Written Answers of 14 July 1997

TREASURY

  1998 Budget
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his Budget in March 1998 will be unified to include public expenditure plans. [7709]

  Mr. Darling
  [holding answer 10 July 1997]: In the Budget, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced revised spending allocations for 1998–99. The timing of announcements for the years 1999–00 and beyond will depend on the progress of the Comprehensive Spending Review which is due to conclude in the middle of next year.

  Employer Pension Funds
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to(a) local authorities and (b) the national health service of making good the shortfall in employer pension funds arising from his Budget measures. [7772]

  Mr. Darling
  [holding answer 10 July 1997]: There are around a hundred local authority pension funds. The position will vary depending on factors such as financial circumstances and the make up of investment portfolios. For example, many funds have surpluses which can be used to help cushion the effect. Pension schemes should also benefit from improved company performance as a result of quality long term investment being encouraged. Although the loss of tax credits will have some impact on the income of local authority pension funds, the extent to which these changes feed through to authorities' budgets will depend on the overall judgements made by the funds' actuaries as they undertake revaluations due from next year. Their conclusions will not be reflected in contribution rates before 1999–00 at the earliest. The Budget changes will not adversely affect the NHS scheme on present assumptions, since it is based on a notional fund assumed to be invested entirely in Gilts.

  Public Sector Borrowing Requirement
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if(a) funding for house building by local authorities from borrowing against their own housing revenue accounts, (b) funding of developments by public authorities for water and sewerage services if such authorities are constituted as mutually owned businesses and (c) funding of support for agriculture which is fully refunded by the European Union, are regarded as part of the public sector borrowing requirement in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) other individual members of the European Union; and if he will make a statement. [7694]

  Mr. Darling
  [holding answer 10 July 1997]: The public sector borrowing requirement (PSBR) measures total borrowing by the public sector—by central
  2
  government, local authorities and public corporations—from the private sector and overseas. Any spending by a public sector body that is not covered by receipts will add to the PSBR. The PSBR is a UK measure and is not used by other EC member states, although they may measure their borrowing requirements in a similar fashion to the United Kingdom.

  Strategic Defence Review
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his officials, and at what grades, are assisting(a) the Ministry of Defence and (b) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with the Strategic Defence Review. [6756]

  Mr. Darling
  The number and grade of the officials involved in the Strategic Defence Review will depend on the issues that arise and the nature of their responsibilities.

  Windfall Tax
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the representations he has received from the privatised water companies about the windfall tax; and if he will make a statement. [8535]

  Mr. Geoffrey Robinson
  Treasury Ministers are treating representations from companies and other bodies as confidential. If companies wish to make their views public, that is for them.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his definition of excess profit for the purposes of the windfall tax. [7252]

  Mr. Robinson
  Details of the windfall tax are set out in the Finance Bill. Clause 1 and Schedule 1 of the Bill set out how the amount of a company's windfall is to be calculated.

  Departmental Spending Controls
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the new control totals of spending, by Department, for 1988–89 on the format produced in the Red Book for 1997–98. [7154]

  Mr. Darling
  Figures for planned spending in 1998–99 for each department were published in table 1.2 of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 1997–98, Cm 3601. Apart from some minor technical changes discussed in the Financial Statement and Budget Report, paragraph 4B.14, these have been updated only to take account of the allocation of the existing Reserve to the Government's priorities of health and schools. The spending announced in the Budget on the Welfare to Work package and investment in housing under the Capital Receipts Initiative is additional to the Control Total.

  Control Total by Department

  1£ million

  Defence

  22,276

  Foreign Office

  1,074

  International Development

  2,321

  Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  3,416

  DTI—Programme

  3,051

  DTI—Nationalised Industries

  -176

  ECGD

  1

  DETR—Transport

  4,589

  DETR—Local Government

  32,581

  3

  Control Total by Department

  1£ million

  DETR—Other

  7,557

  Home Office

  6,801

  Legal Departments

  2,747

  Education and Employment

  13,945

  National Heritage

  959

  Health

  36,362

  Social Security

  83,101

  Scotland

  14,620

  Wales

  6,987

  Northern Ireland

  8,315

  Chancellor's Departments

  3,199

  Cabinet Office

  1,034

  European Communities

  2,392

  Local Authority self-financed expenditure

  13,700

  Reserve

  2,800

  Control Total

  273,600

  1 Figures are rounded to the nearest £1 million, except LASFE, the Reserve and the Control Total, which are rounded to the nearest £100 million.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for the review of the Private Finance Initiative(a) the expected completion date and (b) the cost of conducting the review. [8258]

  Mr. Geoffrey Robinson
  The review of the Private Finance Initiative was completed on 13 June, and the summary and recommendations were released on 23 June. It was undertaken by an independent expert at no cost.

  Comprehensive Spending Review
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for the spending review(a) the expected completion date and (b) the cost of conducting the review. [8263]

  Mr. Darling
  I expect the Comprehensive Spending Review to last approximately 12 months. The costs of the Review will be absorbed in the relevant departments running costs as would any similar review to look at improving efficiency and effectiveness.

  Customs (Staff)
  Mr. Timms
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the reductions in Customs anti-smuggling staff planned under the Department's 1994 fundamental expenditure review are to be proceeded with. [8760]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I have reviewed with Customs the previously planned intention to reduce the number of frontier anti-smuggling officers by some 300 posts during the current year. We face a growing world-wide threat of drug smuggling which is increasingly diverse and cunning. In the light of this I have decided that in the present circumstances it would not be prudent to go ahead with these cuts and the posts are to be retained. Customs' target for the value of drugs prevented from entering Kingdom in the current year will be increased by £50 million.

  This Government takes the threat of drugs very seriously, and we recognise that Customs anti-smuggling staff play a vital role at our frontiers in combating not only drug trafficking but also in detecting the smuggling
  4
  of other prohibited goods, such as firearms, paedophile material, and commercial pornography, which post an unrelenting threat to society.

  The Government is determined to maintain and strengthen the co-ordinated enforcement action against these evils in which Customs play a key role. Customs have a consistently strong record in the detection and investigation of drug trafficking, not only in the UK but in their contribution to the European and international effort

  Funding for these posts will be contained within Customs' existing provision in accordance with the Government's commitment to work within the Departmental spending limits we have inherited for this year and next.

  National Lottery
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the tax gained or forgone on expenditure on the National Lottery relative to alternative forms of consumer expenditure. [3425]

  Mr. Darling
  The rate of duty on the lottery was originally set on the basis that it was expected to be broadly revenue-neutral—that is the revenue raised would broadly offset the indirect tax loss from expenditure diverted from other goods and services. We know of no evidence as yet to suggest that the Exchequer is gaining or losing substantial revenues as a result of the Lottery.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Water and Drainage Utilities (Information)
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what obligations are placed upon the privatised public utilities with particular reference to water and drainage companies, to maintain accurate records of services in the ground; [7245]

  (2) under what arrangements public access to the complete records of adopted sewers installed by private contractors, previously available from the local council highways departments, is maintained. [7246]

  Angela Eagle
  Sections 198 and 199 of the Water Industry Act 1991 require water and sewerage companies to keep records, in the form of maps, of the location of every water main and adopted sewer vested in them and to make this information freely available for inspection at their offices at all reasonable times. The companies are also required to provide local authorities with copies of sewer maps and any modifications to them. There is no obligation for the companies to keep records of connections to water mains or of private sewers or drains.

  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he will take to ensure that decisions on access to water authority and drainage authority information are clearly determined in accordance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994. [7244]
  5
  Angela Eagle
  The provision and availability of information relevant to health and safety is a fundamental requirement of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994. It is therefore an important consideration of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors when determining compliance with the Regulations. Inspectors already give advice or take formal enforcement action in support of this requirement, when appropriate.

  VAT (Fuel)
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of the recent reduction in VAT on domestic fuel on the Government's environmental obligations; and if he will make a statement. [7660]

  Angela Eagle
  We estimate the reduction in VAT on domestic fuel to 5 per cent. will result in an annual increase in carbon dioxide emissions of about 0.24 million tonnes of carbon by 2010, (about 0.15 per cent. of current carbon dioxide emissions). We shall take account of this effect in developing the programme to meet our target to reduce total carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. by 2010.

  Protection from the effects of global warming and the development of sustainable environmental policies cannot proceed in isolation from considerations of social equity. We are developing policy options which will contribute towards our 2010 target and which will include improvements in domestic and industrial energy efficiency, an integrated transport policy to tackle the projected growth in emissions from road transport, and an increase in the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources and combined heat and power schemes.

  Household Waste Recycling
  Mrs. Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what targets he will be setting for recycling of household waste. [7439]

  Angela Eagle
  We will be considering the need for any changes to existing targets for the recovery and recycling of household waste in the light of progress made so far. It is important to improve recycling and increase the proportion of waste managed by the options towards the top of the waste hierarchy. We will be looking carefully at the options for doing this as part of our wider assessment of waste management and recycling policy.

  Hedgerows
  Mrs. Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has to extend the time scale for determining applications for hedgerow removals; [7441]

  (2) if he will revise the criteria determining whether or not a hedgerow is sufficiently important to be protected; [7442]

  (3) if he will allow local authorities to charge for applications to remove hedgerows. [7443]
  6
  Angela Eagle
  On 29 May the Government announced that a group would be set up, including representatives of statutory agencies, local authorities and the main farming and conservation bodies, to review how the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 might be strengthened. The group have been asked to make recommendations on the time allowed for local authorities to respond to hedgerow removal notices and on the criteria defining important hedgerows.

  I have no plans to allow local authorities to charge for applications to remove hedgerows, though the Government would consider any recommendations of the review group in this regard.

  Local Authority Pension Funds
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when the last actuarial valuations of local authority occupational pension funds were carried out; [7886]

  (2) at what intervals actuarial valuations of local authority occupational pension funds are carried out; [7887]

  (3) how many local authority occupational pension funds were calculated to be in surplus at the time of the last actuarial valuation. [7889]

  Ms Armstrong
  The Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 1995, which control this statutory scheme in England and Wales, requires actuaries, as part of each triennial valuation of the 87 separate local authority funds, to set an employer contribution rate to ensure solvency having regard to existing and prospective liabilities and the desirability of maintaining as constant a rate as possible. At the last valuation in 1995, all local authority pension funds complied with this requirement, and at that time the actuaries were able to report that 20 funds were actuarially assessed as having assets in excess of their liabilities.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the total dividend income received by local authority occupational pension funds during the most recent available financial year. [7888]

  Ms Armstrong
  Information is only available to my Department on total investment income for the Local Government Pension Scheme, inclusive of UK and overseas dividend income, gilts and property. In 1995–96 the figure for England and Wales amounted to £2.1 billion.

  Cleaner Fuels
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the letter from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 23 June PT/EE/PS0/5476/97 if he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations to create cleaner fuels in Europe. [7935]

  Angela Eagle
  At the European Environment Council of 19–20 June this year, Ministers reached a common position on a directive setting standards for fuel quality. The United Kingdom argued that the standards proposed by the Commission were, in some cases, insufficiently
  7
  tight, and supported in particular a lowering of the Commission's proposals for the sulphur content of petrol (200 parts per million—ppm) and benzene (2 per cent.).

  Mandatory standards for petrol and diesel were agreed for the year 2000 as follows: petrol—a sulphur content of 150 ppm, a benzene content of 1 per cent. and an aromatics content of 42 per cent.; diesel—a sulphur content, set at 350 parts per million. Other parameters for 2000 were agreed as proposed by the European Commission. The UK also supported, and Ministers agreed, the Dutch Presidency's proposal of indicative standards for the year 2005 of 50 ppm sulphur in both petrol and diesel (the latter to be phased in from 2005), and 35 per cent. aromatics content in petrol. These figures will be subject to review and the Commission will bring forward proposals by mid-1999 either to confirm or adjust them.

  As the adoption of these directives is by the co-decision procedure, agreement with the European Parliament will have to be reached before the directive can be adopted.

  UN Environment Programme
  Mr. Singh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement regarding the United Kingdom's funding of the United Nations Environment Programme. [8758]

  Mr. Meacher
  I attended the inaugural meeting of the United Nations Environment Programme's High-Level Committee of Ministers and Officials in New York on 28 June. I am glad to be able to report that this was a successful meeting. The Committee gave advice to UNEP's Executive Director on the main priorities for UNEP's Programme of Work. Given the positive outcome, especially on the way forward for UNEP, I announced at the close that the United Kingdom would, forthwith, lift the suspension of its annual voluntary contribution to the Environment Fund. I have, therefore, arranged for a payment of £4.35 million to be made as soon as possible to UNEP's Environment Fund.

  Fossil Fuels
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will present to the Kyoto Climate Change Conference proposals to commit convention signatories to the phasing out of the use of fossil fuels. [7129]

  Angela Eagle
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 30 June 1997,Official Report, column 49. The EU has proposed that all developed countries should agree to (a) reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other main greenhouse gases to at least 7.5 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2005 and to 15 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010 and; (b) adopt a number of binding and other policies and measures to achieve these targets.

  Out-of-town Shopping Centres
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the Government's policy towards out-of-town shopping centres; and if he will make a statement. [7659]
  8
  Mr. Raynsford
  Planning policy guidance is contained in PPG6: Town Centres and Retail Developments. We have no current plans to change it.

  Bed and Breakfast Facilities
  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to curb the development of unlicensed and unregistered private households offering bed and breakfast facilities to visitors outside the six-bed rule. [7713]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The "six-bedspace" exemption from rates was designed to ensure that those who provide extra accommodation in peak periods during the summer, or in out of the way places, are not put off doing so by the threat of a rates bill. However, we see no reason to exempt from rates anyone who offers accommodation when the use of property for this purpose is clearly non-domestic so, to qualify, the use of such property for bed and breakfast must be subsidiary to its use as a residence.

  The Valuation Office Agency have issued guidance to their local offices on interpretation of the subsidiary use test to ensure that it is being applied correctly.

  Local Authority Rents
  Mrs. Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to return control over local authority housing rent levels to local authorities. [7464]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Local housing authorities set their own rent levels, reviewing them from time to time as circumstances require. In setting their rents they have regard to their statutory duty to balance the housing revenue account, taking account, among other things, of any housing revenue account subsidy payable to them for the year. We are currently examining the financing of local authority housing as part of our comprehensive review of spending.

  Social Services Expenditure
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each of the last five years the standard spending assessment for social services for each local authority, the percentage change from one year to the next and the amount that was actually spent on social services in each of those years. [7438]

  Mr. Raynsford
  [holding answer 10 July 1997]: I have arranged for the information requested to be placed in the Library.

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will give for the review of compulsory competitive tendering(a) the expected completion date and (b) the cost of conducting the review. [8241]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The review of existing CCT legislation and guidance in England and Wales will be completed shortly. Following consultation, new
  9
  regulations and guidance will be issued in the autumn. The cost of conducting the review to the point of consultation on proposals is estimated at £36,500.

  Local Government Finance (Bolton)
  Ms Kelly
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the money Bolton will receive from the release of local authority capital receipts. [7930]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Government provided figures illustrating alternative methods of distributing additional Supplementary Credit Approvals to individual local authorities in a table accompanying the consultation paper on proposals for implementing the capital receipts initiative in England. That paper was issued on 19 July and copies have been deposited in the Library of the House. Final allocations to individual authorities, however, will not be available until the consultation period has ended and we have given careful consideration to the comments received.

  Planning Guidelines (MOD Land)
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what studies his Department is undertaking to redefine the planning guidelines and other framework provisions which apply when Ministry of Defence land is declared redundant with consequent disposal of the land by that Department. [7913]

  Mr. Raynsford
  My Department is currently preparing to commission research which will examine the relationship between the planning system; the advice currently provided to Government Departments by the Treasury on the disposal of redundant property; and the need to maximise the disposal value of such property, whilst taking full account of the wider economic and social regeneration considerations. The Government Offices in the Regions and the MOD are together drawing up, and intend to publish, guidelines on the disposal of redundant defence establishments. Our objective is to maximise their potential in order to mitigate the impact of closures on local communities, and to reduce the demand for development on greenfield sites, while at the same time protecting our historic heritage and general environment.

  Youth Workers
  Mr. Öpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many full-time youth workers are employed by each local authority in England and Wales. [8429]

  Mr. Raynsford
  This information is not available centrally.

  Pollution
  Mr. Singh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the implementation of EU directive 96/61, on integrated pollution prevention and control. [8759]
  10
  Mr. Meacher
  The Government will tomorrow be issuing a consultation paper on the implementation of this important directive. I shall arrange for copies to placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Sites of Special Scientific Interest
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many stop notices have been served in each year from 1985 to date to prevent damage to sites of special scientific interest; and in how many of those cases the stop notice was subsequently lifted and damage caused. [7611]

  Angela Eagle
  Nature Conservation Orders made by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions are listed below:

  Year

  Number of Orders (stop notices)

  1985–86

  5

  1986–87

  1

  1987–88

  2

  1988–89

  0

  1989–90

  6

  1990–91

  3

  1991–92

  0

  1992–93

  1

  1993–94

  2

  1994–95

  2

  1995–96

  2

  1996–97

  2

  1997–

  1

  Eleven Orders have subsequently been revoked. There have been no instances of damage following revocation.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many sites of special scientific interest were damaged in each year from 1985 to date; and what were the causes. [7610]

  Angela Eagle
  Details of the number of incidents, area damaged, outcomes of the damaging activity and the type of activity are published in the annual reports produced by the respective country agencies, English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales and, prior to 1991, by the Nature Conservancy Council, all of which are held in the Library of the House.

  Wildlife and Countryside Act
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. [7609]

  Angela Eagle
  Ministers in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions are currently considering the need to review specific sections of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

  Departmental Budgets
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what new plans he has to introduce cuts and savings in his Department as a result of the effect on his Department's
  11
  budgets for 1997–98 and 1998–99 of the upward revisions to the GDP deflators in the Budget on 2 July; and if he will make a statement. [8319]

  Angela Eagle
  All Departments are reallocating spending within their Departmental ceilings as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. The planned total for local authority grants (net Aggregate External Finance) for 1998–99 was announced in the Budget.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if, following the recent Budget, he will give his estimate of the total real level of his Department's budget, in 1995–96 prices, in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99; if he will estimate what such figures were for (1) 1997–98 and (2) 1998–99 following the November 1996 Budget on the basis of the estimates of the GDP deflator contained in that Budget; and if he will make a statement. [8318]

  Angela Eagle
  The figures requested for my Department's spending plans within the Control Total are as follows: £41,776 million; £41,227 million; £42,244 million; and £41,249 million. In addition, local authorities will benefit from spending under the Capital Receipts Initiative, which is outside the Control Total, as announced in the Budget. The figures for 1997–98 have not been adjusted to take account of the Summer Supplementary Estimates presented to Parliament on 8 July but not yet approved.

  CITES Conference
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the voting position registered by the United Kingdom delegation to the CITES Conference of the Parties in Harare on each of the species listing proposals and draft resolutions presented to the conference for which a vote was called. [8165]

  Angela Eagle
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment to my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, East and Mexborough (Mr. Ennis) on 8 July,Official Report, column 449, which reports the main decisions taken by the Conference. The United Kingdom's position in the final votes taken on substantive matters is set out below. The UK delegation voted in accordance with the European Union's Common Position on all the species proposals and on those draft resolutions or decisions for which there was EU competence.

  Of the 34 substantive votes listed, 12 were taken by secret ballot. Under the current rules of procedure in CITES, any vote can be determined by secret ballot if at least 10 Parties request this. The UK is opposed to the use of secret ballots for votes on policy issues in CITES, especially on such a large scale, and we will be seeking to persuade other Parties to limit their use in future.

