under what circumstances he will speak in the House in respect of his ministerial responsibilities; and if he will make a statement. [6888]

  Mr. Mandelson
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Worthing, West (Mr. Bottomley) on 3 June,Official Report, column 134; and to my subsequent reply to the hon. Member himself today.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio if he will make himself available on a regular basis to answer oral questions to take account of his responsibilities for(a) the Royal Yacht and (b) the Millennium Dome. [6887]

  Mr. Mandelson
  On(a), I have no responsibilities in this respect. On (b), yes.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Open Government
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many complaints have been referred to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration since 1 May under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. [6893]

  Dr. David Clark
  Three.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many requests for information have been received since 1 May under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; and if he will make a statement. [6892]

  Dr. Clark
  This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The contribution of the code of practice on open government is, however, an important issue and I shall continue the existing practice of publishing an annual report on the workings of the Code which will contain an analysis of code requests received on a calender year basis.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to narrow the terms of the classes of exempt information listed in the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. [6894]

  Dr. Clark
  I would like to see the proposed Freedom of Information Act have fewer exemptions than the present Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. In the period before the Act comes into force
  325
  the Government will make full use of the discretion available under the Code of Practice to disclose as much information as possible. Should it become clear that the wording of the Code is proving over-restrictive, even under this more liberal interpretation, I will consider amendments.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent since 1 May to publicise the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; how many copies of the code have been(a) published and (b) issued since 1 May; and if he will make a statement. [6891]

  Dr. Clark
  No new advertising campaigns have been launched since 1 May but I plan to use the launch of the forthcoming White Paper on Freedom of Information to publicise the continuing role of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in the period before the Act comes into force.

  Information on the total number of copies of the Code issued by Departments in the period since 1 May is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I can say however that the central Citizen's Charter Publications Line has issued some 250 copies of the Code in response to requests in that period and my own Department has responded to 30 requests.

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library(a) departmental and (b) other responses to the White Paper and draft bill on Freedom of Information before legislation is introduced. [6890]

  Dr. David Clark
  I shall place in the Library the results of both consultation exercises before the legislation is introduced. These will include copies of the responses received from outside government except where confidentiality has been specially requested. I shall also be considering how exchanges between Government Departments on Freedom of Information can best be treated in a way which contributes to the public debate while at the same time preserving the necessary collective responsibility needed in the drafting of major legislation.

  Citizens Charter
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, given that virtually the only citizens who have to go to school are children, will the hon. Gentleman consider extending the citizens charter to make it clear that schools are expected to deliver children's ability to read, write and figure?

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  [pursuant to his reply 2 July 1997, Official Report, column 287]: The hon. Gentleman will be pleased to know that one of the forums that I shall soon be meeting will consist of young children, the future citizens of this country. Moreover, we have worked in
  326
  partnership with the Centre for Citizenship Studies in Education at Leicester University and in consultation with the National Consumer Council to ensure that more than 1,700 secondary schools in England that wished to do so received a pack relating directly to their interests.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Culture Council
  Mr. Bradshaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the outcome of the Culture Council on 30 June. [7400]

  Mr. Fisher
  EU Ministers of Culture met on 30 June in Luxembourg. Ministers held a public debate on the future direction of EU cultural action, and agreed a decision to ask the Commission to study the options for future cultural action and to bring forward proposals by 1 May 1998. Ministers also agreed a decision to ask the Commission to study whether article 128(4) is relevant to the Community's approach to cross-border fixed book pricing.

  The Council resolved to continue to seek agreement, in conciliation, for the Raphael programme. It discussed the future of the European Cities of Culture initiative.

  Ministers then held an exchange of views on audiovisual issues, discussing proposals for a Community Guarantee Fund for film production and the Commission's Green Paper on the protection of minors and human dignity in audiovisual and information services.

  Lottery Bids (Stoke-on-Trent, North)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if he will list the successful national lottery bids in Stoke-on-Trent, North, by category of national lottery funding, indicating the percentage they comprise of the total sums awarded nationwide in each category; [6281]

  (2) how many applications for each category of national lottery funding have been received from Stoke-on-Trent, North; and how many of these have been (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful, indicating for each successful scheme the value of the award, in each year since the inception of the national lottery. [6248]

  Mr. Banks
  [Pursuant to his written reply 4 July, Official Report, column 290]: The tables of awards and applications were omitted from the answer. The full information is as follows.

  To date over £3.7 billion has been awarded to 23,570 projects throughout the UK. Twelve of these awards are to projects in Stoke-on-Trent, North, worth £2,938,508. The first table lists these together with the percentage they represent of the total sums awarded across England and the UK. The second table shows the number of applications received from Stoke-on-Trent, North.
  327

  Table 1: Awards in Stoke on Trent, North

  Category

  Distributing body

  Award date

  Recipient

  Award amount £

  Percentage of total amount of England awards

  Percentage of total amount of all awards1

  Arts

  Arts Council of England

  21 February 1996

  Stoke on Trent Repertory Ltd.

  764,608

  Sub total

  764,608

  0.097

  0.085

  Millennium

  MC

  12 March 1997

  Burslem Community Development

  1,599,000

  Subtotal

  1,599,000

  0.27

  0.16

  Charities

  NLCB

  19 December 1995

  Physically Handicapped and Able-bodied Freewheelers

  7,630

  11 August 1996

  Stoke on Trent and District Gingerbread Centre

  83,130

  11 August 1996

  Cobridge Community Centre Association

  180,000

  17 December 1996

  PHAB Freewheelers

  36,540

  17 December 1996

  Beatrice North Staffordshire Handicapped Childrens Boat

  13,950

  11 August 1996

  National Association for Gifted Children

  158,100

  Sub total

  479,350

  0.131

  0.095

  Sports

  English Sports Council

  20 November 1996

  North Staffordshire Gymnastics Club

  15,576

  3 December 1996

  Staffordshire County Council (Stanley Head Outdoor Education)

  17,773

  5 June 1997

  Stoke on Trent College Sub Aqua Club

  30,701

  Subtotal

  64,050

  0.012

  0.010

  Heritage

  Heritage Lottery Fund

  20 December 1995

  Staffordshire Historic Building Trust

  31,500

  Sub total

  31,500

  0.006

  0.005

  Grand total

  2,938,508

  0.102

  0.079

  1 Includes awards made by the other home counties Arts and Sports Councils.

  Table 2: Applications from Stoke on Trent, North

  Unsuccessful

  Successful

  Total

  Arts Council of England

  3

  1

  4

  MC

  1n/a

  1

  1

  NLCB

  29

  6

  35

  English Sports Council

  2

  3

  5

  Heritage Lottery Fund

  0

  1

  1

  1 The Millennium Commission does not record unsuccessful projects by constituency.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Kenya
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations between and Kenya. [4875]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  We recognise the positive role which Kenya has played over the years as a force for regional stability. During my recent visit there between 25 and 28 June, I met President Moi and had talks with some of his Ministers, members of the Opposition, Church leaders and other representatives of Kenyan society. I made clear to all parties our hopes and expectation that the forthcoming elections will be free and fair and that they will be conducted in a peaceful environment. In this context, I stressed the importance of dialogue between the parties concerned.
  328
  I also made clear our concern that certain democratic principles should be implemented in the approach to the elections, to make sure that they are free and fair. In particular, I called for elections where all those who want to vote can exercise their choice freely; where all those who want to stand have the opportunity to do so; where the electorate have access through the media to all the information needed to make a free choice; and where people can come together freely in support of their preferred candidates.

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish his Department's submissions relating to freedom of information legislation. [6025]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  [holding reply 2 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minster on 4 July, Official Report, column 293–94.

  Visitors' Visas
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs will meet the hon. Member for Leicester, East to discuss visitors visas. [6586]
  329
  Mr. Fatchett
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs was not aware of the hon. Member's wish for a meeting to discuss visitors' visas. She will contact my hon. Friend to arrange a mutually convenient time for such a discussion.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has had with hon. Members to discuss refusals of visitors' visas. [6585]

  Mr. Fatchett
  There has been one such meeting.

  Mrs. S. U. Patel
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the case of Mrs. S. U. Patel (R/92/3687). [6583]

  Mr. Fatchett
  We have asked our Deputy High Commission in Bombay to provide a detailed account of the position. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will write to my hon. Friend within a week of receiving that account.

  Kailashchandra Sukdev Roy
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if a Minister from his Department will meet the hon. Member for Leicester, East to discuss the case of Kailashchandra Sukdev Roy (ref. R/97/962-Bombay); [6587]

  (2) if he will make a statement in the case of Sukdev Roy (ref. R/97/962-Bombay). [6624]

  Mr. Fatchett
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will write to my hon. Friend about Mr. Roy's application within a week.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Department of Education and Employment concerning the case of Kailashchandra Sukdev Roy (ref. R/97/962-Bombay). [6588]

  Mr. Fatchett
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will write to my hon. Friend about Mr. Roy's situation within a week.

  Jaswinder Kaurr
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the visa will be granted in the case of Jaswinder Kaurr (ref. ECR/474/95s-New Delhi). [6584]

  Mr. Fatchett
  We have asked our high commission in New Delhi to provide a detailed account of the position. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will write to my hon. Friend within a week of receiving that account.

  Bhag Singh and Rattan Kaur
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review the decision of the entrance clearance offer in New Delhi concerning the case of Bhag Singh and Rattan Kaur (ref. IMM/ECR/2983/97/NS).
  [6590]
  330
  Mr. Fatchett
  We have asked our high commission in New Delhi to provide a detailed account of the position. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will write to my hon. Friend within a week of receiving that account.

  Amsterdam Treaty
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the presidency of the inter-governmental conference of the European Union concerning the provisional pre-signature text of the draft Amsterdam treaty; by what procedures each item in the presidency draft was considered; if written copies of amendments were circulated prior to decisions on the amendments; and what period of notice for(a) verbal and (b) oral amendments was required by the conference. [6628]

  Mr. Henderson
  Discussions on the draft Amsterdam treaty text are continuing in Brussels, both among the 15 member states, and bilaterally with the Presidency and former Presidency.

  The terms of the Presidency text were discussed at the European Council at Amsterdam. In many cases written amendments were circulated. In others amendments were discussed orally by Heads of Government. There was no period of notice required by the conference.

  Indonesia (Defence Sales)
  Sir George Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his discussions with the Indonesian Foreign Minister in Hong Kong about defence sales. [6649]

  Mr. Fatchett
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary held a wide-ranging meeting with Mr. Alatas during which he was able to explain the background to the review of criteria used in considering licence applications to export conventional arms that he announced to the House on 22 May. He pointed out that the review does not focus on particular countries.

  Euro
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the EU Commission is spending to promote the euro and emu(a) in Europe and (b) in the United Kingdom. [6851]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  In the 1997 EC Budget a total of 45 million ecu is provided in budget lines B3–306 and B0–40 for information activities in connection with specific policies, including the single currency. The Commission has provisionally allocated 23 million ecu of this money to a campaign to publicise the euro. None of this money will be present in the UK as the euro information campaign is not being prsued here.

  Defence Sales Review
  Sir George Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will announce the timetable for the defence sales policy review. [6647]
  331
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The review of criteria used in considering licence applications for the export of conventional arms is being taken forward as a matter of urgency. The new criteria will be made available to the House when the review is complete.

  Sir George Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the criteria for arms sales and the countries affected by the defence sales policy review. [6646]

  Mr. Lloyd
  As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary announced on 22 May,Official Report, column 294, we have initiated an urgent review of the detailed criteria used in considering licence applications for the export of conventional arms. The new criteria will be made available to the House when the review is complete. As we have made clear repeatedly, the review is looking at criteria to be used for all destinations and does not focus on particular countries.

  Gibraltar
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 30 June,Official Report, column 18, if the Gibraltar Government were consulted before Her Majesty's Government made its decisions at the Amsterdam summit regarding the Schengen arrangements. [7058]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  The Chief Minister was briefed in London before the summit.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the obstacles to enfranchisement of Gibraltarians in elections to the European Parliament. [6991]

  Mr. Henderson
  The 1976 EC Act on Direct Elections confines the franchise for European Parliament elections to the United Kingdom alone. The Act has treaty' status. Any amendment would require the agreement of all Member States.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals for developing Gibraltar airport have been evaluated by his Department. [6992]

  Mr. Henderson
  We have not received any approaches on the development of the airport since 1995.

  Indonesia
  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has received from the Government of Indonesia since his mission statement of 12 May. [7070]

  Mr. Fatchett
  We continue to have a full range of contacts with the Indonesian Government. Most recently my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I met the Indonesian Foreign Minister in Hong Kong on 29 June.

  Baghdad
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his letter to the right hon. Member for Chesterfield (Mr. Benn) of 20 June, what assessment he has made of the policy of Germany 332
  and France in upgrading their diplomatic representation in Baghdad; and if he will make it his policy to upgrade United Kingdom representation. [6953]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Neither France nor Germany have recently upgraded their representation in Baghdad.

  Our policy remains that Iraq must comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions. We do not envisage any change in our position until it does so.

  Saudi Arabia
  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has received from the Government of Saudi Arabia since his Mission Statement of 12 May. [7071]

  Mr. Fatchett
  There have been no such representations.

  We remain in close touch with the Saudi Government on a wide range of issues. I met the Saudi Ambassador on 21 May and briefly discussed the Mission Statement, amongst other topics.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Water Regulations
  Mr. Roy Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what new arrangements he has introduced to enforce and administer water regulations. [6233]

  Angela Eagle
  Following consultation on enforcement and administration of water regulations and further discussions with relevant organisations, it is intended that regulations will he made under the powers in section 74 of the Water Industry Act 1991. These Regulations will be enforced by the water companies. Powers to relax or dispense with the requirements of the Regulations will not be delegated. An appeals system will be implemented to deal with disputes about the application of the Regulations.

  The Water Regulations Advisory Committee is currently consulting on its proposals for the technical requirements to be included in the Regulations before making recommendations to my right hon. Friend.

  Consultation on the draft Regulations will take place early in 1998.

  Radioactive Discharges
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has made to the French Government about the levels of radioactive discharges into the English Channel from the French nuclear reprocessing plant at Cap de la Hague. [6396]

  Angela Eagle
  No recent representation has been made to the French authorities in respect of radioactive discharges into the English Channel. Monitoring carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
  333
  shows that the levels of radioactivity in seafood and other marine organisms from the English Channel are of negligible radiological significance.

  White Asbestos
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to ban white asbestos. [6352]

  Angela Eagle
  The Government is determined to deal effectively with the problems of asbestos. In the Adjournment debate on 18 June columns 280–84, I reported to this House that the Minister for the Environment and I had asked the Health and Safety Commission to advise us urgently on a mechanism for introducing a domestic ban on the import, supply and use of asbestos. We have asked the HSC to advise us on how that could be achieved and to what timetable. We are awaiting their response.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are(a) the objectives and (b) the terms of reference of the study into the disposal of high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel being undertaken on behalf of his Department by QuantiSci Ltd. [6413]

  Angela Eagle
  A copy of the Work Requirement Statement issued for the study awarded to QuantiSci Ltd. has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which consultants have been commissioned to review United Kingdom high-level nuclear waste management; and if they have previously been employed by UK Nirex Ltd. [6399]

  Angela Eagle
  The only current study into high level waste that has been commissioned by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions is that of research strategies for the disposal of high level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. This was awarded to QuantiSci Ltd., who have worked previously for Nirex.

  Mr. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions that quantity of fissile material UK Nirex proposes to bury underground in the United Kingdom. [6400]

  Angela Eagle
  A large number of low and intermediate level radioactive waste streams are contaminated with fissile material. The two predominant fissile isotopes are plutonium-239 and uranium-235. Latest estimates of the quantities to be disposed of are 11.7 petabecquerels and 1.33 terabecquerels respectively in terms of activity and 5 and 17 tonnes respectively in terms of mass. These isotopes account for less than 0.01 per cent. of the total mass of the waste.

  Derelict Houses
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the numbers of publicly owned derelict house in each local authority area; and if he will make a statement. [5719]
  334
  Mr. Raynsford
  [holding answer 2 July 1997]: The information requested is not available in the form requested. The only indication we have of the number of derelict local authority dwellings is at the national level from the 1991 English House Condition Survey. This estimated 20,000 local authority dwellings to be derelict which represents 18 per cent. of the local authority vacant stock.

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish his Department's submissions relating to freedom of information legislation. [6026]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 2 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on Friday 4 July, Official Report, column 294.

  Business Rates
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement regarding the timetable for the transfer of responsibility for setting business rates to local authorities. [6443]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The localisation of business rates would require primary legislation. I am not yet able to announce a timetable. At present we are considering the options for reforming the rating system. No changes will be made until we have consulted fully with business, local authorities and other interested parties.

