Written Answers of 4 March 1997

WALES

  Glamorgan
  Mr. Berry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what factors underlay the decision not to recreate the historic county of Glamorgan as a unitary authority. [18505]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The fundamental principles underpinning local government reorganisation were that: local authorities should be democratically accountable to their electorate; the roles of local authorities, and their responsibilities for service delivery, should be clearly understood by local people; local authority boundaries should, as far as possible, reflect and strengthen existing community loyalties; and local public services should be of high quality, and be efficient, economical and effective.

  Wherever practicable, Ministers attempted to recreate the pre-1974 counties, but a unitary authority based on the historic administrative boundaries of Glamorgan would have resulted in a unitary authority of some 1.3 million electors—far too large to accord satisfactorily with all the principles set out.

TREASURY

  London Transport Funding
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 11 February,Official Report, columns 118–19, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Lord Mayor of London's letter to him and his response on London Transport's investment programme. [15911]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have placed in the Library copies of the correspondence referred to.

  London Underground (Privatisation Receipts)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the receipts that will accrue to the Treasury as a result of the sale of London Underground. [18625]

  Mr. Jack
  Proceeds will depend on the structural option selected for the sale and the level of demand from bidders.

  Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with which airlines and travel companies he has recently had discussions about the enforcement of CITES regulations; and what has been the response in each case. [17837]
  534
  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 27 February 1997]: I have written to a number of airlines and travel companies, as I explained on 13 February in my answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway), Official Report, column 448, seeking their participation in an initiative aimed at producing a video for in-flight display aimed at enhancing the CITES profile and environmentally responsible tourism.

  The airlines I contacted were Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Air Canada, Air France, Air India, Air UK Ltd., Alitilia Airlines, American Airlines, Bangladesh Airlines, British Airways, British Midland Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., Continental Airlines, Cyprus Airways, Egyptair, El Al Airlines, Finnair, Ghana Airways, Iberia Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Olympic Airways, Pakistan International Airlines, Qantas Airways, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Sabena Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Swissair, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

  Airtours, Leisure International Airways, Iberia, Kenya Airways, and Singapore Airlines have already agreed to show the video as part of their in-flight entertainment. British Airways has asked for a meeting to discuss the technical detail. Lufthansa and United Airways have referred the matter to their head offices. Air France, Air UK, and KLM all indicated that they have no in-flight entertainment on their UK services. Other airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, have yet to respond but replies have been solicited through follow-up letters.

  The following tour operators and travel agents were contacted: Airtours plc, Althams Travel Services Ltd., American Express Europe Ltd., Avro plc, Bakers Dolphin, Britannic Travel Ltd., British Airways Holidays Ltd., British Airways Travel Shops Ltd., Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd., Cosmosair plc, Cresta Holidays Ltd., Crystal Holidays Ltd., Dawson and Sanderson Ltd., First Choice Holidays and Flights Ltd., Going Places Leisure Travel Ltd., Gold Medal Travel Group plc, Hogg Robinson (Travel) Ltd., Hotel Plan Ltd., Inspirations East Ltd., Kuoni Travel Ltd., Lunn Poly Ltd., Midlands Co-operative Society Ltd., MTG (UK) Ltd. (AT Mays and The Travel Agents), Portman Travel Ltd., STA Travel Ltd., Sunset Holidays plc, Sunworld Ltd., Thomas Cook Group Ltd., Thomson Tour Operations Ltd., Trailfinders Ltd., The Travel Company Ltd., Travel 2 Ltd., Unijet Travel Ltd., United Norwest Co-operatives Ltd., Virgin Holidays Ltd. and Woodcock Travel Ltd.

  Airtours plc, Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd., Hogg Robinson, Midlands Co-operative Society Ltd. (Co-op Travel), Trailfinders Ltd., Unijet Travel Ltd., United Norwest Co-operatives Ltd. (Co-op Travel) are lending support by agreeing to distribute associated literature. Bakers Dolphin explained that it covers the issue in its existing leaflets.

  Britannic Travel Ltd., Carlson Wagonlit Travel, AT Mays and The Travel Agents, and Virgin Holidays Ltd. replied that for a variety of practical reasons they were unable to participate. As with the airlines, other correspondents have yet to reply but we are optimistic of receiving further positive responses in the near future.
  535
  I will be announcing further details in due course.

  Air Passenger Duty
  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the revenue received from air passenger duty at(a) the lower rate and (b) the higher rate on traffic in and out of the Scottish isles in 1995–96. [17944]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 28 February 1997]: Customs' estimate of revenue received from air passenger duty on flights in and out of the Scottish isles in the financial year 1995–96 is (a) for the lower rate of £5, about £3 million and (b) for the higher rate of £10, less than £1 million.

  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the revenue received from air passenger duty on domestic United Kingdom flights in and out of the Scottish isles in 1995–96. [17945]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 28 February 1997]: Customs' estimate of revenue received from air passenger duty on domestic United Kingdom flights in and out of the Scottish isles in the financial year 1995–96 is about £2 million.

  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the revenue received from air passenger duty at(a) the lower rate and (b) the higher rate of traffic in and out of Northern Ireland in 1995–96. [17946]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 28 February 1997]: Customs' estimate of revenue received from air passenger duty on flights in and out of Northern Ireland in the financial year 1995–96 is (a) for the lower rate of £5, about £13 million and (b) for the higher rate of £10, less than £1 million.

  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the revenue received from air passenger duty on domestic United Kingdom flights in and out of Northern Ireland in 1995–96. [17947]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 28 February 1997]: Customs' estimate of revenue received from air passenger duty on domestic United Kingdom flights in and out of Northern Ireland in the financial year 1995–96 is about £12 million.

  Illegal Firearms (Imports)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his Department's latest estimate of the number of illegal firearms entering the United Kingdom(a) via the channel tunnel and (b) via other points of access in each of the last five years. [18129]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  [holding answer 3 March 1997]: Customs does not hold central statistics of the number of illegal firearms entering the UK broken down in this way. The following table sets out the number of firearms seized by customs since 1992.
  536

  Year ended 31 March

  Hand guns

  Rifles

  Shot guns

  Total

  1992

  176

  126

  82

  384

  1993

  138

  41

  39

  218

  1994

  94

  338

  49

  481

  1995

  261

  49

  111

  421

  1996

  113,342

  61

  124

  113,527

  Totals

  114,011

  615

  405

  115,031

  1 The large number of handguns seized was due to a single seizure of 13,260 flares incorporating barrels which are regarded as firearms within the meaning of the Firearms Acts.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Departmental Contracts
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to(a) EDS, (b) Andersen, (c) BMI, (d) Sema and (e) Capita since 1992 and the broad function to be carried out by the contractor and the value of the contract in each case. [17610]

  Mr. Howard
  The contracts let by my Department since 1992 are as follows:

  Contractor

  Date

  Function

  (a) EDS

  1992

  Consultancy for harmonisation of equipment standards—Police Information Technology Organisation.

  1992

  Consultancy for software development—Police Information Technology Organisation.

  1992

  Consultancy on Neural Network Learning—Police Information Technology Organisation.

  Total: £73,000

  (b) Andersen

  No contracts have been awarded to this company in the period specified.

  (c) BMI

  No contracts have been awarded to this company in the period specified.

  (d) Sema

  1994

  Call-off contract for the provision of computer and software services— Home Office and Agencies.

  Total: £26,000,000

  (e) Capita

  1993

  Consultancy support to the in-house bid of Statistics Division—main Home Office.

  1994

  Consultancy support for the in-house bid for market test of prisons—Prison Service.

  1995

  Support for F8 Division review— main Home Office.

  1995

  Provision of a temporary project director for the Procurement Management Information System (PROMIS)—Home Office.

  1995

  Post implementation review—Home Office.

  1995

  Standards Consultancy—Home Office.

  1996

  Helpdesk performance review—Home Office.

  1996

  Quantum Project Recruitment—Prison Service.

  537

  Contractor

  Date

  Function

  1997

  Switchboard. Post implementation review—Home Office.

  1997

  Assisting with benchmarking of Police Inspectorates—Home Office.

  1992–97

  Architectural professional construction services on projects.

  Total £450,000

  Alcohol Sales (Young People)
  Mr. Touhig
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prosecutions have been brought against licensees for selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 years since 1988; [18150]

  (2) how many licensees have been successfully prosecuted for selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 years since 1988; [18151]

  (3) how many off-licence proprietors have been successfully prosecuted for selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 years since 1988; [18153]

  (4) how many prosecutions have been brought against off-licence proprietors for selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 years since 1988. [18152]

  Mr. Maclean
  Information collected centrally under section 169(1) of the Licensing Act 1964—selling intoxicating liquor to persons under 18—does not separately identify the type of licensee involved.

  The table shows the number of prosecutions and convictions in England and Wales from 1988 to 1995 for this offence.

  Persons prosecuted and convicted for offences under section 169 (1) of the Licensing Act 1964—selling intoxicating liquor to persons under 18, 1988–1995

  England and Wales

  Prosecutions

  Convictions

  1988

  673

  357

  1989

  747

  388

  1990

  574

  273

  1991

  309

  155

  1992

  195

  87

  1993

  156

  70

  1994

  137

  83

  1995

  198

  108

  Identity Cards
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy that the proposed voluntary national identity card will eventually become compulsory for United Kingdom subjects. [18246]

  Mr. Sackville
  The Government's policy is for the national identity card to be voluntary. It may in practice be held very widely, but there are no plans for it to become compulsory.