  Issue

  Support

  Oppose

  Abstain

  Downlisting of Eschrichtius robustus (Gray whale) to Appendix II

  —

  X

  —

  Downlisting of the Okhotsk Sea West Pacific stock of Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Minke whale) to Appendix II

  —

  X

  —

  12

  Issue

  Support

  Oppose

  Abstain

  Downlisting of the Southern Ocean population of Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Minke whale) to Appendix II

  —

  X

  —

  Downlisting of two Atlantic populations of Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Minke whale) to Appendix II

  —

  X

  —

  Uplisting of all remaining European, Eurasian, Caucasian and Asian populations of Ursos arctos (Brown bear) to Appendix I

  —

  —

  X

  Separate consideration of the uplisting of various individual populations of Ursos arctos (Brown bear) to Appendix I

  —

  X

  —

  Amendment to annotation on the South African population of Ceratotherium simum simum (southern White Rhinoceros) to allow trade in rhino products

  —

  X

  —

  Uplisting of Vini kuhlii (Kuhl's lorikeet) to Appendix I

  X

  —

  —

  Uplisting of Vini peruviana (Blue lorikeet) to Appendix I

  X

  —

  —

  Uplisting of Vini ultramarina (Ultramarine lorikeet) to Appendix I

  X

  —

  —

  Inclusion in Appendix II of Liocichla omeiensis (Omei Shan liocichla)

  X

  —

  —

  Inclusion in Appendix I of Padda oryzivora (Java sparrow)

  X

  —

  —

  Inclusion in Appendix II of Graptemys spp (Map turtles)

  —

  X

  —

  Downlisting of the Cuban population of Eretmochelys imbricata (Hawksbill turtle) to Appendix II

  —

  X

  —

  Downlisting of the Bangladesh population of Varanus bengalensis (Bengal monitor) to Appendix II

  —

  X

  —

  Downlisting of the Bangladesh population of Varanus flavescens (Yellow monitor) to Appendix II

  —

  X

  —

  Inclusion of Pristiformes (Sawfish) in Appendix I

  —

  X

  —

  Amendment to an annotation to indicate that seeds and pollen with the exception of seeds from Mexican cacti originating in Mexico, were included in Appendix II

  X

  —

  —

  Inclusion of all neotropical populations of Swietenia macrophylla (American mahogany) on Appendix II

  X

  —

  —

  Inclusion of Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal) on Appendix II

  X

  —

  —

  Inclusion of Picrorhiza kurrooa (Kutki) in Appendix II

  X

  —

  —

  Inclusion of Nardostachys grandiflora (Spikenard) on Appendix II

  X

  —

  —

  Proposals to downlist the Botswanan, Namibian and Zimbabwean populations of Loxodonta africana (African elephant) to Appendix II

  —

  —

  X

  Conditions for the resumption of trade in African elephant ivory from populations transferred to Appendix II

  —

  —

  X

  Conditions for the disposal of ivory stocks and generating resources for conservation in elephant range states

  X

  —

  —

  Principle of drawing down on the Convention Trust Fund to fund the Budget for 1998–2000

  X

  —

  —

  Budget for 1998–2000—0 per cent. increase in contributions

  —

  X

  —

  Budget for 1998–2000—5 per cent, increase in contributions

  X

  —

  —

  Establishment of Working Group on Illegal Trade in CITES specimens

  X

  —

  —

  Resolution on Relationship with the International Whaling Commission

  —

  X

  —

  Amendment to Annex 6 of Document 10.52 (implementation of Convention for timber species)

  —

  X

  —

  Revision of Document 10.7 (Regional representation)

  —

  —

  X

  Proposal to register the Falcon Centre Halvesiek as a commercial captive breeding operation

  —

  X

  —

  Establishment of a Working Group on Marine Fish Species

  X

  —

  —

  Travellers
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will review the guidance issued to local authorities regarding the removal of travellers from unauthorized sites; [8161]

  (2) if he will list the cases where local authorities have been challenged in the courts regarding their policy towards the removal of travellers from unauthorised sites, including the outcome in each instance. [8162]

  Mr. Raynsford
  My Department has no knowledge of any case involving a challenge to a local authority's policy towards the removal of unauthorised campers. There have, however, been three cases of which we are aware where an authority's decision to evict, using powers in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, has been challenged in the courts. In the case of Rv Wealden District Council ex parte Wales and others, the direction issued by the local authority under section 77 of the 1994 Act, and the magistrates' court order, were both quashed by the judge. In the parallel case of R v Lincolnshire County Council ex parte Atkinson the judge exercised his discretion not to quash the direction and the eviction order, and those travellers were evicted. R v Wolverhampton MBC ex parte Dunne followed, and approved, the Wealden judgment. There may also be other cases in which a local authority's use of either planning enforcement powers, or of possession proceedings to remove trespassers, has been challenged, or where an application by travellers for leave for judicial review has been refused by the courts. My Department would not necessarily be notified of these.

  We have no plans to review the advice in my Department's Circular No. 18/94, "Gypsy Sites Policy and Unauthorised Camping", that local authorities should take into account existing statutory responsibilities under health and welfare legislation when deciding whether to evict unauthorised campers. Those responsibilities exist independently of the Circular, and would apply even if it had not been issued.

  Local Authorities' Pension Schemes
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the cost to local authorities in(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000 of the Budget proposals to abolish the payable tax credits for pension schemes; how local authorities are to be compensated; and if he will make a statement. [8320]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The extent to which local authorities will be affected by the Budget proposals will depend upon the outcome of the next triennial actuarial valuation, due on 31 March 1998 in England and Wales, and to subsequent discussions between actuaries and their local authority clients. I will consider carefully any representations made in the light of those considerations.

  Credit Approvals
  Mr. Bernard Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what additional credit approvals will be allocated to(a) Colchester Borough Council and (b) Tendring district council as a result of the capital receipts initiative announced in the Budget. [8464]
  14
  Mr. Raynsford
  The Government provided figures illustrating alternative methods of distributing additional Supplementary Credit Approvals to individual local authorities in a table accompanying the consultation paper on proposals for implementing the capital receipts initiative in England. That paper was issued on 19 June and copies have been deposited in the Library of the House. Final allocations to individual authorities, however, will not be available until the consultation period has ended and we have given careful consideration to the comments received.

  Ministerial Speech
  Mr. Ottaway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford) on 5 July at Birkbeck College to the Conference on the Future of London. [8483]

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

  Uniform Business Rate
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans his Department has for consultation concerning changes to the uniform business rate. [8470]

  Mr. Raynsford
  No changes will be made until we have fully consulted with all interested parties including business and local authorities. We are considering how to take this forward.

  Rate Capping
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his decision on the final caps for the three local authorities which challenged their cap; and if he will make a statement. [8895]

  Mr. Prescott
  I have today laid before the House the draft Council Tax Limitation (England) (Maximum Amounts) Order 1997, under section 57 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, setting out our decisions on the final caps for Oxfordshire, Somerset and Warwickshire County Councils.

  We have considered very carefully all the available relevant information, including the case made by the authorities in support of a higher cap, before taking our decisions. We have decided to confirm the caps proposed for Oxfordshire and Somerset, but Warwickshire will be permitted to budget at the level it has proposed to reflect the pressures it is facing following capital investment in its schools programme.

  The caps are, in our view, reasonable and achievable in all the circumstances of the authorities concerned. These decisions will reduce public expenditure and the burden on council taxpayers in the areas concerned by £9.4 million in 1997–98. This will result in a council tax reduction (at Band D) of almost £28 in Oxfordshire, and £20 in Somerset.

  Radioactive Materials (Transportation)
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many aeroplane flights occurred in 1995 in UK airspace in which(a) high-level, (b) intermediate-level and (c) low-level radioactive material was carried; and what was the total number of aeroplane flights in 1995 in UK airspace in which radioactive material was carried. [7599]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Department does not hold information of the kind requested. However, it is estimated that of the order of 10,000 flights carrying packages of radioactive material currently occur each year, the vast majority of which contain limited quantities for medical or industrial use in excepted or Type A packages.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which(a) airports and (b) ports (i) are permitted to handle radioactive material and (ii) were used in 1995 for the shipment of radioactive material. [7600]

  Ms Jackson
  The information is as follows:

  (i) Radioactive material may be moved through any port or airport.

  (ii) The Department does not hold information of the kind requested.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is the Government's policy to allow an unlimited number of movements of radioactive material by air provided International Atomic Energy Agency standards are met. [7601]

  Ms Jackson
  The movement by radioactive material by air, in common with all dangerous goods, is regulated by The Air Navigation (No 2) Order 1995 and The Air Navigation (Dangerous Goods) Regulations 1994 as amended 1996. These place no limit on the number of such movements.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government plans to introduce the revised regulations set out in the 1996 edition of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials. [7602]

  Ms Jackson
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones),Official Report, 16 June 1997, column 42.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many crashes have occurred in each year since 1967 in which aircraft carrying consignments of radioactive material within UK airspace have been involved; and what(a) volume and (b) level of radioactivity was involved in each case. [7604]
  16
  Ms Jackson
  We are aware of two such accidents, one in 1968 and the other in 1987. In each case 1.1 Giga-Becquerels of radioactivity were being carried in a single Type A package. In neither case was any radioactivity released from the packages.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Government permits the transportation of radioactive materials(a) via the channel tunnel and (b) on passenger ferries. [7605]

  Ms Jackson
  Such transport is permitted subject to(a) the rules and restrictions of Eurotunnel, as approved by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority of the UK/France Intergovernmental Commission and (b) compliance with The Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants) Regulations 1990 and Merchant Shipping Notice No. M. 1432, "The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants in ships, the 'Blue Book' and the IMDG Code".

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many flights have taken place since 1990 in which spent nuclear fuel was carried within United Kingdom airspace; what were the places of origin and destination in each case; and what was the volume carried in each case. [7607]

  Ms Jackson
  None.

  Shadow Tolls
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his policy in respect of shadow tolls. [8468]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Government has conducted a review of PFI and we are taking measures to reinvigorate it. Our policy on shadow tolling is that bids for projects which we decide to pursue with remuneration on this basis will be considered on their merits. A key issue will be the value for money offered by bids compared with conventional procurement.

  London Buses Ltd.
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and Regions if he will review the compliance by London Buses Ltd. with citizens' charter principles. [8340]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  New quality of service targets have recently been set for London Transport Buses, and performance against the London Bus Passenger's Charter is kept constantly under review.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the tendering procedures of London Buses Ltd. meet every requirement of EU procurement directives. [8341]

  Ms Jackson
  Yes.

  London Regional Transport
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will meet the chairman of London Regional Transport to discuss improvements in customer services standards and the handling of complaints by members of the public. [8342]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I plan to have regular meetings with the Chairman of London Transport at which we expect to discuss a range of issues including customer service standards and complaints handling.

  Colchester High Street
  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what(a) financial and (b) other assistance was given by the Government and Government agencies in the past five years to road safety and environmental improvement works to Colchester High Street; and what plans he has to support further road safety and environmental improvement works. [7654]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Over the last five years £16.01 million (an average of £3.2 million per year) has been awarded to Essex County Council through the local transport settlement for local safety schemes and minor works. It is for the County Council to determine the most appropriate use for their allocations, but we expect them to target their most pressing accident sites. Over the last two years we have also awarded an additional £1.2 million to the County Council towards their package of transport proposals for Colchester. Allocations for 1998–99 have not yet been determined. In addition to this financial support, officials from the Department have provided technical advice on environmental measures for the High Street, including a 20 miles per hour zone, special traffic signals and a restricted parking zone.

  Mr. Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many representations he has received in the past five years from hon. Members, organisations or individuals, concerning road safety and environmental improvement works to Colchester High Street; and how many were objections to the works. [7653]

  Ms Jackson
  My right hon. Friend has had no representations about Colchester High Street from hon. Members. There have been several representations from other sources in support of the package of transport measures for Colchester which Essex County Council have promoted through their Transport Policies and Programme bids for 1996–97 and 1997–98.

  Air Traffic Control
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will instigate an immediate inquiry into the running of NERC and NATS. [7854]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  No. I see no reason to instigate an Inquiry of this kind.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what checks are made of the contents of freight lorries before they are allowed into the Channel Tunnel. [7921]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Eurotunnel staff carry out regular checks on the contents of freight lorries using the Channel Tunnel.

  Hauliers carrying goods classified as "Dangerous" are required to notify Eurotunnel on arrival at the tolls. The goods are checked against the permitted carriage list and cleared for travel. Staff are informed so that special arrangements can be made for loading the lorry in a specified location on the shuttle so that, in the event of an incident, the emergency services can be informed.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps have been taken to preserve the integrity and functioning of the overhead power lines in the channel tunnel in the event of a fire. [7920]

  Ms Jackson
  Changes to operating procedures relating to action to be taken in the event of a fire alarm on board an HGV shuttle, arising from the implementation of recommendations contained in the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority's Inquiry Report, have meant that the risk to the overhead power line, the catenary, has been reduced. However, in response to Recommendation 4 of the Safety Authority Report, Eurotunnel are employing consultants to examine the feasibility of reducing the chances of the catenary tripping.

  Under the changed procedures the operators—Eurotunnel—no longer operate a drive-through policy or one in which the locomotive and amenity coach is de-coupled and driven through. Consequently the preservation of the integrity of the overhead power line is of less importance to the safety of people in an emergency. In the event of a fire on board an HGV shuttle the running tunnel systems will be configured for an emergency and the train will be brought to a controlled stop alongside a cross passage door for evacuation into the service tunnel.

  Mr. Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the risks involved in allowing freight to be transported through the channel tunnel in lattice-sided wagons. [7919]

  Ms Jackson
  This is a matter for the Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission, advised by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority. In its Inquiry Report into the incident on 18 November 1996 the Safety Authority concluded that the semi-open design of HGV shuttles could be used in a way that secured the safety of people. Before approval was given for the resumption of HGV shuttle services, the Commission and the Safety Authority examined a detailed submission by the operators of the Channel Tunnel, Eurotunnel, and satisfied themselves that the operating procedures proposed were such that semi-open HGV shuttle wagons were able to be operated safely.

  Ports
  Dr. Whitehead
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the consequences of increased container vessel size for the provision of United Kingdom container port facilities; and what assessment he has made of the impact of such considerations upon a United Kingdom ports strategy; [8436]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the feasibility of encouraging short sea routes as part of a United Kingdom port strategy; and if he will make a statement. [8435]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Measures needed to accommodate larger vessels are for the port authorities concerned in the first place. The Government is committed to encouraging the use of short sea shipping as an alternative to road transport where this is a practical and economic option. The Government is undertaking a transport policy review which will cover, amongst other things, the potential for a shift to short sea shipping, particularly for freight, as part of a policy to promote a progressive shift to less environmentally damaging modes; the environmental impact of ports, including surface access arrangements; and the role of ports in promoting regional development. The Government intends to publish a White Paper on an integrated transport strategy next Spring.

  Genetically Modified Organisms
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list by company the genetically modified organisms currently approved for(a) field testing and (b) marketing in the United Kingdom. [8041]

  Angela Eagle
  To date 124 consents for the experimental release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Great Britain have been granted since the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992 came into force on 1 February 1993. By company, these GMOs are:

  GMO

  Consents

  Advanced Technologies

  Potatoes

  6

  Tobacco

  1

  AgrEvo UK Crop Protection Ltd.

  Oilseed rape

  5

  Wheat

  1

  Sugar beet

  4

  Maize

  3

  Potatoes

  1

  Axis Genetics

  Potatoes

  2

  Bejo Zaden

  Chicory

  2

  CPB Twyford

  Oilseed rape

  1

  Derby University

  Apple trees

  1

  Hilleshog NK

  Sugar beet

  4

  Hoechst UK Ltd

  Oliseed rape

  1

  John Innes Centre

  Wheat

  1

  John K King and Sons Ltd.

  Oilseed rape

  1

  Lancaster University

  M13 Bacteriophage virus

  1

  Leicester university

  Tobacco

  3

  Maribo UK Ltd.

  Sugar beet

  1

  Monsanto Plc.

  Oilseed rape

  3

  Sugar beet

  6

  NERC/IVEM

  Baculovirus

  4

  New Farm Crops

  Wheat

  3

  NIAB

  Oilseed rape

  1

  20

  GMO

  Consents

  Nickerson BIOCEM Ltd.

  Oilseed rape

  5

  Wheat

  1

  Potatoes

  3

  Tobacco

  1

  Perryfields Holdings

  Oilseed rape

  1

  Pioneer Genetique SARL

  Oilseed rape

  1

  Plant Breeding International

  Potatoes

  7

  Plant Genetic Systems NV

  Oilseed rape

  20

  Rhone Poulene Agriculture

  Oilseed rape

  2

  Rothamsted Experimental Station

  Rhizobium

  2

  The Scottish Agricultural College

  Oilseed rape

  6

  Scottish Crop Research Institute

  Potatoes

  3

  Strawberries

  1

  Sharpes International Seeds Ltd.

  Swedes

  1

  Oilseed rape

  1

  Sugar beet

  4

  Maize

  1

  Shell Research Ltd.

  Eucalyptus

  2

  Zeneca Ltd.

  Oilseed rape

  1

  Poplars

  2

  Maize

  1

  sugar beet

  1

  Tomatoes

  1

  In the same period eight consents for the marketing of GMOs in the European Community, including the United Kingdom, have been granted in accordance with Directive 90/220/EEC on the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms to the environment. By company, these are:

  GMO

  Rhone Merieux Belgium (1 consent granted)

  Rabies Vaccine

  Societe Nationale d'Exploitation des Tabacs et Allumettes (1 consent granted)

  Tobacco with herbicide tolerance

  Vemie Veterinar Chemie GmbH (2 consents granted)

  Vaccine against Aujeszky's disease in pigs

  Plant Genetics Systems N.V. (1 consent)

  Oilseed rape hybrid system with herbicide tolerance for seed production only

  Monsanto Europe (1 consent)

  Soya beans with herbicide tolerance for import and storage for processing only

  Ciba Geigy (1 consent)

  Maize with insect resistance and herbicide tolerance for unrestricted use

  Bejo Zaden B.V. (1 consent)

  Chicory hybrid system with herbicide tolerance for seed production only

  These GMOs are not necessarily being marketed in the UK. The consents for Plant Genetics Systems and Monsanto were granted by the United Kingdom, whereas the other consents were granted by other member states.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Serious Fraud Office (Annual Report)
  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to lay before Parliament and publish the annual report of the Serious Fraud Office for the year 1996–97. [7088]
  21
  The Attorney-General
  The report was laid before Parliament this morning then published. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Crown Prosecution Service (Annual Report)
  Mr. Desmond Browne
  To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to(a) lay before Parliament and (b) publish the annual report of the Crown Prosecution Service for 1996–97. [8768]

  The Attorney-General
  The annual report of the Crown Prosecution Service will be laid before Parliament tomorrow and then published.

  Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Strategic Defence Review
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of those attending the two Foreign Office seminars on the Strategic Defence Review, indicating the organisations each represented. [7823]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The following participants from outside Government participated in the seminars hosted by my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the Secretary of State for Defence in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 July and in Coventry on 11 July:3 July. Sir Brian Fall (Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, Chairman), Josh Arnold Foster (UN Association), Menzies Campbell MP (Liberal Democrats), Professor Michael Clarke (King's College, London), Rear Admiral Richard Cobbold (RUSI), Jack Dromey (TGWU), Paul Eavis (Saferworld), Dr. Jonathan Eyal (RUSI), Sir Timothy Garden (RIIA), Dr. James Gow (King's College, London), Charles Grant (The Economist), Dr. Owen Greene (Bradford University), Dr. Rosemary Hollis (RIIA), Martin Kettle (The Guardian), Dave Knight (CND), Mark Laity (BBC), Alan Lee Williams (Atlantic Council), John Lloyd (New Stateman), Anne McElvoy (The Spectator), John MacKinlay (King's College, London), Edward Mortimer (Financial Times), Sebastian Pease (Pugwash), Dan Plesch (BASIC), Dr. Alex Pravda (St Antony's College, Oxford), Dr. Stephen Pullinger (ISIS), Professor Ron Smith (Birbeck College), Jon Snow (Channel Four), Dr. Claire Spencer (Centre for Defence Studies), Lord Wallace (LSE), Rt Hon Sir George Young MP (Conservative Party).
  11 July. Sir Michael Alexander (RUSI, Chairman), Malcolm Chalmers (Bradford University), Professor Julian Cooper (Birmingham University), Dr. Anne Deighton (St Antony's College, Oxford), Professor Lawrence Freedman (King's College, London), Dr. Phil Gordon (IISS), Dr. David Greenwood (Aberdeen University), Professor Eric Grove (Hull University), Dr. Tim Huxley (Hull University), Rebecca Johnson (Disarmament Intelligence Review), Robert Key MP (Conservative Party), Dr. Patricia Lewis (VERTIC), John Lloyd (AEEU), Paul Rogers (Bradford University), John Roper (RIIA), Jane Sharpe (Centre for Defence Studies), Prof Edward Spiers (Leeds University), David Travers (Lancaster University), Paul Wilkinson (St Andrews University).

  Nigeria
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation took place with the Central Council of Physical 22
  Recreation or national governing bodies of sport regarding the Government's sporting boycott of Nigeria; and if he will make a statement. [7998]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The EU Common Position on Nigeria adopted on 4 December 1995 agreed a series of measures including a sports ban implemented through the denial of visas to official delegations and national teams. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport wrote to the UK Sports Council on 12 December 1995 to inform them of this decision and they in turn advised the relevant national sporting bodies.

  NATO Enlargement (Slovenia)
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the admission of Slovenia to NATO; what steps his Department has taken to facilitate its admission; and what estimate he has made of the timetable for admission. [7807]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in the House on 9 July,Official Report, column 937. We see Slovenia as a strong candidate for any future enlargement of NATO.

  EU Presidency
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library his draft programme for the British presidency of the EU. [7699]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I have placed the provisional Calendar of Council meetings during the UK presidency in the Libraries of the House. A revised version will be produced in the autumn. Key events during the UK Presidency will include (dates remain to be decided):

  Draft Programme

  Early January:

  Visit to London by the College of Commissioners

  February/March

  Event in London to mark the formal start of the EU enlargement process

  Spring

  Council of Heads of State or Government to decide the participants in Stage III of Economic and Monetary Union

  15–16 June

  European Council in Cardiff

  There will in addition be a number of informal Ministerial Councils held in the UK.

  Interception of Communications
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many United Kingdom personnel are based inside the National Security Agency headquarters in Washington; and what is their function; [7617]

  (2) how many National Security Agency employees are based inside GCHQ at Cheltenham; what is their function; and what controls exist to ensure that the British national interest is protected. [7618]
  23
  Mr. Robin Cook
  It is a long-standing practice not to disclose details of specific staff deployments by the intelligence and security agencies. However, there are a number of UK personnel at National Security Agency (NSA) headquarters and a number of NSA personnel at GCHQ in a variety of posts.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what bilateral agreements exist between GCHQ and the National Security Agency allowing American personnel to tap the communications of United Kingdom nationals. [7622]

  Mr. Cook
  United Kingdom law applies to US operations in the UK and prohibits the unauthorised interception of communications carried on UK public telecommunications systems. National Security Agency personnel comply with that law.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many complaints have been received since 1990 from EU Governments concerning the interception of diplomatic and commercial communications by US personnel based in the UK. [7630]

  Mr. Cook
  We are not aware of any such complaints.