  Carbon Emissions
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the total carbon emissions in the United Kingdom for each of the past 10 years and his estimates of emissions for each year to 2010. [6603]

  Angela Eagle
  The following total carbon emissions data for the UK for 1990 and subsequent years will be published on 11 July in the 19th Digest of Environmental Statistics:

  Million tones

  1990

  168

  1991

  169

  1992

  164

  1993

  160

  1994

  159

  1995

  156

  These totals are consistent with the methodology for calculating emissions developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This is the basis required for reporting emissions of carbon dioxide to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Totals calculated on this basis are not available for years before 1990.
  335
  Projected emissions were published in the UK's Second Report under the Climate Change Convention on the basis of the previous Administration's Climate Change programme. These were:

  Million tonnes

  2000

  158

  2005

  169

  2010

  169

  The Government is now developing policies and measures to meet our target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010 and a revised Climate Change programme will be prepared after the Kyoto Climate Change Conference in December.

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what representations he has received concerning the direct discharge of untreated liquid wastes from biotech companies into the environment; and if he will make a statement; [6859]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the health risks posed by transgenic waste disposal from commercial scale contained users; and if he will make a statement; [6861]

  (3) if he will make a statement on the discharge of liquid wastes containing live genetically modified micro-organisms into sewers and the drainage system. [6860]

  Angela Eagle
  Discharge of waste containing live genetically modified micro-organisms (GMMs) is covered by the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 1992, as amended in 1996. Under the Regulations, an assessment of the risks to human health and the environment must be undertaken before commencing any activity involving genetic modification. The risk assessment enables the appropriate control measures to be selected. The Regulations require that waste containing live GMMs which would pose a risk to human health and/or the environment must be inactivated prior to disposal. This requirement applies at all scales of work with 'transgenic' (GMM) waste.

  As I indicated in the answer I gave my Hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Mr. Pickthall) on 27 June, column 667, the Advisory Committee on Genetic Modification (ACGM) is currently considering, in consultation with interested bodies, the matter of direct discharge of those untreated liquid wastes which are judged, on the basis of thorough risk assessment, not to pose a risk of harm to human health and the environment. It is proposed to achieve this by way of a certificate of exemption from the requirements of the Regulations. Previous consultation on this matter by the Health and Safety Commission indicated that there was strong support for permitting such discharge.

  The proposed exemption certificate, together with accompanying detailed guidance, is currently undergoing consultation with the biotechnology community and environmental groups. To date a number of responses have been received from organisations including universities and research institutes. HSE will consider
  336
  ACGM's advice, as regards the outcome of the consultation, before agreeing with relevant departments (so far as matters relate to the environment) the best way to proceed.

  Deprivation Index
  Mr. Timms
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list his Department's index for deprivation for(a) Newham, (b) Tower Hamlets, (c) Hackney, (d) Redbridge, (e) Waltham Forest and (j) Barking and Dagenham. [6858]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Table 1 below shows the ranked position of the local authorities listed above on the three different measures which make up the Department's Index of Local Conditions (ILC). The attached background note gives further information on the ILC and on the difference between the three measures.

  Table 1

  Rank on DETR's Index of Local Conditions

  Degree

  Intensity

  Extent

  Newham

  1

  9

  5

  Tower Hamlets

  7

  1

  2

  Hackney

  3

  4

  1

  Redbridge

  120

  67

  93

  Waltham Forest

  21

  6

  16

  Barking and Dagenham

  18

  36

  30

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Timms
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the current level of set-aside capital receipts derived from the sale of council houses in the boroughs of(a) Newham, (b) Tower Hamlets, (c) Hackney, (d) Redbridge, (e) Waltham Forest and (f) Barking and Dagenham, expressed (i) in absolute terms and (ii) per head of population; and what are the corresponding national absolute and per head figures. [6828]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The amounts of housing capital receipts which were set aside by each of the local authorities referred to in the question between 1990–91 and 1995–96 are set out both in absolute terms and per head of population in the table below, as are the corresponding figures for England. However, individual authorities may have used these set-aside receipts to repay debt or in lieu of further borrowing, and so may no longer retain them in the form of cash and investments.

  Receipts set aside from sales of Housing Revenue

  Account Assets 1990–91 to 1995–96

  Total £000s

  Per head of mid-1995 population £s

  Barking and Dagenham

  25,418

  164

  Hackney

  41,651

  214

  Newham

  30,618

  134

  Redbridge

  23,931

  105

  Tower Hamlets

  42,643

  247

  Waltham Forest

  18,449

  83

  England

  5,283,436

  108

  Source of data: HRA subsidy claim forms.
  337
  We are in the process of consulting the Local Government Association and local authorities on the Government's Capital Receipts Initiative. The final decision about the basis on which resources are to be distributed to individual authorities will be made when that consultation process is complete.

  Occupational Injury and Ill Health
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the costs to the United Kingdom economy of occupational injury and ill health over each of the last five years. [7120]

  Angela Eagle
  The Health and Safety Executive estimate that the total cost to the British economy of work accidents (including preventable damage-only accidents) and work-related ill health was between £6 billion and £12 billion in 1990.

  Estimates of the cost since 1990 have not been made because of the absence of more recent comprehensive data on work-related ill health. New data will start to become available later this year, covering 1995. Using this data, the health and Safety Executive will prepare updated costs in 1998.

  The estimate in the draft reply of £6 billion-12 billion (1990 prices) is about 1–2 per cent. of national output. This includes the costs of damage and disruption to production, health care costs, and other administrative costs. An estimate of the total cost to society, which includes an allowance for the human costs of pain, grief and suffering, is £11 billion-16 billion.

  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment. Transport and the Regions what sums his Department has spent on preventing occupational illness and injury in each of the last five years. [7122]

  Angela Eagle
  The Health and Safety Commission and Executive's aim is to ensure that risks to people's health and safety activities are properly controlled. This extends beyond occupational illness and injury to work activities that might put members of the public at risk but it is not possible to identify separately the work involved in achieving both aspects of the aim. However, it is estimated that the additional cost of protecting the public would represent only a small proportion of the total cost.

  The Health and Safety Executive spent the following sums in each of the last five years:

  Year

  £ Million

  1992–93

  173.00

  1993–94

  181.00

  1994–95

  180.00

  1995–96

  181.00

  1996–97

  178.00

  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the number of those(a) injured, (b) killed and (c) made ill by their work for each of the last live years. [7121]
  338
  Angela Eagle
  The table shows the total number of fatal and other injuries to employees, trainees and self-employed people reported to enforcing authorities under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985 and 1995 (RIDDOR) between 1992–93 and 1996–97 (years commencing 1 April).

  Year

  Fatal injuries

  1Total injuries

  1992–93

  339

  161,675

  1993–94

  296

  155,734

  1994–95

  272

  160,844

  1995–96

  258

  150,968

  1996–972

  287

  155,582

  1 Including fatal, major and those leading to more than three days incapacity for work.

  2 Provisional. Finalised figures will be available in early 1998.

  HSE gets to know of virtually all workplace deaths, but non-fatal injuries are subject to under-reporting. To estimate the reporting levels HSE included a set of questions in the Labour Force Surveys in 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96. The results of these surveys combined estimate that around 424,000 reportable non-fatal injuries to workers occur annually, giving a reporting level for RIDDOR of about 40 per cent.

  From responses to a special set of questions in the 1990 Labour Force Survey, which is based on self reporting, it has been estimated that in the 12 months prior to the survey, 2.2 million people in England and Wales suffered from an illness which they believed had been caused or made worse by their work.

  In terms of detailed reporting of occupational illness, there is no one single fully reliable source. The Health and Safety Executive makes use of a range of sources to produce figures for ill-health for the Health and Safety Commission's annual publication "Health and Safety Statistics". I will send the hon. Member a copy of the most recent report.

  Drinking Water Inspectorate
  Mr. Geraint Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Seventh Annual report of the Drinking Water Inspectorate will be published. [7401]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Drinking Water Inspectorate will publish its seventh Annual Report on Tuesday 8 July.

  The Inspectorate will also publish two leaflets for consumers. "How Good is Your Drinking Water?", will summarise the main points of the Report. "About Your Water Company" will give brief details of the quality of drinking water supplied by individual water companies.

  Copies of the Report and leaflets will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Single Regeneration Budget Challenge Fund
  Mr. Lawrie Quinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to publish the guidance for Round Four of the Single Regeneration Budget Challenge Fund. [7160]
  339
  Mr. Caborn
  The Government is issuing today supplementary guidance for Round 4 of the Single Regeneration Budget Challenge Fund. The guidance describes the Government's policies and priorities for the Challenge Fund, which are:a requirement that proposals for funding contribute to the Government's Manifesto commitment to carry out a concerted attack against the multiple causes of social and economic decline, and fit with its new policies, including those relating to employment, including child care provision, education, crime, housing, public health and sustainable development;
  a greater emphasis on tackling the needs of communities in the most deprived areas;
  a requirement that proposals should take account of existing strategies for promoting economic development and tackling deprivation; and
  a requirement for a more collaborative approach between those preparing proposals, their partners and Government Offices for the Regions in order to arrive at a shared undertanding of regeneration needs and priorities, and to stimulate fresh thinking.

  In addition to the supplementary guidance, each Government Office for the Region has issued its own regional guidance for the purposes of Round 4 of the Challenge Fund. This is intended to give extra help to bidders in putting together their proposals. Government Offices for the Regions will also be setting up small Advisory Panels to help them in considering Round 4 bids. These panels will have, amongst others, representatives from the business sector, local authorities and the voluntary sector.

  Copies of the supplementary guidance have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Capital expenditure in each London borough on roads for 1992–93 to 1998–99

  (Includes major and minor highway works, but excludes structural maintenance)

  London boroughs

  Capital expenditure from 1992–93 to 1998–99 in £000

  Out-turn 1992–93

  Out-turn 1993–94

  Out-turn 1994–95

  Out-turn 1995–96

  Budget 1996–97

  Bid 1997–98

  Estimated 1998–99

  Barking and Dagenham

  1,558

  522

  173

  175

  174

  565

  0

  Barnet

  0

  0

  1,110

  545

  1,997

  1,154

  1,750

  Bexley

  2,850

  3,642

  5,979

  11,440

  8,924

  7,388

  4,813

  Brent

  1,584

  414

  925

  2,107

  2,261

  6,855

  6,797

  Bromley

  4,900

  1,441

  2,138

  11,064

  13,845

  15,159

  1,472

  Camden

  0

  0

  494

  2,247

  3,406

  2,739

  2,168

  Croydon

  250

  1,422

  5,090

  2,906

  1,636

  3,323

  1,847

  City of London

  0

  0

  1,365

  2,237

  4,181

  975

  2,141

  Ealing

  1,139

  337

  1,236

  1,581

  1,339

  2,830

  2,154

  Enfield

  6,952

  3,964

  1,373

  876

  1,930

  1,503

  3,917

  Greenwich

  21

  94

  1,805

  4,713>

  6,342

  9,751

  3,559

  Hackney

  912

  1,334

  3117

  305

  277

  605

  350

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  0

  0

  2,577

  1,543

  1,438

  1,400

  1,300

  Haringey

  1,047

  517

  2,416

  1,976

  2,138

  3,786

  4,126

  Harrow

  6,310

  5,370

  4,103

  5,580

  4,844

  6,099

  799

  Havering

  12

  120

  1,717

  654

  1,961

  2,138

  l,080

  Hillingdon

  7,868

  4,546

  2,558

  5,340

  3,911

  1,647

  1,636

  Hounslow

  458

  2,947

  4,759

  2,794

  2,468

  3,300

  2,395

  Islington

  0

  0

  2,066

  1,603

  1,228

  5,578

  5,489

  Kensington and Chelsea

  605

  527

  871

  584

  1,296

  1,354

  857

  Kingston upon Thames

  1,350

  409

  1,966

  5,532

  5,905

  13,147

  10,283

  Lambeth

  0

  0

  470

  1,654

  1,047

  4,125

  1,700

  Lewisham

  8,474

  8,304

  8,528

  6,395

  4,034

  3,098

  1,398

  Merton

  1,191

  2,790

  2,611

  2,161

  1,006

  2,652

  1,720

  Newham

  4,470

  2,973

  3,611

  3,022

  3,456

  3,984

  1,297

  Redbridge

  14

  0

  1,618

  5,280

  6,615

  1,882

  1,972

  Richmond upon Thames

  0

  0

  766

  598

  531

  907

  653

  Southwark

  3,079

  1,638

  1,965

  2,009

  1,839

  2,028

  1,468

  Sutton

  179

  585

  1,782

  1,861

  1,250

  3,119

  4,910

  Bletchley to Bicester Railway Line
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to evaluate proposals relating to the future of passenger and freight services on the Bletchley to Bicester line. [6604]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 20 May,Official Report, column 49.

  Barking to Gospel Oak Rail Services
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to receive proposals for the introduction of new rolling stock on the Barking to Gospel Oak line. [6605]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  As part of its Franchise Agreement with the Franchising Director, National Express Group PLC has committed to replacing all of North London Railways' Mark 1 trains currently in use on the Gospel Oak-Barking line with new or refurbished rolling stock by the 1999 summer timetable.

  Roads Expenditure
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the capital expenditure in each borough on roads in each of the last five years; and what expenditure is planned for(a) the current year and (b) 1998–99. [6610]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The following table shows the latest information which has been provided to my Department on capital expenditure on roads by London borough councils. The figures for 19976–98 show local authorities' bids for funding, which remain the best available estimates of planned expenditure in that year.
  341

  Capital expenditure in each London borough on roads for 1992–93 to 1998–99

  (Includes major and minor highway works, but excludes structural maintenance)

  London boroughs

  Capital expenditure from 1992–93 In 1998–99 in £000

  Out-turn 1992–93

  Out-turn 1993–94

  Out-turn 1994–95

  Out-turn 1995–96

  Budget 1996–97

  Bid 1997–98

  Estimated 1998–99

  Tower Hamlets

  76

  524

  1,226

  2,225

  1,521

  3,518

  3,442

  Waltham Forest

  486

  224

  1,342

  866

  734

  2,217

  4,027

  Wandsworth

  804

  387

  4,814

  2,632

  3,775

  3,844

  2,065

  Westminster

  961

  2,389

  5,443

  3232

  6,480

  5,901

  8,245

  A27 Polegate Bypass
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those bodies and individuals his Department intends to consult before reaching a decision on the future of the A27 Polegate bypass. [6783]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Full public consultation was carried out on this scheme during its preparatory stages. No further consultation is planned for this and other schemes in the accelerated review. The decision will be announced shortly.

  London Transport Buses
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will follow principles of freedom of information and public accountability in respect of his dealings with London Transport Buses. [6993]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Yes. It is for London Transport Buses to decide however, what information it would be appropriate for them to release abut their own activities.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his policy in respect of standards of service on London Transport Buses. [6994]

  Ms Jackson
  I have recently set tough new quality of service targets to improve the performance of London Transport bus services. These are as follows:

  Measure

  1997–98 New targets

  Mileage operated (excluding miles lost due to traffic congestion)1

  99.0

  High frequency services—excess waiting time2

  1.5 minutes

  Low frequency services—percentage of services

  Departing on time

  74.0 per cent.

  Departing early

  4.0 per cent.

  Percentage of Night Bus services departing on time

  65.0 per cent.

  Customer satisfaction (score out of 100)

  Condition of bus stops/shelters

  57

  Internal cleanliness of buses

  63

  External cleanliness of buses

  55

  Staff helpfulness

  66

  Bus station environment

  71

  Bus station information

  68

  Notes:

  1 This measure reflects the extent to which bus services are cancelled or cut short.

  2 A measure of how much longer passengers have to wait, on average, than if all the buses ran on time.

  London Underground
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy not to transfer majority control of the London underground to the private sector. [6896]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We have ruled out the wholesale privatisation of London Underground proposed by the previous Government. We are now examining a number of public-private partnership options, in accordance with our Manifesto, to see how we can best secure an affordable, reliable, clear and modern network.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  TECs
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 24 June,Official Report, column 443, if he will list the elected members of local authorities who have places on the boards of TECs. [6301]

  Dr. Howells
  [holding answer 1 July 1997]: The following list contains the names of 41 directors notified to the Department by the English TECs as being members of their local authority. A further 119 directors are officials of local authorities; most being chief executives or directors of education. The Department is aware that a number of other directors appointed from the business community may also be elected members of local authorities but such information is not held centrally.