  Mr. Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy that the proposed national identity card will be electronically linked to the police national computer database. [18219]
  538
  Mr. Sackville
  Decisions have not yet been taken on the practical arrangements for storing identity card data, but there are no plans for an electronic link between the national identity card and the database of the police national computer.

  Philip Saunders
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to inquire into the assistance given by public agencies to Ms Sharon Saunders of Bolton in her efforts to break the drug addiction of her late son; if he will order a public inquiry into the case; and if he will make a statement. [18143]

  Mr. Sackville
  As I am sure the hon. Member is aware, an inquest is to be held into the death of Philip Saunders. We will consider any issues that arise from the inquest in respect of services for which the Home Office is responsible.

  CS Gas
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times during 1996 CS gas was used by police in the Metropolitan police area. [17962]

  Mr. Maclean
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that during 1996 the Metropolitan police has used CS incapacitant spray on 120 occasions.

  Casino Operations (Croydon)
  Mr. Wicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to designate Croydon as a permitted area for casino operation. [17975]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  The Home Office issued consultation papers in February and November 1996 proposing 21 new permitted areas for casinos, including Croydon. We are currently considering the responses to the November proposals.

  Victim Support
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the responsibilities of local authorities in relation to victim support initiatives. [18258]

  Mr. Maclean
  I am not aware that local authorities have any formal responsibilities in relation to victim support initiatives. However, I understand that many local authorities do provide financial support to their local victim support schemes, and that the total amount of such support provided in 1995–96 was in the order of £1.4 million.

  Mr. Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was his Department's financial contribution to the National Association of Victim Support Schemes in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [18259]
  539
  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is as follows:

  Financial year

  Home Office grant (£ million)

  1992–93

  7.260

  1993–94

  8.375

  1994–95

  10.016

  1995–96

  10.817

  1996–97

  11.682

  This generous funding has enabled Victim Support to achieve nationwide coverage with its 365 local schemes and branches and to establish a witness support service at all 77 Crown court centres. The Home Office grant meets the salary and related costs of over 600, full-time equivalent staff, who deploy over 12,000 volunteers to offer practical help and emotional support to well over 1 million victims of crime a year.

  Rabies
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons rabies is singled out for particular attention in his Department's publication "Essential Information for United Kingdom passport-holders". [18361]

  Mr. Kirkhope
  It is felt desirable to warn British passport holders travelling abroad of the potential dangers of rabies as it is still endemic in certain parts of the world, such as the Indian sub-continent, where over 10,000 deaths a year are directly attributable to the disease.

  The "Essential Information" publication, issued with all British passports, provides helpful advice and reminders to passport holders about sensible precautions which they can take when going abroad. The inclusion of factual information about rabies is still considered highly appropriate.

  Children (Crime)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for preventing children offending. [18914]

  Mr. Howard
  The Government attach a high priority to dealing with juvenile crime. We have acted to provide the courts with the powers they need to deal effectively with serious and persistent young offenders; and we have acted to reduce the use of inappropriate cautioning. But it would be better if young people did not offend in the first place.

  We have, therefore, developed proposals for a new strategy which aims to reduce the risk of children turning to crime. The strategy is based on research about the effectiveness of early intervention with children. We propose that it should be delivered by local agencies, including those in the voluntary sector, working together in partnership in a new local organisation, which might be known as a child crime team. Its task would be to identify children at risk of offending at an early age, and refer them to programmes designed to help them stay clear of crime. A Home Office research study published today—"Reducing Criminality among Young People", by David Utting—describes a selection of the kinds of programme that might be effective.
  540
  Parents have a very important role to play in bringing up their children to respect the law. Most parents face up to their responsibilities, and we believe that they would co-operate with suitable programmes which reduced the risk of their children turning to crime. But there is a small minority of parents who do not bring up their children responsibly and who may refuse to accept any support that is offered. To meet that situation, we propose to give the courts a new power to make a parental control order requiring parents to exercise proper care and control over their children. The courts would be able to attach conditions, such as attendance at a suitable programme. The order would be available both where a child aged 10 to 16 had committed an offence, and where no offence had been committed but a child of any age up to 16 had demonstrated unruly behaviour likely to lead to offending.

  These proposals are contained in a Green Paper which had been published today. I have placed a copy in the Library.

  Closed Circuit Television
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the results of the latest CCTV challenge competition; and if he will make a statement. [18915]

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. and learned Friend will be announcing the results of the 1997–98 closed circuit television challenge competition on Wednesday 5 March. Details of the successful bids will be placed in the Library. A total of £15 million is being made available in this competition.

  Data Protection
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the responses to the March 1996 consultation paper on the EC data protection directive (95/46/EC). [18916]

  Mr. Sackville
  I am today placing a summary of the responses in the Library.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  British Beers
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee if he will ensure that British beers are available as an option at all receptions booked in the House where the House catering facilities are used. [18263]

  Sir Colin Shepherd
  I am advised by the Director of Catering Services that British beers are available for all functions booked with the House of Commons Refreshment Department. The precise range of drinks served at any reception is a matter for agreement with the function organiser.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many hon. Members representing English constituencies addressed oral or supplementary questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland in the Session 1995–96. [18639]
  541
  Mr. Newton
  The figures, supplied by the parliamentary on-line information service unit, are:

  Number

  Member

  7

  John Marshall

  5

  Ian Bruce

  5

  Simon Coombs

  5

  Lady Olga Maitland

  5

  James Pawsey

  4

  Jacques Arnold

  4

  Toby Jessel

  3

  Matthew Banks

  3

  Iain Duncan-Smith

  3

  Teresa Gorman

  3

  Neil Hamilton

  3

  David Shaw

  3

  Robert Spink

  3

  Anthony Steen

  3

  Michael Stephen

  2

  Thomas Arnold

  2

  Henry Bellingham

  2

  David Congdon

  2

  Alan Duncan

  2

  Jim Marshall

  2

  Patrick Nicholls

  1

  Peter Atkinson

  1

  Spencer Batiste

  1

  Peter Brooke

  1

  Michael Brown

  1

  Dale

  Campbell-Savours

  John Carlisle

  Anthony Coombs

  Stephen Day

  Tim Devlin

  Bob Dunn

  Hugh Dykes

  Nigel Evans

  Harry Greenway

  John Greenway

  Bernard Jenkin

  David Knox

  David Lidington

  1

  Michael Lord

  Tony Marlow

  1

  Piers Merchant

  1

  Irvine Patnick

  i

  Gordon Prentice

  1

  Andrew Rowe

  1

  John Sykes

  Richard Tracey

  Nicholas Winterton

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

  Aid Projects
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which United Kingdom aid projects were not subject to competitive tendering procedures in the country in which they were to take place; how much money was involved in each case; what was the relative percentage of those cases identified of the aid budget for that year; and who were the recipients of any moneys paid in each year since 1980. [18402]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  It is ODA' s policy that wherever practicable, and to ensure value for money, bilateral aid projects should be competitively tendered in the United Kingdom or in the recipient country. In many cases,542
  however, the additional cost of tendering, particularly on smaller projects, outweighs the potential savings to the taxpayer and the recipient country. In such cases a waiver to tender is applied.

  In the current financial year to date, about 46 per cent. of ODA expenditure on contracts let for the provision of goods and services were subject to competitive tendering. Figures for in-country expenditure and tendering are not kept centrally in ODA. These details and those of specific projects could not, therefore be provided without disproportionate cost.

  EU Social Summit
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's policy in respect of the 1995 EU social summit 20:20 initiative; and if he will make a statement. [18680]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  The 20:20 initiative was discussed at the 1995 United Nations social summit in Copenhagen. Interested developed and developing countries agreed to allocate, on average, 20 per cent. of development assistance and 20 per cent. of national budgets respectively, to basic social services.

  The United Kingdom expressed reservations about certain aspects of the initiative, including lack of clarity about definitions and its excessive focus on inputs, not results. However, the United Kingdom attaches importance to development assistance in the area of basic social services and is willing to discuss the initiative with recipients who raise it on a bilateral basis.

  Family Planning
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the UK will be spending(a) in the current year and (b) in each of the next five years on overseas family planning programmes, indicating the amount per geographical area; and if he will make a statement. [18681]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  No specific allocation is made for family planning programmes in the development assistance budget. Expenditure on population and reproductive health—which includes family planning—in 1995 was £62.3 million. The figure for 1996 is not yet available. Commitment figures from 1994 onwards are strong and we expect the level of expenditure to remain substantial in the next five financial years. So far the majority of this expenditure is in Africa and to a lesser extent Asia, with smaller amounts being spent in Latin America and the Caribbean, and central and eastern Europe.

  Food Crops (Aid)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the United Kingdom aid programme was(a) directly and (b) indirectly devoted to promoting food production for local consumption; how much was devoted to promoting cash crop production for export; and what are these figures as a percentage of the total aid programme in each year since 1979. [18020]
  543
  Dr. Liam Fox
  ODA does not maintain data covering the specific information on food production and cash crop production in the form requested for the period 1979 to 1986. It would, therefore, not be possible to provide a detailed answer for the period 1979 to 1986 without disproportionate cost. However, from 1987–88 onwards the information requested as a percentage of the total bilateral aid programme is contained in the table.