  Schengen Agreement
  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the documents comprising the Schengen acquis are to be incorporated into European Union law as part of the Amsterdam treaty. [6394]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 3 July 1997]: From the entry into force of the Schengen Protocol to be annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the European Community Treaty, the Schengen acquis, as defined in the Annex to the Protocol, will apply as a matter of EU law to all Member States except the United Kingdom and Ireland.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Wrongful Convictions
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 May,Official Report, column 111, what considerations are involved in the processing of a final claim for compensation prior to its presentation to the independent assessors; and how long on average such an assessment takes. [7397]

  Mr. Michael
  The independent assessment of a final claim for compensation is made on the basis of written submissions from the claimant or his or her solicitor, setting out the information which he or she would like the assessor to take into account. Based on this material, a memorandum is prepared by the Home Office which sets out the background to the wrongful conviction and summarises the claim. The claimant receives a draft of the completed memorandum and, subject to any comments which he or she may wish to make on its content, or to clarification of any points arising from his or her representations, it is then submitted, with the representations, to the assessor—currently Sir David Calcutt QC.
  24
  On average, the final assessment is received within six to eight weeks of submission of the substantive claim to the assessor.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 May,Official Report, column 111, what considerations must be taken into account when assessing whether an individual found by the Court of Appeal to have been wrongfully convicted may qualify for compensation; and how long on average such an assessment takes. [7396]

  Mr. Michael
  All applications for compensation are considered first under the provisions of section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and then, if the statutory requirements are not met, under the ex-gratia arrangements announced by the then Home Secretary in his statement to the House on 29 November 1985. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 17 June that he will continue to be bound by those arrangements.

  On average, a decision on whether an applicant qualifies for compensation is taken within six to nine months of receipt of the application.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 May,Official Report, column 111, how many requests for interim compensation payments were received in each of the past five years from individuals found by the Court of Appeal to have been wrongfully convicted; what considerations are taken into account when deciding whether to grant such a request; how many such requests were granted; and how long individuals wait on average before receiving a payment. [7398]

  Mr. Michael
  Twenty-two requests for interim payments were received during the last financial year, all of which were granted. No central record is held of requests for interim payments in preceding years.

  The question of whether and in what sum interim payments may be made is entirely at the discretion of the independent assessor.

  On average, an interim assessment is received within two weeks of submission of the request to the assessor and, subject to written confirmation that the claimant accepts the interim award in part payment of the amount to be finally offered, a payable order is sent within seven to 10 days.

  State of Emergency (Northern Ireland)
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the grounds for maintaining the state of emergency related to the affairs of Northern Ireland; and what plans he has to withdraw the United Kingdom derogation from its international obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. [7372]

  Mr. Straw
  The Government are currently considering what change might be made to the arrangements for extending detention under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989. Substituting judicial for executive authority for extensions would require primary legislation. In the interim, the Government
  25
  consider that the derogation in respect of article 5(3) of the European Convention on Human Rights continues to be necessary.

  Torture
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the next United Kingdom periodic report is due under the UN Convention Against Torture; and if he will consult with non-governmental organisations on its content. [7374]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The United Kingdom's third periodic report under article 19 of the United Nations Convention Against Torture is due to be submitted to the United Nations in January 1998. Non-governmental organisations will be consulted during preparation of the report.

  This is in keeping with the Government's wish for greater engagement with and openness toward non-governmental organisations.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what(a) meetings and (b) discussions have taken place since May between the staff of the Prison Service and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture. [7373]

  Mr. Straw
  There have been no official meetings or discussions between Prison Service staff and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) since May 1994 when the CPT last visited places of detention in the United Kingdom.

  Exclusion Orders
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many exclusion orders have been issued or renewed since May; how many orders are presently in force; and if he will make a statement. [7375]

  Mr. Straw
  Two orders have been renewed and two have been allowed to lapse. There are currently 20 orders in force. I am currently considering when and under what conditions it might be safe to remove the power of exclusion from the statute book in the context of wider consideration of prevention of terrorism legislation.

  Deportation Orders
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportation orders have been made against Irish nationals in each of the past 10 years. [7388]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The available information, which runs only from 1993, is given in the table.

  Deportation orders made against Irish Nationals, 1993–96

  Number

  1993

  9

  1994

  3

  1995

  2

  19961

  5

  1 Provisional data.

  Prisoners (Transfers)
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 19 May.Official Report, column 8, how many prisoners transferred to Northern Ireland on a temporary basis subsequently applied for a permanent transfer in each year since 1992; and how many of these requests were granted. [7389]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  The number of prisoners granted a temporary transfer who subsequently requested a permanent transfer, and the number of such requests granted, in each year since 1992 are as detailed in the table.

  Applications for permanent transfer to Northern Ireland

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  Number of applications

  5

  2

  13

  6

  11

  13

  Number granted

  3

  0

  1

  3

  0

  0

  1 One request is still under consideration.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 19 May,Official Report, column 8, if he will list for each year since 1992 the number of prisoners transferred from England to Northern Ireland on a temporary basis and those granted a permanent transfer, in each case identifying the seriousness of the crime for which they were convicted. [7390]

  Ms Quin
  The seriousness of a person's crimes is determined by the courts and reflected in the length of sentence imposed for the offence committed.

  The table shows the number of transfers to Northern Ireland, on either a permanent or temporary basis in each year since 1992, of prisoners sentenced to up to four years, and those sentenced to four years or more.

  Prisoners serving less than four years

  Prisoners serving over four years

  Temporary

  Permanent

  Temporary

  Permanent

  1992

  2

  0

  11

  5

  1993

  0

  0

  4

  0

  1994

  0

  1

  15

  5

  1995

  0

  2

  26

  11

  1996

  0

  3

  39

  3

  1997

  0

  2

  29

  0

  The table includes renewals of temporary transfer for prisoners previously transferred to Northern Ireland on a temporary basis.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 May,Official Report, column 8, how many applications for temporary or permanent prison transfers to Northern Ireland have been successful in each month since September 1994. [7391]

  Ms Quin
  Further to the answer given to my hon. Friend on 22 May 1997, a review of the data supplied has revealed that the information given was incomplete. This was due to errors in transferring data to the central
  27
  records, resulting in some omissions. In addition, the reply did not include all the renewals of periods of temporary transfer for prisoners previously transferred to Northern Ireland on a temporary basis.

  Permanent and temporary transfers to Northern Ireland since September 19941

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  TT2

  PT3

  TT

  PT

  TT

  PT

  TT

  PT

  January

  —

  —

  4

  0

  5

  0

  5

  2

  February

  —

  —

  5

  3

  5

  2

  6

  0

  March

  —

  —

  1

  0

  4

  1

  2

  0

  April

  —

  —

  1

  1

  0

  1

  5

  0

  May

  —

  —

  2

  0

  3

  0

  6

  0

  June

  —

  —

  1

  3

  3

  0

  5

  0

  July

  —

  —

  5

  4

  5

  1

  —

  —

  August

  —

  —

  4

  0

  7

  0

  —

  —

  September

  0

  0

  1

  1

  1

  0

  —

  —

  October

  1

  0

  1

  1

  2

  1

  —

  —

  November

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  —

  —

  December

  0

  0

  1

  0

  5

  1

  —

  —

  1 The table includes three applications which were approved, but the applicants later withdrew their request or were released before transfer could be effected.

  2 Temporary transfer.

  3 Permanent transfer.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will implement the recommendations of the 1992 inter-departmental review of the provisions governing transfer of prisoners between United Kingdom jurisdictions, with particular reference to the amendment of legislation; [7392]

  (2) if he will introduce arrangements to transfer responsibility for granting compassionate parole and other matters of regime for prisoners on temporary extended transfer to Northern Ireland to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. [7393]

  Ms Quin
  The Government remain committed to the statement made in the House on 23 November 1992 by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State accepting the recommendations of the inter-departmental working group on prisoner transfers. New legislative provisions governing the transfer of prisoners between United Kingdom jurisdictions are contained in schedule 1 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997.

  Arrangements relating to the handling of transfer requests and of transferred prisoners including decisions on temporary release, are currently being reviewed. We will make an announcement as soon as possible about implementation of these provisions.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions have been issued to prison governors to assist Irish prisoners who may wish to transfer to Northern Ireland or the Irish Republic; and what information is available for(a) prisoners and (b) their legal representatives to enable them to make an application. [7394]

  Ms Quin
  Applications submitted by Irish prisoners for transfer to another jurisdiction or for repatriation to the Republic of Ireland are treated in exactly the same way as any other application for transfer or repatriation submitted by a prisoner. Information to governors on the
  28
  The total number of permanent and temporary transfers granted in each month since September 1994 is given in the table:

  procedures to be followed in dealing with transfer and repatriation requests are contained in the following documents:

  Repatriation

  Instruction to Governors 101/95

  Foreign Prisoners' Resource Pack (Staff section)

  Transfer and Repatriation

  Prisoners' Requests/Complaints Procedures Manual (section H).

  These documents are available to prisoners. In addition, information on both transfer and repatriation is contained in the Prisoners' Information Book, which is issued to all prisoners.

  Transfer applications are determined in accordance with criteria announced to Parliament on 23 November 1992 by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

  Additional information, in response to specific enquiries from prisoners or their representatives, is provided by the transfer and repatriation section of the Prison Service.

  Copies of, or relevant extracts from the documents detailed above have been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many approved applications for transfer to the Irish Republic received from the Minister of Justice are still awaiting his decision. [8480]

  Ms Quin
  Eleven applications for repatriation to the Republic of Ireland, approved by the Irish authorities, remain to be determined.

  Special Secure Units
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 May,Official Report, column 77, what progress has been made in reviewing special secure unit operating standards following the report of Sir Donald Acheson concerning open visits by members of prisoners' immediate family. [7895]
  29
  Ms Joyce Quin
  The special secure unit (SSU) operating standards were reviewed following the receipt of Sir Donald Acheson's report in June 1996. The standards were amended to implement recommendations covering health reviews of prisoners, transfer of prisoners requiring emergency treatment in national health service hospitals and sentence management.

  Careful consideration was given to Sir Donald's recommendation that prisoners in SSUs should have access to open visits with members of their immediate family. The Prison Service has made numerous improvements to the security of SSUs but closed visits represent the only guaranteed means of preventing the passage of unauthorised items between prisoner and visitor. The policy of mandatory closed visits for exceptional risk prisoners will be kept under review, however, to ensure that it remains the appropriate response to the threat posed by such prisoners.

  Domestic Violence
  Mr. Healey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the Government's policy for tackling domestic violence; what measures his Department proposes to implement its policy; which of his Department's responsibilities in this area will be transferred to the Department of Social Security; and if he will make a statement. [7568]

  Mr. Michael
  We are currently examining the policies operating in this area, with a view to ensuring that we have an effective strategy against domestic and sexual violence. This strategy will take full account of our commitments to tackling crime in general, and to promoting equality and opportunity for women.

  Domestic violence is a serious and widespread crime which threatens many people in society, mainly women. Domestic violence is unacceptable in itself. It also impacts on many areas of the lives of victims—housing, health, education—and on the freedom to live their life without fear. The Government are committed to tackling domestic violence on every front.

  We have no plans to transfer to the Department of Social Security any of our responsibilities pertaining to domestic violence. My right hon. Friend, the Minister for Women, will be closely involved in the development and implementation of policies on domestic violence, as will colleagues from other Government Departments with an interest in this area.

  Animal Experiments
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department gives as to the maximum acceptable journey time for the transportation of non-human primates involved in or destined for animal experimentation. [8217]

  Mr. George Howarth
  No such guidance is given but, in considering whether to give approval for the acquisition of non-human primates from overseas sources for use under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the Home Office takes into account journey times, the mode of transport and the route by which the animals are imported.
  30
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his Department's inspectors have been employed as at 1 June in each year since 1987 to monitor animal experiments currently carried out in United Kingdom research laboratories. [8164]

  Mr. Howarth
  Figures for 1 June each year are not readily available, but the number of inspectors as at 31 December is published annually in "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain". The figures are as follows:

  1987: 19

  1988: 19

  1989: 18

  1990: 19

  1991: 19

  1992: 21

  1993: 20

  1994: 19

  1995: 18

  1996: 17.

  There are currently 17 inspectors in post and one vacancy which is expected to be filled in September.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken in respect of the contents of the Channel 4 programme of 26 March, "It's a Dog's Life," as they relate to Huntingdon Life Sciences. [8469]

  Mr. Howarth
  The Home Office took prompt and firm action. The personal licences of two individuals seen hitting and shaking dogs in the programme were immediately suspended and then formally revoked at the earliest opportunity allowed by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The local police were also asked by the Home Office to investigate possible offences under the Protection of Animals Act 1911 and I understand that individuals have now been charged.

  The Chief Inspector, who heads the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate, has carried out a detailed and thorough investigation into all the allegations made in the Channel 4 programme and the wider issue of the management and control of animal work within the establishment concerned. We expect to receive a comprehensive report before the end of July.

  The Animal Procedures Committee has endorsed the action taken by the Home Office and the nature and form of the investigation. The Committee has been kept fully informed of the progress and findings of this investigation and has been given the opportunity to advise about further action to be taken.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the impact of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 on the number of tests which are conducted on alternatives to animals. [7924]

  Mr. Howarth
  Tests which do not use animals are not regulated by the Home Office and information on the number of such tests is not, therefore, available.
  31
  The Home Office makes funds available through the Animal Procedures Committee to sponsor research into alternatives. A summary of the grants made and the outcome of the sponsored research is presented in the Committee's annual report.

  Identity Cards
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on issuing identity cards for the purpose of proving the ages of young people when purchasing alcohol. [8527]

  Mr. George Howarth
  As chairman of the Ministerial Group on Alcopops. I have had urgent talks with the drinks industry and other interests about tackling underage drinking. Among the issues which the group is considering is the use of proof of age cards. I shall make an announcement later this month.

  Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the London office and activities of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. [7166]

  Mr. Straw
  I have received one letter from a member of the public concerning the activities of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

  Pigeon Feeding
  Kate Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a decision on a byelaw to ban pigeon feeding in public places. [7465]

  Mr. George Howarth
  We are not persuaded that a byelaw to prohibit the feeding of pigeons in public places is justified. To create a criminal offence would be a disproportionate response and would criminalise otherwise law-abiding people.

  Local authorities already have powers under part IV of the Public Health Act 1961 to take steps to abate or mitigate any nuisance, annoyance or damage caused by the congregation of pigeons in any built-up area.

  Policing (Party Conferences)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to alleviate the cost burden from individual police authorities of extra policing during party conferences of(a) the Government party and (b) other parties. [8170]

  Mr. Michael
  Sussex police authority has been offered an additional £750,000 to help meet the costs of safeguarding national security at the Labour party conference in Brighton in October. Lancashire police authority has been offered a similar amount towards the costs of policing the Conservative party conference in Blackpool. No applications for additional funds have been received from police authorities in England and Wales in whose areas the conferences of other parties are to be held.

  Strip Searching
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of people strip searched in the custody of police(a) were not charged with any offence and (b) were not subsequently convicted of any offence. [8541]

  Mr. Michael
  The information requested is not collected centrally. Statistics collected centrally record the number of intimate searches carried out in police custody. An intimate search consists of the physical examination of a person's body orifices other than the mouth. Provisional figures for 1996 show that 132 intimate searches were recorded by police forces in England and Wales. The confirmed figure will be published later this year. Statistics held centrally do not show how many of those subject to intimate searches were charged with an offence. Strip searches, which involve the removal of more than outer clothing, are not separately reported centrally.

  Probation Officers
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to(a) revoke and (b) amend S.I., 1995 No. 2622, relating to the qualification required to be a probation officer. [8427]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question from the hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 7 July,Official Report, column 369.

  Prison Officers
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to ensure that prison officers are subject to the same search policy before coming on duty as applies to visitors to prisoners. [8568]

  Mr. George Howarth
  No. Where rub-down searches are deployed, my right hon. Friend has just announced that professional visitors, including prison officers, will be subject to a modified search, while general visitors will continue to be subject to the full rub-search procedure. This is following a Prison Service assessment that while there are exceptions, professional visitors and staff generally pose a lower level of risk.

  Prisoners (Alcohol and Drugs)
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serving prisoners were convicted of criminal offences committed during the currency of their sentence in the most recent year for which figures are available; and how many of these offences were drink or drugs-related. [8572]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Information on prisoners convicted of criminal offences committed whilst in custody is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  According to court proceedings data for 1995 collected centrally, 166 persons were returned to custody under sections 38 and 65 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991—failure to comply with early release licence conditions. Of these, six persons were sentenced at the same court

  33
  appearance for driving etc. after consuming alcohol or drugs. There were no persons sentenced for drug offences or for drunkenness.

  In 1995, 299 persons were returned to custody under section 40 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991—commission of a new offence before the previous sentence is served in full. Of these, five persons were sentenced at the same court appearance for drug offences and seven persons were sentenced for driving etc. after consuming alcohol or drugs. There were no persons sentenced for drunkenness.

  In 1995, a further 185 prisoners were recalled by the Parole Board under section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, of which 84 had committed further offences. Information on their offences is not readily available.

  1996 data will not be available until the autumn.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what measures he proposes to reduce illegal drug taking and alcohol consumption in prisons; [8567]

  (2) how many instances of illegal drug taking and alcohol consumption in prisons were discovered in the most recent year for which figures are available; and how many resulted in disciplinary action. [8569]

  Mr. Howarth
  In 1996–97 some 21,700 mandatory drug test samples were positive for drugs. This figure includes results from both random and targeted tests which led to 16,757 adjudications for misuse of controlled drugs. Information on the number of instances of alcohol consumption is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Knowingly consuming alcohol became a disciplinary offence in February this year. The first use of this charge in disciplinary proceedings occurred in May.

  The Government are fully committed to reducing the level of substance misuse in prisons. We intend to build on existing measures to reduce the supply of drugs in prisons by a combination of mandatory drug testing and drug treatment programmes. The Prisons (Alcohol Testing) Act was enacted in March this year. The Prison Service is currently considering the implementation of a pilot programme of mandatory alcohol testing.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Government schemes currently exist to enable serving prisoners to cure alcoholism or drug abuse. [8571]

  Mr. Howarth
  All prisons provide detoxification, education and counselling facilities to prisoners with substance misuse problems via the prison health care centre, probation department or community drug agencies. Many provide additional drug treatment programmes, for example, rehabilitation units or drug free areas supported by voluntary testing. The Prison Service is also spending £6.09 million this year on pilot drug treatment projects at 59 establishments. These include therapeutic communities, three-month treatment programmes, enhanced detoxification units, intensive counselling and education services and community-linked throughcare programmes.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what improvements he proposes to 34
  make in his procedures to search prison visitors to ensure that no illegal drugs or alcohol are brought into prisons. [8566]

  Mr. Howarth
  The Prison Service is implementing a range of measures to improve searching procedures which will minimise the smuggling of contraband into prisons. The most important one is the issuing of the new security manual at the turn of the year. This will publicise new standardised procedures for searching prisoners, visitors and vehicles, and will reinforce messages on good local supervision and audit of procedures. Recent increases in local training time should also contribute towards the improvement in searching procedures.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has held with(a) the Prison Officers Union and (b) prison governors concerning illegal drug taking and alcohol consumption in prisons; and if he will make a statement. [8570]

  Mr. Howarth
  We have not as yet had the opportunity for substantive talks on these particular topics. We are fully committed to reducing the level of drug and alcohol misuse in prisons and we will discuss developments with the trade unions as they arise.

  Prison Service
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for the further consideration of private sector involvement in the Prison Service(a) the expected completion date and (b) the cost of conducting the review. [8252]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  It is planned that the review should be completed by December and will be undertaken within existing resources with no significant additional cost.

  Raphael Rowe
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what papers were removed from the file on Raphael Rowe before it was passed to the Criminal Cases Review Commission; what has become of these papers; and if he will make a statement. [7859]

  Mr. Michael
  The files on all cases outstanding in the Home Office at the time the Criminal Cases Review Commission took on its caseworking responsibilities were transferred to the Commission in accordance with the terms of section 18(3) and (4) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1995. Material containing(a) advice from officials to Ministers, and Ministers' responses, and (b) legal advice to the Department, was removed from the files before transfer in accordance with convention. All such material has been retained on Home Office files.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Ashford High School
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 22 May,Official Report, column 126, if he will approve the application for grant-maintained status from Ashford high school, Middlesex. [7806]
  35
  Ms Estelle Morris
  The proposals from Ashford high school are under consideration and I cannot prejudge the final decision.

  Primary School Pupils (Stoke-on-Trent)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children in the constituency of Stoke on Trent, North reached the level expected for 11-year-olds in(a) literacy and (b) numeracy in each of the last five years. [7327]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The percentage of pupils reaching level 4 and above—the level expected for 11-year-olds—in the 1995 and 1996 English and mathematics National Curriculum tests in the schools in Stoke on Trent, North for which data are available is shown in the table. The national curriculum tests for 11-year-olds were introduced only in 1995.

  Per cent.