  List of elected members of local authorities

  Name

  Local authority

  Position

  AZTEC

  John Tilley

  Royal Borough of Kingston

  Leader of the Council

  Barnsley and Doncaster

  Stephen Houghton

  Barnsley MBC

  Leader

  Birmingham

  Andrew Howell

  Birmingham City Council

  Councillor

  Bradford and District

  Ruth Redfern

  Community and Environmental Services

  Committee Chair

  Calderdale and Kirklees

  Pam Warhurst

  Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale

  Leader

  Calderdale and Kirklees

  John Harman

  Kirklees MBC

  Leader

  CEWTEC

  Phil Davies

  Wirral Borough Council

  Councillor

  Devon and Cornwall

  Margaret Garton

  West Devon Borough Council

  Councillor

  ELTEC

  Kath Readc

  Burnley Borough Council

  Leader

  ELTEC

  Howel Jones

  Ribble Valley Borough Council

  Leader

  343

  List of elected members of local authorities

  Name

  Local authority

  Position

  ELTEC

  Malcolm Doherty

  Blackburn Council

  Leader

  Greater Nottingham

  Martin Gawith

  Nottinghamshire County Council

  Leader

  Hereford and Worcester

  Dan Wicksteed

  Hereford and Worcester City Council

  Chairman

  Leeds

  Brian Walker

  Leeds City Council

  Leader

  North Derbyshire

  Geoff Carlile

  Derbyshire County Council

  Chairman

  North Nottinghamshire

  Valerie Dickinson

  Bassetlaw Hospital and Community Services

  Chair

  North Nottinghamshire

  Richard Dix

  Newark and Sherwood District Council

  Councillor

  North Nottinghamshire

  Fred Riddell

  Nottinghamshire County Council

  Chair of Education

  Oldham

  Brian Mather

  Oldham MBC

  Elected Member

  Oldham

  John Johnson

  Oldham MBC

  Dep. Leader

  Oldham

  James Greenwood

  Oldham MBC

  Chairman

  Sandwell

  Tarsem King

  Sandwell MBC

  Chairman

  Sheffield

  Bill Jordan

  Sheffield City Council

  Chairman

  Sheffield

  Jan Wilson

  Sheffield City Council

  Chair of Education

  SOLOTEC

  Jim Mallory

  London Borough of Lewisham

  Leader

  South and East Cheshire

  Edward Cutler

  Macclesfield Borough Council

  Councillor

  Southern Derbyshire

  Robert Jones

  Derbyshire County Council

  Deputy Leader

  Southern Derbyshire

  Simon Tollervey

  Amber Valley Borough Council

  Leader

  St. Helens

  Michael Doyle

  St. Helens MBC

  Deputy Leader

  Stockport and High Peak

  John Bull

  Derbyshire County Council

  Councillor

  Teesside

  Bryan Hanson

  Hartlepool Borough Council

  Leader

  Tyneside

  Leslie Elton

  Gateshead MBC

  Councillor

  Tyneside

  Peter Haigh

  South Tyneside MBC

  Councillor

  Wakefield

  Colin Croxall

  Wakefield Metropolitan Borough Council

  Leader

  West London

  Alan Parker

  London Borough of Ealing

  Chair of Education

  Wigan

  Fred Walker

  Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

  Chairman

  Wigan

  Peter Smith

  Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

  Leader

  Wight

  Morris Barton

  Isle of Wight County Council

  Leader

  Wolverhampton

  Mulkinder Jaspal

  Wolverhampton MBC

  Chairman

  Wolverhampton

  Roger Lawrence

  Wolverhampton MBC

  Deputy Leader

  Wolverhampton

  John Evans

  South Staffordshire Council

  Chairman

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish his Departments's submissions relating to freedom of information legislation. [6039]
  344
  Dr. Howells
  [holding reply 2 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 4 July, Official Report, column 293–94.

  School Furniture
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what research his Department has(a) conducted and (b) commissioned on the appropriate furniture to be used in schools to reduce back problems in children. [6820]

  Mr. Byers
  The Department has a long history of commissioning research into appropriate furniture for schools, to reduce the problems associated with muscular strain and had posture. Research commissioned by the Department's Architects and Building Branch in the 1970s and 1980s was written up and published as Building Bulletins on pupils' sizes and the heights and working dimensions of furniture.

  More recently, the Department commissioned research on the suitability of information technology furniture for children in primary schools, which prompted a practical design project and an information video for LEAs, schools and designers. We are currently considering the possibility of commissioning new research in a number of areas related to the design of schools' furniture.

  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance his Department has issued to (i) local education authorities and (ii) schools on the type of chairs to be used in schools to reduce the risk of back problems among children. [6819]

  Mr. Byers
  To minimise the risk of discomfort or injury to school pupils, it is important that all school furniture—not only chairs—is designed carefully to meet the needs of those who will use it. The Department has published general guidance in Building Bulletin 62, which gives data on the size, weight and body dimensions of school pupils, and Building Bulletins 38,50, and 52, which cover the heights and working dimensions of school furniture, including chairs. Last year the Department's Architects and Building Branch produced, as examples of good practice, a new design for a computer table to meet the particular needs of younger children, and a video on information technology furniture in both primary and secondary schools. Two recent publications include detailed dimensions and specifications for furniture used in specific subjects at secondary level: Building Bulletin 80 (Science) and Building Bulletin 81 (Design and Technology). Guidance on other subject areas will follow soon.

  Undergraduate Courses
  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list(a) in total and (b) for each institution funded through the HEFC for England, the average costs to public funds, excluding maintenance costs, of teaching undergraduate courses (i) by fee band and (ii) overall. [6499]
  345
  Dr. Howells
  The information is not available in the form requested. The table gives a total figure for fee income, by fee band, total number of full-time

  1996–97 Teaching grant and fee income for full-time student

  Fee income 1994–97

  Teaching grant 1996–97

  Institution

  Band 1

  Band 2

  Band 3

  Total number of FTUG students

  Undergraduate

  Postgraduate

  Non-formula funding 1996–97

  England total

  205,978,710

  582,527,637

  30,284,800

  649,534

  1,662,413,025

  150,861,459

  110,039,472

  Anglia Polytechnic University

  3,009,750

  5,827,200

  0

  7,655

  15,501,339

  212,249

  878,600

  Ashton University

  1,399,500

  2,428,800

  0

  3,384

  10,158,348

  760,747

  408,652

  University of Bath

  1,168,500

  3,721,600

  0

  3,884

  11,247,034

  763,461

  469,850

  Bath College of HE

  498,000

  1,436,800

  0

  1,562

  3,393,943

  85,616

  214,228

  University of Birmingham

  3,717,810

  9,070,272

  1,842,400

  11,284

  30,959,266

  4,595,948

  1,036,009

  Birkbeck College

  12,000

  8,000

  0

  21

  79,662

  689,543

  l,563,000

  Bishop Grosseteste College

  49,500

  80,000

  0

  116

  211,763

  0

  0

  Bolton Institute of HE

  1,110,323

  3,044,384

  0

  3,383

  8,113,968

  1,001,592

  165,383

  Bournemouth University

  1,671,750

  6,099,200

  0

  6,041

  12,834,872

  424,223

  182,154

  University of Bradford

  l,523,250

  5,182,400

  0

  5,270

  14,200,850

  870,133

  377,265

  Bretton Hall

  65,250

  2,115,200

  0

  1,409

  2,667,632

  37,628

  84,307

  University of Brighton

  1,559,250

  5,923,200

  0

  5,781

  16,241,462

  403,452

  398,666

  University of Bristol

  2,427,000

  6,344,000

  1,954,400

  7,899

  27,463,688

  2,523,817

  342,411

  Brunei University

  1,882,493

  6,397,040

  0

  6,508

  15,005,200

  1,454,600

  2,481,354

  Buckinghamshire College of HE

  1,659,000

  3,769,600

  0

  4,568

  9,763,728

  196,874

  83,500

  University of Cambridge

  3,542,250

  7,112,000

  1,338,400

  9,646

  30,564,724

  5,101,770

  -8,124,899

  University of Central England

  1,875,000

  6,968,000

  0

  6,855

  15,150,627

  1,661,700

  300,000

  University of Central Lancashire

  3,214,500

  8,401,600

  0

  9,537

  23,855,110

  720,944

  170,000

  Central School of Speech and Drama

  0

  689,600

  0

  431

  1,311,322

  97,900

  330,611

  Canterbury Christ Church College

  641,250

  2,128,000

  0

  2,185

  3,902,575

  130,194

  100,000

  Cheltenham and Gloucester CHE

  1,458,000

  3,564,800

  0

  4,172

  9,490,091

  278,048

  162,712

  Chester College of HE

  151,500

  2,112,000

  0

  1,522

  3,033,468

  0

  111,667

  Chichester Institute of HE

  569,250

  1,387,200

  0

  1,626

  3,759,749

  23,703

  10,000

  City University

  779,250

  2,606,400

  0

  2,668

  6,827,436

  1,240,999

  3,579,067

  Coventry University

  1,989,375

  8,660,000

  0

  8,065

  22,529,184

  991,278

  134,186

  Cranfield University

  31,500

  460,800

  0

  330

  1,185,500

  7,840,900

  663,670

  Cumbria College of Art and Design

  60,750

  865,600

  0

  622

  956,390

  0

  0

  Dartington College of Arts

  0

  704,000

  0

  440

  1,292,865

  17,833

  0

  De Montfort University

  3,269,250

  13,521,600

  0

  12,810

  30,941,103

  1,935,675

  279,400

  University of Derby

  2,508,750

  5,956,800

  0

  7,068

  11,262,606

  169,309

  121,440

  University of Durham

  2,672,588

  5,689,440

  0

  7,119

  16,674,281

  1,376,429

  918,312

  University of East Anglia

  2,448,000

  2,470,400

  0

  4,808

  11,319,988

  1,119,381

  512,677

  University of East London

  2,675,250

  4,761,600

  0

  6,543

  16,838,268

  1,098,124

  2,240,200

  Edge Hill College of HE

  642,000

  1,883,200

  0

  2,033

  4,158,684

  27,490

  181,132

  Institute of Education

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  386,233

  967,000

  University of Essex

  1,777,500

  1,686,400

  0

  3,424

  8,515,649

  1,245,550

  247,009

  University of Exeter

  2,203,500

  4,171,200

  0

  5,545

  14,704,934

  908,504

  396,984

  Falmouth College of Arts

  85,500

  1,262,400

  0

  903

  1,731,213

  70,000

  0

  Goldsmiths College

  822,000

  2,200,000

  0

  2,471

  6,294,314

  1,028,566

  1,792,000

  University of Greenwich

  2,071,380

  6,558,080

  0

  6,861

  18,324,853

  1,700,029

  3,288,100

  The College of Guidance Studies

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  144,954

  26,667

  Harper Adams Agricultural College

  61,500

  2,126,400

  0

  1,411

  4,088,441

  56,436

  206,133

  University of Hertfordshire

  2,144,250

  8,608,000

  0

  8,239

  21,894,361

  1,085,527

  1,262,979

  Homerton College, Cambridge

  5,250

  11,200

  0

  14

  64,467

  0

  0

  University of Huddersfield

  2,011,500

  6,334,400

  0

  6,641

  17,089,262

  1,157,618

  39,300

  University of Hull

  2,664,000

  3,358,400

  0

  5,651

  13,779,175

  1,341,154

  462,900

  Imperial College

  455,625

  4,493,600

  901,600

  3,738

  16,143,207

  4,594,082

  7,148,342

  Keele University

  2,267,250

  852,800

  0

  3,556

  6,913,874

  622,196

  150,000

  University of Kent at Canterbury

  2,621,250

  2,449,600

  0

  5,026

  11,676,374

  1,305,556

  235,333

  Kent Institute of Art and Design

  0

  2,174,400

  0

  1,359

  3,393,435

  65,000

  0

  King Alfred's College, Winchester

  806,400

  1,177,280

  0

  1,811

  2,665,238

  25,542

  100,000

  King's College London

  1,712,250

  5,017,600

  1,215,200

  5,853

  17,724,246

  2,070,117

  5,336,866

  Kingston University

  2,299,875

  7,230,400

  0

  7,586

  20,119,769

  706,302

  2,310,100

  Lancaster University

  2,547,375

  3,741,440

  0

  5,735

  12,668,029

  1,755,857

  257,960

  La Sainte Union College of HE

  490,500

  699,200

  0

  1,091

  2,131,190

  0

  100,000

  University of Leeds

  4,676,250

  10,713,6011

  1,587,600

  13,498

  36,812,645

  3,226,388

  1,054,288

  Leeds Metropolitan University

  1,758,000

  8,230,400

  0

  7,488

  22,944,041

  1,169,265

  119,266

  University of Leicester

  2,470,500

  3,467,200

  1,038,800

  5,832

  16,206,515

  1,907,803

  383,244

  University of Lincolnshire and Humberside

  2,796,750

  6,523,200

  0

  7,806

  15,970,000

  476,500

  100,000

  University of Liverpool

  2,796,750

  7,308,800

  2,248,400

  9,100

  29,608,112

  3,728,890

  443,579

  Liverpool Hope College

  542,250

  2,518,400

  0

  2,297

  4,730,996

  0

  0

  Liverpool John Moores University

  2,485,500

  9,726,400

  0

  9,393

  23,408,985

  1,431,513

  172,517

  University of London—Senate

  317,150

  0

  0

  423

  1,146,680

  755,789

  9,976,587

  Institute of Cancer Research

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4,132,078

  Charing Cross and Westminster MS

  0

  459,200

  1,122,800

  688

  5,698,755

  118,744

  1,053,602

  Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine

  0

  272,000

  879,200

  484

  3,333,995

  132,784

  762,581

  346
  undergraduates, total teaching grant and non-formula funding for 1996–97 for institutions in England overall, and the same information for individual institutions.
  347