  Promotion of food production under the UK bilateral aid programme

  Financial year

  New commitments devoted to direct1 promotion £

  New commitments as a percentage of total annual bilateral aid programme (direct)

  i New commitments devoted to indirect2 promotion £

  New commitments as a percentage of total annual bilateral aid programme (indirect)

  1987–88

  147,732,000

  18.72

  38,333,634

  4.86

  1988–89

  25,120,251

  2.93

  16,700,176

  1.95

  1989–90

  48,508,063

  4.84

  22,278,657

  2.22

  1990–91

  46,685,531

  4.45

  15,900,996

  1.51

  1991–92

  53,206,595

  4.95

  24,688,720

  2.30

  1992–93

  46,370,484

  4.12

  37,603,350

  3.34

  1993–94

  53,621,729

  4.64

  15,699,531

  1.36

  1994–95

  25,048,368

  2.24

  36,022,357

  3.22

  1995–96

  30,348,874

  2.76

  22,485,344

  2.04

  1 Direct promotion; any activity which has the promotion of food production for local consumption as a stated objective or output.

  2 Indirect promotion; any activity which does not have an explicit objective to promote food production for local consumption.

  Promotion of cash crop production under the UK bilateral aid programme

  Financial year

  New commitments devoted to direct1 promotion £

  New commitments as a percentage of total annual bilateral aid programme (direct)

  New commitments devoted to indirect2 promotion £

  New commitments as a percentage of total annual bilateral aid programme (indirect)

  1987–88

  27,735,095

  3.52

  7,957,901

  1.01

  1988–89

  3,143,623

  0.37

  5,814,928

  0.68

  1989–90

  26,016,905

  2.6

  507,021

  0.05

  1990–91

  349,391

  0.03

  946,866

  0.09

  1991–92

  2,308,567

  0.21

  1,602,335

  0.12

  1992–93

  19,454,644

  1.72

  4,117,628

  0.37

  1993–94

  2,035,540

  0.18

  2,471,516

  0.22

  1994–95

  2,360,001

  0.21

  3,284,624

  0.29

  1995–96

  112,360

  0.01

  2,007,882

  0.18

  1 Direct promotion; any activity which has the promotion of exports of cash crops as a stated objective or output.

  2 Indirect promotion; any activity which does not have an explicit objective to increase the export of cash crops, but addresses crops that do have export potential.

  International Development Association
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in implementing the agreement reached in Tokyo last year on the 11th replenishment of the International Development Association. [18918]
  544
  Dr. Liam Fox
  Under the arrangements established at Tokyo, it was agreed that, in the first year of the new IDA triennium, the United States would aim to pay off its arrears to the 10th replenishment of IDA and the rest of the donor community would contribute to an interim trust fund for that year: procurement opportunities from this fund would be limited to contributors—and developing countries—thus excluding the United States. There would be a traditional burden-sharing arrangement for the final two years of the replenishment, with no restrictions.

  The interim trust fund has now been established and is operational: the selection and approval process is under way in respect of some $2.3 billion-worth of projects—out of a total of some $3.3 billion. Parliament has approved our own contribution to the trust fund and we have deposited the promissory note.

  However, despite this progress, the United States Administration have sought a relaxation of the procurement restrictions in order to try and ensure that Congress will approve the funds to meet both the IDA-10 arrears and their pledge to IDA-11. Following a meeting of senior officials on 6 and 7 February in Paris, it has not been agreed to adjust the trust fund arrangements. In short, an amount of uncommitted trust fund money—limited to SDR700 million (around $1 billion)—is to be held back pending the results of congressional deliberations on the United States Administration's request for finance to cover both the IDA-10 arrears and the first tranche of the US contribution to IDA-11 proper. The result will not be known until the autumn at the earliest when the issue will be discussed further among IDA contributors.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  State Visit (President of Israel)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what issues were raised during his discussions with the Israeli President during his state visit to the United Kingdom. [18624]

  Mr. Hanley
  President Weizman's discussions with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary covered bilateral relations, which are excellent, and regional issues including recent developments in the middle east peace process.

PRIME MINISTER

  Sir Nicholas Lloyd
  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Prime Minister what advisory function Sir Nicholas Lloyd is carrying out on his behalf; and if there is any resultant cost to public funds. [18341]

  The Prime Minister
  Sir Nicholas Lloyd is not carrying out any advisory functions for me as Prime Minister and therefore there is no cost to public funds.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 4 March. [17369]

  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 4 March. [17370]

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

  Gulf War Syndrome
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Prime Minister if he received a letter from Hilary Meredith of the solicitors firm of Donn and Co. in July 1995 enclosing documents concerning the use of organophosphate pesticides by British forces during the Gulf war. [18658]

  The Prime Minister
  My Office received correspondence in 1995, which was passed to the Ministry of Defence.

TRANSPORT

  Policy Initiatives
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to which policy initiative he has devoted most funding in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on progress with each such initiative. [15084]

  Mr. Bowis
  The annual transport reports give details of the Department's expenditure and progress with programmes. The 1997 transport report is due to be published on 20 March.

  Air Traffic Control (North Sea)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to develop satellite communication-based positive air traffic control arrangements for offshore industry helicopter operations in the North sea beyond radar coverage. [16827]

  Mr. Bowis
  The Civil Aviation Authority's National Air Traffic Services Ltd. already provides air traffic services to helicopters over the North sea using satellite communications. Radar coverage in the UK sector of the North sea is adequate and currently there are no plans to develop satellite-based surveillance systems in this area.

  Traffic Calming
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of total expenditure on traffic-calming measures by transport authorities in England in each of the last three years. [18460]

  Mr. Bowis
  Traffic calming is one element among the traffic management techniques available to local authorities for relieving congestion, improving safety and enhancing the environment. We do not require detailed returns from authorities on expenditure of this kind.

  Mr. Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies he has(a) commissioned and
  546
  (b) evaluated concerning (i) good and bad practice in respect of traffic-calming measures in England and (ii) the overall effect of such measures; and if he will make a statement. [18459]

  Mr. Bowis
  Since April 1992, the Department of Transport has commissioned 10 research projects to study a range of traffic-calming measures, assessing their effectiveness in reducing and controlling traffic speeds and their effect on the environment:

  UG16 Traffic calming on distributor roads

  UG24 Speed control humps

  UG25 Traffic calming on roads through villages

  UG46 Innovative traffic calming measures

  UG48 Traffic calming on major roads

  UG93 Environment management

  UG127 Traffic management and vehicle emissions

  UG128 Urban activity in 20 mph zones

  UG137 Vertical and horizontal deflections

  S204F Monitoring of 20 mph zones

  Details of most of these projects are in the Department's "Urban and Local Transport Compendium of Research Projects", copies of which have been placed in the Library and can be seen on the Department's Internet site.

  The results of this research are published in the form of research reports and traffic advisory leaflets.

  Epping to Ongar Train Service
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the disposal of the Epping to Ongar line; and what commitment will be sought from prospective purchasers about the restoration of a train service. [18441]

  Mr. Bowis
  The conditions which the former Secretary of State attached to the closure of the Epping to Ongar line required London Underground to seek a private operator for the line. I understand that London Underground has identified a preferred bidder following an open competition. The details of the negotiations are a commercial matter for London Underground. If it seeks the Secretary of State's consent to a disposal to the preferred bidder, he will want to be satisfied that the proposed operator is committed to running a train service.

  Rural Residents (Buses)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of rural residents who live more than half a mile from a bus route; and if he will make a statement. [18405]

  Mr. Watts
  Information from the national travel survey indicates that about 12 per cent. of rural residents live further than 13 minutes, walking time from a bus stop, which equates to about half a mile in distance.

  Vehicle Licence Fraud
  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made of the loss of revenue caused by the display of fraudulent vehicle excise licences. [18577]
  547
  Mr. Bowis
  This figure cannot be established separately from the estimated loss through evasion of vehicle excise duty. The amount involved is likely to be minimal.

  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to combat the practice of motorists displaying fraudulent vehicle excise licenses. [18576]

  Mr. Bowis
  This is a matter for the police. We have no evidence to suggest that the practice is widespread.

  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the loss of revenue caused by motorists not obtaining vehicle excise licences. [18568]

  Mr. Bowis
  The estimated vehicle excise duty loss through evasion in Great Britain in 1995–96 was £170 million. This represents 4.1 per cent. of the total revenue due. Over £74 million of this total was recouped through enforcement action undertaken by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

  Mr. Sweeney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to address the problem of motorists failing to display vehicle excise licences. [18569]

  Mr. Bowis
  The offence of failure to display a vehicle licence is dealt with by the police under the fixed penalty procedures. In addition, police and traffic wardens pass offence reports to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for enforcement action if the vehicle is unlicensed. Last year successful action was taken against nearly 500,000 unlicensed motorists.