  English

  Mathematics

  1995

  34

  29

  1996

  48

  44

  Primary Class Sizes
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list those LEAs which(a) contain primary schools with class sizes above 30 and (b) have surplus primary school places. [7367]

  Number of 15-year-old pupils

  Percentage achieving five or more GCSE grades A*-C

  Number of pupils on roll

  Number with statements

  Percentage with statements

  North-east Lincolnshire

  Havelock School

  125

  6

  530

  12

  2

  Healing Comprehensive School

  149

  60

  760

  11

  1

  Hereford School

  195

  16

  1,036

  19

  2

  Humberston Comprehensive School

  141

  64

  693

  11

  2

  Lindsey School

  289

  33

  1,558

  21

  1

  Matthew Humberstone School

  215

  22

  1,158

  43

  4

  St. Mary's RC High School

  47

  28

  254

  1

  0

  The Immingham School

  205

  32

  997

  17

  2

  Waltham Toll Bar School

  294

  51

  1,750

  23

  1

  Western School

  156

  26

  696

  31

  4

  Whitgift School

  203

  21

  908

  11

  1

  Wintringham School

  206

  23

  855

  5

  1

  Lincolnshire

  Ancaster High School

  103

  29

  550

  21

  4

  Banovallum School

  72

  39

  370

  26

  7

  Boston Grammar School

  100

  91

  619

  —

  0

  Boston High School for Girls

  136

  92

  865

  —

  0

  Bourne Grammar School

  140

  96

  745

  1

  0

  Branston Community College

  188

  48

  1,035

  59

  6

  Caistor Grammar School

  86

  98

  550

  —

  0

  Caistor Yarborough School

  103

  28

  530

  12

  2

  Carre's Grammar School

  73

  96

  555

  2

  0

  Cherry Willingham Comprehensive School

  103

  41

  492

  42

  9

  Cordeaux High School

  98

  12

  577

  40

  7

  Coteland's School, Ruskington

  35

  6

  235

  8

  3

  De Aston School

  180

  49

  1,180

  52

  4

  Gleed Girls' GM School

  107

  37

  537

  7

  1

  John Spendluffe School

  60

  8

  380

  37

  10

  Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School

  168

  95

  988

  —

  0

  Kesteven and Sleaford High School

  75

  95

  564

  —

  0

  King Edward VI School

  120

  93

  527

  7

  1

  Lafford High School

  62

  16

  286

  21

  7

  Lincoln Christ's Hospital School

  180

  46

  1,234

  30

  2

  Lincoln School of Science and Technology

  1

  —

  693

  2

  0

  Monks Dyke School

  123

  22

  785

  26

  3

  North Kesteven (GM) School

  215

  51

  1,271

  17

  1

  Queen Eleanor School

  112

  17

  505

  35

  7

  36
  Mr. Byers
  All local education authority areas had surplus places in primary schools and all except City of London and Isles of Scilly had class sizes above 30 in primary schools. This information relates to January 1996, the latest date for which information on both surplus places and class sizes is available.

  Statemented Children
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will calculate the correlation between the number of statemented children in each secondary school and examination success by the schools in North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, Richmond (Surrey), the East Riding, Calderdale, Barnsley and Sheffield. [7666]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Available data for maintained secondary schools in these local education authority (LEA) areas, as published in performance tables in November 1996, are shown in the following table. Figures for numbers of 15-year-old pupils and for the percentages of such pupils achieving five or more GCSE grades A*-C relate to examinations in academic year 1995–96. Figures for numbers of pupils on roll and numbers with statements are taken from the Annual Schools Census in January 1996, with schools listed by the LEA in whose area they were located as at November 1996. Information on numbers of statements by age of pupil is not collected centrally, so it is not possible to correlate between numbers of 15-year-olds with statements and percentages of this age group achieving examination successes.
  37

  Number of 15-year-old pupils

  Percentage achieving five or more GCSE grades A*-C

  Number of pupils on roll

  Number with statements

  Percentage with statements

  Queen Elizabeth's CM Grammar School

  65

  88

  451

  1

  0

  Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School—Horncastle

  98

  96

  669

  1

  0

  Queen Elizabeth's High School

  177

  92

  981

  —

  0

  Robert Pattinson GM School

  225

  51

  1,169

  11

  1

  Sir John Gleed Technology School

  112

  13

  537

  27

  5

  Sir William Robertson High School

  90

  33

  419

  11

  3

  Skegness Grammar School

  104

  92

  636

  —

  0

  Spalding Grammar School

  98

  89

  762

  1

  0

  Spalding High School

  135

  92

  913

  2

  0

  Spilsby High School

  88

  30

  506

  17

  3

  St. Bede's Catholic School

  36

  31

  202

  14

  7

  St. George's College of Technology

  186

  33

  1,050

  78

  7

  St. Hugh's School

  76

  7

  368

  35

  10

  St. Peter and St. Paul RC High School

  100

  34

  452

  19

  4

  St. Wulfram's CofE High School (GM)

  75

  24

  409

  15

  4

  Tennyson High School

  68

  12

  296

  23

  8

  The Aveland School

  47

  26

  220

  7

  3

  The Birkbeck School

  45

  33

  287

  7

  2

  The Castle Hills GM Community School

  109

  13

  592

  44

  7

  The Central School

  116

  20

  635

  27

  4

  The Charles Read School

  50

  16

  225

  13

  6

  The City School

  178

  29

  749

  8

  1

  The Deepings School

  192

  45

  1,269

  26

  2

  The Earl of Scarborough High School

  198

  6

  893

  32

  4

  The Gartree (GM) School

  84

  37

  434

  16

  4

  The George Farmer School

  95

  23

  483

  30

  6

  The Giles School

  111

  29

  556

  30

  5

  The Haven High School

  146

  6

  558

  29

  5

  The King's School

  147

  94

  842

  —

  0

  The Middlecott School

  101

  18

  565

  18

  3

  The Middlefield School

  82

  6

  416

  15

  4

  The Peele County Secondary School

  65

  12

  309

  16

  5

  The Robert Manning School

  153

  29

  857

  27

  3

  The St. Guthlac School

  44

  9

  255

  17

  7

  The Thomas Cowley High School

  53

  19

  279

  25

  9

  The Walton Girls' High School

  108

  29

  493

  5

  1

  William Farr CofE Comprehensive School

  193

  52

  1,022

  13

  1

  William Lovell CofE School

  73

  15

  364

  14

  4

  Yarborough School

  205

  33

  1,025

  22

  2

  North Yorkshire

  Aireville School

  120

  18

  539

  23

  4

  Barlby High School

  115

  46

  580

  13

  2

  Bedale High School

  136

  49

  587

  10

  2

  Boroughbridge High School

  129

  55

  631

  11

  2

  Brayton High School

  216

  58

  1,134

  53

  5

  Easingwold School

  212

  57

  1,205

  23

  2

  Ermysted's Grammar School

  86

  100

  572

  —

  0

  Filey School

  106

  41

  525

  10

  2

  Graham School

  220

  47

  1,153

  19

  2

  Harrogate Grammar School

  239

  75

  1,643

  8

  0

  Harrogate Granby High School

  155

  37

  814

  26

  3

  Holy Family RC High School

  72

  51

  414

  3

  1

  King James's School

  248

  61

  1,492

  26

  2

  Lady Lumley's School

  134

  65

  829

  9

  1

  Malton School

  93

  59

  508

  12

  2

  Northallerton College

  297

  57

  907

  4

  0

  Norton College

  128

  41

  642

  24

  4

  Pindar School

  147

  31

  794

  20

  3

  Raincliffe School

  115

  39

  563

  18

  3

  Richmond School

  205

  55

  1,396

  15

  1

  Ripon City School

  93

  13

  398

  8

  2

  Ripon Grammar School

  98

  95

  690

  —

  0

  Risedale Community College

  94

  21

  508

  9

  2

  Rossett High School

  194

  48

  1,178

  20

  2

  Ryedale School

  67

  64

  351

  10

  3

  Scalby School

  210

  55

  1,046

  22

  2

  Selby High School

  162

  56

  852

  10

  1

  Settle High School and Community College

  143

  50

  538

  4

  1

  Sherburn High School

  146

  48

  800

  10

  1

  Skipton Girls' High School

  94

  100

  599

  —

  0

  South Craven School

  294

  42

  1,741

  28

  2

  St. Aidan's CofE High School

  225

  74

  1,531

  18

  1

  St. Augustine's RC School

  66

  32

  338

  9

  3

  St. Francis Xavier School

  58

  62

  341

  7

  2

  St. John Fisher RC High School

  132

  62

  899

  9

  1

  Stokesley School

  233

  70

  1,201

  14

  1

  Tadcaster Grammar School

  201

  59

  1,199

  19

  2

  The Wensleydale School

  82

  34

  463

  7

  2

  Thirsk School

  173

  50

  998

  9

  1

  Upper Nidderdale High School

  71

  42

  349

  17

  5

  38

  39

  Number of 15-year-old pupils

  Percentage achieving five or more GCSE grades A*-C

  Number of pupils on roll

  Number with statements

  Percentage with statements

  Upper Wharfedale School

  57

  47

  282

  4

  1

  Whitby Community College

  308

  47

  986

  20

  2

  Richmond (Surrey)

  Christ's School

  115

  32

  587

  12

  2

  Grey Court School

  211

  55

  1,043

  21

  2

  Orleans Park School

  180

  56

  957

  35

  4

  Rectory School

  183

  53

  873

  31

  4

  Shene School

  204

  45

  1,098

  28

  3

  Teddington School

  236

  65

  1,174

  20

  2

  Waldegrave School for Girls

  171

  65

  971

  10

  1

  Whitton School

  195

  40

  997

  36

  4

  East Riding

  Beverley Girls' High School

  138

  64

  760

  5

  1

  Beverley Grammar School

  93

  49

  680

  11

  2

  Bridlington School

  222

  23

  1,085

  33

  3

  Cottingham High School

  199

  55

  1,322

  12

  1

  Driffield School

  255

  43

  1,565

  21

  1

  Headlands School

  206

  31

  1,199

  52

  4

  Hessle High School

  147

  35

  919

  14

  2

  Hornsea School

  194

  49

  1,140

  10

  1

  Howden School

  149

  37

  726

  15

  2

  Longcroft School

  238

  43

  1,313

  38

  3

  Market Weighton School

  116

  48

  621

  4

  1

  South Holderness School

  305

  44

  1,730

  43

  2

  South Hunsley School

  186

  56

  1,322

  17

  1

  The Snaith School

  149

  60

  751

  11

  1

  Vermuyden School

  178

  28

  1,032

  14

  1

  Withernsea High School

  226

  34

  1,119

  16

  1

  Woldgate School

  208

  45

  1,152

  27

  2

  Wolfreton School

  357

  57

  2,051

  15

  1

  Calderdale

  Brighouse High School

  180

  47

  1,041

  12

  1

  Calder High School

  211

  40

  1,258

  28

  2

  Crossley Heath School

  96

  95

  724

  3

  0

  Halifax Catholic High School (GM)

  136

  44

  826

  12

  1

  Hipperholme and Lightcliffe High School

  165

  41

  905

  16

  2

  Holy Trinity CofE Senior School (GM)

  144

  45

  944

  18

  2

  Rastrick High School (GM)

  189

  50

  1,192

  18

  2

  Ryburn Valley High School

  209

  34

  1,202

  9

  1

  South Halifax High School

  76

  4

  421

  27

  6

  Sowerby Bridge High School

  159

  19

  878

  13

  1

  The Brooksbank School

  237

  35

  1,345

  11

  1

  The Halifax High School

  174

  12

  639

  24

  4

  The North Halifax Grammar School

  142

  97

  862

  1

  0

  The Ridings School

  123

  8

  663

  27

  4

  Todmorden High School

  175

  35

  910

  15

  2

  Barnsley

  Darton High School

  176

  34

  939

  26

  3

  Edward Sheerien School

  142

  21

  719

  39

  5

  Holgate School

  180

  34

  923

  28

  3

  Kirk Balk School

  208

  28

  964

  47

  5

  Penistone Grammar School

  246

  50

  1,540

  15

  1

  Priory School

  161

  24

  891

  31

  3

  Royston Comprehensive School

  116

  27

  643

  26

  4

  St. Michael's RC School

  129

  43

  632

  21

  3

  The Dearne High School

  257

  23

  1,267

  43

  3

  The Foulstone School

  177

  25

  887

  26

  3

  The Kingstone School

  248

  28

  1,343

  29

  2

  Willowgarth High School

  207

  15

  943

  46

  5

  Wombwell High School

  160

  30

  752

  23

  3

  Worsbrough High School

  132

  9

  545

  18

  3

  Sheffield

  Abbeydale Grane School

  109

  21

  511

  44

  9

  All Saints' RC School

  169

  47

  990

  16

  2

  Birley Comprehensive School

  208

  31

  975

  8

  1

  Bradfield School

  173

  42

  906

  18

  2

  Chaucer School

  194

  19

  965

  22

  2

  Earl Marshal School

  127

  8

  529

  17

  3

  Ecclesfield School

  314

  42

  1,598

  22

  1

  Firth Park School

  237

  19

  1,164

  16

  1

  Handsworth Grange School

  157

  27

  862

  13

  2

  Herries School

  109

  12

  573

  5

  1

  High Storrs School

  276

  67

  1,685

  24

  1

  Hinde House School

  183

  17

  944

  21

  2

  King Ecgbert School

  147

  47

  940

  14

  1

  King Edward VII School

  224

  62

  1,516

  9

  1

  40

  41

  Number of 15-year-old pupils

  Percentage achieving five or more GCSE grades A*-C

  Number of pupils on roll

  Number with statements

  Percentage with statements

  Meadowhead School

  323

  53

  1,615

  15

  1

  Myers Grove School

  163

  43

  742

  8

  1

  Myrtle Springs School

  235

  13

  1,079

  24

  2

  Newfield School

  178

  25

  949

  22

  2

  Notre Dame RC Comprehensive School

  181

  51

  1,038

  18

  2

  Silverdale School

  190

  75

  1,133

  20

  2

  Stocksbridge School

  167

  48

  692

  6

  1

  Tapton School

  196

  61

  1,471

  23

  2

  The City School

  228

  37

  1,154

  48

  4

  Waltheof School

  184

  14

  905

  19

  2

  Westfield School

  236

  35

  1,145

  11

  1

  Wisewood School

  155

  35

  659

  10

  2

  Yewlands School

  159

  17

  763

  25

  3

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the number per thousand pupils of statemented children in North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, Richmond (Surrey), the East Riding, Calderdale, Barnsley and Sheffield. [7701]

  Ms Morris
  Schools' returns for January 1996, the latest available, were aggregated for local education authorities existing at that time. North East Lincolnshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire became unitary authorities in April 1996 so, other than for schools appearing in performance tables, information on numbers of statements aggregated for these authorities is not readily available. Returns from schools in the other local education authorities are summarised in the following table.

  Local education authority

  Total pupils1

  Pupils with statements1

  Number of pupils with statements per statements per thousand pupils

  Lincolnshire

  97,785

  3,180

  32.5

  North Yorkshire2

  117,701

  2,787

  23.7

  Richmond upon Thames

  26,778

  482

  18.0

  Calderdale

  35,726

  821

  23.0

  Barnsley

  35,313

  1,054

  29.8

  Sheffield

  77,529

  1,848

  23.8

  1 Includes pupils in nursery, primary, middle, secondary, independent and special schools and pupil referral units within the local education authority area.

  2 Includes schools which transferred to the area of City of York local education authority from April 1996.

  New Deal
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the Environment Taskforce in the New Deal will be involved in any areas which are currently managed or maintained by local authorities. [8207]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Detailed discussions will begin shortly about the arrangements for delivering the New Deal, and the scope and nature of the work of the environment task force. Local authorities will have an important role to play in local discussions and planning.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what remuneration is to be paid to Sir Peter Davis for his work with the Advisory Task Force in the New Deal. [8205]

  Mr. Smith
  None.
  42
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment who will be responsible for the control of the Environment Taskforce in the New Deal. [8208]

  Mr. Smith
  The Employment Service will be responsible for implementing the New Deal for those aged 18 to 24 who have been unemployed for six months or longer. Whilst the Department will retain overall responsibility for the New Deal, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions will play a major role in setting up and delivery of the environmental task force. The main responsibility for monitoring the activities of the task force will lie with the Department, but the DETR will also have a role, given its wider responsibility for environmental matters.

  Youth Service
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what meetings he has held with local government representatives to discuss the audit of youth service provision; and if he will make a statement. [7658]

  Dr. Howells
  The Department will shortly be consulting the Local Government Association about the form and content of the audit of youth service provision. I have also agreed to meet representatives of local authorities to discuss a number of matters including the youth service audit. Their views will be taken into account together with those of other organisations consulted before the audit request is sent to local authorities.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many of his Department's publications have been available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in each year since 1992; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents in each case. [7642]

  Dr. Howells
  To identify and list publications that have been produced in these three formats within separate years would be very time consuming and possible only at disproportionate cost.

  At the present time, the Department has approximately 3,290 separate publications available. Of these 72 are available in Braille, 56 in audio tape; and 19 in large print. Therefore 2 per cent. of the total are available in Braille, 1.7 per cent. in audio tape and 0.6 per cent. in large print.
  43
  In recent years the Department's policy has been to make publications that will be of very wide public interest available in formats that are suitable for people with visual impairments. This will continue.

  "Excellence in Schools"
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment by what date copies of "Excellence in Schools: A Summary" will be available in Hindi and Punjabi. [8513]

  Mr. Byers
  Copies of the summary will be available to the public within the next two weeks.

  Disability Rights Commission
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the total annual cost of running the proposed Disability Rights Commission. [7739]

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Our manifesto commits us to supporting comprehensive, enforceable civil rights for disabled people. We are consulting interested parties on the best way to achieve this and we shall develop proposals in the light of our discussions. Estimated costs related to the proposals emanating from our manifesto commitment will be made available at the appropriate time.

PRIME MINISTER

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Adjournment Debate of 11 June,Official Report, columns 1253–60, if he will discuss with Chancellor Kohl (a) the recent statements made by the Public Prosecutor's office in Frankfurt on the role of Abgdol Hassam Mesbahi in respect of the destruction of PanAm 103 and (b) its consequences for UN sanctions against Libya. [8550]

  The Prime Minister
  No. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (Sir T. Taylor) on 11 July,Official Report, column 626.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent discussion with President Mandela relating to Libyan sanctions and Lockerbie. [7937]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 11 July 1997]: President Mandela and I agreed on the need to bring this tragic issue to a conclusion. I explained our position that to secure the lifting of sanctions, Libya must comply with the requirements of the Security Council Resolutions.

  National Heritage Department
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Prime Minister what plans the Government have for the Department of National Heritage; and if he will make a statement. [8896]

  The Prime Minister
  The Government have decided to refocus the Department of National Heritage to play a major part in the regeneration of our country for the future, working with the cultural industries, local 44
  government and the private sector to support creativity and also to create wealth and employment. As an expression of this change, the Department will be renamed the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and its responsibilities widened to include the music industries, which contribute some £2.5 billion to gross domestic product each year.

  My right hon. Friend, who will be known as the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, will develop a new and dynamic approach to the "creative industries". He will carry through the Government's commitment to a strategic vision for the British arts, media and cultural industries that matches their real power and energy.

  The formal steps necessary to change my right hon. Friend's title are in hand are expected to be completed shortly.

  Pension Schemes (Corporate Dividends)
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Prime Minister when he first discussed with his colleagues reducing the value of corporate dividends to group and individual pension schemes; whom they consulted about the consequences; and when they first advised the general public of their intentions. [8565]

  The Prime Minister
  We began our review of corporate tax two years ago while we were still in opposition, the review was mentioned on page 13 of our manifesto and on page 9 of our business manifesto. On taking office, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor started to put together his Budget taking advice as required. The details of the measures were announced in his Budget statement of 2 July.

  Open Government
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will consider opening to public inspection the pages relating to "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" in classmark CAB 171 of the Public Record Office which are currently being reviewed by the Cabinet Office.[8010]

  The Prime Minister
  All editions of "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" have been published. In addition any papers in classmark CAB 171 relating to each published version have been released and are available in the Public Record Office.

  Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Prime Minister what proportion of the time of the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe is spent on duties in(a) the Treasury and (b) the Department of Trade and Industry. [7432]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 9 July 1997]: The Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe expects to spend up to 20 per cent. of his time dealing with Treasury duties.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the oral answers of 3 July,Official Report, column 409; that to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley), Official Report, column 427, and that of

  45
  4 July Official Report, column 585, what factors led to the differences underlying each answer relating to the business interests of the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe. [7420]

  The Prime Minister
  There are no such differences.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Prime Minister what are the duties of the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe. [7429]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the right hon. Member to the List of Ministerial Responsibilities, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Disabled People (Harassment)
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the Government's policy on the harassment of disabled people; and which Department is responsible for the collection of statistics on such harassment. [6434]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 8 July 1997]: The Government deplore discrimination against disabled people and are committed to developing comprehensive and enforceable civil rights for disabled people against discrimination in society or at work.

  All members of society including disabled people are protected from harassment under the new criminal and civil measures in the Protection of Harassment Act 1997. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 gives disabled people a personal right to protection from detrimental action taken against them on account of their disability in a wide range of areas of life. The DDA also protects disabled people from being victimised for asserting their right. Statistics have not been collated centrally on acts of harassment or victimisation in relation to these Acts.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Ms Abbott
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will review the exclusion of the Minister without Portfolio from the rota for oral parliamentary questions. [7217]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 7 July,Official Report, column 324.

  Departmental Advisers
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list each person advising or assisting his Office who has(a) membership of and (b) involvement in (i) the European Round Table of industrialists, (ii) the European Centre for Infrastructure Studies, (iii) the Competitiveness Advisory Group, (iv) Transatlantic Business Dialogue, (v) the Association for the Monetary Union of Europe, (vi) Union of Industrial and Employers Confederations of Europe, (vii) Europa Bio and (viii) the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. [5306]

  The Prime Minister
  Membership of the European Round Table of industrialists, the Competitiveness Group and the Transatlantic Business Dialogue is on a personal basis. It is therefore not known whether any of the many people advising or assisting my office is either a member of, or has an involvement in, any of these bodies.
  46
  Membership of the European Centre for Infrastructure Studies, the Association for the Monetary Union of Europe, the Union of Industrial and Employers Confederations of Europe, Europa Bio and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development is on a corporate basis. Representatives from companies and organisations involved with these groups may advise Government Departments from time to time.