  1996–97 Teaching grant and fee income for full-time students

  Fee income 1996–97

  Teaching grant 1996–97

  Institution

  Band 1

  Band 2

  Band 3

  Total number of FTUG students

  Undergraduate

  Postgraduate

  Non-formula funding 1996–97

  United Medical and Dental Schools

  0

  816,000

  2,100,000

  1,260

  9,310,597

  475,493

  2,023,581

  London Business School

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  324,728

  638,000

  London School of Economics and Political Science

  1,261,500

  84,800

  0

  1,735

  3,566,567

  2,005,786

  2,394,270

  London Guildhall University

  2,831,250

  3,378,400

  0

  5,887

  13,370,770

  660,146

  2,283,200

  London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,720,474

  733,782

  The London Institute

  56,250

  8,416,000

  0

  5,335

  13,114,939

  793,026

  1,708,800

  Loughborough University

  1,500,750

  6,920,000

  0

  6,326

  17,235,304

  1,429,516

  211,667

  Loughborough College of Art and Design

  0

  1,108,800

  0

  693

  1,845,595

  0

  61,685

  University of Luton

  2,376,000

  6,505,600

  14,000

  7,239

  12,672,586

  401,790

  333,333

  University of Manchester

  4,641,000

  8,915,200

  2,534,000

  12,665

  37,757,260

  3,319,606

  2,459,326

  UMIST

  650,250

  4,219,200

  0

  3,504

  11,494,832

  1,808,822

  256,870

  Manchester Metropolitan University

  4,312,500

  13,198,400

  0

  13,999

  36,609,642

  1,566,340

  396,867

  Middlesex University

  4,460,250

  8,292,800

  0

  11,130

  22,240,317

  1,464,730

  2,139,084

  Nene College

  1,992,000

  5,198,400

  0

  5,905

  10,886,484

  417,445

  145,000

  University of Newcastle upon Tyne

  2,675,250

  7,209,600

  1,612,800

  8,649

  27,645,610

  2,814,453

  485,497

  Newman College

  85,125

  277,600

  0

  287

  507,950

  4,627

  50,059

  University of North London

  2,791,500

  5,326,400

  0

  7,051

  16,338,111

  648,171

  3,018,445

  North Riding College

  366,525

  918,400

  0

  1,063

  1,741,001

  0

  80,000

  Northern School of Contemporary Dance

  0

  254,400

  0

  159

  491,882

  0

  0

  University of Northumbria at Newcastle

  2,660,250

  8,705,600

  0

  8,988

  23,302,478

  1,147,641

  289,754

  Norwich School of Art and Design

  0

  998,400

  0

  624

  1,171,024

  16,398

  0

  University of Nottingham

  2,562,000

  7,476,800

  1,069,600

  8,471

  24,031,494

  2,925,631

  511,617

  Nottingham Trent University

  3,927,000

  13,280,000

  0

  13,536

  33,297,708

  678,097

  286,509

  Open University

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  869,447

  485,408

  School of Oriental and African Studies

  825,000

  8,000

  0

  1,105

  2,235,241

  537,380

  3,795,751

  University of Oxford

  4,645,500

  5,419,200

  823,200

  9,875

  29,621,831

  5,546,726

  -8,272,967

  Oxford Brookes University

  1,164,000

  5,427,200

  0

  4,944

  13,967,647

  1,617,086

  100,000

  School of Pharmacy

  0

  449,600

  0

  281

  1,063,768

  226,124

  488,134

  University of Plymouth

  2,743,500

  12,627,200

  0

  11,550

  26,725,301

  1,061,934

  481,055

  University of Portsmouth

  2,362,500

  9,630,400

  0

  9,169

  21,803,607

  748,187

  0

  Queen Mary and Westfield College

  1,563,000

  3,728,000

  1,954,400

  5,112

  21,295,677

  1,811,184

  5,100,496

  Ravensbourne College

  0

  851,200

  0

  532

  1,703,321

  0

  118,600

  RCN Institute

  0

  105,600

  0

  66

  238,978

  0

  338,300

  University of Reading

  2,010,750

  5,206,400

  0

  5,935

  13,842,948

  2,232,850

  419,547

  College of Ripon and York St. John

  739,500

  1,734,400

  0

  2,070

  4,100,900

  0

  0

  Rochampton Institute

  1,189,125

  2,994,400

  0

  3,457

  8,027,805

  192,071

  1,226,100

  Rose Bruford College

  0

  692,800

  0

  433

  1,142,468

  0

  81,700

  Royal Academy of Music

  0

  441,600

  0

  276

  2,000,628

  780,771

  0

  Royal College of Art

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  5,345,909

  463,000

  Royal College of Music

  0

  524,800

  0

  328

  1,832,040

  608,818

  73,038

  Royal Holloway, University of London

  1,590,000

  2,780,800

  0

  3,858

  9,737,840

  1,011,487

  1,674,000

  Royal Northern College of Music

  0

  641,600

  0

  401

  2,970,368

  0

  13,500

  Royal Postgraduate Medical School

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  939,521

  3,212,497

  Royal Veterinary College

  0

  302,400

  638,400

  417

  3,300,000

  586,822

  763,000

  St. George's Hospital Medical School

  0

  473,600

  1,302,000

  761

  5,552,303

  100,065

  1,063,271

  College of St. Mark and St. John

  350,303

  916,688

  0

  1,040

  2,032,510

  62,267

  100,000

  St. Martin's College

  465,750

  1,241,600

  0

  1,397

  2,584,530

  58,279

  0

  St. Mary's College

  454,875

  1,220,000

  0

  1,369

  2,944,255

  0

  307,600

  University of Salford

  1,824,000

  10,756,800

  0

  9,155

  23,566,311

  394,385

  428,500

  University of Sheffield

  3,204,720

  9,010,965

  1,489,600

  10,437

  29,561,577

  2,950,693

  310,350

  Sheffield Hallam University

  2,946,000

  10,537,600

  0

  10,514

  31,157,301

  1,508,622

  488,679

  University of Southampton

  2,388,938

  7,324,160

  1,072,400

  8,146

  23,273,428

  2,916,234

  508,222

  Southampton Institute

  2,680,500

  8,344,000

  0

  8,789

  16,017,516

  189,283

  100,000

  South Bank University

  1,688,250

  6,844,800

  0

  6,529

  19,369,438

  1,494,067

  4,203,200

  Staffordshire University

  2,836,950

  9,093,040

  0

  9,466

  22,232,708

  708,612

  350,000

  University of Sunderland

  2,133,000

  8,411,200

  0

  8,101

  18,389,743

  630,923

  239,207

  Surrey Institute of Art and Design

  76,500

  3,323,200

  0

  2,179

  4,173,154

  35,000

  202,867

  University of Surrey

  272,250

  4,960,000

  0

  3,463

  9,884,387

  1,897,567

  225,500

  University of Sussex

  2,231,250

  4,176,000

  0

  5,585

  13,598,504

  1,707,025

  179,780

  University of Teesside

  2,342,250

  4,846,800

  0

  6,146

  15,135,375

  772,109

  87,623

  Thames Valley University

  2,991,000

  2,836,800

  0

  5,761

  12,932,759

  658,801

  1,776,400

  Trinity and All Saints

  370,500

  1,148,800

  0

  1,212

  2,503,928

  64,230

  80,667

  Trinity College of Music

  0

  499,200

  0

  312

  1,389,810

  249,903

  0

  University College London

  2,062300

  6,030,400

  1,545,600

  7,071

  23,522,324

  5,404,634

  8,533,134

  348 349

  1996–97 Teaching grant and fee income for full-time students

  Fee income 1996–97

  Teaching grant 1996–97

  Institution

  Band 1

  Band 2

  Band 3

  Total number of FTUG students

  Undergraduate

  Postgraduate

  Non-formula funding 1996–97

  UCL—Eastman Denial Institute

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  533,695

  278,322

  UCL—Institute of Neurology

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  140,068

  297,283

  University of Warwick

  3,142,013

  3,224,000

  0

  6,204

  13,863,168

  2,114,325

  346,560

  Westhill College

  246,750

  273,600

  0

  500

  914,165

  34,945

  0

  University of Westminster

  2,145,750

  6,420,800

  0

  6,874

  19,076,207

  1,664,951

  4,231,900

  Westminster College, Oxford

  192,750

  0

  0

  257

  519,390

  0

  241,886

  University of West of England, Bristol

  2,96l,750

  10,222,400

  0

  10,338

  24,663,059

  1,317,406

  380,012

  Wimbledon School of Art

  0

  550,400

  0

  344

  1,080,002

  0

  105,200

  University of Wolverhampton

  3,196,500

  8,668,800

  0

  9,680

  24,072,708

  879,273

  311,200

  Worcester College of HE

  777,750

  1,574,400

  0

  2,021

  3,332,568

  39,500

  0

  Writtle College

  0

  1,209,600

  0

  756

  2,028,954

  0

  101,467

  Wye College, University of London

  53,250

  612,800

  0

  454

  1,238,200

  312,034

  50,000

  University of York

  1,713,210

  3,174,928

  0

  4,269

  11,221,997

  1,409,525

  224,968

  Askham Bryan College

  40,500

  193,600

  0

  175

  567,023

  0

  0

  Berkshire College of Art and Design

  0

  393,600

  0

  246

  520,208

  0

  4,300

  Bedford College

  0

  56,000

  0

  35

  113,715

  0

  0

  Birmingham College

  420,750

  2,139,200

  0

  1,898

  2,378,171

  26,696

  0

  Blackburn College

  343,500

  246,400

  0

  612

  744,458

  0

  0

  Blackpool and Fylde College

  95,250

  1,534,400

  0

  1,086

  1,757,432

  0

  0

  Bournemouth and Poole College of AD

  0

  905,600

  0

  566

  1,127,933

  0

  0

  Bracknell and Wokingham College

  0

  3,200

  0

  2

  65,197

  0

  1,500

  Bradford and Ilkley Community College

  806,250

  1,659,200

  0

  2,112

  3,476,208

  1,954

  0

  Brooklands Technical College

  40,500

  60,800

  0

  92

  81,663

  0

  7,000

  Carlisle College

  74,250

  0

  0

  99

  121,324

  0

  0

  Chesterfield College of Technology

  57,000

  20,800

  0

  89

  57,895

  0

  0

  Chiehcster College of Arts, Science and Techology

  0

  43,200

  0

  27

  73,536

  0

  300

  City of Liverpool Community College

  36,750

  294,400

  0

  233

  771,746

  0

  0

  City College, Manchester

  53,250

  518,400

  0

  395

  540,294

  0

  0

  Cleveland College of Art and Design

  0

  569,600

  0

  356

  556,974

  0

  0

  Coalville Technical College

  5,250

  0

  0

  7

  6,480

  0

  0

  Cordwainers College

  0

  195,200

  0

  122

  141,234

  0

  0

  Coventry Technical College

  0

  148,800

  0

  93

  423,122

  0

  0

  Crawley College of Technology

  27,750

  33,600

  0

  58

  201,886

  0

  400

  Croydon College

  273,000

  507,200

  0

  681

  1,258,407

  0

  97,600

  Dewsbury College

  37,500

  364,800

  0

  278

  538,912

  0

  0

  Doncaster College

  307,500

  424,000

  0

  675

  1,607,032

  0

  0

  Farnborough College of Technology

  356,250

  1,233,600

  0

  1,246

  2,133,765

  0

  0

  Gloucester College of Art and Technology

  0

  174,400

  0

  109

  268,802

  0

  0

  Guildford College of FHE

  99,000

  180,800

  0

  245

  607,288

  0

  6,200

  Halton College of FE

  34,500

  240,000

  0

  196

  375,153

  0

  0

  Hammersmith and West London College

  108,750

  35,200

  0

  167

  528,960

  0

  47,500

  Harlow College

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,000

  Havering College of FHE

  0

  211,200

  0

  132

  418,377

  0

  45,200

  Henley College

  33,000

  0

  0

  44

  87,413

  0

  0

  Herefordshire College of Art and Design

  0

  244,800

  0

  153

  245,712

  0

  0

  Herefordshire College of Technology

  114,750

  0

  0

  153

  232,050

  0

  0

  Highbury College, Portsmouth

  108,750

  0

  0

  145

  360,910

  0

  0

  Lackham College

  0

  40,000

  0

  25

  76,528

  0

  0

  Leeds College of Art and Design

  0

  409,600

  0

  256

  399,520

  0

  0

  Loughborough College

  120,000

  67,200

  0

  202

  451,878

  0

  0

  Mid-Kent College of HFE

  160,500

  494,400

  0

  523

  1,358,100

  0

  0

  North-east Worcestershire College

  30,000

  387,200

  0

  282

  446,403

  0

  0

  New College Durham

  317,250

  361,600

  0

  649

  1,774,254

  0

  0

  Newcastle College

  171,750

  1,910,400

  0

  1,423

  1,994,598

  0

  0

  Newham College of Further Education

  0

  182,400

  0

  114

  287,519

  0

  17,100

  North-east Surrey College of Technology

  122,250

  800,000

  0

  663

  1,158,723

  22,000

  0

  North Lincolnshire College

  0

  19,200

  0

  12

  56,516

  0

  0

  Northbrook College, Sussex

  64,500

  648,000

  0

  491

  0

  740,751

  0

  Northumberland College

  0

  64,000

  0

  40

  162,729

  0

  0

  The College of North West London

  12,750

  27,200

  0

  34

  274,867

  0

  28,700

  Oldham College of Technology

  84,000

  0

  0

  112

  309,307

  0

  0

  350 351

  1996–97 Teaching grant and fee income for full-time students

  Fee income 1996–97

  Teaching grant 1996–97

  Institution

  Band 1

  Band 2

  Band 3

  Total number of FTUG students

  Undergraduate

  Postgraduate

  Non-formula funding 1996–97

  Peterborough Regional College

  43,500

  65,600

  0

  99

  132,756

  0

  0

  Rycotewood College

  0

  163,200

  0

  102

  282,730

  0

  0

  Salisbury College

  0

  252,800

  0

  158

  333,409

  0

  0

  Sandwell College of FHE

  36,750

  200,000

  0

  174

  404,048

  0

  0

  The Sheffield College

  20,250

  185,600

  0

  143

  416,743

  0

  0

  Solihull College

  32,250

  380,800

  0

  281

  341,172

  0

  0

  South Tyneside College of FE

  0

  24,000

  0

  15

  770,113

  0

  0

  Southport College

  0

  62,400

  0

  39

  124,338

  0

  0

  Sparsholt College, Hampshire

  0

  339,200

  0

  212

  486,542

  0

  0

  St. Helens College

  167,250

  376,000

  0

  458

  554,498

  0

  0

  Stockport College of FHE

  286,500

  649,600

  0

  788

  1,294,603

  0

  0

  Suffolk College of FHE

  747,810

  1,463,520

  0

  1,912

  1,908,499

  0

  0

  Swindon College

  58,500

  376,000

  0

  313

  489,384

  0

  0

  Thurrock College

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1,000

  Trowbridge College

  0

  27,200

  0

  17

  200,071

  0

  0

  Wakefield College

  49,500

  52,800

  0

  99

  176,637

  0

  0

  Walsall College of Technology

  0

  38,400

  0

  24

  64,023

  0

  0

  Warrington Collegiate Institute

  262,125

  876,000

  0

  897

  1,696,835

  0

  0

  West Thames College

  84,000

  0

  0

  112

  262,448

  0

  14,500

  Westminster College, London

  156,000

  0

  0

  208

  595,300

  0

  43,900

  Wigan and Leigh College

  220,500

  564,500

  0

  647

  877,136

  13,942

  0

  Wirral Metropolitan College

  195,000

  267,200

  0

  427

  503,641

  0

  0

  Worcester College of Technology

  94,500

  185,600

  0

  242

  339,815

  0

  0

  York College of FHE

  63,750

  187,200

  0

  202

  263,773

  0

  0

  Source:

  data96.fee—srvy, data96.redof, data95.nff.

  Notes:

  Only HEFCE grant and LEA funded fees are included.

  The data excludes:

  ITT and INSET; part-time, and sandwich year out students; Oxbridge college fees; recurrent funds for research; funding from other public sources, e.g. Health Authorities.

  The fee rates used to obtain the fee income were:

  Band 1 = £750

  Band 2 = £1,600

  Band 3 = £2,800

  Undergraduates only were included in the fee income.

  Geoffrey Chaucer School, London
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list each of the(a) educational, (b) physical and (c) other improvements which must be made before Geoffrey Chaucer School, London SE1, ceases to be designated as a school needing special measures; and what is the earliest date by which he may end the designation of this school. [6813]

  Mr. Byers
  Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools is statutorily responsible for determining when a school no longer requires special measures. I have asked Mr. Chris Woodhead to write to the hon. Member.

  Teachers (Early Retirement)
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (i) headteachers, (ii) deputy headteachers and (iii) teachers took early retirement on the grounds of ill health in(a) 1995–96 and (b) 1996–97, (1) in total and (2) in each LEA; and if he will make a statement. [6831]

  Mr. Byers
  The table shows the number of teachers in service at 31 March 1995 awarded ill-health retirement in financial year 1995–96 and those awarded ill-health retirement in 1996–97 whose last day of reckonable service was 31 March 1996 or later. The table covers the maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special education sector in England.
  352