  London Underground
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his objection of clearing the investment backlog within five years of privatisation of London Underground will be a contractual commitment for purchasers. [18660]

  Mr. Bowis
  The privatisation of London Underground will be structured so as to ensure that the underground's infrastructure is modernised as soon as possible. Our aim is to achieve this within five years. The exact mechanism for delivering this commitment depends on the structural option chosen. Further details will be included in the White Paper that we aim to publish this summer.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what mechanisms he will put in place to ensure that fares will not rise following the privatisation of London Underground; and if purchasers will be under a contractual obligation not to increase fares; [18662]

  (2) what safeguards will apply to employees' pension rights and travel concessions in legislation introduced to privatise London Underground; [18629]

  (3) what proposals he has to ensure that a guaranteed minimum level of service is maintained following the privatisation of London Underground; [18647]

  (4) by what means (a) the continuation of through ticketing, (b) freedom of interchange between lines and (c) the current concessionary fares arrangements will be specifically safeguarded in legislation introduced to privatise London Underground; [18627]
  548
  (5) what proposals he has to limit fare increases on London Underground in year five after privatisation; [18626]

  (6) by what means he will ensure the continuation of the London travelcard following the privatisation of London Underground. [18628]

  Mr. Bowis
  The Secretary of State has given clear commitments in all these policy areas—Official Report, columns 149–65. We shall now develop the precise mechanisms for delivering them, which in almost all of these cases will depend on the structural option that we choose. Further details will be included in the White Paper that we aim to publish in the summer.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list those companies invited to tender for the provision of advice for the sale of London Underground, indicating which were successful; [18649]

  (2) on what date his Department began the process of appointing advisers for the process of the sale of London Underground; [18648]

  (3) what budget he has allocated for the provision of advice and consultancy fees for the sale of London Underground. [18650]

  Mr. Bowis
  We have not yet appointed any advisers on the privatisation of London Underground, nor have any potential advisers yet been invited to tender. We shall be starting the process of appointing advisers shortly. No estimates have yet been made about the cost of advisers.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the investment backlog of the London Underground. [18659]

  Mr. Bowis
  London Transport estimates the size of the investment backlog to be around £1.2 billion.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the total income received by London Underground for advertising in each of the last five years. [18622]

  Mr. Bowis
  London Underground has provided the information requested which is set out in the following table.

  Year

  Advertising income £ million

  1996–97

  115.5

  1995–96

  12.8

  1994–95

  15.1

  1993–94

  18.1

  1992–93

  18.0

  1Current forecast.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the amount of surplus available for other transport investment following the sale of London Underground. [18661]

  Mr. Bowis
  We believe that there should be sufficient proceeds from the privatisation of London Underground to fund not only the modernisation of the underground's infrastructure but additional transport investment. The amounts involved will depend on the structural option chosen for privatisation and the level of demand from the private sector.
  549
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the income received from the marketing of products bearing the London Underground logo for each of the last five years. [18620]

  Mr. Bowis
  This information is not readily available.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the income received by London Underground from the lease of its properties in each of the last five years; and if he will list the income he expects for each of the next five years. [18619]

  Mr. Bowis
  London Underground has provided the following figures showing income from property leasing since 1992–93. It has not been able to provide forecasts for income expected in the next five years from this source.

  Year

  Income from property leasing £ million

  1992–93

  20.6

  1993–94

  20.4

  1994–95

  22.3

  1995–96

  24.7

  1996–971

  24.8

  1 Current forecast.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) of 25 February,Official Report, column 164, if he will make a statement on the treatment of future public and private investment in London Underground Ltd. in respect of limits on public borrowing set out in the convergence criteria in the Maastricht treaty. [18354]

  Mr. Bowis
  [holding answer 3 March 1997]: The general government financial deficit is the measure used in the Maastricht criteria. The general government sector excludes public corporations, such as London Underground. Net borrowing by a publicly owned London Underground would however score against London Transport's external finance limit and against the public sector borrowing requirement.

  Air Traffic Control (Scotland)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the new Scottish air traffic control centre to be fully operational. [18618]

  Mr. Bowis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 25 February 1997,Official Report column 141, to the hon. Member for Cambridge (Mrs. Campbell).

  London Transport Museum
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the income of the London transport museum for each of the last five years. [18621]

  Mr. Bowis
  The income generated by the London transport museum, excluding Government grant, is as follows:

  1991–91: £1,201,000

  1992–93: £1,429,000

  1993–94: £.1,172,000

  1994–95: £2,043,000

  1995–96: £1,977,000

  London Buses (Subsidy)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the level of subsidy paid by London Underground Ltd. to London Buses Ltd. in each of the last five years. [18623]

  Mr. Bowis
  The distribution of resources by London Transport to its businesses is an operational matter for LT. The cash it allocated to London Buses activities in each of the last five years is shown in the table.

  Year

  Cash paid (£ million outturn prices)1

  1991–92

  157

  1992–93

  174

  1993–94

  78

  1994–95

  43

  1995–96

  44

  1 Figures supplied by London Transport.

  Taxi Licences (North Lincolnshire)
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has approved the request from North Lincolnshire district council to allow it to implement a policy of vehicle age limits when licensing taxis in the former Glanford borough area. [18592]

  Mr. Bowis
  The council does not require the consent of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to implement such a policy. My right hon. Friend has consulted on a proposal to make an order under the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 which would prohibit the imposition of age limits on taxis and private hire vehicles; the responses are being considered.

  Rail Tickets
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 10 February,Official Report, column 69, if he will list the consultants commissioned to test the capabilities of station ticket offices, indicating the cost of employing them. [18656]

  Mr. Watts
  Following a competitive tendering exercise in 1995, the Rail Regulator commissioned Steer Davies Gleave to verify the capabilities of station ticket offices. The cost involved is commercially confidential.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 10 February,Official Report, column 69, if he will list the market research organisation commissioned to survey rail ticket outlets. [18655]

  Mr. Watts
  Following a competitive tendering exercise in autumn 1996, the Rail Regulator commissioned NOP Mystery Shopping to survey rail ticket outlets.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 10 February,Official Report, column 69, if he will list the stations included in the Rail Regulator's survey of ticket outlets. [18657]

  Mr. Watts
  No. The Rail Regulator's survey is a Mystery Shopping exercise. It would be inappropriate to identify the stations involved.

  Channel Tunnel Fire
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 10 February,Official Report, column 70, on what basis he believes it could be prejudicial to release information on the channel tunnel fire. [18654]

  Mr. Watts
  The investigations into the causes and consequences of the channel tunnel fire are continuing to examine evidence and establish the facts relating to the incident. Until the results of these investigations are known it could be misleading to release partial information.

  London and Continental Railways
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total amount paid by London and Continental Railways to Her Majesty's Government for its acquisitions during the privatisation of the railways. [18640]

  Mr. Watts
  Nil. London and Continental Railways—LCR—was appointed in February 1996 to design, building and operate the channel tunnel rail link as part of the private finance initiative. An explanatory memorandum describing the Government's agreements with LCR was deposited in the House Library in March 1996.

  Research Site, Crowthorne
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the sale of the Department's former research site at Crowthorne. [18901]

  Mr. Bowis
  My Department has exchanged contracts with Legal and General Assurance Society Ltd. to dispose of the research site at Crowthorne, to take effect from 25 March. The price is £18.2 million with a clawback provision on the undeveloped part of the site. The disposal represents a good deal for the taxpayer and the local community at Crowthorne which will have the benefit of a respected financial institution as the new landlord. The Transport Research Laboratory has a long lease for most of the site which has 14 years to run. TRL will be able to continue its excellent research, for which it is world famous.

  Train Track Fences
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) who is responsible for the maintenance of fences alongside railway lines; [18240]

  (2) what are the regulations governing the height and strength of fences alongside railway lines; and if these differ between built-up and rural areas. [18241]

  Mr. Watts
  Responsibility for maintaining railway fencing rests the infrastructure controller, Railtrack, in the case of the main network.

  The controller's general duties under sections 3 and 4 of the Health and Safety at Work Act, etc. 1974, to protect the public from its premises and activities, extend to taking reasonably practicable measures to prevent
  552
  unauthorised access. This obligation will be made explicit in the Railway Safety (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 1977 which come into force in early May. The new regulations will replace an existing fencing requirement in section 10 of the Railway Regulation Act 1842.

  Guidance published by the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate gives detailed advice on standards of railway fencing distinguishing between built-up and rural areas.

  En Route Centre (Swanwick)
  Sir David Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the purpose of his Department's press briefing to be held at the new en route centre at Swanwick on 6 March; how many previous press briefings at Swanwick have taken place in the last 24 months; by whom they were organised; who attended; and if he will make a statement. [18290]

  Mr. Bowis
  [holding answer 3 March 1997]: The press briefing at Swanwick on 6 March is not being held or organised by the Department of Transport. It has been arranged by the Civil Aviation Authority's corporate communications department—CCD.

  The purpose is to demonstrate the systems integration achieved to date, prior to the commencement of air traffic controller training at the centre in the near future.

  I understand that this is the first major press briefing to be held at the Swanwick centre in the past 24 months although numerous individual journalists have made visits during that period. All these visits have been co-ordinated by the CAA's corporate communications department.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much her Department estimates it cost to establish each executive agency associated with her Department. [16965]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  The Employment Service is the executive agency associated with the Department for Education and Employment. The Teachers Pensions Agency was an agency until it was contractorised in October 1996. The cost of setting up these agencies can be calculated only at disproportionate cost and would, in any case, be marginal when set against their overall budgets.

  Both the Employment Service and the Teachers Pensions Agency carried out broadly the same functions before they become agencies. Therefore, although no actual figures are available, the cost of setting up these agencies is likely to have been marginal. The benefits in

  553
  setting up these organisations as agencies can be seen in their clearer roles and responsibilities and in the freedom to meet targets they are set by Ministers and the successful performance against those targets.