  Ministers (Transport Costs)
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the cost to public funds of his air travel(a) to the G7 Economic summit and (b) between Denver and New York; and if he will make a statement. [6287]

  The Prime Minister
  The cost of chartering a British Airways Concorde aircraft to transport me and the accompanying official delegation to Denver and New York amounted to £230,000. British Airways offered Concorde for a lower cost than a Boeing 767 which was the alternative aircraft we would otherwise have chartered. Part of the cost was met by the accompanying press.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Gazumping
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action his Department is taking to prevent gazumping. [8474]

  Mr. Hoon
  I have been asked to reply as responsibility for this topic lies with my Department.

  Work will shortly be under way across a number of Government Departments co-operating together which will, amongst other things, look closely at the problem of gazumping and will lead to detailed proposals which will be in the interests of everybody involved in the sale and purchase of homes.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Bishops' Residences
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what proposals the Church Commissioners have to change the amount of resources committed to bishops' residences. [6505]

  Mr. Bell
  The Commissioners have a duty to maintain the 44 See houses in their ownership. Houses occupied by suffragan bishops are the responsibility of their respective dioceses.

  A budget for each house is prepared on a year by year basis, following detailed consultation with the bishop and the surveyor/architect. They are drawn up in the light of professional advice on the existing condition of the properties, the potential maintenance liability, and the scope for creating more economic and manageable accommodation, where appropriate. The budgets are the minimum the Commissioners feel is consistent with the proper maintenance of those properties and the costs are monitored closely.

  Hagg Wood (Public Access)
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement about the Church Commissioners' policy on public access to Hagg Wood, near York. [6506]

  Mr. Bell
  The Commissioners are committed to protecting public rights of way over their land. Where appropriate, they are also prepared to enter into Access Agreements for specified permissive paths. In the case of Hagg Wood, discussions are in progress with York City Council and the leaseholder, the Forestry Commission, aimed at achieving a suitable Access Agreement.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

  National Audit Office (Staffing)
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what are the staffing implications for the National Audit Office of its role in validating the Chancellor's economic assumptions. [6504]

  Mr. Sheldon
  About twelve staff of the National Audit Office made a significant contribution to the Comptroller and Auditor General's recent report on the assumptions for the Budget projections, which had to be prepared in less than three weeks. The staffing implications of the National Audit Office's continuing role in auditing the public finances in future Budgets will be determined as the scale of the studies is defined.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Members' Interests
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what occasions(a) Ministers and (b) officials have refused to (i) arrange and (ii) attend meetings with hon. Members to discuss matters relating to interests registered by those hon. Members under categories 1, 2, 3, 4(b), 8 and 9 in the Register of Members' Interests. [8085]

  Clare Short
  The First Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life (Cm 2850) made it clear that, when Members are meeting Ministers or others on topics in which they have an interest, the onus is on the Member to declare that interest not the Minister to know (paragraph 63 of Cm 2850). It is not practicable for Ministers and officials to vet requests for meetings against the Register of Members' Interests. Should evidence of non-declaration emerge, or contravention of the Resolution of the House relating to delegations to Ministers, the matter would be brought to the attention of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will ensure that(a) Ministers and (b) officials of her Department refuse requests from hon. Members to (i) arrange and (ii) attend meetings relating to interests held by those hon. Members under categories 1, 2, 3, 4(b), 8 and 9 in the Register of Members' Interests. [8082]
  48
  Clare Short
  The First Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life (Cm 2850) recognised the value of enabling Members to retain interests outside the House, provided these were properly declared, both in the Register of Members' Interests and on other occasions. Subject to these requirements, and to the rules of the House relating to delegations to Ministers, Members are free to seek meetings with Ministers and officials, who will consider such requests alongside the many other approaches from individuals and organisations concerned to press their own interests or those of others.

  UNESCO
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what will be the cost of UNESCO membership in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99. [7869]

  Clare Short
  I refer the right hon. Member to the replies I gave to the hon. Member for Richmond Park, (Dr. Tonge),Official Report, 2 June 1997, column 26, and to the right hon. and learned Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham, (Mr. Hogg), Official Report, 20 May 1997, column 37.

  World Trade Organisation
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations her Department has made about establishing a human rights clause in the World Trade Organisation. [8014]

  Clare Short
  The Government is firmly committed to ending abusive labour practices, including exploitative child and forced labour, world-wide. We are pursuing this objective in the ILO and through other international fora. We are also exploring how the WTO might be used to reinforce this work.

  UNIDO
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what will be the cost to UK public funds of UNIDO membership in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99. [7867]

  Clare Short
  The UK contribution for 1997 was £3.8 million. The amount required for the 1998–99 biennium will be determined by the budget approved by member states at the December 1997 General Conference.

  Nigeria
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has received from British banks concerning her Department's projects in Nigeria. [8011]

  Clare Short
  My Department has not received any representations from British banks concerning our projects in Nigeria.

  Jordan
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has received from British banks concerning her Department's projects in Jordan. [8012]
  49
  Clare Short
  None, but British banks have given a series of seminars for Jordanian bankers funded by Department For International Development and organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers.

  Development Educational Council
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has for setting up a development educational council. [7870]

  Clare Short
  I am currently reviewing my Department's communications strategy, including development education, and will make an announcement in due course.

  Transnational Companies (Code of Conduct)
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she expects her Department to introduce a code of conduct for transnational companies operating in developing countries. [7832]

  Clare Short
  There is increasing support in the business community for the adoption of voluntary codes of conduct which set minimum labour and environmental standards. My Department is facilitating discussions on these issues and those of ethical trading with business and NGOs. We expect to be able to present further proposals in the Development White Paper in the autumn.

  Aid
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Development is taking to increase the level of UK aid spending. [8315]

  Clare Short
  As I have repeatedly made clear and as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has confirmed the Government are committed to raising the levels of overseas aid. We have also made it clear that we will work within existing financial ceilings this year and next while redirecting our spending towards the objective of eliminating poverty. As we demonstrate progress, I hope additional resources will be made available in line with our manifesto commitment.

  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will set a target date for the United Kingdom to reach the target of 0.7 per cent. of GDP for overseas aid spending. [7837]

  Clare Short
  As I have repeatedly made clear, we are firmly committed to the 0.7 UN aid/GNP target and to reversing the decline in UK aid spending but have not set a target date.

  Poverty
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the extension to a decade of the UN International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. [7926]

  Clare Short
  We welcome the International Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) as a means to focus efforts on addressing the root causes of poverty. I hope the IDEP will foster an increased understanding that poverty 50
  eradication is fundamental to reinforcing peace and achieving sustainable development for the world as a whole.

  Trade and Overseas Aid
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the number of United Kingdom jobs dependent on the link between trade and overseas aid. [7569]

  Clare Short
  Information is not available in the form requested. Development assistance helps to support jobs in the United Kingdom in several ways. Its key contribution is promoting economic growth in poorer countries. One in five UK exports goes to such countries. Some of the development assistance provided by donors offers procurement opportunities to competitive UK companies.

DEFENCE

  Eurofighter
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Eurofighter. [6518]

  Mr. Alan Keen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his proposals for production of Eurofighter. [6533]

  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the implications for the purchase of the Eurofighter for the Royal Air Force of the outcomes of(a) the defence review and (b) the Government's fundamental expenditure review. [6534]

  Mr. George Robertson
  The Government remain strongly committed to Eurofighter. The development programme is proceeding very satisfactorily. We are ready to sign the Memoranda of Understanding for the production and support phases and I hope that as a result of the positive outcome from German Cabinet discussion last Friday, final German approval can be secured in the Bundestag in Autumn.

  NATO Applicants
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are being taken to facilitate joint training, interoperability and other harmonisation measures between United Kingdom forces and countries that are applicants for NATO membership. [6519]

  Dr. Reid
  My Department's Outreach programme of bilateral co-operation with central and eastern European countries comprises a wide range of training and advisory measures. Outreach supports NATO's Partnership for Peace initiative, which seeks to prepare applicants for NATO membership and to enhance interoperability between NATO and all of the countries of the region.

  British Forces (Bosnia)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the length of stay of British Forces in Bosnia. [6521]
  51
  Mr. George Robertson
  British Forces will remain in Bosnia until the end of the stabilisation force's mandate in June 1998.

  Anti-personnel Land Mines
  Ms Christine Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the action taken by his Department in respect of anti-personnel land mines. [6522]

  Mr. George Robertson
  On 21 May we announced that we would ban all trade in anti-personnel land mines involving the United Kingdom—that is, their import, export, transfer and manufacture. We also introduced a complete moratorium on their operational use. We will phase out our stocks of such land mines by 2005 at the latest.

  Peacekeeping Troops
  Mr. Blunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of how satisfactorily troops established, trained and equipped for peacekeeping operations can be adapted for high-intensity conflict. [6523]

  Dr. Reid
  Experience in the Gulf and Bosnia suggests that high quality, well trained and well equipped forces are needed for both peacekeeping and high intensity warfare. We will evaluate this during the Strategic Defence Review, when we will be looking at how we should deliver the capabilities needed to meet all of our essential security interests and defence needs.

  Strategic Defence Review
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated cost of the Strategic Defence Review; and if he will make a statement. [6524]

  Mr. George Robertson
  We will make maximum use of existing structures to conduct the Strategic Defence Review. Additional costs will be incurred, including in the process of consultation with outside experts and interest groups. It is too early to predict the total additional cost.

  Mr. David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether decisions announced at the end of his defence review in respect of(a) Eurofighter aircraft, (b) the Trident submarine programme and (c) Nimrod 2000 will also be subject to the outcome of the Government's fundamental expenditure review. [6529]

  Mr. Spellar
  There will be one coherent review of defence. The Strategic Defence Review will be the Ministry of Defence's contribution to the Comprehensive Spending Review.

  Sir Sydney Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress with the Strategic Defence Review, with particular reference to his proposals to set up a panel of experts. [6689]

  Dr. Reid
  Work on the Strategic Defence Review is continuing, taking account of the many outside inputs received. The advisory panel of experts has not yet been formed. We expect to announce the names of members later in the summer.
  52
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has met trades unions for consultation on the Strategic Defence Review. [6757]

  Dr. Reid
  Discussions with trades unions on the Strategic Defence Review are being conducted through the usual consultation mechanisms. In addition, representatives of the trades unions attended the two Strategic Defence Review Seminars on 3 and 11 July.

  Joint Services Command and Staff College
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about progress on the Joint Services Command and Staff College. [6525]

  Dr. Reid
  Since the Joint Services' Command and Staff College came into being on 1 January this year in interim accommodation, some 16 Junior Division Courses and one Higher Command and Staff Course have been run under its auspices. Good progress has been made on the augmentation of the temporary Bracknell site, where the new joint Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC) and the next Navy Junior Division Course will start in the autumn. The beginning of the ACSC, for some 327 students including 90 from overseas, will be marked by an inauguration ceremony at Bracknell in early September. Bracknell will remain the primary interim site until a permanent facility is available, when it will be offered for disposal. Since their selection as preferred bidder in February, negotiations have continued with Defence management regarding their proposals for a permanent JSCSC at Shrivenham. A contract will be placed when negotiations have been satisfactorily completed.

  Deceased Pilots (Fatal Accidents)
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Royal Air Force has correctly been applying its rule in respect of a deceased pilot not being found guilty of negligence unless there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever of his responsibility for a fatal accident.
  [6526]

  Mr. Spellar
  I am content that the RAF has correctly adhered to the procedures governing the allocation of blame as set out in AP 3207, which contains the relevant instructions governing the conduct of RAF boards of inquiry.

  Armed Forces (Retention)
  Charlotte Atkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action his Department is taking to improve the rate of retention in the armed forces. [6527]

  Dr. Reid
  The Government are fully aware of the need to recruit and then retain sufficient numbers of the personnel of the right quality to meet the armed forces' requirements. My Department has taken several initiatives to improve the retention of trained personnel in all three services. In particular it has implemented the recommendation made by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body, in its 1997 Report to the Prime Minister, that the Commitment Bonus for Other Ranks, which is payable at the 4½ or 5 year service points, should be raised from £2,000 to £3,000. It has also targeted bonuses at specific groups of service personnel where retention problems have been identified; for example Sea Harrier pilots and
  53
  Marine Engineering mechanics in the Royal Navy, Army Private soldiers where skill shortages exist and junior ranks in the Royal Marines. The Government are also actively considering what other measures might be appropriate to improve retention in all three services.

  Service Women
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of proposals to allow women to serve in a front-line role in the infantry. [6528]

  Dr. Reid
  My Department is currently considering proposals for extending employment opportunities for women in the Army. No decision has yet been reached.

  MOD Land
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent he expects his Department's landholding in the United Kingdom to change in the next 12 months. [6530]

  Mr. Spellar
  The size and shape of the Defence Estate is kept under continual review to ensure that it is no larger than is required for operational purposes. There is an on-going disposal process from which, for example, the MOD budget benefited last year by some £100 million. The Strategic Defence Review now in progress will address the extent of the Defence Estate and I will report on the outcome in due course.

  Statement on the Defence Estimates
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where and when he will publish factual material on the activities of his Department and the armed services which is usually contained in the "Statement on the Defence Estimates". [6531]

  Dr. Reid
  Factual material on the activities of the Department and the armed forces in 1996–97, which would usually be contained in the Statement on the Defence Estimates, will appear in an expanded Ministry of Defence Performance Report which the Department plans to publish in the autumn.

  Territorial Army (Funding)
  Mr. Tony Colman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on funding for the Territorial Army and Voluntary Reserve. [6532]

  Dr. Reid
  We are confident that the funding of the Territorial Army is commensurate with its current role and the tasks placed upon it. The future role of the Territorial Army is being considered as part of the strategic defence review.

  Aircraft Procurement (RAF)
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received concerning procurement of aircraft for the Royal Air Force. [6535]

  Mr. Spellar
  A number of representations has been received on this subject.

  Submarines (Fishing Grounds)
  Mr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met representatives of commercial fishermen's organisations to discuss matters relating to the passage of NATO submarines through traditional fishing grounds. [6536]

  Dr. Reid
  My Department maintains regular contact with fishermen's organisations to discuss Royal Navy and other NATO submarine activity in areas frequented by fishing vessels. These discussions cover, amongst other things, the Code of Practice governing dived submarine operations in such areas, which has been agreed with fishermen's organisations and is applicable to Royal Navy and NATO submarines operating around UK waters. The Flag Officer Submarines has a Fisheries Liaison Officer who keeps in close touch with the fishing community, and my officials meet formally with fishermen's representatives once a year to discuss matters of mutual interest. We value all these contacts with the fishing community.

  Trident
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the final in-service date for the Trident fleet to be announced. [6537]

  Mr. Spellar
  There has been no change to the previously announced plan that the fourth and final Trident submarine will enter service early in the next century.

  NATO Enlargement
  Mr. Sutcliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress towards NATO enlargement. [6538]

  Dr. Reid
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Erewash (Ms Blackman).

  Defence Medical Services
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken to improve the efficiency of the defence medical services. [6539]

  Dr. Reid
  The Defence Medical Services (DMS) is an efficient organisation staffed ny dedicated personnel who provide a high standard of medical care. I am well aware that there are, however, serious shortages in manpower and we are looking urgently at measures to improve recruitment and retention. In this context, I hope very soon to be in a position to respond to the recent report by the House of Commons Defence Select Committee.

  The Government have recently accepted the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) which bring medical and dental officers' pay more closely into line with that of their NHS colleagues. In addition, pensions will, from April 1997, be based on the new medical and dental pay scales rather than combatant pay. We hope that these changes will improve the attractiveness of a career in the DMS. The future structure and organisation of the DMS, will of course, need to reflect the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review.

  Armed Forces (Training)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current training capacity of the British armed forces. [6540]

  Mr. Reid
  The three services compile their training data in different ways and comprehensive and comparable figures are, therefore, not available. However, the following is a guide to the current training capacity for Financial Year 1997–98:Royal Navy and Royal Marines
  3,428,000 student training days;
  Army
  4,040,298 student training days;
  Royal Air Force

  (a) Flying Training—aircrew (all types) 2,129 student places on a variety of different courses.

  (b) Ground Training—Around 35,000 student places on some 700 different types of course.

  The figures given are for individual training to ensure that our people are fully equipped to meet the tasks placed upon them. They do not include collective continuation training, which is an ongoing requirement to maintain operational effectiveness. The training requirement is carefully planned to allow for flexibility without wastage and is being met through the single service training agencies and by some tri-service defence schools.

  Defence Exports (Indonesia)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next expects to meet members of the Indonesian armed forces to discuss defence exports; and if he will make a statement. [6541]

  Mr. Spellar
  Currently there are no plans for the Secretary of State, or any other Defence Minister, to meet members of the Indonesian armed forces to discuss defence exports.

  Foresight Action Programme
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the funding by(a) his Department, (b) other Government Departments and (c) British aerospace companies this year and in each of the following two years for the foresight action programme. [6520]

  Mr. Spellar
  I very much welcome the imaginative proposals of the Society of British Aircraft Companies in its foresight action programme. My Department has already identified programmes that can be aligned with Foresight Action and is considering the potential of others. I am pleased to be able to tell the hon. Gentleman that as part of our planning process we are also evaluating promising future programmes.

  34 Field Hospital
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list(a) the number of personnel on the recent exercise by 34 Field Hospital at Elvington airfield, (b) the numbers planned for theatre operational deployment by 34 Field Hospital and (c) numbers available currently for operational deployment by 34 Field Hospital, by each
  56
  specialty described in the current Defence Medical Services Army manning spreadsheet; and if he will make a statement. [8547]

  Dr. Reid
  (a) 229 personnel from 34 Field Hospital participated in Exercise BOB CAT at Elvington airfield, near York, between 27 May and 16 June of this year.

  (b) the number of hospital personnel who would deploy on operations, in 34 Field Hospital's current role in support of the Joint Rapid Deployment Force (JRDF), would depend on the composition of the force that is to deploy and the size of the hospital that is required to support that force. The following table illustrates the number of medical personnel that deploy with a hospital according to the number of beds and surgical teams the force will require, which in turn is dependant on the nature of the operation. The different requirements for beds and surgical teams are grouped into four categories.

  Theatre operational deployment by 34 field hospital

  Serial

  Reinforcement category

  Total troops (cumulative)

  Beds

  Surgical teams

  1

  1Cadre

  106

  25

  1

  2

  2Category 1

  121

  25

  2

  3

  Category 2

  172

  50

  2

  4

  Category 3

  270

  100

  4

  5

  Category 4

  506

  200

  8

  1 The Reinforcement Category "Cadre" is a permanent staff that are based in barracks and provide the manpower for peacetime activities including command, equipment husbandry and administration.

  2 Categories 1 to 4 are reinforcement staff, who are mostly provided by Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA). Personnel to make up Categories 1 and 2 are nominated in advance, but the balance of personnel to make up Categories 3 and 4 are found as required from the balance of DSCA personnel.

  (c) 34 Field Hospital is available for deployment with a full complement of the required specialists. The table below lists the personnel currently available for operational deployment, by speciality, and according to the various reinforcement categories.

  Work is in hand to consider the future of the Operational Medical Capability requirements of the Armed Forces.

  Defence Industry
  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals the Government have to improve co-operation with the United Kingdom defence industry. [7344]

  Mr. Spellar
  I refer the my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Frind the Member for Barrow and Furness (Mr. Hutton),Official Report, 16 June 1997, column 78.

  Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
  Mr. Collins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (1) pursuant to his answer of 4 July,Official Report, column 303, what other organisations were represented at the meeting with Mr. Knight of CND; [8171]

  (2) pursuant to his answer of 4 July, Official Report, column 303, what written materials were made available to Mr. Knight of CND during his meeting with Ministers; [8173]
  57
  (3) pursuant to his answer of 4 July, Official Report, column 303, what other organisations were represented at the meeting with Mr. Knight of CND. [8172]

  Dr. Reid
  A list of those from outside Government who participated in the Strategic Defence Review seminar held on the 3 July is as follows:

  Sir Brian Fall—Chairman

  Josh Arnold-Forster, United Nations Association

  Menzies Campbell (Liberal Democrat)

  Professor Michael Clarke, Kings College London, peacekeeping

  Rear Admiral Richard Cobbold, Royal United Services Institute

  Jack Dromey, Transport and General and Vice Chairman of the Whitley Council

  Paul Eavis, Saferworld

  Jonathan Eyal, Royal United Services Institute, European security

  Sir Timothy Garden, Royal Institute for International Affairs

  Charles Grant, The Economist

  Owen Green, Bradford University

  James Gow, Kings College of London, Balkans

  Rosemary Hollis, Royal Institute for International Affairs, Middle East

  Martin Kettle, Guardian

  Dave Knight, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

  Mark Laity, BBC

  Alan Lee Williams (Atlantic Council of the UK)

  John Lloyd, New Statesman

  Ann McElvoy (Spectator)

  John MacKinley, Kings College London, peacekeeping

  Edward Mortimer, Financial Times

  Sebastian Pease, British Pugwash Group

  Dan Plesch, British American Security Information Council

  Dr. Alex Pravda, St. Antony's Oxford, Russia

  Stephen Pullinger, International Security Information Service

  Ron Smith, Birbeck, defence economist

  Jon Snow, Channel 4

  Peter Snow, BBC

  Clare Spencer, Centre for Defence Studies, Middle East

  Lord (William) Wallace, LSE, Europe

  Sir George Young (Conservative)

  All participants at the seminar were provided with an agenda for the meeting, a copy of the Ministry of Defence press release of 28 May and a list of the other representatives.