  Ill-health retirements1 in financial year

  1995–96

  21996–97

  Heads

  Deputies

  Classroom teacher

  Heads

  Deputies

  Classroom teacher

  City of London

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Camden

  0

  *

  19

  *

  *

  14

  Greenwich

  *

  0

  16

  *

  0

  19

  Hackney

  *

  *

  9

  0

  0

  5

  Hammersmith

  *

  0

  17

  7

  *

  6

  Islington

  *

  *

  5

  *

  0

  7

  Kensington and Chelsea

  *

  0

  9

  *

  0

  5

  Lambeth

  0

  0

  17

  0

  *

  13

  Lewisham

  *

  0

  9

  *

  0

  12

  Southwark

  *

  0

  13

  *

  *

  8

  Tower Hamlets

  0

  0

  11

  0

  *

  12

  Wandsworth

  0

  *

  11

  *

  0

  14

  Westminster

  *

  *

  8

  *

  0

  *

  Barking

  *

  *

  8

  0

  0

  8

  Barnet

  *

  0

  18

  *

  0

  11

  Bexley

  *

  *

  9

  *

  *

  12

  Brent

  0

  *

  10

  *

  *

  10

  Bromley

  7

  0

  12

  *

  *

  14

  Croydon

  *

  0

  17

  *

  *

  13

  Ealing

  0

  *

  11

  *

  *

  5

  Enfield

  *

  0

  16

  *

  *

  14

  Haringey

  6

  *

  7

  *

  *

  22

  Harrow

  0

  *

  13

  0

  0

  11

  Havering

  *

  *

  18

  *

  0

  11

  Hillingdon

  0

  *

  9

  0

  *

  *

  Hounslow

  *

  *

  19

  0

  *

  14

  Kingston upon Thames

  *

  *

  13

  0

  *

  *

  Merton

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  6

  Newham

  0

  0

  11

  0

  *

  21

  Redbridge

  *

  0

  7

  *

  0

  *

  Richmond upon Thames

  *

  0

  8

  0

  0

  6

  353

  Ill-health retirements1 in financial year

  1995–96

  21996–97

  Heads

  Deputies

  Classroom teacher

  Heads

  Deputies

  Classroom teacher

  Sutton

  0

  *

  13

  *

  *

  13

  Waltham Forest

  *

  *

  19

  *

  *

  17

  Birmingham

  6

  9

  94

  6

  *

  89

  Coventry

  0

  *

  26

  0

  *

  27

  Dudley

  *

  *

  23

  *

  *

  23

  Sandwell

  5

  *

  22

  *

  *

  23

  Solihull

  0

  *

  12

  *

  *

  20

  Walsall

  *

  *

  29

  *

  *

  30

  Wolverhampton

  0

  *

  19

  *

  *

  28

  Knowsley

  *

  0

  15

  *

  *

  7

  Liverpool

  *

  *

  42

  *

  11

  49

  St. Helens

  *

  *

  13

  *

  0

  18

  Sefton

  *

  *

  25

  *

  *

  29

  Wirral

  *

  *

  26

  0

  *

  26

  Bolton

  *

  *

  20

  *

  *

  21

  Bury

  *

  *

  17

  *

  *

  20

  Manchester

  *

  *

  36

  *

  5

  49

  Oldham

  *

  *

  18

  *

  0

  37

  Rochdale

  5

  *

  28

  *

  0

  19

  Salford

  0

  *

  21

  *

  *

  25

  Stockport

  *

  *

  32

  *

  6

  31

  Tameside

  *

  *

  22

  7

  *

  17

  Trafford

  *

  *

  23

  *

  *

  23

  Wigan

  *

  5

  23

  *

  5

  30

  Barnsley

  0

  5

  16

  *

  *

  21

  Doncaster

  *

  *

  25

  *

  *

  21

  Rotherham

  *

  *

  14

  *

  *

  18

  Sheffield

  6

  *

  32

  *

  *

  41

  Bradford

  7

  5

  39

  6

  5

  67

  Calderdale

  *

  *

  20

  5

  *

  18

  Kirklees

  *

  *

  39

  5

  9

  48

  Leeds

  *

  6

  72

  *

  6

  59

  Wakefield

  5

  *

  42

  *

  *

  23

  Gateshead

  *

  *

  26

  *

  *

  25

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  0

  0

  18

  *

  *

  26

  North Tyneside

  *

  *

  9

  *

  0

  19

  South Tyneside

  *

  *

  15

  0

  *

  11

  Sunderland

  *

  *

  33

  *

  *

  40

  Isles of Scilly

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Former Avon3

  12

  8

  57

  10

  6

  45

  Bedfordshire

  *

  5

  34

  *

  *

  41

  Berkshire

  *

  *

  55

  7

  9

  42

  Buckinghamshire

  5

  *

  44

  6

  *

  45

  Cambridgeshire

  *

  5

  37

  5

  6

  52

  Cheshire

  12

  7

  74

  15

  14

  67

  Former Cleveland3

  5

  11

  76

  *

  5

  86

  Cornwall

  12

  7

  35

  15

  7

  44

  Cumbria

  5

  9

  34

  *

  5

  30

  Derbyshire

  14

  9

  47

  8

  5

  57

  Devon

  17

  9

  78

  17

  11

  69

  Dorset

  6

  0

  50

  6

  *

  59

  Durham

  6

  11

  85

  6

  7

  67

  East Sussex

  8

  5

  37

  8

  *

  50

  Essex

  9

  14

  110

  12

  8

  116

  Gloucestershire

  5

  *

  32

  7

  *

  40

  Hampshire

  11

  12

  129

  16

  18

  132

  Hereford and Worcester

  12

  8

  59

  14

  7

  66

  Hertfordshire

  *

  *

  75

  12

  12

  56

  Former Humberside3

  6

  13

  86

  12

  9

  123

  Isle of Wight

  *

  0

  16

  0

  *

  8

  Kent

  26

  11

  131

  15

  13

  119

  Lancashire

  24

  20

  175

  18

  15

  129

  Leicestershire

  6

  5

  73

  8

  11

  52

  Lincolnshire

  9

  *

  41

  13

  *

  65

  Norfolk

  16

  11

  58

  16

  5

  58

  Former North Yorkshire3

  7

  5

  39

  7

  8

  59

  Northamptonshire

  6

  5

  68

  8

  8

  44

  Northumberland

  5

  *

  26

  6

  *

  16

  Nottinghamshire

  13

  9

  78

  9

  7

  77

  Oxfordshire

  *

  *

  47

  12

  *

  39

  Shropshire

  8

  *

  28

  11

  *

  33

  Somerset

  15

  6

  49

  13

  5

  37

  Staffordshire

  8

  11

  115

  14

  6

  83

  Suffolk

  8

  *

  52

  7

  9

  44

  354

  Ill-health retirements1 in financial year

  1995–96

  21996–97

  Heads

  Deputies

  Classroom teacher

  Heads

  Deputies

  Classroom teacher

  Surrey

  7

  5

  50

  9

  7

  75

  Warwickshire

  5

  *

  38

  *

  7

  43

  West Sussex

  8

  *

  26

  *

  5

  53

  Wiltshire

  5

  *

  38

  9

  6

  44

  England

  483

  381

  3,753

  520

  393

  3,778

  1 In order to avoid sensitive information about individuals being identified, numberS less than 5 are shown as asterisks.

  2 A small number of pensioners, probably less than 100, who retired in 1996–97, entered service after 31 March 1996.

  3 Includes the unitary authorities created as a result of Local Government Reorganisation.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Tourism and Hospitality Training
  Mr. Roy Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action she proposes to ensure that Government funding for tourism and hospitality training in Northern Ireland matches that provided in Great Britain. [6137]

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

  Letter from Ian Walters to Mr. Roy Beggs, dated 4 July 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency, to reply to your question about Government funding for tourism and hospitality training in Northern Ireland.
  I regret I am unable to provide information which could be used to make a meaningful comparison between funding for tourism and hospitality training in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Because of the very different arrangements which apply in the regions, the information could only be made available at a wholly disproportionate cost.
  I can assure you however that the Training and Employment Agency is fully committed to supporting training within the tourism and hospitality industry which is treated as a top priority. Evidence of the Agency's commitment lies in the £7.2m which was spent during 1996/97 on a wide range of training programmes. This support included European Social Fund assistance amount to £2.4m administered by the Agency. Support was also made available through the Agency's Johskills pmgmmtne (£4m), the Company Development Programme (£0.5m), the Priority Skills Initiative (£0.24m) and the Scctoral Development Programme (£0.07m). In addition, over £3 in is being made available over two years from the European Union's Special Programme for Peace and Reconciliation.
  I feel sure you will agree that the total level of assistance represents a very generous measure of support by any standard.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Donaldson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans she has to review the prioritisation of areas of special need in Northern Ireland in terms of targeting inward investment. [5978]

  Mr. Ingram
  The recent report by the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights on employment equality included recommendations on job location. These will be considered carefully Government.

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will publish her Department's submissions relating to freedom of information legislation. [6037]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 2 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my Right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on Friday 4 July 1997, Official Report columns 293–94.

  Waste Imports and Exports
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what have been the amounts of waste(a) exported from Northern Ireland to (i) the Irish Republic and (ii) Great Britain and (b) imported form the Irish Republic to Northern Ireland; if he will indicate (1) the tonnages by categories and (2) the descriptions used in each of the last three years; and what are the estimates for (X) the current year and (Y) the next two years. [7150]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Environment and Heritage Service under its Chief Executive, Mr. Robert C. Martin. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Robert C. Martin to Mr. William Ross, dated 7 July 1997:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Question about the import and export of waste.
  The information is not held centrally and indeed district councils, the enforcement authorities for waste management in Northern Ireland, only collate statistics of movements of 'Special Waste' as defined.
  I am sorry that I cannot be more helpful.

WALES

  Conservation (Cardigan Bay)
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will make a statement on the objectives for the Cardigan Bay special area of conservation. [5851]

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 26 June 1997, column 626.

  Housing Needs (Women)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what role he plans for housing associations in Wales to meet the specific and special housing needs of women in 356
  Wales; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Tai Cytnru's plans for meeting these needs in its strategic programmes; and if he will make a statement. [5835]

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  It is for local authorities to assess and specify the varying needs within their areas in the annual housing strategy and operational plans. With effect from 1997–98, the developments funded out of Tai Cymru's capital programme have been determined by reference to each local authority's plan rather than by formula (Housing Needs Index) as in past years. Moneys from Tai Cymru also support the running costs of women's refuges.

  Daily Post Article
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which journalists were present at the meeting with him on which David Rose's article of 16 May in the Daily Post was based. [7069]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  It is not my normal practice to release details of meetings held on Lobby terms between Ministers and journalists.

  Bathing Beaches
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue guidelines to local authorities in Wales with regard to the need to ensure the safety of swimmers on bathing beaches from the dangers caused by(a) jet skis and (b) other fast pleasure boats; and if he will make a statement. [6952]

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to issue such guidelines. Local authorities have powers under section 76 of the Public Health Act 1961 to regulate seaside pleasure boats for the prevention of danger, obstruction or annoyance to persons bathing in the sea or using the seashore, and for the prevention and suppression of nuisances. An inter-departmental working party is undertaking a review of byelaw powers for the coast, and a discussion paper was issued in Wales in February 1997, in parallel with a similar exercise in England. We shall be considering whether existing powers are adequate as part of this review.

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish his Department's submissions relating to freedom of information legislation. [6038]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  [holding answer 2 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on Friday 4 July, Official Report, column 294.

DEFENCE

  Defence Review Seminars
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will announce the names of(a) those attending the Defence Review seminars and (b) the experts on the advisory panel. [6354]

  Dr. Reid
  The names of participants at the Strategic Defence Review seminars are being released on the days that the seminars take place. We expect to announce the names of the members of the advisory panel later in the summer.

  Falklands
  Mr. Cordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the cost of maintaining the Falklands garrison in each of the last three years. [4862]

  Dr. Reid
  [pursuant to his written reply 24 June 1997 Official Report, column 424]: I regret that there was an error in the figure given for the outtum cost for financial year 1995–96 to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle on the cost of the Falkland Islands Garrison. The figure should have been £66.5 million and not £70 million.

  Parliamentary Armed Forces Scheme
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the parliamentary armed forces scheme. [6415]

  Mr. Spellar
  We place great value on the armed forces parliamentary scheme as a way of promoting a better understanding of the armed forces by parliamentarians, and pay tribute to those hon. Members who have so far participated and to Sir Neil Thorne and the scheme sponsors. We are actively considering the options for enhancing the scheme and a letter will be sent to all Members shortly inviting them to participate; and that it will recommence as soon as practicable.

  Defence Diversification Agency
  Mr. Collins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Defence Diversification Agency to be established. [6422]

  Mr. Spellar
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) on 16 June 1996,Official Report, columns 11–12.

  Ship Workers
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average number of (i) civilian staff and (ii) uniformed service men working in HM dockyards on shipbuilding or ship repairing duties for each year between 1967 and 1985. [6494]

  Mr. Spellar
  We do not retain detailed records of staff numbers over these years but the numbers of civilian and 358
  uniformed personnel in HM Dockyards in 1967–1985 as recorded in relevant Statements of Defence Estimates were as follows:

  Year

  Uniformed

  Civilian

  Note

  1967

  190

  47,300

  1

  1968

  210

  46,500

  2

  1969

  200

  44,600

  2

  1970

  1—

  49,200

  3

  1971

  1—

  49,000

  3

  1972

  1—

  41,600

  3

  1973

  1—

  41,300

  3

  1974

  1—

  41,300

  3

  1975

  100

  35,900

  4

  1976

  100

  34,700

  4

  1977

  100

  35,400

  4

  1978

  100

  34,900

  4

  1979

  100

  34,200

  4

  1980

  100

  33,800

  4

  1981

  100

  32,800

  4

  1982

  100

  28,800

  4

  1983

  100

  25,600

  4

  1984

  1—

  23,500

  4

  1985

  1—

  18,500

  4

  1 Not known.

  1. Includes aircraft repair yards and port auxiliary service.

  2. Includes aircraft repair yards.

  3. Figures presented on a different basis to cover all civilians involved in production and repair.

  4. Figures cover HM dockyards only.

  Former Yugoslavia
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the total costs to date to public funds of the United Kingdom contingent of the Stabilisation Force in the former Yugoslavia; and what estimate he has made of the future costs. [6755]

  Dr. Reid
  The total cost of the United Kingdom contingent of the Stabilisation Force in the former Yugoslavia up to 31 March 1997 was £22.3 million. It is estimated that costs of around a further £190 million will be incurred in this and future years for the 18 month deployment which began on 20 December 1996, immediately following the ending of the mandate of the Implementation Force.

  Strategic Defence Review
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates and attendees by Department and grade of meetings of officials which have taken place in his Department on the strategic defence review. [6760]

  Dr. Reid
  No. A considerable number of meetings has taken place on the strategic defence review. Information on dates and attendees is not held centrally and could he provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means he will announce the results of his strategic defence review. [6685]

  Dr. Reid
  The outcome of the strategic defence review will be published in a White Paper.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the members, with their current occupations, of
  359
  the panel of external experts advising him on the strategic defence review. [6773]

  Dr. Reid
  The advisory panel of experts has not yet been formed. We expect to announce the names of members later in the summer.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the corporate research programme will be included in the strategic defence review. [6841]

  Dr. Reid
  The strategic defence review is foreign policy led and will ensure that we are getting the best possible defence output from available resources. The Corporate Research Programme is an important resource and will accordingly be included in the review at the appropriate stage.

  Peacekeeping Forces
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the defence review will include consideration of the costs and value of contributing to international peacekeeping forces; and if he will make a statement. [6642]

  Dr. Reid
  The contribution that the armed forces make to the international peacekeeping will be taken fully into consideration in the strategic defence review, both in setting the policy baseline and in deciding how the armed forces should be structured, equipped and deployed to meet our national interests and commitments.

  1 Armoured Division (Transfer)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated cost of transferring the 1 Armoured Division from Germany to the United Kingdom. [6763]

  Dr. Reid
  No reliable estimate of the cost of withdrawing 1 (UK) Armoured Division from Germany to the United Kingdom is currently available.

  Departmental Advisers
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the terms on which Mr. Bernard Gray has been appointed as his special adviser. [7066]

  Mr. Robertson
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 25 June,Official Report, column 546.

  Homosexuals
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on the ban on homosexuals in the armed forces. [6903]

  Dr. Reid
  The issue of homosexuality in the armed forces is reviewed as a matter of course in every Parliament. The Government will form a view on the weight of the evidence, taking account of the UK's laws, and of the views of the European Court, and of the armed forces. The Government will start with the position agreed in the last Parliament, which supported the policy of excluding homosexuals from the services, and will look in detail at the findings of the detailed review of the policy which was undertaken by this Department in 1995–96.360
  Ministers will then seek to establish the way forward in consultation with the Chiefs of Staff.

  Workers (Exposure to Chemicals)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what follow-up medical checks have been carried out on workers who were employed at the former chemical warfare plant at Nancekuke in Cornwall; and what research has been carried out to assess the long-term effects on the health of workers who were exposed to chemicals during their employment ant Nancekuke. [6360]

  Mr. Spellar
  This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from J. Chisholm to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 7 July 1997:
  I have been asked to reply to your question about follow-up medical checks on workers who were employed at the former Chemical Defence Establishment at Nancekuke Cornwall, since this was an outstation of the Chemical & Biological Defence Sector at Porton Down which is now part of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency of which I am Chief Executive.
  The Chemical Defence Establishment Nancekuke closed in 1980, following a decision taken in the 1976 Defence Review. On closure its staff were either transferred elsewhere in the public service or left on voluntary early retirement or redundancy terms, since the large majority had arranged other employment.
  All the work at the site when it was operational would have been conducted according to the appropriate health and safety guidelines. The records do not show that any formal follow-up medical checking system to monitor the subsequent health of former employees were put in place at the closure of the establishment. I assume this would have been because staff would not have been generally exposed to chemical agents and it would not therefore have been felt necessary to carry out routine follow-up checks.
  The records that have been retrieved for Nancekuke indicate that for at least part of the pre-closure period during which equipment was being decontaminated and dismantled staff were subject to daily medical monitoring. There is also earlier evidence that as a result of the intervention of the local MP, the Registrar General conducted a statistical medical survey to trace all the deaths up to 1969 of all the persons employed at Nancekuke. His conclusion was that mortality rates were generally lower than the national average. This information was published in answer to a Parliamentary Question on 2 November 1970.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Closed Circuit Television
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from councils in Dorset in respect of the provision of CCTV. [5518]

  Mr. Michael
  I have received no representations from Dorset councils in respect of the provision of CCTV. I understand that Dorset councils submitted a total of six bids in the three rounds of the CCTV Challenge Competition and that one of these was successful.

  Crime Prevention
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to
  361
  take to ensure that crime prevention is given a higher priority [5530]

  Ms Atherton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to ensure that crime prevention is given increased priority. [5506]

  Mr. Michael
  We are determined to raise the profile of crime prevention across the board. It makes far more sense to stop a crime happening than to have to pick up the pieces afterwards.

  One of our first priorities is to place a new duty on local authorities and the police service together to develop statutory local partnerships for crime prevention and community safety and, with the key partners, to agree local community safety targets. Our proposals—which we hope to include in the Crime and Disorder Bill to be published later this year—will be developed on the basis of full consultation with all interested parties.

  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list Government expenditure on crime prevention including policing for each of the last five years. [7119]

  Mr. Michael
  Previously published figures for estimated Government expenditure on crime prevention are as follows:

  1992–93: £225.5 million

  1993–94: £241.3 million

  1994–95: £260 million

  Since April 1995, crime prevention projects have been eligible for Government funding under the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) Challenge Fund. Expenditure on crime prevention within this budget is not separately identified. Of the 372 projects funded under rounds one and two of the SRB process, 183 (which will receive £1.4 billion in total) include a crime prevention element.