  General Schools Budget
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for High Peak (Mr. Hendry), of 10 February,Official Report, columns 54–55, (i) what factors underlie the variations in the amounts of money in the general schools budget which are not delegated to schools; [18407]

  (2) what assessment she has made of the reasonableness of the amounts of money in the general schools budget which (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Lancashire chooses not to delegate to schools. [18408]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Within the general schools budget, funding is retained centrally by local education authorities for a wide variety of purposes, of which the most significant include capital expenditure; programmes supported by grants for education support and training and other specific grants; home-to-school transport, school meals, and various aspects of special educational needs. A number of these items are generally acknowledged to be particularly difficult to delegate, and in certain cases, known as "mandatory exceptions", delegation is currently forbidden by law.

  There may therefore be many reasons why one LEA delegates a higher percentage of its GSB. In the case of the two LEAs referred to in the hon. Member's second question, the most significant factor would appear to be Buckinghamshire's proportionately higher provision for capital expenditure, which is a "mandatory exception".

  Post-16 Pupils
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the educational institutions in Kirklees that provide post-16 places; and how many post-16 pupils attended each in the most recent year for which figures are available. [18410]

  Mr. Paice
  The following table shows the educational institutions in Kirklees that provide post-16 places and how many post-16 pupils attended each one on the latest date for which figures are available.

  School (January 1996)

  16+ pupils

  All Saints RC High School

  107

  Batley Boys High School

  117

  Colne Valley High School

  124

  Heckmondwike (GM) Grammar School

  150

  Honley High School and Sixth Form Centre

  145

  Howden Clough High School

  208

  Mirfield Free Grammar School

  190

  St. John Fisher RC High School

  129

  Shelley High School

  332

  Whitcliffe Mount High School

  175

  554

  College of further education (June 1996)

  Full-time students

  Part-time students

  Dewsbury College

  1,800

  3,900

  Greenhead College

  1,265

  —

  Huddersfield New College

  1,058

  —

  Huddersfield Technical College

  3,400

  7,400

  Mrs. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what representations she has received from the Audit Commission about the provision of post-16 places in Kirklees; [18413]

  (2) what advice he has received from the Audit Commission about the number of educational institutions for post-16 pupils. [18414]

  Mr. Paice
  None.

  Mrs. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many surplus post-16 school places there were in Kirkless in the latest year for which figures are available; [18415]

  (2) what is the cost of maintaining surplus places for post-16 pupils in Kirklees; and what is the cost per surplus place. [18416]

  Mr. Paice
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Mrs. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if she will list the educational institutions within five miles of Castle Hall grant-maintained school that provide post-16 places; [18411]

  (2) if she will list the educational institutions in Kirklees available for year 11 pupils leaving Castle Hall grant-maintained school in the summer of 1997 to attend. [18412]

  Mr. Paice
  The following educational institutions, all within five miles, are available in Kirklees for year 11 pupils leaving Castle Hall GM school in the summer of 1997 to attend:

  Colleges of further education

  Dewsbury College

  Greenhead College

  Huddersfield New College

  Huddersfield Technical College

  Schools

  All Saints RC (VA) High School

  Batley High School for Boys

  Batley Grammar (independent mixed selective) School

  Colne Valley High School

  Heckmondwike GM Grammar (selective) School

  Honley High School and College

  Howden Clough (Girls) High School

  Mirfield Free Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre

  St. John Fisher RC (SA) High School

  Shelley High (VC) School

  Whitcliffe Mount High School

  555
  The following schools providing post 16 places are also within five miles of Castle Hall GM School:

  Calderdale LEA

  Brighouse GM High

  The Brooksbank GM

  Hipperholme and Lightcliffe GM High

  Rastrick GM High

  Wakefield LEA

  Ossett School

  Mr. Bryan Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of(a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18-year-olds are in full-time education in each local authority area. [18610]

  Mr. Paice
  This information is published for 16 and 17-year-olds in the Department's "Statistical Bulletin 8/96: Participation in education of young people aged 16 and 17 in each local education authority and region of England, 1990–91 to 1994–95". Information on 18-year-olds could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students residing in Lancashire receive their education under the assisted places scheme in schools(a) located in each of the district council areas of Lancashire and (b) in other local education authority areas; and if she will list those areas. [18387]

  Mrs. Gillan
  Information about the district council area or the local education authority area from which assisted pupils originate is not collected centrally.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many successful applicants there were under the assisted places scheme in(a) Crewe and Nantwich and (b) Cheshire indicating the total value of the payments made in the last three years for which figures are available. [18642]

  Mrs. Gillan
  No schools in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency were successful in joining the assisted places scheme. Abbey Gate college, Chester and the Grange school, Northwich joined the scheme in September 1996 and Beech Hall preparatory school, Macclesfield has been successful in its bid for participation from September 1997. Four other schools in Cheshire—King's school, Chester; King's school, Macclesfield; Mount Carmel school; and Queen's school, Chester—were already participating before 1996.

  The total amount spent on the scheme at the existing four participating schools in Cheshire in the academic years 1993–94 to 1995–96, the latest year for which information is complete, is given in the following table:

  Assisted places scheme: Cheshire schools

  Academic Year

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  Pupils

  £000s

  Pupils

  £000s

  Pupils

  £000s

  King's School, Chester

  95

  220

  89

  212

  87

  234

  King's School, Macclesfield

  173

  553

  179

  619

  193

  670

  Mount Carmel School

  25

  74

  30

  94

  35

  109

  556

  Assisted places scheme: Cheshire schools

  Academic Year

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  Pupils

  £000s

  Pupils

  £000s

  Pupils

  £000s

  Queen's School, Chester

  63

  135

  58

  136

  58

  152

  Total

  972

  1,061

  1,165

  Information is not collected centrally on the place of residence of assisted pupils. Participating schools generally draw from a wide catchment area.

  First Aid (Schools)
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what requirements there are for the teaching of first aid in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools; and what data she collates on the numbers of schoolchildren achieving first aid qualifications. [18393]

  Mrs. Gillan
  There is no specific requirement on schools to teach first aid. However, all maintained schools are required under section 351 of the Education Act 1996 to deliver a curriculum which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society; and prepares such pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. This can include teaching about first aid.

  The Department does not collate information centrally on the numbers of schoolchildren achieving first aid qualifications.

  Teacher Training
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the number of students who, on completion of a postgraduate certificate of education or equivalent qualification, will gain qualified teacher status in(a) mathematics and (b) physics, for each of the years 1997 to 2000. [18248]

  Mr. Forth
  The information is given in the following table. Estimates for undergraduate completers are based on students who entered such courses between 1993–94 and 1996–97, assuming a four-year course length. Estimates of postgraduate completers in 1997 are based on actual entrants in 1996–97, and for later years on the anticipated intakes for postgraduate courses, assuming that intake targets are met. Estimates for completers reflect the average in-course wastage by type of course; 25 per cent. in the case of undergraduate and 11 per cent. for postgraduate courses.

  Year

  Maths completers

  Science completers

  1996–97

  1,550

  2,600

  1997–98

  1,900

  2,850

  1998–99

  1,650

  2,600

  1999–2000

  1,600

  2,650

  Figures shown to nearest 50.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps her Department is taking to encourage new entrants into the teaching profession in(a) mathematics and (b) physics. [18249]
  557
  Mr. Forth
  Responsibility for promoting teaching as a profession rests with the Teacher Training Agency. I will ask the chairman of the agency, Geoffrey Parker, to write to the hon. Member direct.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the training of teachers in(a) mathematics and (b) physics. [18250]

  Mr. Forth
  From this September, there will be a national training curriculum for initial teacher training in primary mathematics. A curriculum for secondary mathematics and science and primary science will be introduced next September.

  In addition, the Teacher Training Agency is developing national standards for classroom teachers, subject leaders and head teachers. The national standards will provide a focus for teachers' continuing professional development, whatever subject they teach. It is for schools and teachers to decide what individual training needs are appropriate.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what discussions she has had with universities and their representatives over changes in the number of university physics courses; and what assessment she has made of the impact of those changes on the number training to be physics teachers. [18252]

  Mr. Forth
  None. My right hon. Friend continues to attach importance to the supply of places in science and engineering, but it is for individual universities to decide which courses to offer in the light of demand from suitably qualified applicants and other factors. The latest available information from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service suggests that the number of applicants for higher education physics courses has risen compared with this time last year. The number of students commencing initial teacher training courses in science, including physics, has increased significantly since 1990.

  Enborne Lodge School, Newbury
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment under what statutory authority orders have been made prohibiting(a) the proposed closure and (b) the sale of Enborne Lodge school in Newbury. [18583]

  Mrs. Gillan
  There are no orders that prohibit either the sale or the closure of Enborne Lodge school. The school was transferred by the Education (Inner London Education Authority) (Property Transfer) Order 1990 to Lambeth local education authority subject to a condition that should the authority cease to use it wholly or mainly for its education functions or should it wish to sell the school it must first offer it to all other inner-London councils for transfer at nil consideration. Statutory proposals to close the school were published on 4 February 1997 and are currently under consideration.

  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment to whom the proceeds of the sale of Enborne Lodge school in Newbury would be payable. [18584]
  558
  Mrs. Gillan
  Enborne Lodge is currently subject to conditions in the Education (Inner London Education Authority) (Property Transfer) Order 1990 which specify that proceeds of sale would be divided among the inner-London councils.