  Royal Naval College
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to conclude negotiations between Greenwich Hospital, the Greenwich Foundation for the Royal Naval College and a new tenant for that site; and if he will make a statement. [8163]

  Dr. Reid
  We hope negotiations will conclude in the autumn, so as to allow the Foundation to take responsibility for the Royal Naval College Greenwich progressively as it is vacated by the Royal Navy through to 1999.

  Humanitarian Projects
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of MOD personnel, military and civilian, who are working(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) overseas on identified humanitarian projects. [6764]

  Dr. Reid
  Information on the numbers of personnel engaged in humanitarian projects is not held centrally. However, in the former Yugoslavia 26 Service personnel work full-time on a range of humanitarian projects funded by the Department for International Development. Other humanitarian tasks are undertaken as the need arises. According to available records, on 1 July 1997 approximately 100 service personnel were assisting in flood relief operations in the Moray area of Scotland. On the same date HMS Liverpool and RFA Black Rover were in the vicinity of the island of Montserrat to provide any necessary assistance in the wake of the volcanic eruption. Parties were put ashore to assist in the construction of additional emergency facilities. It is likely that individual or small groups of service and civilian personnel were also taking part in humanitarian projects as a result of local initiatives.

  Historic Buildings, Greenwich
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of plans to promote the historic heritage at Greenwich by co-ordinating the activities of the National Maritime Museum and the new owners of Greenwich hospital. [7816]

  Dr. Reid
  The Greenwich Foundation for the Royal Naval college is working alongside the National Maritime Museum and other organisations to plan both for the development of the proposed World Heritage site, to which the Royal Naval college is central, and to develop plans for the display of the history of the college itself.

  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the present position and the planned time scale in respect of the transfer of Greenwich Hospital to new owners. [7817]

  Dr. Reid
  The Ministry of Defence will cease use of the Royal Naval college Greenwich progressively up to mid-1999. Following the departure of the Joint Defence and Royal Navy Staff colleges this summer, the Department of Nuclear Science and Technology will cease training at Greenwich in late 1998. MOD occupation is planned to cease in mid-1999 on completion of the decommissioning of JASON, the small teaching reactor. The Greenwich Foundation for the Royal Naval college is negotiating with the Director of Greenwich hospital on the terms of a lease by which it will hold the site, with potential occupants, and is working closely with staffs in my Department and in the Department of National Heritage, with the aim of taking over the site progressively as MOD use ceases.

  Interception of Communications
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he takes to ensure that the terms of the Geneva International Telecommunications conventions are complied with by(a) UK nationals involved in military activities and (b) US nationals based in the UK involved in military activities. [7625]
  59
  Dr. Reid
  Article 48 of the International Telecommunication Union Convention allows members complete freedom with regard to military radio installations, except that these should as far as possible observe statutory provisions relative to giving assistance in case of distress and to measures to prevent harmful interference, and regulations concerning the types of emission and the frequencies to be used.

  Every military radio user requires authorisation from the Ministry of Defence, which is responsible for ensuring that all military use of the radio spectrum in the United Kingdom complies with the Convention and for allocating frequencies to users.

  Visiting forces' radio systems are authorised for use by the Ministry of Defence on the basis of a technical assessment. If the deployment of radio equipment is approved in principle the procedure for assigning frequencies should prevent operation of the equipment from causing harmful interference to existing equipment.

  If interference is reported in spite of the procedures the complaint will be investigated.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the security of tenure agreement between the UK and US Governments which allows the use of RAF Menwith Hill by US personnel comes to an end. [7629]

  Dr. Reid
  There is no security of tenure agreement in place at RAF Menwith Hill. The assurances that were given to the US authorities in 1955 and again in 1976 that the site would be made available to the US Forces by Her Majesty's Government for a period of 21 years, and which are known as the security of tenure arrangements, were given to facilitate the commitment of US funding to the station. They were an administrative mechanism, and did not constitute any form of renewable lease for the site.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safeguards are in place to prevent American personnel based in the United Kingdom under the Visiting Forces Act 1952 committing offences under the Interception of Communications Act 1985; and what mechanisms are in place to detect any such offences. [7619]

  Dr. Reid
  Under the terms of the agreements that we have with the US authorities, the US visiting forces are subject to the laws of the UK in the same way as their British counterparts and this includes respecting the provisions of the Interception of Communications Act. We are content that the US authorities adhere scrupulously to these agreements.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provisions exist for(a) the UK Government and (b) UK nationals to secure compensation for damage or losses caused by US personnel based in the UK who are on duty. [7631]

  Dr. Reid
  Provisions contained in the NATO Status of Forces Agreement deal with compensation issues. The agreement establishes a mutual waiver under which contracting parties will not claim from each other if the damaged property was owned and used by its Armed Forces. If the property is owned by a UK National, the Ministry of Defence will investigate a claim and pay any compensation due, in accordance with United Kingdom law. The United States will reimburse the United 60
  Kingdom 75 per cent. of the sum paid. This arrangement is of course reciprocal. Alternatively, a third party can issue proceedings against the US State Department through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have taken place between the UK and US Governments regarding RAF Menwith Hill since 1 May; and if he will make a statement. [7627]

  Dr. Reid
  Discussions between UK and US officials take place on a regular basis in order to ensure that arrangements at the stations work smoothly.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what statutory provisions govern the powers of United States service men at Royal Air Force Menwith to intercept communications. [7494]

  Dr. Reid
  US visiting forces in the UK are subject to all applicable UK laws.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that American personnel based at Menwith Hill do not monitor United Kingdom diplomatic and economic communications. [7623]

  Dr. Reid
  Senior UK personnel are integrated into every level at RAF Menwith Hill and we are thus in a position to be entirely confident that British staff are aware of all facets of operations and that no activity considered inimical to British interests is carried out there.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlay the decision to redesignate Menwith Hill Station as RAF Menwith Hill. [7621]

  Dr. Reid
  RAF Menwith Hill is a Crown freehold site belonging to the Ministry of Defence. The designation RAF Menwith Hill came into effect on 19 February 1996. This was simply an administrative change to bring the base into line with other RAF sites made available by the Ministry of Defence to the United States Government.

  Visiting Forces
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims and what sum in total has been paid(a) to the United Kingdom Government and by whom and (b) by the United Kingdom Government and to whom for damage to property under the Agreement regarding the Status of Forces of Parties to the North Atlantic treaty since 1967. [7616]

  Dr. Reid
  The NATO Status of Forces Agreement establishes a mutual waiver under which Contracting Parties will not claim from each other if the damaged property was owned and used by its Armed Forces. If, however, such damage results from reckless acts or reckless omissions, wilful misconduct or gross negligence of a contracting party, the costs of any liability will be borne by that party alone.

  The cost of claims for damage from third parties are shared between the relevant contracting parties on a ration of 75 per cent. : 25 per cent. The UK Government prepare a statement twice a year requesting reimbursement of 75 per cent. of the sums paid in the course of that period in respect of claims from third parties as a result of damage caused by the relevant contracting party.

  61
  Information on property damage claims is not, however, held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if US personnel based in the UK who are deemed to be on duty are permitted to carry arms anywhere within the UK. [7632]

  Dr. Reid
  Members of the US forces may carry firearms on condition that they are authorised to do so by their orders.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which RAF bases housing US personnel are(a) regarded and (b) not regarded as part of the NATO network. [7626]

  Dr. Reid
  All US visiting Forces based in the United Kingdom are available to undertake tasks in support of NATO.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will review the Visiting Forces Act 1952 in respect of the limits it imposes on the absolute legal jurisdiction of the United Kingdom Government within the United Kingdom; [7624]

  (2) what plans he has to review the Visiting Forces Act 1952; and if he will make a statement. [7628]

  Dr. Reid
  I am satisfied that the provisions of the Visiting Forces Act 1952 remain appropriate in order to comply with our continuing international treaty obligations.

  RAF Menwith Hill
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF personnel are based at RAF Menwith Hill; and what are their functions and powers. [7620]

  Dr. Reid
  There is a small number of RAF personnel at RAF Menwith Hill. I am withholding the further information requested under exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Nuclear Materials (Transportation)
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Government(a) is consulted on, (b) is informed of and (c) gives clearance to movements of nuclear materials by US personnel within the UK. [7603]

  Dr. Reid
  All movements of nuclear materials, including weapons, by US personnel within the UK and its airspace take place in full consultation with my Department. This enables appropriate safety cover to be provided by MOD personnel.

  Plastic Baton Rounds
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 June,Official Report, column 262–63, why the RUC was not informed immediately when it became apparent that some plastic baton rounds were firing faster than the specified velocity. [8264]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 11 July 1997]: As I explained in answers to my hon. Friend on 19 June, Official Report, column 263 and 1 July, Official Report, column 738, the assessment of initial tests in early 1996
  62
  showed that the tests were not conclusive. Following further tests, my Department decided in February 1997 that plastic baton rounds manufactured in 1994 should be withdrawn. The RUC were notified of this in March.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 June,Official Report, columns 262–63, how many of the 45,000 withdrawn plastic baton rounds are to be (a) reworked and (b) incinerated. [8273]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 11 July 1997]: Following further consideration, we have decided that of the 45,000 rounds, 14,000 will be considered for reworking but may be incinerated if they do not meet the required standard. The remaining rounds not being reworked will be expended in training.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what happened to the plastic baton rounds from the faulty batch supplied in 1994 which were neither among those withdrawn in April this year nor among those fired by the RUC and the Army since that time. [8265]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 11 July 1997]: All batches of baton rounds manufactured in 1994 were withdrawn from operational use in April.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 30 June,Official Report, columns 62–63, if the guidelines ruling the use of plastic baton rounds by the armed forces are a classified document. [8275]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 11 July 1997]: The guidelines currently issued to service men are classified restricted. I have, however, decided that, in accordance with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, the information concerned should be made available. As my hon. Friend will know from my letter of 7 July, a copy of the current text of the guidelines has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 June,Official Report, columns 262–63, what facts need to be established before he can consider action against the manufacturer of faulty plastic baton rounds. [8272]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 11 July 1997]: The case for possible action against the manufacturer will be considered when a more detailed assessment of the cause of the problems can be completed.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who monitors the use of plastic baton rounds by the Army in Northern Ireland. [8270]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 11 July 1997]: The use of plastic baton rounds by the Army in Northern Ireland is monitored by commanders at all levels.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 June,Official Report, column 372, what procedures were in place in 1994 to ensure that stocks of plastic baton rounds continued to conform to specifications; and what new procedures are now being put in place to ensure that existing stocks of plastic baton rounds continue to conform to specifications. [8271]
  63
  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 11 July 1997]: All batches of rounds were tested by the contractor at the time of manufacture to enable the Department to accept them against the proof specification. There was no further regular in-service testing within the shelf life of the baton rounds, other than observation of performance in training. A new regime of testing is being introduced for all future purchases, under which each batch will be tested by the manufacturer followed by an independent assessment directly after manufacture and then regularly during the service life of each batch.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 30 June,Official Report, column 73–74, if alternative supplies of plastic baton rounds meeting the correct specifications were available early in 1995 when it became apparent that the 1994 rounds were faulty. [8268]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 11 July 1997]: No alternative supplies were available in 1995.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 30 June,Official Report, columns 262–63, when the results of tests on baton rounds manufactured in 1996 became available. [8274]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 11 July 1997]: The contractor's test results were available immediately after manufacture of each lot between January and October 1996. Additional firing tests were completed in August 1996 with a report available in October 1996.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 30 June,Official Report, column 73–74, if the plastic baton rounds made in 1996 were specifically manufactured to ensure that their velocities were below the recommended level. [8267]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 11 July 1997]: The 1996 rounds were specifically manufactured to ensure that their velocities were below the upper specification limit of 70 metres per second.

  Defence Sales
  Sir George Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with the Foreign Secretary on the review of defence sales policy. [6645]

  Mr. Spellar
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has consulted my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on a number of occasions, in the course of normal business, on the criteria used in considering licence applications for the export of conventional arms.

  Redundant Land
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the advantages of changing the method of disposal of redundant Ministry of Defence land. [7878]

  Mr. Spellar
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 2 June 1997,Official Report, column 12.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Area Museum Councils
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the future of area museum councils. [7847]

  Mr. Fisher
  A review of area museum councils was recently carried out for the Department by Mr. Tony Pender. His report was published in May and copies placed in the Libraries of the House. We are considering the recommendations he made about the future of the councils within the broad context of the Government's approach to regional and cultural strategies and the creative economy.

  Tourist Facilities
  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will introduce legislation to improve standards in facilities for tourists. [7712]

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  "Breaking New Ground" set out the Government's commitment to high standards in tourism and hospitality. We are considering carefully with the ETB and the industry the action necessary to achieve this.

  Birmingham Botanical Gardens
  Ms Gisela Stuart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will visit the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. [7704]

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to visit the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

  Hotels
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to introduce a standardised rating system for hotels in(a) London and (b) England. [8169]

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  We welcome the proposals announced earlier this year by the ETB, AA, and RAC for the rating of hotels. The Government therefore has no immediate plans to introduce a standardised rating scheme of its own.

  Royal Yacht
  Mr. Desmond Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what will be his Department's role in the preservation of the Royal Yacht Britannia when she is retired from service. [7580]

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  [holding answer 10 July 1997]: My Department is represented on the Government's interdepartmental group which is considering the future of Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia.

SCOTLAND

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of his Department's publications have
  65
  been available in (a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in each year since 1992; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents in each case. [7640]

  Mr. Dewar
  In the last five years the number of publications made available in Braille and audio tape is set out in the table.

  Year

  Braille

  Audio tape

  1992–93

  6

  2

  Percentage of total publications

  4.9

  1.6

  1993–94

  1

  2

  Percentage of total publications

  0.8

  1.6

  1994–95

  3

  3

  Percentage of total publications

  2.9

  2.9

  1995–96

  3

  4

  Percentage of total publications

  2.5

  3

  1996–97

  2

  3

  Percentage of total publications

  1.3

  2

  No large print publications have been issued.

  A1 (Lorries)
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the average and maximum number of weekly lorry movements on the A1 road in East Lothian expected to be generated by the use of the new landfill facility at Oxwell Mains for rubbish from Edinburgh. [7698]

  Mr. Chisholm
  The waste from Edinburgh will be transported to the Oxwell Mains landfill site by rail. Only in emergency situations, to be agreed by East Lothian Council, would the A1 trunk road be used for this purpose.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Deregulation
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the Government's policy towards deregulation; and if he will make a statement. [7574]

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  We are committed to ensuring that regulations are fair, properly costed, simple to understand and practical to comply with. We aim to deliver responsible and responsive regulation for business, particularly small firms, and the citizen. I have appointed Chris Haskins to chair a new Better Regulation Task Force and the Deregulation Unit has similarly been renamed the Better Regulation Unit to reflect the fact that our priority is to get regulation right.

WALES

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for the Review of Compulsory Competitive Tendering in Wales(a) the expected completion date and (b) the cost of conducting the review. [8240]
  66
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him today by my hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich (Mr. Raynsford).

  Dyfed Powys Health Authority
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the Dyfed Powys health authority's total expenditure in 1996–97 was accounted for by(a) managerial and administration costs, (b) wages, (c) salaries and (d) fees. [8411]

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  Total expenditure in 1996–97 by the Health Authority was £357.328 million, within which the HA's own costs were:

  Cost £000

  Percentage of total expenditure

  1. Non Executive Directors fees

  57

  Less than 0.1

  2. Executive Directors Remuneration

  337

  0.1

  3. Other salaries and wages

  3,108

  0.9

  4. Other administration costs

  823

  0.2

  Source: Unaudited accounts of the Dyfed Povvys Health Authority. Please note all percentages are given to the nearest 0.1 per cent.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many of his Department's publications have been available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in each year since 1992; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents in each case. [7639]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  My Department has made available bi-lingual versions of the following publications both in large print and audio tape since 1995. For previous years comparable information is not readily available.
  1995–96 The Mental Handicap Strategy guidance (audio tape).A Brief Guide to the Disability Discrimination Act for people with learning disabilities (large print and audio tape).1996–97 A Patients Charter for Wales (audio tape).
  This represents about 2 per cent. of the total number of publications produced in each year.

  In addition we plan to produce the forthcoming Devolution Summary Document bi-lingually, both in large print (RNIB approved) and audio tape.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Exclusion Orders
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many exclusion orders have been issued or renewed since May; how many orders are presently in force; and if she will make a statement. [7370]

  Mr. Ingram
  No exclusion orders have been renewed or issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State since May, and none for which she is responsible are currently in force.

  Departmental Budgets
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, following the recent Budget, she will give her estimate of the total real level of her Department's budget, in 1995–96 prices, in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99; if she will estimate what such figures were for (1) 1997–98 and (2) 1998–99 following the November 1996 Budget on the basis of the estimates of the GDP deflator contained in that Budget; and if she will make a statement. [8309]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The figures requested for my Department's spending plans within the Control Total are as follows: £7,791 million, £7,664 million, £7,864 million and £7,741 million. In addition Northern Ireland will benefit from part of the expenditure outside the Control Total which was announced in the Budget, for Welfare to Work and spending under the Capital Receipts Initiative.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what new plans she has to introduce cuts and savings in her Department as a result of the effect on her Department's budgets for 1997–98 and 1998–99 of the upward revisions to the GDP deflators in the Budget on 2 July; and if she will make a statement. [8310]

  Mr. Murphy
  All Departments are reallocating spending within their Departmental ceilings as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Minimum Wage
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if her Department will assess the impact of the national minimum wage on small businesses in Hampshire; and if she will make a statement. [7665]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  The likely impact of the introduction of the national minimum wage on small businesses is one of the issues to be considered by the independent Low Pay Commission before it issues its recommendation on the level at which the national minimum wage might be set. To help in this deliberation the Commission members will include representation from small business.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what timetable has been established for the Low Pay Commission(a) to reach a conclusion on the recommended level of the minimum wage and (b) to propose measures relating to the implementation of the minimum wage. [7657]

  Mr. McCartney
  Professor George Bain, the Chairman of the Low Pay Commission, will be working up a timetable for the Commission to enable it to produce a recommendation on the level at which the national minimum wage might be introduced.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will publish the terms of reference of the Low Pay Commission; and if she will make a statement. [7650]

  Mr. McCartney
  The terms of reference of the independent Low Pay Commission will be published in due course. We will ask the Commission, in making its 68
  recommendation on the level at which the national minimum wage might be set, to take into account the economic circumstances prevailing at the time.

  Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe established a blind trust for his non-British Petroleum shareholdings. [7552]

  Mrs. Beckett
  Lord Simon's trust holdings have been in a discretionary trust since they were established. He has had no sole right of decision on these investments, and will have no power of decision in future. Lord Simon decided to transfer his non-trust holdings into a blind trust in accordance with guidance in "Questions of Procedures for Ministers" on his appointment as Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe and set in hand the necessary arrangements. The legal structure of this transfer was proposed on 18 June. Legal finalisation is now proceeding. Lord Simon refrained from giving any trading instructions to his bank in respect of any of these investments following his appointment.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when and how her Department was informed that the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe should be kept apart from any information or decisions which could affect British Petroleum. [7550]

  Mrs. Beckett
  From the date of his appointment the Minister's private office has made sure, as agreed between Lord Simon and the Permanent Secretary, that no papers on matters having a bearing on BP are seen by the Minister, and that he is not invited to meetings to discuss BP issues.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when and by whom it was decided that the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe could not be involved in matters affecting British Petroleum. [7548]

  Mrs. Beckett
  As would be expected, the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe decided for himself on the day of his appointment that he should not be involved in matters affecting British Petroleum.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions she has had concerning the compliance of the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe with procedures for Ministers. [7553]

  Mrs. Beckett:
  I sought confirmation about the position reached on arrangements for handling his investments on the afternoon of 3 July, following which I wrote to the right hon. Member on 4 July.

  Travel Trade
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will make a statement on the Government's policy concerning travel agencies owned by tour operators or general travel companies; [7853]

  (2) if the statement made in Athens by the Under-Secretary with responsibility for consumer affairs that Lunn Poly shops should be rebranded as Thomson shops represented Government policy. [7848]
  69
  Mrs. Beckett
  The Monopolies and Mergers Commission are currently investigating foreign package holidays and travel agents services and will report in November. Any concerns which they may raise will be considered when the report is received.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she asked the Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs to issue a correction to his statement at the Athens conference concerning the travel trade. [7849]

  Mrs. Beckett
  No. My hon. Friend did not make a statement in Athens—he participated in a panel session at a conference organised by the Institute of Travel and Tourism. Among the issues raised in that discussion was vertical integration in the travel industry, which my hon. Friend correctly pointed out was still under investigation by the MMC.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she asked the Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs to step down from consideration of the MMC investigation into the travel trade. [7852]

  Mrs. Beckett
  No. My hon. Friend announced on 1 July that he had decided to rule himself out of consideration of the MMC report into the travel trade. This was at his own initiative.

  Competitiveness
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will give for the consultation on competitiveness(a) the expected completion date and (b) the cost of conducting the consultation. [8249]

  Mrs. Beckett
  (a) The consultation exercise is intended to lead to the publication of a White Paper early next year. Beyond that, I believe that a continuing dialogue with business interests is essential to enhancing the UK's competitiveness.