  Overall expenditure on policing for the last five years is as follows:

  1993–94: £16.027 million

  1994–95: £6.271 million

  1995–96: £16.494 million

  1996–97: £16.867 million (estimated outturn)

  1997–98: £17.163 million (planned).

  Crime prevention is an integral part of policing and expenditure is not separately identified.

  European Convention on Human Rights
  Mr. Desmond Browne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans to incorporate into British law the European convention on human rights. [5533]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We will introduce a Bill for this purpose in this Session of Parliament.

  New Prisons
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new prisons are 362
  intended to be built over the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

  Ms Joyce Quin
  There are currently three new prisons being built under the Private Finance Initiative: HMP Altcourse (Liverpool), HMP Parc (Bridgend) and HMP Lowdham Grange (near Nottingham).

  The Prison Service has plans and funding (under the PFI) to provide a further 2,400 places at new prisons over the next three years. Planning approval has been given to re-build HMP Pucklechurch, near Bristol, as a 400-place prison for males under 21. Planning approval has also been given to build an 800-place prison at Agecroft in Salford. The remaining 1,200 places will be provided by two more prisons once suitable sites have been agreed.

  Anti-social Behaviour
  Mr. Olner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to deal with criminal anti-social behaviour in neighbourhoods. [5535]

  Mr. Michael
  We intend to introduce Community Safety Orders in the Crime and Disorder Bill.

  Courts will be given the power to grant such orders on the application of a local authority or the police. The order will apply to a named individual or individuals and would prevent that person or persons from continuing with specified anti-social conduct.

  A breach of the order will be a criminal offence which would carry stiff penalties—including the possibility of imprisonment.

  Young People (Alcohol)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce the pressures on young people to engage in under-age consumption of alcohol. [5536]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The Ministerial Group on Alcopops are considering a range of possible industry and Government measures to tackle under-age drinking. These include how alcohol is promoted to, and appeals to, young people and how it reaches them. We expect to make an announcement later this month.

  Police
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police there are on average per head of population in(a) Cornwall and Devon and (b) England. [5537]

  Mr. Michael
  The Devon and Cornwall Constabulary has one police officer to 538 people. The average ratio for England is one officer to 413 people. This is based upon police numbers at 31 March and the latest known population figures, which are for June 1995.

  Drugs and Crime
  Mr. Desmond Turner
  To ask the Secretary of Suite for the Home Department what plans he has to address the link between drugs and crime. [5538]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The Home Office has a research programme designed to shed further light on the
  363
  links between drugs and crime. In addition, a Home Office Drugs Prevention Initiative study is testing the impact of drug treatment interventions in the criminal justice system—from arrest through to sentence and beyond—to refer people with drugs problems to drug treatment programmes.

  A new testing and treatment order will be introduced to give courts the powers to require drug misusing offenders to undergo treatment. The new order will be rigorously enforced and include the use of drug testing to ensure those in treatment are staying off illegal drugs.

  The Government will also appoint an anti-drugs supremo to co-ordinate action against drugs. One of his or her first tasks will be to review urgently the existing drugs strategy and to put forward proposals for tackling drug misuse and related crime with renewed vigour.

  Bribery (Members of Parliament)
  Mr. Laxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans to make bribery of hon. Members an offence. [5539]

  Mr. Michael
  The Government are committed to tackling corruption in all areas of public and private life, including the bribery of hon. Members.

  My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary published on 9 June a statement on reform of the corruption statutes for consultation. A copy is available in the Library. The Law Commission will be producing proposals for reform of the law in this area later in the year.

  He will consider carefully the results of all of these exercises, together with any further recommendations which the Nolan Committee may make in relation to the criminal law.

  He expects to make a further statement on the reform of the law in this area early next year.

  Police and School Liaison
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to encourage greater liaison between police officers and school pupils. [5540]

  Mr. Michael
  My Department and the Department for Education and Employment are currently considering further means of encouraging effective liaison between the police and schools. I welcome the new Police Education Partnership which has just been launched between the Suffolk Education Department and Suffolk Constabulary.

  Immigration Advisers
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to regulate immigration advisers. [5541]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Our manifesto commits us to controlling unscrupulous immigration advisers. We are examining the options for delivering on this commitment,364
  together with those principally involved. We shall issue a consultation paper as soon as possible.

  Pub Opening Hours
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will delegate the powers of determining pub opening hours to(a) local licensing magistrates or (b) local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [5542]

  Mr. George Howarth
  We have no present plans to delegate the setting of normal licensing hours.

  Fire Safety
  Mr. John Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce measures to improve fire safety. [5543]

  Mr. George Howarth
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, East (Mr. Heppell).

  Racial Harassment
  Ms Keeble
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to deal with racial harassment. [5545]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The Government intend to introduce new offences of racial harassment and violence. These will send out a strong message that racial crime is unacceptable and will act as a forceful deterrent. We will be working closely with all the relevant agencies to ensure that these measures are implemented, successfully.

  Prisons (Crime)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new proposals he has to deter prisoners from engaging in criminal activity while in prison. [5527]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  A number of recent initiatives are intended to discourage criminal activity.

  These include new systems and procedures designed to minimise the risk of prisoners making unauthorised communications with the victims of their crime, and efforts to curb drug misuse.

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Burnett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) boys and (b) girls aged under 18 years have been received into prisons and young offenders institutions in England and Wales following sentence or remand into custody in each of the last six years for which figures are available by (i) age of offender and (ii) category of offence; and if he will make a statement. [6329]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  The information requested is given in the attached tables.
  365

  Table 1: Receptions of remand prisoners aged 15–17 years into prisons in England and Wales, 1991–96

  Aged 14

  Aged 15

  Aged l6

  Aged 17

  Year and type of custody

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  1991

  Untried

  12

  —

  390

  1

  694

  2

  3,995

  129

  Convicted unsentenced

  4

  —

  72

  2

  194

  —

  1,580

  74

  1992

  Untried

  4

  —

  354

  —

  665

  1

  3,328

  125

  Convicted unsentenced

  1

  —

  123

  —

  280

  —

  1,560

  60

  1993

  Untried

  —

  —

  428

  1

  839

  1

  3,402

  125

  Convicted unsentenced

  —

  —

  226

  —

  456

  —

  2,043

  63

  1994

  Untried

  —

  —

  613

  —

  1,042

  2

  3,419

  126

  Convicted unsentenced

  —

  —

  331

  —

  626

  1

  2,182

  65

  1995

  Untried

  —

  —

  602

  2

  1,180

  2

  3,420

  154

  Convicted unsentenced

  —

  —

  347

  —

  714

  3

  2,320

  93

  19961

  Untried

  —

  —

  685

  —

  1,253

  2

  3,727

  154

  Convicted unsemenced

  —

  —

  401

  —

  827

  3

  2,567

  93

  1 Provisional figures.

  Table 2: Receptions of sentenced prisoners aged 15–17 into prisons in England and Wales, 1991–96

  Offence

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  Males

  Females

  Violence against the person

  306

  13

  390

  18

  425

  34

  424

  54

  546

  48

  665

  68

  Sexual offences

  45

  1

  33

  —

  47

  —

  33

  —

  46

  3

  62

  —

  Burglary

  1,084

  14

  1,048

  8

  1,070

  4

  1,211

  15

  1,258

  21

  1,284

  15

  Robbery

  268

  18

  296

  15

  330

  22

  378

  28

  521

  28

  704

  40

  Theft and handling

  872

  19

  726

  15

  1,004

  20

  1,192

  31

  1,268

  39

  1,219

  43

  Fraud and forgery

  2

  —

  5

  3

  4

  3

  10

  —

  8

  —

  14

  2

  Drugs offences

  18

  3

  35

  4

  32

  2

  26

  3

  43

  4

  63

  4

  Other offences

  538

  8

  543

  6

  555

  15

  625

  13

  721

  20

  789

  31

  Offence not recorded

  480

  20

  251

  11

  97

  2

  72

  5

  94

  3

  271

  11

  Total

  3,613

  96

  3,327

  80

  3,564

  102

  3,971

  149

  4,505

  166

  5,071

  214

  Mr. Burnett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales were holding girls aged(a) 15, (b) 16 and (c) 17 years on the latest date for which figures are available broken down by institution and age of prisoner; and if he will make a statement. [6331]

  Ms Quin
  The information requested is given in the attached table for 31 May 1997.

  Girls aged 15–17 held in prisons and young offender institutions

  Institution

  Aged 15

  Aged 16

  Aged 17

  Askham Grange

  1

  —

  —

  Brockhill

  —

  —

  6

  Bullwood Hall

  3

  5

  10

  Drake Hall

  —

  1

  4

  Eastwood Park

  —

  1

  4

  Highpoint

  1

  —

  3

  Holloway

  1

  2

  11

  Low Newton

  —

  —

  3

  New Hall

  1

  2

  4

  Risley

  —

  1

  4

  Styal

  —

  1

  3

  Total

  7

  13

  52

  Electoral Registers
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the costs of(a) compiling, (b) maintaining, (c) issuing and (d) using the electoral registers employed at the last general election. [6019]

  Mr. George Howarth
  [holding answer 1 July 1997]: Figures on local authority spending on electoral registration are not held centrally, but the total cost of registration is generally estimated at about £40 million per annum.

  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people who were registered in more than one polling district area at the last general election; and if he will make a statement. [6021]

  Mr. Howarth
  [holding answer 1 July 1997]: None. The information needed for such an estimate to be made is not available.

  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the numbers of people whose names appear on current electoral registers who had died before the date of the last general election; and if he will make a statement. [6016]
  367
  Mr. Howarth
  [holding answer 1 July 1997]: None. Any figures for the total number of the deaths of all adults aged 17 and over in a given period would include a number whose names did not, for one reason or another, appear in the published electoral register.

  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the extent of electoral registration at the last general election relative to each general election since 1979. [6017]

  Mr. Howarth
  [holding answer 1 July 1997]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) on 12 June, Official Report, column 511.

  General Election
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the effectiveness of electoral procedures relating to the last general election separately examining(a) publicity to encourage electoral registration, (b) accessibility of polling stations, (c) dissemination of papers relating to the election and (d) postal and proxy voting. [6010]

  Mr. George Howarth
  [holding answer 1 July 1997]: When the time comes for a review of electoral procedures I will hear these matters in mind.

  Prisons (Drug Testing)
  Mr. Burnett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the results of the studies commissioned by the Prison Service relating to the use of mandatory drug testing in prisons conducted by the University of Oxford Centre for Criminological Research and the national addiction centre. [6351]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  Results from both the University of Oxford research into staff and prisoner attitudes to drug misuse and mandatory drug testing and the national addiction centre research into patterns and trends of drug misuse revealed by mandatory drug testing are not expected before the spring of 1998. I would expect the results to be published as soon as practicable after that.

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish his Department's submissions relating to freedom of information legislation. [6028]

  Mr. Straw
  [holding answer 2 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 4 July, Official Report, column 294.

  Alcohol Sales (Minors)
  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were for selling alcohol to those aged under 18 years(a) nationally and (b) in Nottinghamshire in each of the last live years; and if he will make a statement. [6560]
  368
  Mr. Michael
  Information for 1991 to 1995 (latest available) is given in the table.

  Number of defendants prosecuted for selling intoxicating liquor to persons under 181 in Nottinghamshire police force area and England and Wales 1991–1995

  Area

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Nottinghamshire

  11

  —

  1

  —

  2

  England and Wales

  309

  195

  156

  137

  198

  1 Section 169(1) of Licensing Act 196.

  Immigration Detainees
  Mr. Ian Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the daily cost to the Prison Service budget of keeping a detained asylum seeker in Strangeways Prison, Manchester. [6594]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  £52.

  Animal Experimentation
  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response he has made to the representations he has received calling for greater openness in respect of the nature and types of animal experimentation in the United Kingdom; and what actions the Government are planning in this respect. [6580]

  Mr. George Howarth
  I have replied that section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 prohibits the disclosure of information provided confidentially in licence applications. These are assessed by Home Office inspectors, in whose expertise and integrity we have complete confidence. Annual statistics are published which provide detailed information on the nature and type of scientific procedures carried out on animals in each year. The report of the Animal Procedures Committee also sets out details of the operation of the Act.

  Licensing Laws
  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the operation of the present licensing laws, with particular reference to their operation in seaside towns and tourist areas on Sundays. [6578]

  Mr. George Howarth
  We are considering a number of licensing issues, including calls for a general review.

  Air Rifles
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the current arrangements regarding the manufacture, distribution, marketing, sale and ownership of air rifles. [7110]

  Mr. Michael
  The Government will consider carefully whether changes are necessary on a wide range of firearms controls, including those on air weapons, in due course. We decided that the first priority for this session must be to resolve the outstanding issue of .22 handguns and to ensure that the legislation on handguns is properly in place as quickly as possible.

  Sex Offenders Act 1997
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to implement the Sex Offenders Act 1997; and if he will make a statement.[6919]

  Mr. Michael
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. member for Ashford (Mr. Green) on 30 June,Official Report, column 3.

  WPC Yvonne Fletcher
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 23 June,Official Report, column 357–58, for what reasons the police assessment of the film. "Murder at St. James's", will take over three months. [5591]

  Mr. Straw
  As I stated in my answer of 23 June,Official Report column 358, the Metropolitan Police's review of the contents of the programme involves a good deal of detailed analysis of the extensive documentation already generated by their investigation.

  Probation Officers
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the arrangements for the training of new probation officers, with particular reference to resourcing and qualifications; and if he will make a statement. [5631]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  I am currently considering the future recruitment and training of probation officers, taking account of a joint proposal produced by the Association Of Chief Officers of Probation, the Central Probation Council and the National Association of Probation Officers, and I intend to make a statement in due course.

  Immigration
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if same sex partners have the same rights as husbands and wives of British citizens under present immigration procedures. [5887]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  No. The Immigration Rules provide for the admission of married couples and of fiance(e)s who are expected to marry within a reasonable period of time. At present, the Rules do not provide for the admission of foreign nationals who are partners in same sex relationships.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications were made for each of the last 24 months; and how many of these were made(a) at port of entry, (b) within one week of arrival, (c) within one month of arrival, (d) within three months of arrival and (e) later than three months after arrival [6598]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Information regarding the number of applications for asylum lodged in the United Kingdom, and on the length of time between arrival date and application date, for those who applied after having been previously granted leave to enter or remain under another section of the Immigration Rules, is given in the tables.
  370

  Table 1: Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, by location of application, June 1995 to May 1997

  Asylum applications

  Total

  Port

  In-country

  1995

  June

  3,630

  1,090

  2,540

  July

  3,415

  980

  2,435

  August

  3,890

  1,085

  2,805

  September

  4,020

  1,360

  2,660

  October

  4,595

  1,505

  3,090

  November

  4,715

  1,850

  2,860

  December

  3,540

  1,640

  1,895

  19962

  January

  3,310

  1,070

  2,240

  February

  2,850

  975

  1,880

  March

  3,145

  985

  2,160

  April

  2,070

  760

  1,310

  May

  1,755

  740

  1,010

  June

  1,730

  805

  925

  July

  2,515

  835

  1,680

  August

  2,140

  905

  1,230

  September

  2,010

  1,205

  805

  October

  2,150

  1,270

  885

  November

  1,920

  1,180

  735

  December

  2,340

  1,710

  635

  19972

  January

  2,275

  1,210

  1,065

  February

  1,985

  1,135

  850

  March

  1,820

  1,210

  610

  April

  2,275

  1,385

  890

  May

  2,240

  1,365

  880

  1 Figures rounded to five.

  2 Provisional figures.

  Time taken to apply for asylum by persons granted leave to enter or remain under another section of the immigration rules1, June 1995 to May 1997

  Percentage

  Within one week

  One week to one months

  One to three months

  Over three months

  Total

  1995

  June

  20

  15

  10

  55

  100

  July

  20

  20

  10

  50

  100

  August

  25

  20

  15

  40

  100

  September

  20

  15

  15

  50

  100

  October

  20

  20

  15

  45

  100

  November

  20

  15

  15

  50

  100

  December

  30

  15

  10

  45

  100

  1996

  January

  20

  15

  15

  50

  100

  February

  15

  10

  15

  60

  100

  March

  15

  10

  10

  65

  100

  April

  15

  10

  10

  65

  100

  May

  15

  10

  10

  65

  100

  June

  15

  15

  10

  60

  100

  July

  25

  15

  15

  45

  100

  August

  25

  15

  15

  45

  100

  September

  25

  10

  15

  50

  100

  371

  Time taken to apply for asylum by persons granted leave to enter or remain under another section of the immigration rules1, June 1995 to May 1997

  Percentage

  Within one week

  One week to one months

  One to three months

  Over three months

  Total

  October

  15

  15

  15

  55

  100

  November

  20

  15

  15

  50

  100

  December

  25

  10

  15

  50

  100

  1997

  January

  20

  10

  15

  55

  100

  February

  25

  10

  10

  55

  100

  March

  30

  10

  15

  45

  100

  April

  35

  15

  10

  40

  100

  May

  35

  15

  15

  35

  100

  1 Estimated and rounded to the nearest 5 per cent. Excludes those in-country cases for which arrival dates are not known.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will snake a statement on the current length of detention for asylum seekers. [5528]

  Mr. O'Brien
  The number of people recorded as being detained on 31 May 1997, who had sought asylum at some stage, was 733. Of these, 601 had been detained for less than six months and 21 for longer than twelve months. Policies relating to detention are currently under review.