  Education Reform Act 1988
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on proposals(a) to amend the Education Reform Act 1988 and (b) to issue new orders under the Act. [18585]

  Mrs. Gillan
  The Education Act 1996, which is a consolidated Act, made amendments to and superseded most of the Education Reform Act 1988. The Education Bill, which was introduced in the House on 30 October 1996, proposes amending section 218 of the ERA, which concerns the employment of teachers and others in positions involving regular contact with young people under the age of 19.

  Part III of the ERA confers a number of order-making powers on the Secretary of State. The Government have recently consulted about proposals to exercise those powers in order to relax conditions on certain former Inner London education authority properties which were transferred to the inner-London boroughs.

  Schools (Cheshire)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what is the average class size for(a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools for (i) the constituency of Crewe and Nantwich and (ii) Cheshire; [18641]

  (2) how many schools in (a) Crewe and Nantwich and (b) Cheshire have an average class size over 30. [18643]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Average class sizes of classes as taught by one teacher in Cheshire local education authority area in January 1996 were 27.4 for primary schools and 21.3 for secondary schools; 53 primary schools and no secondary schools had average class sizes over 30.

  Information on average class sizes in schools in the constituency of Crewe and Nantwich is not collated centrally.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much was spent by each training and enterprise council on (i) administration, (ii) youth training, (iii) training for work and (iv) other areas in 1995–96. [18710]

  Mr. Paice
  Information on training and enterprise council spend for administration is published by each TEC in its annual statutory accounts, a copy of which is placed in the Library. Information on TEC expenditure on youth training, training for work and other areas is stated in an annual amalgamated income and expenditure account for all TECs, which will be published shortly.

  Long-term Unemployment
  Mrs. Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures she is planning to introduce to reduce long-term unemployment. [16086]

  Mr. Forth
  Long-term unemployment has fallen by 36 per cent. over the last three years. We are continuing to build on the success of our economic and labour market policies by introducing this year a new package of measures to help people unemployed for two years or more.

  From February project work will be extended to help up to 100,000 people. The new pilots will include an emphasis on identifying and tackling basic skills problems which might be preventing some individuals from returning to work. In addition, a new contract for work pilot initiative will explore ways in which the talents of the private sector might be used to help more very long-term unemployed people back to work. From April, under a new jobfinder programme, people reaching two or more years' unemployment will benefit from an intensive series of one-to-one interviews with an Employment Service adviser which will focus on helping the individual jobseeker back to work. We will also be making the jobmatch programme—which helps people to leave unemployment for a part-time job—available nationally to those aged under 25 who have been unemployed for two years or more; and within the existing training for work programme, there will be new opportunities for long-term unemployed people whose job prospects can best be increased through training designed to improve their basic skills.

  Home-school Agreements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what research her Department has undertaken with regard to the best way of implementing home-school agreements; and if she will make a statement. [16932]

  Mr. Forth
  The Department has not commissioned research in this area beyond that referred to in the reply given to my hon. Friend on 29 January by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan),Official Report, column 256. A good deal of work has however previously been undertaken on home-school agreements. This includes the two-year project "Home-School Contract of Partnership" carried out jointly by the Royal Society of Arts and the National Association of Head Teachers.

  Age Discrimination
  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she is taking to reduce discrimination against potential employees on the grounds of age. [16084]

  Mrs. Gillan
  The Government are fully aware of the problem of age discrimination against older employees. That is why this Department promotes the Government's campaign for older workers which persuades employers to recruit, train, and retain them on merit, disregarding age.

  Science, Technology and Mathematics Council
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the work of the Science, Technology and Mathematics Council; and if she will make a statement on the future of the council. [18356]

  Mr. Paice
  [holding answer 3 March 1997]: Since it was set up in 1994, the Science, Technology and Mathematics Council has successfully undertaken a range of development activities in support of national vocational education and training policies including national vocational qualifications and Scottish vocational qualifications.

  I understand that the council intends to bid for national training organisation status later this year. Bids for recognition will be judged by an independent recognition panel chaired by Gordon Beaumont, against national criteria. The future of the Science, Technology and Mathematics Council as an NTO is, therefore, dependent upon its ability to meet the recognition criteria.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Fuel Poverty
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the definition of fuel poverty. [15238]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The term fuel poverty has no precise meaning and is not adopted by the Department.

  Extra help has been made available through the benefit scale rates and premiums—which includes help with payment of VAT on fuel—and is worth around £1.4 billion a year to low-income families with children and £1.1 billion a year to poorer pensioners. Cold weather payments, which provide help to those most in need during periods of exceptional cold weather, the home energy efficiency scheme and the direct payments scheme, which plays an important role in protecting benefit recipients who might otherwise be at risk of having fuel or water supply disconnected, are further examples of our commitment to helping the most vulnerable.

  Fuel bills have fallen by more than 1 per cent. in real terms over the last two years, while the main income-related benefit rates have continued to be increased in line with inflation.

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much his Department estimates it cost to establish each executive agency set up by his Department since the start of April 1992. [16971]

  Mr. Burt
  The Department of Social Security has set up two agencies since April 1992. The total cost of setting up the Child Support Agency was approximately £146 million which includes the cost of the work transferred from the Benefits Agency, the costs of computers, accommodation, recruitment and training of staff in the administration of new legislation.
  561
  The cost of setting up the War Pensions Agency was approximately £1 million as it retained an existing organisation and staff together with the same framework of legislation.

  Appeal Tribunals
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what circumstances, in answering questions to Ministers regarding appeal tribunals, it is his policy to(a) provide the information requested, (b) inform the questioner that the president of the independent tribunal service will write to him and (c) inform the hon. Member that it is a matter for the independent tribunal service; and in what respects the policy changed between 23 January and 17 February. [17402]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  Responsibility for the judicial functions and administration of appeal tribunals is vested by statute in the president of the independent tribunal service.

  Where the information requested by an hon. Member lies wholly within the responsibilities of the independent tribunal service, Ministers may decide either to obtain the information from the independent tribunal service in order to reply to the hon. Member, or suggest that the hon. Member deal directly with the independent tribunal service. As the hon. Member's recent questions related to matters within the responsibility of the independent tribunal service, I judged it more appropriate to direct the hon. Member to the service for the information requested.

  Questions on the Government's policy in relation to appeal tribunals will, of course, continue to be answered by Ministers.

  Benefits Agency
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what methodology is to be adopted by his Department to ensure that contractorisation of the services provided to the Benefits Agency delivers(a) value for money and (b) quality standards for the full term of the contract. [17621]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The methods and procedures used on all contracts for services awarded by this Department take account of prescribed policies, EU legislation and best practice.

  The key criterion used in selecting contractors is that the chosen bid must demonstrate itself to be the most economically advantageous. Formal evaluation procedures, pertinent to each specific project, are put in place to ensure this is achieved.

  The necessary quality standards are part of a contractor's contractual obligation. The actual performance achieved is measured against the requirements throughout the contract to ensure compliance.

  Departmental Contracts
  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to(a) EDS, (b) Andersen, (c) BMI, (d) Capita and (e) Sema since 1992 and the broad function to be carried out by the contractor, and the value of the contract in each case. [17614]

  Mr. Burt
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 18 December 1996,Official Report, columns 752–53.

  Pensioners
  Sir Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of pensioners aged(a) 75 years and over, (b) 80 years and over and (c) 85 years and over received income support for the latest year for which figures are available. [17485]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information is set out in the table:

  Proportion of pensioners in the population of Great Britain receiving income support: (February 1996)

  Age of pensioner

  Percentage of population

  75 years and over

  24.6

  80 years and over

  30.9

  85 years and over

  35.9

  Notes:

  1. Sample size 5 per cent.

  2. Percentages are based on the age of the income support claimant as a proportion of all pensioners in the specified age group.

  3. There will be an overlap in the numbers of recipients accounted for in each banding as a recipient may appear in more than one group ie. an 80 year old recipient will be represented in both the 75 years and over and the 80 years and over groups.

  Source:

  1. Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry February 1996.

  2. Office for National Statistics mid-term estimates of the population 1995.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of the social fund was spent on administration costs in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [17732]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The information is set out in the table. Information for 1995–96 will be published in the Social Security departmental report later this month.

  Year

  Administration cost (£ million)

  Percentage of total gross expenditure

  Percentage of total gross1 expenditure plus recoveries

  1992–93

  208

  51.9

  35.3

  1993–94

  2270

  61.1

  41.4

  1994–95

  209

  46.3

  30.5

  1 The social fund recycles loan repayments to help more people. Since the start of the scheme loans valued at over £1.9 billion have been made for an outlay of £384 million—a multiplier effect of some 5 times.

  2 The high administration cost for 1993–94 was largely due to expenditure on the new social fund computer system.

  563
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the budget of the social fund for the financial year 1997–98. [18237]

  Mr. Evans
  Details of the discretionary social fund budget for 1997–98 will be announced later this month.

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the budget of the social fund in each of the last five years. [18238]

  Mr. Evans
  The information is set out in the table:

  £ million

  Year

  Grants budget

  Gross loans budget1

  In-year allocation (loans)

  Total gross loans budget

  1992–93

  91

  211

  15

  225

  1993–94

  95

  251

  0

  251

  1994–95

  97

  255

  15

  270

  1995–96

  97

  309

  0

  309

  1996–97

  97

  322.5

  21

  343.5

  1 Includes contingency reserve.

  Income Support
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to end the classification of taxed inheritance as capital in assessing income support entitlement. [17746]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  There are no plans to do so.