  (b) It is not possible at this stage to give a precise separate figure for the cost of the consultation exercise, which has not yet been formally launched.

  Timeshare
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs has made formal complaints to the Portuguese and Greek Governments about timeshare operations. [8475]

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  No. The timeshare industry is relatively small in Greece and complaints resulting from timeshare purchases by UK citizens in Portugal are considerably fewer than in Spain. I am however concerned that some Member States have not yet implemented the EU Timeshare Directive and will be seeking information on their plans.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs has made a formal complaint to the Spanish Government about timeshare operations; and if she will publish the complaint and the response. [8473]

  Mr. Griffiths
  I wrote to the Spanish Government on 9 June about the failure to implement the EU Timeshare Directive in Spain to protect timeshare buyers. Spain has 70
  no cooling-off period. I am awaiting a reply. I have placed a copy of my letter in the Library of both Houses. I will also place a copy of the response.

  Business Support
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans her Department has to control business practices which involve companies claiming fees in advance for services which are freely available through Government-supported operations. [8479]

  Mrs. Roche
  My Department is aware of cases of unscrupulous practice by a small number of companies—so called "grant cowboys"—who trade in grant availability advice to businesses. My advice to firms approached by such companies is to talk to their Business Links, who are a local and reliable source of advice on the full range of business support that is available both from the EU and other sources.

  We will continue to keep the matter under review.

  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what restrictions apply to Business Link support for small firms; and if she will make a statement. [7899]

  Mrs. Roche
  Business Links are able to support all small firms within the limitations of European Community State Aid rules.

  Royal Observatories
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps she took to examine the feasibility of privatising the Royal Greenwich Observatory in(a) Edinburgh and (b) Cambridge. [8351]

  Mr. Battle
  The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) was obliged by the previous Government to implement the recommendations of the prior options review of the Royal Observatories, including subjecting the instrumentation programme provided by the Royal Observatories to competitive tendering. The tendering process was suspended in November 1996 following the discovery of significant legal and financial difficulties. In the light of developments since then, PPARC approached me with fresh advice asking to be released from this obligation. I announced my acceptance of this advice in an answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Ms Hodge) on 4 July.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the representations the Minister for Science, Energy and Industry received from hon. Members on the proposed closure of the Royal Greenwich Observatory in Cambridge prior to the closure announcement; and if she will publish those representations. [8472]

  Mr. Battle
  It is for hon. Members to publicise their approaches to me, should they wish to do so.

  Telecommunications
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport over responsibility for telecommunications; and if she will make a statement. [6877]
  71
  Mrs. Beckett
  None.

  Ministerial Visit (Japan)
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on her trade visit to Japan; and how many contracts for British companies resulted. [7682]

  Mrs. Beckett
  [holding answer 10 July 1997]: I visited Japan from 26–28 May. This was my first overseas visit as President of the Board of Trade and the first by a member of this Government to Japan. My purpose was to underline the importance we attach to close bilateral relationship we have with Japan. I met a wide variety of Japanese industrialists and spoke at a number of high-level events designed to promote further Japanese investment and trade.

  My early visit was warmly welcomed by the Japanese government and business community.

  Free Trade
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is her Department's policy on a target date for global free trade. [6368]

  Mrs. Beckett
  The Government is committed to working with our trading partners within the EU and beyond on the progressive reduction of barriers to trade around the world and on the further development of multilateral trade liberalisation through the World Trade Organisation. The success of this process will determine the pace at which we can move towards global free trade.

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will publish her Department's submissions relating to freedom of information legislation. [6034]

  Mrs. Beckett
  [holding answer 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 columns 293–94.

  Nuclear Power
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will take steps to ensure that the IAEA is supplied with detailed information from Euratom concerning the export and import of nuclear materials through the European Union. [6397]

  Mr. Battle
  Euratom notify the IAEA of information on the export and import of nuclear material from and to the European Union. This is a requirement of the three relevant safeguards Agreements: INFCIRC/193 (Euratom/IAEA/EU non-nuclear weapon States), INFCIRC/263 (Euratom/IAEA/UK) and INFCIRC/290 (Euratom/IAEA/France).

  Mr. Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will take action to ensure that the IAEA is allowed access to German power plants in order to undertake verification inspections. [6414]
  72
  Mr. Battle
  This is a matter for the parties to the relevant safeguards Agreement between Euratom, the IAEA and the European Union non-nuclear weapon states (known as INFCIRC/193). The IAEA's rights with respect to inspections are specified in Articles 70–82 of that Agreement.

  Export Licences (Indonesia)
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will seek legal advice as to the consequences of revoking the export licences for Hawk jets, Alvis armoured vehicles and GKN water cannons not yet delivered to Indonesia and make such legal advice available to the House. [6322]

  Mrs. Roche
  [holding answer 3 July 1997]: Advice has been sought on the lawfulness of the possible revocation of licences for the export of Alvis armoured vehicles and police vehicles from Procurement Services International (including water cannon), not yet delivered to Indonesia.

  It has not been the usual practice of successive Governments to make available to the House legal advice received in any area.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if she will make a statement on her policy on the use of the NFFO for incineration plants for waste to energy; [7613]

  (2) what discussions have taken place with VEDCO in respect of the possible incineration plant in East Sussex; [7754]

  (3) what moneys have been allocated to VEDCO under the NFFO scheme to develop a waste to energy plant in East Sussex. [7738]

  Mr. Battle
  I have already announced that I will initiate shortly a consultation exercise with the relevant trade bodies of the renewable energy industry, OFFER and the regional electricity companies on a fifth non-fossil fuel obligation (NFFO-5) order for renewable energy in England and Wales, leading to an announcement later in the year. VEDCO Energy Ltd were contracted by the regional electricity companies to generate 18.311 MW of electricity in an energy from waste plant at Newhaven, East Sussex in order to secure the capacity required by the last NFFO order, NFFO-4. Under the contract VEDCO Energy Ltd would be paid within the range of 2.66 to 2.80 p/kWh for the electricity generated. They will need to obtain planning permission for their project unless they have already done so. No discussions with VEDCO Energy Ltd in respect of this project.

  Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the recent speeches made by the Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs,(a) Antwerp and (b) in Athens represent Government policy. [7408]

  Mrs. Beckett
  [holding 9 July 1997]: The Speech made by my hon. Friend to the Institute of Trading Standards

  73
  Administration Conference in Antwerp set out both the actions already set in hand and future intentions concerning measures to improve consumer protection and as such was fully in line with Government policy in this area. My hon. Friend did not make a speech in Athens—he participated in a panel session at a conference organised by the Institute of Travel and Tourism. Among the issues raised in that discussion was vertical integration in the travel industry, which my hon. Friend correctly pointed out was still under investigation by the MMC.

  Towards 2000 Trade Exhibition
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will attend the Towards 2000 Trade Exhibition in October 1997 in New Delhi. [6862]

  Mrs. Beckett
  [holding answer 8 July 1997]: The Towards 2000 Exhibition is being held at the time of the State Visit of HM the Queen and the HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. I will be visiting India myself later in the year, as one of my first overseas visits as President of the Board of Trade.

  Ferry Line Merger
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to announce a decision in respect of the Monopolies and Mergers inquiry into the proposed merger of Stena and P and O. [5191]

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she expects to publish the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report into the merger between P and O and Stena Line before the end of July. [5994]

  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consultations she has had with the European competition authorities concerning the P and O and Stena merger; what action she is taking; and if she will make a statement. [5201]

  Mrs. Beckett
  [holding answer 24 June]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) on 2 July, Official Report, column 181. Consultation is taking place with the European Commission.

  Number of non-elective finished consultant episodes by region in each quarter in 1995–96

  Thousands

  Region

  Quarter 1

  Quarter 2

  Quarter 3

  Quarter 4

  Northern and Yorkshire

  139

  136

  143

  144

  Trent

  121

  125

  131

  138

  Anglia and Oxford

  93

  98

  100

  98

  North Thames

  128

  127

  136

  132

  South Thames

  122

  124

  127

  134

  South and West

  130

  128

  139

  134

  West Midlands

  108

  108

  111

  97

  North West

  157

  169

  166

  169

  England

  998

  1,015

  1,053

  1,047

  Post Office
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps she is taking to ensure that the Post Office can operate with greater commercial freedom. [4280]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  The options for granting greater commercial freedom to the Post Office are being examined in the context of the review which I announced on 16 May.

HEALTH

  Emergency Admissions
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency admissions to hospital there were by health service region in each month since January 1995; and if he will make a statement. [6751]

  Mr. Milburn
  Information in the form requested is available only between January and March 1995. However quarterly figures for non-elective finished consultant episodes are available from April 1995 to March 1997.

  Emergency admissions to hospital by Region of treatment, NHS hospitals, England, January to March 1995

  Region

  January 1995

  February 1995

  March 1995

  Northern

  21,698

  20,244

  22,324

  Yorkshire

  26,088

  23,556

  25,107

  Trent

  23,908

  20,796

  22,143

  East Anglian

  15,490

  13,582

  14,918

  North-west Thames

  15,881

  14,582

  16,111

  North-east Thames

  26,040

  23,297

  25,541

  South-east Thames

  21,938

  19,823

  21,870

  South-west Thames

  16,035

  14,726

  16,680

  Wessex

  17,340

  16,404

  17,930

  Oxford

  14,248

  12,939

  14,540

  South Western

  20,166

  18,105

  20,512

  West Midlands

  33,945

  30,484

  32,910

  Mersey

  18,958

  16,503

  18,120

  North Western

  30,181

  27,323

  29,200

  England

  301,917

  272,364

  297,906

  Note:

  The data are grossed for coverage. Figures are rounded and may not total.

  Source:

  Department of Health, Hospital Episode Statistics HES.

  75

  Number of non-elective finished consultant episodes by region in each quarter in 1996–97

  Thousands

  Region

  Quarter 1

  Quarter 2

  Quarter 3

  Quarter 4 (estimate)

  Northern and Yorkshire

  152

  147

  157

  164

  Trent

  120

  122

  130

  133

  Anglia and Oxford

  99

  98

  106

  108

  North Thames

  129

  133

  137

  140

  South Thames

  128

  128

  133

  137

  South and West

  135

  133

  139

  144

  West Midlands

  112

  114

  114

  131

  NorthWest

  166

  172

  178

  178

  England

  1,040

  1,048

  1,094

  1,134

  1. All figures are derived from the NHS Executive's Quarterly Monitoring system. Figures for 1995–96 have been adjusted to estimate the effects of definitional and boundary changes to allow direct comparison with 1996–97 information.

  2. The figures relate to activity commissioned using NHS funds by health commissions in 1995–96 and health authorities in 1996–97. This includes activity in private hospitals and NHS hospitals outside England, but excludes private patients and patients from outside England treated in English hospitals.

  3. The figures are on a different basis to the long standing series published annually in "Ordinary and day case admissions for England". This annual series is based on activity reported by NHS hospital and community Trusts and includes private patients and patients from outside England.

  4. Quarter 1 covers the three-month period of April. May and June. The subsequent quarters cover each three-month period thereafter.

  5. Non-elective finished consultant episodes comprise largely of all episodes during a patient spell in hospital which began either with an emergency admission or with a transfer from another hospital.

  Medical Negligence
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors underlie the rise in his Department's expenditure on medical negligence between 1996–97 and 1997–98. [6802]

  Mr. Milburn
  It is too early in the financial year for there to be any figures for 1997–98 with which to make comparisons. Estimated costs to the National Health Service of clinical negligence claims in fact fell in 1995–96 to £149.1 million from £160 million in 1994–95.

  Increases in clinical negligence expenditure in previous years should not be taken as an indication that the National Health Service is failing. Rather, patients are developing a better understanding of the treatment and services available to them, and a greater awareness of their rights to compensation when something does, unfortunately, go wrong.

  Computers (Century Date Change)
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's timetable for dealing with the Year 2000 Computer Problem; who is in charge of the project; how many staff are working on it; and what is the projected cost of resolving the problem; and whether the project is on schedule. [7133]

  Ms Jowell
  The Department has conducted an audit of all its computer systems and produced a high level plan to address the problem. The Department is committed to having all business critical systems fully compliant by the Central Information Technology Unit recommended deadline.

  The work programme is being co-ordinated by the Department's head of applications development and support who reports to the Departmental Information Systems Steering Committee on the Year 2000 issue.
  76
  All IT staff have a responsibility for ensuring applications under development are Year 2000 compliant. There are currently five staff dedicated to Year 2000 work.

  A fully costed, timed and prioritised programme of remedial work will be prepared by the autumn.

  PFI Hospital Projects
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those construction companies, consortia, banks and any other organisations which have written to him confirming their willingness to proceed with PFI hospital projects once legislation dealing with the vires issues has(a) been passed by Parliament and (b) received Royal Assent. [7419]

  Mr. Milburn
  I refer the right hon. Member to the replies I gave the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo) on 22 May 1997 at column 176 and on 9 June 1997 at columns 299–300.

  NHS Expenditure
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if money released in the budget Statement for the financial year 1998–99 for NHS expenditure can be used directly or indirectly so as to enable(a) health authorities and (b) NHS Trusts to (i) reduce their deficits in 1997–98 and (ii) carry such deficits forward. [7723]

  Mr. Milburn
  Health Authority allocations for 1998–99 will be announced in the autumn. These cannot be spent in 1997–98. However, knowledge of the resources available in 1998–99 will help health authorities and trusts to plan their financial management of 1997–98 with more confidence and influence their decisions.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the actions required to be taken by an NHS trust if its accounts are in deficit at the end of a financial year. [7446]
  77
  Mr. Milburn
  National Health Service trusts have the one statutory duty to break even taking one year with another. If a trust reports a deficit in its accounts it will be expected to recover the deficit over an agreed timescale.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS trusts and health authorities which were in deficit at the end of 1996–97 indicating the size of the deficit for each. [7762]

  Mr. Milburn
  The information requested is available in the Library.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will update Table 2.1 in his Department's annual report taking into account the additional allocation of moneys for 1997–98 announced by the Chancellor on 2 July. [7463]

  Mr. Milburn
  We shall update Table 2.1 in the next Departmental Report.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors underlay the deficits for(a) Bradford, (b) Dudley, (c) Ealing, (d) Hammersmith and Hounslow, (e) Enfield and Haringey, (f) Lambeth, (g) Southwark and Lewisham, (h) Merton, (i) Sutton, (j) Wandsworth, (k) North Essex, (l) Redbridge and Waltham Forest, (m) Wakefield and (n) West Surrey and Wiltshire health authorities for 1996–97. [7757]

  Mr. Milburn
  The factors which underlay the health authority deficits reported in 1996–97 include overspends resulting from extra-contractual referrals, general practitioner fundholder overspends and the need for service changes.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish a list of those health authorities which have recurrent deficits. [7761]

  Mr. Milburn
  The information requested will be placed in the Library in due course.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the annual real terms increase or decrease in resources available to the national health service(a) in England and (b) in Wales for each financial year since 1978–79. [7454]

  Mr. Milburn
  The annual real terms increases in National Health Service resources in England from 1978–79 are set out in the table. Questions relating to Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  NHS Total Gross Expenditure (England)1

  Year

  Percentage real growth2

  1978–79

  3.2

  1979–80

  1.8

  1980–81

  10.1

  1981–82

  2.2

  1982–83

  1.8

  1983–84

  1.5

  1984–85

  2.4

  1985–86

  0.2

  1986–87

  4.4

  1987–88

  4.5

  1988–89

  4.2

  1989–90

  0.7

  1990–91

  3.6

  1991–92

  6.4

  78

  NHS Total Gross Expenditure (England)1

  Year

  Percentage real growth2

  1992–93

  5.2

  1993–94

  0.6

  1994–95

  3.6

  1995–96

  1.9

  1996–97

  1.2

  1997–98

  0.5

  1 NHS gross expenditure is made up of Government expenditure (raised by taxation), plus income from sources such as charges for services, receipts from land sales and income generation schemes.

  2 The percentage real terms growth is calculated using the GDP deflator of 27 June 1997.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the administrative costs of each health(a) authority and (b) trust in England (i) in total and (ii) as a percentage of their budget for 1996–97. [7452]

  Mr. Milburn
  The information requested is contained in the publication "Health Authority Costs and Management Costs in National Health Service Trusts" published in March 1997, copies of which are available in the Library. This details individual health authority costs and trust management costs for 1995–96, as well as planned costs in 1996–97. Final accounts figures for Health Authority costs and trust management costs in 1996–97 are expected to be available towards the end of the year.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish by speciality for each hospital trust the numbers of people on their waiting lists in May(a) 1992 and (b) 1997. [7453]

  Mr. Milburn
  Waiting list information for all trusts is collected quarterly and is not therefore available for the month of May. The latest information, which shows numbers of patients waiting by trust, specialty and six-month timebands, is contained in "Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England at 31 March 1997", copies of which are available in the Library, as is the corresponding publication giving the position on 31 March 1992.

  Elderly Care Beds (North Staffordshire)
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes of meetings relating to ward changes involving elderly care beds in North Staffordshire as supplied to the North Staffordshire Community Health Council. [7449]

  Mr. Boateng
  I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library shortly. The Government are committed to ensure openness within the National Health Service and full consultation on substantial variations in service that affect patient care.

  Private Health Insurance
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the impact on NHS waiting lists of the abolition of tax relief on private health insurance for the elderly; and if he will make a statement. [8533]

  Mr. Milburn
  Any such estimate would be pure speculation. Most of the people who benefited from the tax relief were existing policy holders. It would be wrong
  79
  to assume that they will turn to the National Health Service in large numbers for treatment because the relief which had not been available when they first opted for private health insurance was now being withdrawn.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department's publications have been

  Braille

  Audio tape

  Large print

  1992–93

  —

  While You Are Pregnant

  —

  —

  Keep Warm Keep Well

  —

  —

  Community Care Changes in April 1993

  Community Care Changes in April 1993

  —

  The Health of the Nation and You

  —

  1993–94

  Continence

  Continence

  —

  European Drug Prevention Week: You and Your Child

  European Drug Prevention Week: You and Your Child

  European Drug Prevention Week: You and Your Child

  Keep Warm Keep Well

  —

  1994–95

  Informability

  Informability

  Informability

  Helios Speeches

  Helios Speeches

  —

  Keep Warm Keep Well

  —

  —

  Inform 92

  —

  Maternity Services Charter

  —

  Maternity Services Charter

  The Patients Charter and You

  The Patients Charter and You

  The Patients Charter and You

  1995–96

  Patient's Charter

  Patient's Charter

  Patient's Charter

  Dual Sensory Guidelines

  Dual Sensory Guidelines

  —

  Practical Guide for Disabled People (HB6)

  Practical Guide for Disabled People (HB6)

  —

  —

  Keep Warm Keep Well

  —

  —

  Searching For Service

  —

  —

  Continence

  —

  1996–97

  How To Get The Best From Maternity Services

  —

  —

  —

  Keep Warm Keep Well

  —

  —

  Community Care

  —

  —

  —

  NHS Complaints

  —

  Help With NHS Treatment Costs (HC11)

  Help With NHS Treatment Costs (HC11)

  —

  Moving into a Care Home

  Moving into a Care Home

  NHS Complaints

  NHS Complaints

  NHS Complaints

  Joint Commissioning
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to encourage joint commissioning between NHS trusts and social service departments of local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [7633]

  Mr. Boateng
  It is health authorities rather than National Health Service trusts who are responsible for joint commissioning with social service departments. Social care, health and housing are becoming increasingly inter-related and this needs to be reflected both in the planning and commissioning of services and in the care package delivered to individuals.

  Officials are looking into new ways of working to further support joint commissioning between agencies.
  80
  available in (a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in each year since 1992; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents in each case. [7641]

  Mr. Boateng
  Publications made available in Braille, audio tape and large print by this Department for each year since 1992 are given in the table.

  Information on the percentage of the total number of publications this represents in each case could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. The Department does not have a central record of all publications produced.

  Mental Illness
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend the list of medical conditions set out in the National Health Service (Remission of Charges) Regulations 1988 and the National Health Service (Remission of Travelling Expenses and Charges) (Scotland) Regulations 1988 to include acute mental illnesses, with particular reference to(a) manic depression and (b) schizophrenia. [7700]

  Mr. Milburn
  Prescription charges and all other aspects of Government spending, are being reviewed as part of the Government's comprehensive spending review.

  Obstetrical Brachial Palsy
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will investigate delays in the referral of children with obstetrical brachial palsy for primary nerve surgery. [7636]

  Mr. Boateng
  Most children with obstetrical brachial palsy make a spontaneous recovery, but in severe and persistent cases—once identified early referral to consider surgical remedy is desirable. The decision to refer, and when to do so, is a matter for clinical judgment.

  Emergency admissions to hospital by Region of treatment, NHS hospitals, England, October 1994 to February 1995

  Region

  October 1994

  November 1994

  December 1994

  January 1995

  February 1995

  Northern

  21,097

  20,852

  21,634

  21,698

  20,244

  Yorkshire

  25,075

  25,050

  26,151

  26,088

  23,556

  Trent

  26,908

  26,077

  25,722

  23,908

  20,796

  East Anglian

  15,104

  14,694

  15,863

  15,490

  13,582

  North-west Thames

  16,105

  16,021

  16,399

  15,881

  14,582

  North-east Thames

  24,670

  24,940

  25,991

  26,040

  23,297

  South-east Thames

  21,523

  21,624

  22,179

  21,938

  19,823

  South-west Thames

  15,770

  15,644

  16,624

  16,035

  14,726

  Wessex

  16,372

  16,392

  17,748

  17,340

  16,404

  Oxford

  13,166

  13,087

  13,849

  14,248

  12,939

  South Western

  19,055

  18,883

  20,223

  20,166

  18,105

  West Midlands

  31,858

  31,935

  33,915

  33,945

  30,484

  Mersey

  18,201

  17,985

  18,927

  18,958

  16,503

  North Western

  30,382

  30,203

  30,766

  30,181

  27,323

  England

  295,285

  293,387

  305,990

  301,917

  272,364

  Notes:

  These data are grossed for coverage. Figures are rounded and may not total.