  Notifiable offences where the victim has been injured or killed

  England and Wales

  Offenc

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Offences where the victim wax injured

  Attempted murder

  568

  661

  651

  634

  671

  Wounding or other act endangering life

  10,741

  10,701

  11,033

  10,445

  12,165

  Other wounding

  183,717

  186,765

  198,383

  193,016

  216,251

  Robbery

  52,894

  57,845

  60,007

  68,074

  73,957

  Total

  247,920

  255,972

  270,074

  272,169

  303,044

  Offences where the victim was killed

  Homicide

  687

  670

  726

  745

  683

  Child destruction

  —

  3

  7

  8

  2

  Causing death by dangerous driving or by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs

  277

  292

  278

  242

  318

  Causing death by aggravated vehicle taking

  19

  17

  14

  21

  34

  Total

  983

  982

  1,025

  1,016

  1,037

  Crime Costs
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of crime to the United Kingdom economy during each of the last five years. [7117]

  Mr. Michael
  Information to provide a full answer to this question is not available. I will write to the hon. Gentleman shortly to outline such information as we possess, and will place a copy of that letter in the Library.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of people(a) injured and (b) killed as a result of crime in each of the last five years. [7118]

  Mr. Michael
  The available information from the recorded crime statistics is given in the following table. With regard to persons injured, the figures given relate to the number of offences in certain categories of offences of violence against the person where the assumption is that an injury or threat to cause injury has occurred. Robbery has been included for the same reason. It is not possible to identify separately threats from the substantive offence. Where a person has been injured during the commission of another offence (i.e. a burglary) then, for recording purposes, the offence of violence usually takes precedence.

  The British Crime Survey (BCS) gives an estimate for 1995 of the number of people injured in woundings, robberies and common assaults of 2,185,000. The equivalent figure for 1993 is 2,153,000. the numbers injured as a result of crime is much higher than those from offences recorded by the police because (i) not all offences are reported to the police, and (ii) they include common assaults (which as summary offences are not currently recorded by the police). The injuries covered by the BCS range from bruises/scratches to more severe injury. Common assaults involve only minor injuries. Because it is a survey of victims, the BCS does not cover people killed.

  Crime (Urban Areas)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the. Home Department what measures he proposes to reduce crime in urban areas, with particular reference to violent crime. [5513]

  Mr. Straw
  Our comprehensive strategy to tackle crime includes: the introduction of a duty on local authorities and the police to develop statutory partnerships for crime prevention and community safety; community safety orders to restrain the behaviour of named individuals; new offences of racial harassment and racially-motivated violence; action on alcohol-related
  373
  crime; the appointment of an anti-drugs supremo to co-ordinate the battle against drugs; and a total ban on the private possession of handguns.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Housing (Scotland)
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the final permitted total amount for each Scottish local authority in 1996–97 which can be spent at the discretion of the local authority for private tenants who experience exceptional hardship as a result of their housing benefit entitlement being reduced following a local reference rent or a single room rent determination; and what had been spent by each local authority from this discretionary fund by the end of March. [2536]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has announced her decision to revoke the Regulations, laid by the last Government, that would have reduced the Housing Benefit entitlement for single people aged over 25.

  The information requested on Permitted Totals for Scottish local authorities will not be available until the beginning of next year.

  Minimum Wage
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment she has made of the impact on the budget of the DSS of any given levels of minimum wage. [3743]

  Mr. Field
  We will ask the independent Low Pay Commission, before it reaches a recommendation on the level at which the National Minimum Wage might be set, to take into account all the economic circumstances, including its likely impact. We will not speculate about the possible effects of hypothetical levels before the Commission has had a chance to consider the issues.

  Child Support
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list the average weekly Child Support Agency full assessment on(a) 30 September and (b) 31 March for each year of the CSA's operation indicating the figures for (i) court orders and (ii) liable relative negotiated agreements for the previous two years. [5276]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The Government believes that all children are entitled to the support of both parents, irrespective of where they live. Children should only be supported by the taxpayer when their parents are unable to do so.

  The information is not available in the format requested. The table gives the average weekly Child Support figures at the closest possible dates. Prior to the introduction of Child Support the average maintenance per child was £15 if arranged by the Department of Social Security or the Magistrates' court; £20 if arranged by the County court and £24 when arranged by the Scottish courts.
  374

  Average weekly full maintenance assessments

  Average of maintenance assessments where absent parent has income from employment £

  All full maintenance assessments £

  June 1994

  45.53

  27.06

  October 1994

  44.34

  26.39

  March 1995

  43.46

  25.56

  August 1995

  38.66

  23.37

  February 1996

  38.62

  22.86

  August 1996

  38.02

  22.02

  February 1997

  37.73

  21.39

  The drop in the average amount of child support maintenance after March 1995 reflects the policy changes which took effect from April 1995.

  Source:

  Children Come First Volume 2—Table 12.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many absent parents on income support and income based jobseeker's allowance are currently clients of the Child Support Agency; what proportion of each have deductions made from their benefit in lieu of child maintenance excluding those on income support or receiving jobseeker's allowance; how many absent parents have a nil liability for child maintenance; and how many are liable to pay the minimum payment. [5250]

  Mr. Bradley
  At February 1997 there were 168,900 absent parent clients of the Child Support Agency receiving income support and a further 2,500 receiving income based jobseeker's allowance. At August 1996, the most recent date for which income support information is available, some 30,000 absent parents had a contribution to maintenance deducted from their benefit. Since this was before the introduction of jobseeker's allowance it includes unemployed absent parents receiving income support.

  At February 1997 there were 57,500 absent parents with nil liability for child maintenance and a further 42,400 liable to pay the minimum amount. This excludes those receiving income support or income based jobseeker's allowance who automatically have nil liability under the formula provisions.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what research her Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the impact of a reduced benefit direction on children. [5256]

  Mr. Bradley
  We think it right that lone mothers should co-operate wherever possible in seeking maintenance for their children. The Department is continually monitoring and evaluating reduced benefit directions which apply only where a parent with care has failed to co-operate with the Child Support Agency and has no good reason for this failure. This evaluation is supported by research conducted by the Agency on the requirement to co-operate provisions, published in April last year ("The Requirement to Co-operate: A Report on the Operation of the 'Good Cause' provisions. Department of Social Security in-house report 14").

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will give a breakdown of the benefit savings made as a result of Child Support Agency activity in
  375
  1996–97; what is the expected breakdown of benefit savings for the current financial year; and if she will estimate total benefit savings over the next five years. [5304]

  Mr. Bradley
  The actual benefit savings for 1996–97 and the estimated savings for 1997–98 is in the table.

  £ million

  1996–97 outturn

  1997–98 estimates

  Income support reductions

  208.6

  235.6

  Family credit/disability working allowance reductions

  48.1

  58.7

  Deductions from absent parents income support

  4.8

  7.3

  Maintenance cessations—maintenance exceeds rate of income support

  6.3

  51.1

  Non maintenance cessations—benefit claim withdrawn within four to eight weeks of CSA action

  201.2

  152.0

  Total

  469.0

  504.7

  Within the situation we have inherited the current estimate of total benefit savings over the next five years from April 1997 is some £2,800 million.

  Pensions
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list the full state pension as a proportion of average earnings for each year since 1980 and her estimate for the next three years assuming uprating is linked to prices. [6597]

  Mr. Denham
  We believe that all pensioners should share fairly in rising national prosperity and are committed to examine the means of delivering more help to the poorest pensioners. We will retain the basic State pension as the foundation of pension provision, increasing it at least in line with prices.

  The information requested is set out in the table.

  Year

  Standard rate of Category A retirement pension as a proportion of average earnings (per cent.)

  November 1980

  22.6

  November 1981

  22.4

  November 1982

  23.1

  November 1983

  21.7

  November 1984

  21.4

  November 1985

  21.4

  July 1986

  20.5

  April 1987

  19.9

  April 1988

  18.8

  April 1989

  18.2

  April 1990

  17.8

  April 1991

  18.3

  April 1992

  17.8

  April 1993

  17.7

  April 1994

  17.7

  April 1995

  17.5

  April 1996

  17.4

  1997

  17.1

  1998

  16.9

  1999

  16.6

  1. For years up to and including 1996, both the actual standard rate
  376
  of Category A retirement pension and actual average earnings for all full-time adults from the News Earning Survey are available, and these figures are used to produce the proportions shown in Table 6.1 of The Abstract of Statistics for Social Security Benefits and Contributions and Indices of Prices and Earnings 1996 Edition. However, the published figure for 1996 was provisional only, and the final figure is shown in the table.

  2. To calculate the proportion of average earnings represented by the standard rate of category A retirement pension for years after 1996, it has been assumed that retirement pension rates remain constant in price terms while average earnings increase by 1.5 per cent. each year.

  3. All figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 per cent.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which pensioner organisations she has met since her appointment; and what other discussions she plans to hold prior to the announcement of the state pension level for 1998–99. [6600]

  Mr. Denham
  Amongst the meetings I have attended was the National Pensioners Convention Conference in Blackpool on 17 June and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, attended the AGM of the Southwark Pensioner's Forum.

  The pensions review, which will be announced shortly, will look at the central areas of insecurity for elderly people, including all aspects of the basic pension and its value. In undertaking this review we will ensure that the voices of pensioners are put at the centre of Government. I anticipate meeting representative pensioners organisations on a number of occasions during the visit.

  We believe that all pensioners should share fairly in rising national prosperity and we are committed to examining ways to deliver more automatic help to the poorest pensioners. We will retain the basic State pension as the foundation of pension provision, increasing it at least in line with prices and we intend to have a number of discussions with interested groups before the level of State pension for 1998–99 is announced.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if she will ensure that the Government Actuary reviews the level of contracted-out rebates immediately following any changes in the tax regime that reduce the investment income of contracted-out occupational, and appropriate personal pension, schemes; [6563]

  (2) if she will estimate the level of age-related payments in respect of personal pension schemes for the year 1997–98, if such schemes did not receive a credit of advance corporation tax; [6564]

  (3) if she will estimate the impact on expenditure from the national insurance fund by way of additional age-related payments to personal pension schemes in the year 1997–98, if their level had been calculated on the assumption that contracted-out occupational pension schemes did not receive a credit of advance corporation tax; [6565]

  (4) what would be the charge on expenditure from the national insurance fund in respect of additional age related payments to contracted-out money purchase schemes for contracted-out employment in the financial year 1997–98, if their level had been calculated on the assumption that contracted-out occupational pension schemes did not receive a credit of advance corporation tax; [6566]
  377
  (5) what would be the increase in the (a) financial primary and secondary class 1 and class 4 national insurance contributions, (b) class 2 and class 3 national insurance contributions and (c) percentage of payments to the national insurance fund under section 2 of the Social Security Act 1992 needed to offset the cost to the national insurance fund of an increase in the flat rate contracted-out rebates to contracted-out occupational pension schemes and in age-related payments to contracted-out money purchase and appropriate personal pension schemes is such schemes did not receive a credit of advance corporation tax; [6568]

  (6) if she will estimate the reduction in income to the national insurance fund in respect of contracted-out employment in the year 1997–98, if the level of the national insurance rebates to contracted-out (a) salary-related and (b) money purchase schemes had been calculated on the assumption that the schemes did not receive a credit of advance corporation tax; [6569]

  (7) if she will estimate the reduction in (a) primary and (b) secondary Class 1 national insurance contributions on contracted-out money purchase schemes and the levels of age rebated payments to such schemes in respect of contracted-out employment in the year 1997–98, if such schemes did not receive a credit of advance corporation tax; [6570]

  (8) if she will estimate the reduction in (a) primary and (b) secondary class 1 national insurance contributions for contracted-out salary-related schemes in respect of contracted-out employment in the year 1997–98, if such schemes did not receive a credit of advance corporation tax. [6571]

  Mr. Denham
  What matters is the long run performance of investments and the health of companies providing occupational and personal pensions. It is the long term rates of return on pension fund investments which are reflected in the national insurance rebates. The Budget promotes investment. Like other shareholders, members of pension schemes will benefit from the better climate for investment by companies, as will the companies which provide occupational and personal pensions.

  We shall consider whether it is necessary to ask the Government Actuary to look again at the assumptions underlying the national insurance rebates for contracting-out of SERPS.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate she has made of the cost of increasing the state pension to the basic level for all persons entitled to income support as a supplement to their existing pension. [6609]

  Mr. Denham
  We estimate that one in four pensioners are entitled to income Support. We do not have enough information to estimate the costs of bringing all those in this group who have less than a full basic Retirement Pension up to that level. However, we are commissioning research to determine why some pensioners do not claim the income Support to which they are entitled; we are also committed to reviewing the central areas of insecurity for our older citizens.

  VAT on Fuel
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what factors underlie the different estimates contained in the answer of 24 June,Official Report, column 491, and the Prime Minister's oral answer of 24 June, Official Report, column 686, on the impact on pensioners of the imposition of VAT on domestic fuel. [71 16]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The policies of the previous administration, including the introduction of VAT on fuel, have created real poverty, growing inequality and widespread insecurity for pensioners. Between April 1994 and April 1997, the average pensioner was undercompensated for the additional cost of fuel and power. In 1997 the compensation is adequate because of a real fall in the prices of fuel and power. Some pensioners could still be worse off, because of their individual circumstances.

  The reduction of VAT on fuel to 5 per cent. will ensure that the poorest households, including pensioners, benefit most in proportion to their incomes, and that everyone will see the benefit in their fuel bills this winter.

  Commissioners' Decisions
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make the decisions of the social security commissioners binding throughout the United Kingdom. [7149]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The Social Security Commissioners have jurisdiction throughout Great Britain. There is a separate statutory authority for Social Security arrangements in Northern Ireland which has its own Social Security Commissioners. To make all Commissioners decisions binding throughout the United Kingdom would involve a fundamental change to the way in which precedent operates throughout the legal jurisdictions in Great Britain. The Government has no plans to change this arrangement.

  Legislation will be brought forward to improve current decision making and appeals arrangements for all Social Security matters throughout the United Kingdom. Further details will be announced in due course.

SCOTLAND

  Highlands and Islands Convention
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to change the composition and remit of the Highlands and Islands Convention; and if he will make a statement. [3796]

  Mr. Wilson
  [holding answer 23 June 1997]: Members are able to raise such issues for discussion at convention meetings.

  GP Funding
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland it' he will ensure that NHS funding under the control of general practitioner fundholders and NHS trusts is used exclusively to purchase NHS medical care and services. [5860]
  379
  Mr. Galbraith
  The National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 as amended imposes a duty on NHS trusts and general medical practitioner fundholders to expend NHS funds on the provision of medical care and services for NHS patients. Under the regulations boards and GP fundholders can refer to centres outwith the NHS.

  However, the interests of the patient must be paramount and I expect referrals outwith the NHS to take place only when the service is not readily available locally within the NHS.

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish his Department's submissions relating to freedom of information legislation. [6040]

  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 2 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, on 4 July 1997, column 293.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the deficit or surplus accrued as at 31 March for each NHS trust in Scotland. [6853]

  Mr. Galbraith
  [holding answer 4 July 1997]: The retained deficit or surplus position as at 31 March for each NHS Trust in Scotland, is set out in the table. These figures are subject to final audit.