  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will amend the rules for the disqualification of income support entitlement for families from a capital sum for each partner to an aggregate sum for both partners. [17747]

  Mr. Evans
  The income support rules already provide that the capital resources of partners are aggregated when assessing entitlement to benefit. The exception is where one partner is permanently in a residential care or nursing home. In such cases, each partner is assessed separately and their capital resources are not aggregated. We have no plans to amend these rules.

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimates he has made of the current cost of funding the jobseeker's allowance; and if he will make a statement. [17731]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The estimated programme cost of jobseeker's allowance in 1996–97 is £5,681 million.

  The departmental report for 1997–98, which is due to be published later this month, will contain new estimates of the cost of jobseeker's allowance.

  Source: Table 1A, Departmental report 1996–97.

  Pensions (Winter Supplement)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what discussions he has had with the British pensioners and the trade unions action association regarding the introduction of a supplement to the basic pension during the winter months; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on this matter. [18251]

  Mr. Heald
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no discussions with either group.

  We have no plans to introduce a supplement to the contributory retirement pension during the winter months. Cold weather payments from the social fund give extra help towards additional heating costs resulting from a sustained period of very cold weather. People in receipt of income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance who have a pensioner premium are eligible. So far this winter, over 5 million payments worth over £43 million have been issued to almost 3 million eligible people.

  Young Benefit Claimants (Crewe and Nantwich)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the current number of under 25-year-olds claiming benefits in(a) Crewe and Nantwich and (b) Cheshire. [18644]

  Mr. Burt
  The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Disability Appeal Tribunals
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many medical members of disability appeal tribunals are involved in examining claimants for the purpose of the all-work test. [11087]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  [pursuant to his reply, 23 January 1997, c. 719]: A comparison of Benefits Agency medical services and independent tribunal service records indicates that 88 doctors who perform work for Benefits Agency medical services on a fee-paid sessional basis involving incapacity benefit are also members of disability appeal tribunals.

  Sources:

  Independent Tribunal Service.

  Benefits Agency Medical Services.

  Note:

  Data are provisional and subject to change.
  565
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what circumstances medical members of disability appeal tribunals are involved in examining claimants for the purpose of the all-work test. [13327]

  Mr. Evans
  [pursuant to his reply, 30 January 1997, c. 362–63]: Medical members of disability appeal tribunals may be involved in examing claimants for the purposes of the all-work test if they are qualified and contracted to do so by Benefits Agency medical services on whose behalf such examinations are carried out.

  Sources:

  Independent Tribunal Service. Benefits Agency Medical Services.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) medical members of disability appeal tribunals and (b) doctors appointed to sit as medical assessors in appeals involving the all work test are employed by the Benefits Agency; and in what capacity. [11086]

  Mr. Evans
  [pursuant to the reply, 27 January, 1997c. 107]: No doctor who is currently employed by the Benefits Agency medical services, in a salaried capacity, may be appointed as a medical member of a disability appeal tribunal or as a medical assessor.

  A comparison of Benefits Agency medical services and independent tribunal service records indicates that 241 doctors who perform work for Benefits Agency medical services on a fee-paid sessional basis are also members of disability appeal tribunals. These doctors do not sit as a members of the tribunals which are considering cases in which they have been involved in connection with their work for Benefits Agency medical services.

  Information on the number of doctors who perform work for Benefits Agency medical services on a fee-paid sessional basis who also act as medical assessors to Social Security Appeals tribunals is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, a doctor who performs work for Benefits Agency medical services on a fee-paid sessional basis which involves incapacity benefit is not eligible for appointment as a medical assessor. On appointment as a medical assessor, it is emphasised that an individual cannot undertake sessional work for Benefits Agency medical services in connection with incapacity benefit because of the possible conflict of interest.

  Sources:

  Independant Tribunal Service. Benefits Agency Medical Services.

  Note

  Data are provisional and subject to change.

HEALTH

  EU Anti-smoking Campaign
  Mr. Lamont
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been Her Majesty's Government's policy towards proposals for an EU anti-smoking campaign; and what is the current status of these proposals. [18088]

  Mr. Horam
  The Government acknowledge the European Commission's work in putting together a paper on the present and proposed future Community role in combating tobacco consumption.
  566
  However, we consider that tobacco control measures are primarily a matter for individual member states, taking account of their differing social and economic contexts.

  Fibromyalgia
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into fibromyalgia; what treatment is available for it under the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [18100]

  Mr. Horam
  The Department of Health has not commissioned or evaluated any research into fibromyalgia. The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC is an independent body deciding what research to support on its own expert judgment. The council is always willing to consider soundly based scientific proposals in competition with other applications.

  Decisions about the treatment of individual patients with fibromyalgia are the responsibility of the doctors concerned who are required to exercise their clinical judgment, in consultation with their patients, informed by the patient's medical history.

  The organisation of health services and the manner in which they are delivered are matters for health authorities in their role as purchasers of services for their populations. They enter into arrangements with hospital and community units—trusts—to ensure that the entire range of services is available, taking account of the needs of the local population and the priorities set for the use of the available resources.

  Human Growth Hormone
  Ms Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the cost to his Department to date of the litigation in respect of human growth hormone. [18086]

  Mr. Horam
  The legal costs to date are estimated at £500,000. In addition, numerous staff at various levels and for various periods of time have been involved in matters related to the litigation and their costs cannot be separately identified.

  Dental Laboratories
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's policy in respect of third-party accreditation of dental laboratories. [18465]

  Mr. Malone
  The Government support the principles of third-party accreditation of dental laboratories, highlighted in their response to the fourth report from the Health Select Committee, Session 1992–93.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures his Department has taken to control the levels of laboratory prices charged by dentists; [18446]

  (2) what measures he has taken to ensure the laboratory expense element of dentists' NHS work is properly accounted for; [18466]
  567
  (3) what role his Department has, and what consultations it has had, in determining how and where the annual expenditure on laboratory treatment is spent. [18447]

  Mr. Malone
  None. Dentists are paid a fee for each item of service which covers both remuneration and the expenses met by a dentist in providing treatment. These expenses include any laboratory expenses. Dentists decide for themselves which laboratories they use and they then make entirely private transactions with those laboratories. The control of the level of laboratory prices is, therefore, a matter for individual dentists.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons statistics are not available on the(a) levels of dental laboratory work and (b) cost of dental laboratory items. [18444]

  Mr. Malone
  These statistics are not collected centrally. They are a matter for laboratories and their customers.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department has taken to safeguard the quality of dental appliances for which dentists are paid a fixed fee; and if he will issue guidelines containing indicative costs for laboratory work. [18443]

  Mr. Malone
  National health service dentists are required by law to employ a proper degree of skill and attention and to use only materials which are suitable for the purposes for which they are used. The work of dentists is monitored by the dental reference service. There are no plans to issue guidelines containing indicative costs of laboratory work.

  Vitamin B6
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment will make a further statement about the safety of vitamin B6 supplements. [18384]

  Mr. Horam
  The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment has yet to complete its further consideration of the safety of vitamin B6.

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what scientific studies of vitamin B6 the secretariat of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment based its assertions, in respect of(a) peripheral neuropathy in humans at 50 mg and above over a prolonged period and (b) corroborating evidence from reports of animal toxicity. [18383]

  Mr. Horam
  The secretariat of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment reflects the views of the committee. As concerns a list of the scientific studies first considered by the committee, I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food gave him on 21 January 1997, columns 548–49. A list of the additional studies being considered by the Committee will be placed in the Library shortly.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons dentists are not required to provide patients with an itemised invoice for all dental work. [18445]

  Mr. Malone
  For most courses of dental treatment, including those involving laboratory work, dentists are required, under their terms of service, to provide treatment plans for patients, detailing the treatment they require and the likely cost. Dentists are also required by regulations to issue a receipt for the amount of the national health service charge the patients have paid.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons he rejected the Health Committee's recommendations in its fourth report of Session 1992–93 on dental services (HC264) that laboratory fees should be ring-fenced. [18493]

  Mr. Malone
  I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 47 of the Government response to the fourth report from the Health Select Committee, Session 1992–93, published in August 1993 as Cm 2308.

  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will now hold a public inquiry in respect of patients treated with pituitary-derived human growth hormone who have contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. [18944]

  Mr. Horam
  I regret if I inadvertently misled the House on 24 February 1997 at column 128 in saying that the judge, Mr. Justice Morland, had actually said that the hearing was in inquisitorial examination rather than an adversarial one. He did, however, say that the Department had"given full discovery so far as logistically possible and have not withheld any witnesses who could have given worthwhile evidence."

  In practice, therefore, the court case was very much like a public inquiry, and I am not convinced that another public examination of these issues would add anything further.

  Needless to say, in what is undoubtedly a tragic situation, the Department is committed to settling compensation for those who will receive it as soon as possible, as well as offering counselling and support, and financing research into the causes and nature of this condition.

  Community Care (Suffolk)
  Mr. Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people Suffolk county council had placed under community care in its own residential homes at the most recent date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [18292]

  Mr. Burns
  At 31 March 1996, Suffolk county council was supporting a total of 1,059 adult and elderly residents in its own residential homes.