  Source:

  Department of Health, Hospital Episode Statistics HES.

  Number of non-elective finished consultant episodes by region, thousands

  Region

  3rd Quarter 1995–96 (October-December)

  4th Quarter 1995–96 (January-March)

  3rd Quarter 1995–97 (October-December)

  4th Quarter 1996–97 (January-March) estimate

  Northern and Yorkshire

  143

  144

  157

  164

  Trent

  131

  138

  130

  133

  Anglia and Oxford

  100

  98

  106

  108

  North Thames

  136

  132

  137

  140

  South Thames

  127

  134

  133

  137

  South and West

  139

  134

  139

  144

  West Midlands

  111

  97

  114

  131

  North-West

  166

  169

  178

  178

  England

  1,053

  1,047

  1,094

  1,134

  1. All figures are derived from the NHS Executive's Quarterly Monitoring system. Figures for 1995–96 have been adjusted to estimate the effects of definitional and boundary changes to allow direct comparison with 1996–97 information.

  2. The figures relate to activity commissioned using NHS funds by health commissions in 1995–96 and health authorities in 1996–97. This includes activity in private hospitals and NHS hospitals outside England, but excludes private patients and patients from outside England treated in English hospitals.

  3. The figures are on a different basis to the long standing series published annually in "Ordinary and day case admissions for England". This annual series is based on activity reported by NHS hospital and community Trusts and includes private patients and patients from outside England.

  4. Non-elective finished consultant episodes comprise largely of all episodes during a patient spell in hospital which began either with an emergency admission or with a transfer from another hospital.

  Funding
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account he takes of the expenditure levels and policy priorities of local authorities in respect of their social

  Emergency Admissions
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the total number of emergency admissions to national health service hospitals by region for(a) October, (b) November, (c) December, (d) January and (e) February in each of the years (i) 1994–95, (ii) 1995–96 and (iii) 1996–97. [7612]

  Mr. Milburn
  Information in the form requested is only available at present for the year 1994–95. However quarterly figures for non-elective finished consultant episodes are available for 1995–96 and 1996–97.

  service functions before deciding on the allocation of funds to (a) health authorities and (b) NHS trusts. [7634]

  Mr. Milburn
  Allocations to health authorities are informed by a weighted capitation formula which reflects the health needs of local resident populations. The need
  83
  of populations for social service provision is assessed separately. We are assessing how better to ensure more effective collaboration between health authorities and Social Services departments.

  National Health Service trusts receive most of their income through contracts with health authorities and general practitioner fundholders. They are not directly funded by the Department of Health.

  Departmental Budgets
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new plans he has to introduce cuts and savings in his Department as a result of the effect on his Department's budgets for 1997–98 and 1998–99 of the upward revisions to the GDP deflators in the Budget on 2 July; and if he will make a statement. [8304]

  Mr. Milburn
  All Departments are reallocating spending within their Departmental ceilings as part of the comprehensive spending review.

  Waiting Times
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the changes in waiting times in key specialties, for consultations referred from general practices between June 1996 and June 1997 for(a) the north-west of England and (b) the United Kingdom as a whole. [8167]

  Mr. Milburn
  Information on the time waited by patients following written referral by their general practitioner to a hospital consultant is published quarterly in "Waiting Times for First Outpatient Appointments England: Detailed Statistics". This shows how long patients seen during the quarter had waited broken down by region, trust, specialty and timeband. Figures for the quarter ended 31 March 1997 will be published on 17 July. Copies will be available in the Library as is the corresponding publication for the quarter ended 30 June 1996.

  Questions relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

  Farmers' Suicides
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the report into farmers' suicides commissioned by his Department will be completed; [8338]

  (2) when the report into farmers' suicides commissioned by his Department will be published. [8339]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Department of Health has commissioned a study into suicide in high risk groups, including farmers, which is being carried out by Professor Keith Hawton at the University of Oxford.

  The data collection of the farmers component of the study is nearing completion, and data analysis and preparation of the final report has begun. The Department expects that the final report will be submitted in early autumn 1997, following which publication in peer reviewed journals and Departmental publications will be pursued.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Child Benefit Centre
  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will review the proposals to privatise the Child Benefit Centre in Washington; and if she will make a statement; [6247]

  Mr. Kemp
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on the future of the National Child Benefit Centre. [6644]

  Mr. Field
  We will streamline services to provide better, simpler more efficient services to clients.

  We will be assessing the Department's current programme of changes—including outsourcing proposals—in the light of
  their implications for customer service, staff and the tax payer;
  our aim of getting best value for money;
  and our commitment to work within announced spending totals.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, and myself have started meeting and seeking the views of those affected—including the Departmental trade union side. I intend visiting the Child Benefit Centre very shortly.

  Pensions (Prisoners)
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the effect on the pension arrangements of an individual serving more than five years imprisonment before being found by the Court of Appeal to have been wrongfully convicted. [7371]

  Mr. Denham
  People are not liable to pay national insurance contributions for the period of their imprisonment, but they can maintain their record for a basic state retirement pension by paying voluntary contributions for that period at any time before the end of the sixth year following the year in which it ended. The cost of the contributions may be included in claims for compensation under the statutory or ex gratia schemes for people who have been wrongfully imprisoned.

  Tax and Benefit Reviews
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on the remit of the reviews of the tax and benefit systems being undertaken by(a) Mr. Martin Taylor and (b) the Minister for Social Security and Welfare Reform; if he will make a statement on how they relate to each other; and what the consultation process and time scale will be in each case. [7410]

  Mr. Field
  We are committed to modernising the structure and delivery of Social Security in order to encourage independence, social cohesion and well being; to develop an active welfare system which supports work, savings and honesty; and to help tackle effectively unjustifiable social and economic inequalities. To that end we will be examining the major components of the system. We will consult on specific issues in due course.

  Mr. Martin Taylor has been asked by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to examine the interaction of the tax and benefits systems to that they can be streamlined and modernised, so as to fulfil our

  85
  objectives of promoting work incentives, reducing poverty and welfare dependency and strengthening family and community life. The conclusions that emerge from that review will inform the judgments in my right hon. Friend's next budget, which will be in the spring of 1998.

  There will be close liaison between this tax benefit review and the wider review on welfare reform.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what will be the cost of(a) not extending the restriction on housing benefit to the single room rent to people aged 25 to 59 years from October 1997 and (b) adjusting the level of non-dependant deductions from April 1998. [7595]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The cost of not extending the restriction on housing benefit to the single room rent to people aged 25 to 59 years from October 1997 is £6 million; £47 million; £69 million for the financial years 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–00 respectively.

  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, announced, as part of our commitment to keep spending within the planned ceiling for Social Security expenditure, our decision to review the levels of non-dependant deductions from April 1998. A final decision on the levels of deductions will not be taken until our annual review of benefit rates is completed later in the year. We will announce the outcome of the review on non-dependant deductions at that time.

  Housing and Council Tax Benefits
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the estimated annual savings for(a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit that will be generated by reducing to one month the time limit for their backdating. [7635]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  It is not possible to make precise estimates of the annual savings from this proposal because decisions on claims for backdating in housing benefit and council tax benefit, which are made by local authorities, are based on the circumstances surrounding each individual case. The best available estimate is that the measure may produce savings of up to £15 million in a full year.

  Appeals
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many applications for social security appeals were received in(a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 1992; [7741]

  (2) what is the average waiting time for an applicant to have his or her appeal heard and for the appeal process to be completed in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 1992; [7742]

  (3) how many social security appeals were carried out by the Independent Tribunal Service in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 1992. [7740]
  86
  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The Social Security Bill which was introduced on 9 July will modernise the delivery of Social Security. One of the key objectives is to improve the appeals system and reduce delays.

  Questions on the operational performance of the Independent Tribunal Service in England, Scotland and Wales should be directed to its President, His Honour Judge Bassingthwaighte.

  Questions on the operational performance of the Independent Tribunal Service in Northern Ireland should be directed to its President, Mr. Conal MacLynn.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many disabled people will be affected by removing the right to claim disability living allowance for those between 65 and 66 years of age; and what is the total amount of money that will be saved in the first year. [7747]

  Mr. Denham
  We are committed to a review with the objective of reducing poverty and welfare dependency and promoting work incentives. Provision for disabled people will form part of that review.

  From 6 October 1997, disabled people aged 65 will no longer be able to claim disability living allowance. This will affect an estimated 10,000 disabled people annually. Savings in the first full year have been assessed at around £50,000 in respect of administrative costs and £20 million in programme expenditure. Disabled people aged 65 and over will still be able to claim attendance allowance.

  Policy Reviews
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what will be the total cost of her policy reviews. [7637]

  Mr. Field
  We are committed to modernising the structure and delivery of Social Security in order to encourage independence, social cohesion and well being; to develop an active welfare system which supports work, savings and honesty; and to help tackle effectively unjustifiable social and economic inequalities. To that end we will be examining the major components of the system. We will consult on specific issues in due course. In keeping with our commitment to manage within current cash plans, the costs of the policy reviews will be absorbed within the Department's existing running costs limits.

  Council Tax Benefit
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioner households will be affected by restricting council tax benefit so that claimants with property in bands F, G and H, have their council tax benefit restricted to that of band E; what is the average amount of council tax benefit that will be withdrawn; and what will be the savings in the first year arising from these changes. [7746]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  We estimate that 30,000 pensioners will be affected by this measure which was left over from the previous administration.
  87
  The total number affected is estimated to be 65,000. The average amount of council tax benefit withdrawn will be £3.80 a week. The estimated savings in the first year are £15 million.

  Income Support
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much she estimates that her campaign to persuade more elderly people to take up income support will cost to run; and what increased benefit expenditure it will produce. [7638]

  Mr. Denham
  We are committed to examining the means of delivering more automatic help to the poorest pensioners. As a first step we have commissioned research to establish the reasons why pensioners do not claim their income support entitlement, and the most effective means of encouraging them to do so.

  Departmental Budgets
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what new plans she has to introduce cuts and savings in her Department as a result of the effect on her Department's budgets for 1997–98 and 1998–99 of the upward revisions to the GDP deflators in the Budget on 2 July; and if she will make a statement. [8308]

  Mr. Field
  All Departments are reallocating spending within their Departmental ceilings as part of the comprehensive spending review.

  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, following the recent Budget, she will give her estimate of the total real level of her Department's budget, in 1995–96 prices, in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99; if she will estimate what such figures were for (1) 1997–98 and (2) 1998–99 following the November 1996 Budget on the basis of the estimates of the GDP deflator contained in that Budget; and if she will make a statement. [8307]

  Mr. Field
  The figures requested for this Department's spending plans within the control total are as follows:

  Department of social security control total expenditure in 1995–96 prices

  £ million

  1997–98

  1998–99

  Budget 1997 control total

  75,640

  76,596

  Budget 1996 control total

  76,272

  77,781

  In addition the Department will benefit from part of the Welfare to Work expenditure which was announced in the Budget. It is also responsible for cyclical social security spending. Both of these are outside the Control Total.

  Notes:

  1. The Budget 1997 figures were calculated using the GDP deflator assumptions for July 1997.

  2. The Budget 1996 figures were calculated using the GDP deflator assumptions for November 1996.

  Sources:

  1. Control Total Budget 1997—Financial Statement and Budget Report July 1997.

  2. Control Total Budget 1996—Financial Statement and Budget Report 1997–98.

  Advance Corporation Tax
  Mr. Bernard Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will place in the Library the advice 88
  she has sought from the Government Actuary following the Budget changes to advance corporation tax on (a) the relative attractiveness of (i) remaining in SERPS and (ii) opting out of SERPS and (b) on the estimated numbers of those who might now opt back into SERPS; and if she will make a statement. [8476]

  Mr. Denham
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 7 July,Official Report, columns 376–77.

  Residential Allowances
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will review the rates of residential allowance for which(a) residents of local authority homes and (b) residents of private nursing homes are eligible. [8548]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  A key priority of the Government is to focus on the central areas of insecurity for older people. A key element of the review process will be to listen to the views of older people on all matters which are of concern to them—including community care issues.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if Professor Holliday's 1984 report into radioactive waste disposal in the north Atlantic had access to correspondence between the Scottish Department, the Ministry of Agriculture and the War Office dating from October 1953 to November 1967; and if Professor Holliday had unrestricted access to documentation on the dumping of radioactive waste in Beaufort's Dyke. [7192]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Department has so far been unable to identify any evidence that the correspondence to which I referred in my written reply of 1 July 1997,Official Report, columns 158–60, was shown to Professor Holliday or to those supporting his enquiry, or that staff serving in the Department at that time were aware of the existence of the correspondence. The search of archive records is still in progress.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what restrictions his Department has placed on public access at the Public Record Office to information contained in correspondence dated between October 1953 and June 1954 relating to the disposal of nuclear waste in Beaufort's Dyke; and on what precise dates correspondence on this subject dating from June 1954 to October 1954 could have been disclosed. [7193]

  Mr. Rooker
  The documents to which I referred in my written reply on 1 July 1997,Official Report, columns 158–60, were contained in a file which was closed in 1960 and sent to the Public Record Office in July 1977. Under the 30-year rule, the file was made available to the public there in January 1991.

  Agri-environment Schemes
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to provide financial support for the Weald Meadows Initiative. [7596]

  Mr. Morley
  The restoration and enhancement of species-rich grassland and other features within the High Weald, including the Weald Meadows Initiative area, have been identified as a priority under the Countryside Stewardship scheme.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the importance of maintaining rare plants within the Sussex Weald; and what action he is taking to this end. [7597]

  Mr. Morley
  The Sussex Weald is one of the target areas identified under the Countryside Stewardship scheme. These are areas which are identified as priorities in consultation with local environmental organisations and for which applications under the scheme are encouraged. Targeting statements are reviewed annually and are made available to applicants with the scheme literature. In the High Weald target area statement the restoration and improvement of species-rich grassland is listed as a high priority.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what factors underlay his decision not to allocate funding to the Weald Meadows Initiative. [7598]

  Mr. Rooker
  An application under the Marketing Development Scheme, for grant to match-fund the cost of a products co-ordinator and marketing campaign for the Weald Meadows Initiative, was made in October 1996. This faced strong competition for the limited funds available and, although the proposal had merit, other projects better satisfied the key scheme criterion of demonstrating a significant marketing development.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to increase payments for undersowing in environmentally sensitive areas. [7608]

  Mr. Morley
  The South Downs environmentally sensitive area was received last year, and new options were introduced for the management of arable land to benefit wildlife, particularly farmland birds such as finches, buntings and partridges. A payment of £110 per hectare is offered for leaving winter stubbles uncultivated until 30 November, and then sowing a spring cereal crop which is undersown with a grass and clover seed mixture. Applications for this option have been received for about 160 hectares of land. The payment rate is currently under review, and the outcome will be announced early in 1998.

  Horn Products
  Mr. Collins
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what restrictions upon the import and export of horns and horn products have been imposed as a result of the BSE crisis; what additional restrictions are proposed; and if he will make a statement. [7941]

  Mr. Rooker
  Under the Heads of Sheep and Goats Order, 1996, the heads (excluding the tongue) of sheep and goats of any age other than those born, reared and slaughtered in Australia and New Zealand must be 90
  disposed of as specified waste material. This would include the horns if still attached to the head. However, horns themselves are not considered to be a risk provided they are removed without breaking into the cranial cavity in order to ensure that there is no risk of contamination with brain material.

  The Specified Bovine Material Order 1997, applies to cattle which have died or been slaughtered in the United Kingdom. It requires the removal and disposal of specified tissues (defined as the whole head excluding the tongue, spleen and tonsils of all animals over six months of age and intestines and thymus of animals of all ages).

  The export ban introduced by the EU in March 1996 applies to live bovine animals, bovine semen and embryos, mammalian meat and bone meal, products obtained from bovine animals that are liable to enter the animal or human food chains and materials destined for use in cosmetics or medical or pharmaceutical products. The ban, therefore, includes bovine horns for those purposes but not for other purposes, such as ornamental sticks or shepherd's crooks, which can be manufactured in the UK and traded.

  Food Safety
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy on the elimination of genetically modified organisms from the food chain. [8038]

  Mr. Rooker
  All genetically modified organisms currently in the food chain have been approved on safety grounds following a thorough scientific assessment. I cannot therefore see any reason for preventing their use.

  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to lay proposals for a food standards agency before Parliament. [8039]

  Mr. Rooker
  We intend to publish a White Paper setting out our proposals or a food standards agency in the autumn, and to consult on a draft Bill early in 1998. The legislation will be laid before Parliament as soon as parliamentary time permits.

  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his Department's specific policy on risk avoidance in food safety matters. [8042]

  Mr. Rooker
  Risks to the consumer can arise in many different points in the food chain and the Ministry ensures that a comprehensive system of controls and monitoring exists to cover the production of food raw materials, the manufacture of food and its handling and preparation. This combination of controls services to ensure that risks from food are kept to a reasonable minimum. In addition, the Ministry has developed an extensive programme of publicity and advice on food safety issues including food hygiene and nutrition.

  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the release of genetically modified organisms into the food chain will be controlled by the proposed food standards agency. [8043]

  Mr. Rooker
  It is too early yet to say how the food standards agency might deal with genetically modified organisms for use in food. However it is anticipated that it will take over responsibility for the operation of the EC
  91
  novel foods and novel food ingredients regulation (258/97) and the running of the independent Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes whose job it is to provide safety assessments for these materials.

  Banana Quotas
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the Commission to respond to Belize's request for a larger banana quota within the European Union regime; and if he will make a statement on the Government's policy toward the transfer of Banana Licence tonnage between members of the Caribbean Banana Association. [8158]

  Mr. Rooker
  The European Union banana regime sets a specific quota for Belize of 40,000 tonnes. The Government have always recognised that this is insufficient to cover the increases in production already in the pipeline in 1992 and, as a result of pressure from the UK, an additional quota of 15,000 tonnes was reserved for Belize within the tariff quota for third country and non-traditional ACP bananas in December 1994.

  The Commission made a proposal in 1995 which would allow transfers of unused quotas between Caribbean producers but the Council has yet to agree to it. The UK has always supported this proposal. The current WTO dispute could have implications for both of these issues.
  92
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects a resolution of the appeal by the European Union against the WTO decision regarding the European Union banana regime. [8159]

  Mr. Rooker
  The ruling by the WTO appellate body on the dispute over the European Union banana regime is expected in September and will be adopted by the dispute settlement body within 30 days following circulation of the report to WTO members.

  Genetically Modified Soya Beans
  Ms Gisela Stuart
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his Department's policy towards the importing of genetically modified soya beans from the USA. [8482]

  Mr. Rooker
  The use of these beans in Europe have been approved on safety grounds following a thorough scientific assessment. There is therefore no reason to restrict their import. Under World Trade Organisation rules it is not possible for Governments to demand the segregation of genetically modified (GM) crops which have been approved as safe. However, we will be pressing at a European level for all foods which may contain GM ingredients to be labelled to indicate this even where, as in the case of these soya beans, segregation has not taken place.

  Defence Equipment Sale Guidelines
  Defence Equipment Sale Guidelines
  Intelligence Services Act: Commissioner's Recommendation
  Intelligence Services Act: Commissioner's Recommendation
  Women's National Commission
  Women's National Commission
  NATO: Civil and Parliamentary Oversight
  NATO: Civil and Parliamentary Oversight
  OSCE States' Bilateral Military Relations
  OSCE States' Bilateral Military Relations
  Bomb Test Drop
  Bomb Test Drop
  Defence Exports: End-use
  Defence Exports: End-use
  EU Membership
  EU Membership
  Turkey and the European Court of Human Rights
  Turkey and the European Court of Human Rights
  Georgia: CIS Peacekeeping Force
  Georgia: CIS Peacekeeping Force
  NATO: Funding for Peacekeeping Personnel
  NATO: Funding for Peacekeeping Personnel
  Strategic Defence Review: Procurement Plans
  Strategic Defence Review: Procurement Plans
  Pregnancy: Protection against Dismissal
  Pregnancy: Protection against Dismissal
  Questions for Written Answer
  Questions for Written Answer
  Minister without Portfolio
  Minister without Portfolio
  Department of National Heritage
  Department of National Heritage
  Food Standards Agency
  Food Standards Agency
  North East Drift Net Fishery
  North East Drift Net Fishery
  House of Lords Painting
  House of Lords Painting
  Criminal Trials: Judges' Summing Up
  Criminal Trials: Judges' Summing Up
  Government Information: Access
  Government Information: Access
  Curfew System for Children
  Curfew System for Children
  Immigration Act Detainees, Scotland
  Immigration Act Detainees, Scotland
  Official Secrets Act
  Official Secrets Act
  Income-related Benefits
  Income-related Benefits
  Education: Age Participation Rates
  Education: Age Participation Rates
  Water Fluoridation
  Water Fluoridation
  Motorway Hard Shoulder Accidents
  Motorway Hard Shoulder Accidents