  Trust

  Surplus/(deficit) £000s

  Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust

  1,861

  Angus NHS Trust

  1,469

  Argyll and Bute NHS Trust

  615

  Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcares NHS Trust

  2,204

  Borders Community Health Services NHS Trust

  420

  Borders General Hospital NHS Trust

  700

  Caithness and Sutherland NHS Trust

  1,098

  Central Scotland Healthcare NHS Trust

  (439)

  Dumfries and Galloway Acute and Maternity Hospitals NHS Trust

  1,l590

  Dumfries and Galloway Community Health NHS Trust

  382

  Dundee Healthcare NHS Trust

  1,587

  Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  6,793

  East and Midlothian NHS Trust

  11,526

  Edinburgh Healthcare NHS Trust

  404

  Edinburgh Sick Children's NHS Trust

  1,646

  Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  567

  Fife Healthcare NHS Trust

  (1,978)

  Glasgow Dental Hospital and School NHS Trust

  1,837

  Glasgow Royal Infirmary University NHS Trust

  3,780

  Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust

  5,987

  Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health Services NHS Trust

  252

  Hairmyres and Stonehouse Hospitals NHS Trust

  698

  Highland Communities NHS Trust

  851

  Inverclyde Royal NHS Trust

  2,065

  Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  1,850

  Lanarkshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  1,403

  Law Hospital NHS Trust

  630

  Lomond Healthcare NHS Trust

  2,146

  380

  Trust

  Surplus/(deficit) £000s

  Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals NHS Trust

  3,326

  Moray Health Services NHS Trust

  622

  North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust

  5,942

  Perth and Kinross Healthcare NHS Trust

  2,232

  Queen Margaret Hospital NHS Trust

  2,025

  Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust

  2,649

  Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  2,205

  Royal Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

  2,206

  Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust

  3,347

  Scottish Ambulance Service NHS Trust

  1,135

  South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  1,026

  Southern General Hospital NHS Trust

  2,323

  Stirling Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  1,737

  Stobhill NHS Trust

  1,991

  Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust

  (6,044)

  West Glasgow Hospitals University NHS Trust

  331

  West Lothian NHS Trust

  1,378

  Western General Hospitals NHS Trust

  3,241

  Yorkhill NHS Trust

  2,755

  Nurses
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many nursing vacancies there were in each NHS trust in each of the last five years. [6379]

  Mr. Galbraith
  Only a few trusts were in existence five years ago. Information on vacancies at Scotland level is available in the 14th and previous reports of the Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine at Appendix D, Table 4 (Cm 3538), a copy of which is available in the House Library.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many newly qualified nurses there were in each of the last five years. [6380]

  Mr. Galbraith
  The information is set out in the table.

  Student nurses completed training 1992–93 to 1996–97

  Nurses in training

  1992 courses (P2000)1

  1992–93

  3,136

  —

  1993–94

  3,020

  —

  1994–95

  2,608

  —

  1995–96

  614

  1,460

  1996–972

  388

  1,622

  Notes:

  1 In 1992 new courses for training nurses were introduced. Students are no longer NHS employees but have student status and receive bursaries. The "old" courses were gradually phased out as the last of these students passed through over the next few years.

  2 These figures are provisional and unpublished.

  Source:

  National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number and percentage of nurses who are on temporary contracts, indicating the proportion of nurses on contracts of one year or less. [6382]
  381
  Mr. Galbraith
  Information at a current date could not be obtained other than at disproportionate costs. Most recent data available from 1996 suggested that overall only 5¼ per cent. of nurses were on temporary contracts.

  Health Service Staff Vacancies
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many unfilled vacancies there are in each NHS trust in Scotland; and if he will provide a breakdown of the vacant posts by specialisation. [6381]

  Mr. Galbraith
  With regard to unfilled consultant vacancies I refer the hon. Lady to my answer to her questions of 5 June on the same subject,Official Report, column 230.

  Information on other staff vacancies cannot be obtained other than at disproportionate costs.

  Information on vacancies at Scotland level for staff groups covered by the Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives. Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine is given in their fourteenth reports at Appendix D, Table 4 (Cm 3538/9), a copy of which is available in the House Library.

  General Practitioner Trainees
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many GP trainees there were in Scotland in 1996. [6384]

  Mr. Galbraith
  There were 283 GP trainees in post as at 1 April 1996 and 234 as at 1 October 1996.

  Hospital Beds
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the number of hospital beds in Scotland broken down to show figures for(a) psychiatric, (b) geriatric, (c) acute and (d) maternity beds. [6385]

  Mr. Galbraith
  The information is set out in the table.

  Average available staffed beds in Scotland at 31 March 19971

  Specialty

  Bed numbers

  Psychiatric

  9,216

  Geriatric: long stay

  5,294

  Geriatric: assessment

  3,685

  Acute

  15,503

  Maternity

  1,400

  1 Provisional.

  NHS Finance
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the surplus or deficit for each NHS(a) trust and (b) health board at the start of the financial year 1997–98. [6395]

  Mr. Galbraith
  The surplus or deficit for each NHS Trust and Health Board at the start of the financial year 1997–98, is set out in the tables. These figures are subject to final audit.
  382

  Trust

  Surplus/(deficit) £000s

  Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust

  1,861

  Angus NHS Trust

  1,469

  Argyll and Bute NHS Trust

  615

  Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare NHS Trust

  2,204

  Borders Community Health Services NHS Trust

  420

  Borders General Hospital NHS Trust

  700

  Caithness and Sutherland NHS Trust

  1,098

  Central Scotland Healthcare NHS Trust

  (439)

  Dumfries and Galloway Acute and Maternity Hospitals NHS Trust

  1,590

  Dumfries and Galloway Community Health NHS Trust

  382

  Dundee Healthcare NHS Trust

  1,587

  Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  6,793

  East and Midlothian NHS Trust

  11,526

  Edinburgh Healthcare NHS Trust

  404

  Edinburgh Sick Children's NHS Trust

  1,646

  Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  567

  Fife Healthcare NHS Trust

  (1,978)

  Glasgow Dental Hospital and School NHS Trust

  1,837

  Glasgow Royal Infirmary University NHS Trust

  3,780

  Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust

  5,987

  Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health Services NHS Trust

  252

  Hairmyres and Stonehouse Hospitals NHS Trust

  698

  Highland Communities NHS Trust

  851

  Inverclyde Royal NHS Trust

  2,065

  Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  1,850

  Lanarkshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  1,403

  Law Hospital NHS Trust

  630

  Lomond Healthcare NHS Trust

  2,146

  Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals NHS Trust

  3,326

  Moray Health Services NHS Trust

  622

  North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust

  5,942

  Perth and Kinross Healthcare NHS Trust

  2,232

  Queen Margaret Hospital NHS Trust

  2,025

  Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust

  2,649

  Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  2,205

  Royal Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

  2,206

  Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust

  3,347

  Scottish Ambulance Service NHS Trust

  1,135

  South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  1,026

  Southern General Hospital NHS Trust

  2,323

  Stirling Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  1,737

  Stobhill NHS Trust

  1,991

  Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust

  (6,044)

  West Glasgow Hospitals University NHS Trust

  331

  West Lothian NHS Trust

  1,378

  Western General Hospitals NHS Trust

  3,241

  Yorkhill NHS Trust

  2,755

  Health boards

  Surplus/(Deficit) £000s

  Argyll and Clyde Health Board

  671

  Ayrshire and Arran Health Board

  1,847

  Borders Health Board

  477

  Dumfries and Galloway Health Board

  980

  Fife Health Board

  299

  Forth Valley Health Board

  579

  Grampian Health Board

  968

  Greater Glasgow Health Board

  3,463

  Highland Health Board

  89

  383

  Health boards

  Surplus/(Deficit) £000s

  Lanarkshire Health Board

  (2)

  Lothian Health Board

  2,070

  Orkney Health Board

  (1)

  Shetland Health Board

  125

  Tayside Health Board

  1,943

  Western Isles Health Board

  92

  State Hospital

  1

  CSA

  478

  SCPMDE

  384

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Beef
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is his estimate of total beef consumption by volume, in the United Kingdom in each of the past three years; [6607]

  (2) what is his estimate of the level of beef imports, by volume, to the United Kingdom in each of the past three years. [6608]

  Mr. Rooker
  Information on the total level of actual beef consumption is not available. However, estimates of the total volume of beef available for domestic usage are available in "Quarterly supplies and domestic usage of meat in the United Kingdom, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  Information on the volume of beef imports (in carcase weight equivalent) is available from the same source.

  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what response he has made to the communication he has received from Commissioner Bonino in respect of alleged illegal exportation of beef from the United Kingdom; what actions he proposes to initiate on this matter; and if he will make a statement. [7094]

  Dr. Cunningham
  I replied immediately to Commissioner Bonino expressing my deep concern about the alleged illegal beef exports. I assured her that my officials were continuing their investigations into the allegations with the utmost speed and rigour in conjunction with the Commission's Anti-Fraud Unit and the Dutch authorities. I have placed a copy of the letter in the Library, of the House.

  Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to review salmon and freshwater fisheries legislation. [7190]

  Mr. Morley
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I will shortly be establishing a small, independent group to review all aspects of existing policies and legislation on salmon and freshwater fisheries in England and Wales. This will be a comprehensive review, intended to produce ideas for the future management and conservation of salmon and freshwater fish. We will be announcing the members of the review group in the autumn.

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish his Department's submissions relating to freedom of information legislation. [6030]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 2 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 4 July. Official Report, columns 293–94.

  Fish (Abnormal Isoforms)
  Mr. Camphell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence his Department has evaluated in respect of the presence of abnormal isoforms of prion protein in normal fish. [6556]

  Mr. Rooker
  The only evidence that is available and has been evaluated by my Department is the paper recently published by C. J. Gibbs and C. L. Bolis, titled 'Normal isoform of amyloid protein (PrP) in brains of spawning salmon' (reference: MOLECULAR-PSYCHIATRY, 1997, V2, N2, MAR, Pp 145–147. ISSN: 1359–4184). In the knowledge that the normal isoform of Protease resistant Protein (PrP) has been identified in the tissues of all mammalian species thus far tested, as well as in Drosophila, the authors report the presence of this protein for the first time in the brains of fish (Pacific salmon). They go on to speculate about the theoretical probability that the abnormal isoform of PrP could arise spontaneously in fish, but do not report that it has been identified. This information has been passed to SEAC who have made no recommendations.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the incidence of abnormal isoforms of prion protein in experimentally-infected fish. [6557]

  Mr. Rooker
  As far as we are aware, there have been no experimental exposures of fish to spongiform encephalopathies.

  Food (Radioactive Contamination)
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the maximum permitted level of radioactive contamination of foodstuffs following(a) a nuclear accident and (b) any other case of radiological emergency for nuclides of half-life greater than 10 days. [6401]

  Mr. Rooker
  Derived reference levels, which may he used as a basis for the fixing of maximum permitted levels of radioactive contamination for foodstuffs, are set by several European Union Regulations. These levels apply both to nuclear accidents and to any other case of nuclear emergency which is likely to lead, or has led, to significant radioactive contamination of food. The situation regarding the maximum permitted levels for radionuclides with a half-life of greater than 10 days is complicated, hut for most such nuclides and foods, a level of 1,250 Bq/kg would apply.

  Mr. Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the likely impact of a criticality in an underground repository on foodstuffs. [6407]
  385
  Mr. Rooker
  No such assessment had been made. If an application for authorisation of an underground repository is made, MAFF will fulfil its role in assessing the associated safety case to ensure the safety of foodstuffs. This will encompass all relevant scenarios for the release of radionuclides.

  Mr. Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what level of technetium 99 has been found in lobsters obtained from the Irish sea in the vicinity of Sellafield; and if it exceeds the maximum permitted level of radioactive contamination of food-stuffs for nuclides of half-life greater than 10 days. [6551]

  Mr. Rooker
  As reported in the MAFF report, "Radioactivity in Food and the Environment", the average level of technetium-99 in lobsters from the Irish Sea close to Sellafield was 8,300 Bq/kg in 1995. In 1996 the average level was 9,150 Bq/kg. The EU maximum permitted level of 1.250 Bq/kg only applies in the event of a nuclear accident and is not relevant in this case.

  The level would be applied in the early stages of an accident before an assessment can be made and is based on the most restrictive radionuclides. The radiological significance of technetium-99 is low in comparison. The annual radiation exposure to the most exposed group associated with lobster consumption was 18 µSv/year in 1995 and 29 µSv/year in 1996. This can be compared with the public dose limit of 1000 µSv/year and presents no food safety concerns.

  Departmental Accommodation
  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will happen to the accommodation vacated by Ministers and officials in Whitehall Place. [6962]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  The accommodation vacated by Ministers and officials in Whitehall Place will be occupied by staff of the Department. Within the next few years the Whitehall Place buildings will need to be vacated for renovation.

  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what date is planned for the move of Ministers and certain officials from Whitehall Place to Nobel House. [6958]

  Dr. Cunningham
  The move of Ministers and officials from Whitehall Place to Nobel House is expected to be completed by 30 November 1997.

  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for how long officials decanted out of Nobel House will remain in temporary accommodation; where is that accommodation; and what is the cost of making it available. [6964]

  Dr. Cunningham
  Officials decanted out of Nobel House are not expected to remain in temporary accommodation beyond 30 June 1998. The temporary accommodation is at St. Christopher House, Southwark Street, London SE1. It is estimated that it will cost £220,000 to prepare it for the Department's occupation. The building is already on the Government estate so there will be no additional rental costs to the Exchequer but the Department will pay an occupancy charge (rent, rates and 386
  service costs) of £367,000 for the year to the Property Advisers to the Civil Estate, an executive agency of the Cabinet Office.

  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many officials, listed according to function and grade, will be moved out of Nobel House to permit Ministers and other officials to move in. [6963]

  Mr. Cunningham
  The Department's Chief Scientist's Group will be moved out of Nobel House to St. Christopher House. The numbers and grades of officials are as follows:

  Senior Civil Service Grades: 5

  Grade 6: 10

  Grade 7: 16

  SEO and equivalent, and below: 89

  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the functions of his Department which will be located in Nobel House once Ministers and officials have moved there; and if he will list the functions remaining at Whitehall Place. [6954]

  Dr. Cunningham
  The main departmental functions in Nobel House, after Ministers have moved, will comprise the Permanent Secretary; three Heads of Directorate; the Secretariat; Press Branch; Fisheries Group; Environment Group; Establishments Group (part).

  The functions which will remain at Whitehall will comprise European Union and Livestock Group; Arable Crops Group (part); Food, Drink and Marketing Policy Group; Legal Department; and Economics and Statistics Group.

  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many officials, listed according to function, will move with Ministers to Nobel House. [6957]

  Dr. Cunningham
  The functions of the Department that will move from Whitehall Place to Nobel House are the Permanent Secretary, three Heads of Directorate, the Secretariat, Press Officials and other support staff. About 76 officials will move.

  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food what is the estimated cost of the move to Nobel House with special reference to reorganisation of rooms, increased security, and new conference facilities. [6966]

  Dr. Cunningham
  The estimated cost of moving Ministers and officials from Whitehall Place to Nobel House is £120,000. Re-organising rooms and providing new and better conference facilities will cost a further £240,000. Expenditure of this order would have been incurred anyway within the next few years when the Department renovated Whitehall Place. It is not anticipated that there would be any additional costs in relation to security provision.

  EU Presidency
  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what facilities the Minister assesses are necessary to host the United Kingdom Presidency of the EU. [6955]
  388
  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  The United Kingdom presidency of the Agriculture and Fisheries Councils will require MAFF Ministers to host a series of meetings in London with EU Ministers and Commissioners over and above those they would normally expect to hold.

  Jobseeker's Allowance: Evaluation
  Jobseeker's Allowance: Evaluation
  Social Security: Married and Unmarried Couples
  Social Security: Married and Unmarried Couples
  Asylum Seekers: Detention Policy
  Asylum Seekers: Detention Policy
  Probation Service: Budget
  Probation Service: Budget
  School Meals: Review
  School Meals: Review
  Defence Review
  Defence Review
  Government Reviews
  Government Reviews
  Tax System: Married and Unmarried Couples
  Tax System: Married and Unmarried Couples
  Employment: Labour Force Survey
  Employment: Labour Force Survey
  Interest Rates and Tax: Example
  Interest Rates and Tax: Example
  Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Reduction Target
  Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Reduction Target
  NATO Membership: Russia
  NATO Membership: Russia
  EC Treaty: Co-operation and Co-decision Procedures
  EC Treaty: Co-operation and Co-decision Procedures
  Peacekeeping Costs: Reimbursement
  Peacekeeping Costs: Reimbursement
  US Intelligence Activities
  US Intelligence Activities
  NATO-Russia Founding Act
  NATO-Russia Founding Act
  UN Register of Conventional Arms: UK's Return
  UN Register of Conventional Arms: UK's Return
  UK: International Human Rights Instruments
  UK: International Human Rights Instruments
  Council Tax: Capping
  Council Tax: Capping
  Buses: EU Directive Proposal
  Buses: EU Directive Proposal
  Osteoporosis Report: Implementation
  Osteoporosis Report: Implementation
  Osteoporosis: Males
  Osteoporosis: Males
  Osteoporotic Fractures
  Osteoporotic Fractures
  NHS: Mixed Sex Wards
  NHS: Mixed Sex Wards
  Asylum Seekers: National Assistance Act
  Asylum Seekers: National Assistance Act
  AIDS: Survivors
  AIDS: Survivors
  NHS: Patient and Administration Costs
  NHS: Patient and Administration Costs