  Mr. Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost to Suffolk county council per week of a community care place in a residential home run(a) by the county council and (b) by the private sector; and if he will make a statement. [18293]
  569
  Mr. Burns
  As published in "Key Indicators of local authority social services 1996", copies of which are available in the Library, the latest available figures, for 1994–95, show gross expenditure per week by Suffolk county council on residential care per supported resident in staffed homes for older people was £268 for local authority homes and £178 for independent sector homes.

  Prescriptions
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances patients are entitled to an NHS prescription from a private consultation; and what contractual limitations health authorities may place on general practitioners in respect of such prescriptions. [18360]

  Mr. Malone
  Doctors who are consulted in a private capacity may not provide national health service prescriptions.

  Rabies
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data he has collated on the number of British subjects who have contracted rabies in the past five years; and where it was contracted in each case. [18363]

  Mr. Horam
  The public health laboratory service collates information on human rabies cases imported into the United Kingdom. It has had no reports of clinically diagnosed rabies in British subjects in the last five years.

  NHS Trusts (Funding)
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS trusts which will receive funds from the public capital budget to support their proposed private finance initiative projects, indicating for each the amount that will be paid in each year of these arrangements. [18482]

  Mr. Horam
  The following 14 trusts have been offered funds from the support scheme:

  Bishop Auckland Hospitals NHS Trust

  Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust

  Calderdale Healthcare NHS Trust

  Carlisle Hospitals NHS Trust

  Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust

  Greenwich Healthcare NHS Trust

  Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust

  North Durham Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  Oxleas NHS Trust

  St. James and Seacroft University Hospitals NHS Trust

  Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust

  Walsgrave Hospitals NHS Trust

  Wellhouse NHS Trust

  Worcester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  The trusts are still negotiating with their private sector partners to finalise these projects. Therefore the amount of support being offered to each trust is commercial in confidence. However, the total cost of the support scheme is not expected to exceed £9 million a year, less than 1 per cent. of the total NHS capital budget.

  Waiting Lists (Cheshire)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the current number of patients on waiting lists for each of the hospitals in Cheshire. [18646]

  Mr. Horam
  Information on the numbers of patients waiting for admission to each of the trusts in Cheshire is given in the table.

  Provisional number of patients on waiting lists on 31 December 1996

  Number

  Warrington Hospital National Health Service Trust

  5,979

  Halton General Hospital NHS Trust

  1,857

  West Cheshire NHS Trust

  105

  East Cheshire NHS Trust

  1,528

  Mid-Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  6,577

  Countess of Chester Hospital Trust

  6,425

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the current average waiting times for operations for each of the hospitals in Cheshire. [18645]

  Mr. Horam
  Information in the form requested is not available centrally.

  Blood Products (Recalls)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions in the last 12 months blood plasma and other blood products have been recalled from hospitals by the blood transfusion service; in how many cases the cause for recall was possible contamination; and in how many cases batches of products later recalled had begun to be used by hospitals. [17535]

  Mr. Horam
  [holding answer 25 February 1997]: The National Blood Authority, of which the former blood transfusion service forms a part, has made two such recalls in the last 12 months after the products had been issued to hospitals and had begun to be used by them. The products in question were assessed as safe for use because of the production processes to which they were subjected. The recalls were undertaken as a precautionary measure only, in order to avoid unnecessary public concern.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  BSE
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Department has made of the extent of farmers concealing incidents of BSE infection; and if he will make a statement. [18147]

  Mrs. Browning
  There is no evidence to suggest that farmers are concealing BSE suspect cases. The temptation to do so would be greatest on holdings where no previous BSE case had occurred, as it is these farmers who might expect to have the most to lose by reporting a case. Statistical data give no indication that this is happening. In Great Britain in 1995, 1,351 cases were reported on holdings with no previous BSE case; in 1996, 789 cases were reported; and as at 28 February 1997, 72 cases had been reported. This is in line with the overall year-on-year decline in the epidemic as a result of controls on animal feed.
  571
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many new cases of BSE infection have been reported in each of the last 48 months categorised by area; and if he will make a statement. [18148]

  Mrs. Browning
  Details of confirmed cases of BSE by date of restriction for the last 48 months categorised by county are being placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of concealment over BSE infection(a) are currently under investigation and (b) have been reported in each of the past two years; of those investigated, how many and what percentage have resulted in (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction; and if he will make a statement. [18146]

  Mrs. Browning
  None.

  Mr. Temple-Morris
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the Government's current estimate of the additional public expenditure attributable to BSE in(a) 1996–97 and (b) 1997–98; and what estimate he has made of the amount of this expenditure which will be reimbursed from the European Union's budget. [18432]

  Mrs. Browning
  Details of BSE-related expenditure and receipts for the years in question are as follows:

  £ million

  1996–97

  1997–98

  Estimated expenditure

  1,370

  1,010

  Estimated recoveries from EU

  340

  590

  Cod (North Sea)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the decline in cod stocks in the North sea; and by what percentage total stocks have declined over the last 12 years. [18017]

  Mr. Baldry
  The advisory committee on fishery management of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea has estimated that the spawning stock biomass of North sea cod declined by 16 per cent. over the period 1985 to 1996 inclusive. The total allowable catch set for 1997 by the Fisheries Council in December 1996 reflected concern about the pressure on this important stock and provides for the spawning stock biomass to increase by 38 per cent. over the period 1996 to 1998.

  Cloning
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will establish a review of the ethical issues relating to the cloning of animals and birds threatened with extinction. [18390]

  Mrs. Browning
  The breakthrough in cloning technology has the potential to be used to save animal and bird species threatened with extinction, but it has yet to be shown to be possible in species other than the sheep. A review of the ethics of the application of this technique to threatened species would be premature.

  Bullfinches
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what guidance his Department issues to fruit growers regarding the prevention of damage caused by bullfinches. [18365]

  Mrs. Browning
  Advice to fruit growers regarding the prevention of damage caused by bullfinches is provided, on request, by ADAS (Statutory), the Ministry's wildlife adviser. The basis of the advice is that, wherever possible, non-lethal means of preventing any damage, for example the use of netting or fine threads spread over trees, should be used. Advice on longer-term measures, such as future planting strategies to reduce the risk of damage, would also be available.

  Mr. Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many individual licences have been issued by his Department for the killing or taking or bullfinches since the restriction on general licences to the county of Kent; and how many bullfinches have been killed or trapped during that period. [18364]

  Mrs. Browning
  One individual licence has been issued since the restriction on the general licence to kill or take bullfinches to the county of Kent came into effect on 1 November 1996. The licensee is not required to submit details of the number of bullfinches killed or taken until after the licence has expired. As the licence is still in force, this information is not yet available.

  Mr. Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what data he has collated on the damage to fruit orchards by bullfinches; how those data were gathered; and how often the situation is reviewed. [18366]

  Mrs. Browning
  Past evidence and the best advice currently available to the Ministry are that bullfinches can cause serious damage to fruit orchards; this can happen very quickly and is often unpredictable. The Ministry's experience in dealing with problems caused by bullfinches has shown that whole trees can be affected, resulting in total crop losses. The situation is kept under continual renewal.

  Mr. Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many bullfinches have been killed or taken under general licences issued by his Department in each of the past five years; [18367]

  (2) what data he has collated on the number of bullfinches killed or taken under general licence in Kent in each of the past five years. [18368]

  Mrs. Browning
  The information requested is set out below.

  Number of bullfinches killed or taken

  Year

  Within all areas in England covered by the general licence, including Kent

  Within the County of Kent

  1991–92

  433

  341

  1992–93

  620

  567

  1993–94

  326

  312

  1994–95

  262

  262

  1995–96

  317

  317

  Swine Fever
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of classical swine fever were recorded in the United Kingdom in each year, from 1992 to 1996; and how much compensation was paid to the owner of those animals in each year. [18359]

  Mrs. Browning
  None.

  Rabies
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what data he has collated relating to rabies in those parts of Europe where it is a serious hazard. [18362]

  Mrs. Browning
  Those data are available from a quarterly report entitled "Rabies Bulletin Europe", which is compiled and published by the World Health Organisation collaborating centre for rabies surveillance and research in Tubingen, Germany.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Housing Executive
  Mr. A. Cecil Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of Housing Executive properties(a) demolished and (b) replaced in each local authority catchment area since 1992. [17744]

  Mr. Moss
  This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but I am advised that the information, for the period 1 April 1992 to 25 February 1997, is as follows:

  District council area

  Demolitions

  Completions

  Belfast

  2,921

  790

  Antrim

  111

  0

  Ballycastle

  23

  23

  Ballymena

  90

  9

  Ballymoney

  39

  0

  Carrickfergus

  105

  38

  Coleraine

  72

  0

  Larne

  59

  27

  Newtownabbey

  446

  26

  Armagh

  8

  4

  Banbridge

  34

  0

  Newry and Mourne

  10

  21

  Craigavon

  194

  65

  Castlereagh

  41

  0

  Down

  54

  13

  Lisburn

  36

  1

  Newtownards

  127

  116

  North Down

  0

  0

  Cookstown

  2

  0

  Dungannon

  66

  0

  Fermanagh

  38

  6

  Limavady

  0

  0

  Derry

  127

  100

  Magherafelt

  1

  0

  Omagh

  16

  5

  Strabane

  20

  6

  Housing Executive
  Mr. Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met members of the Northern Ireland Housing Council to discuss the budget of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. [17742]

  Mr. Moss
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has not met the members of the Northern Ireland Housing Council, but I met them on 4 April 1996 at which time we discussed several matters including the allocation of resources for 1996–97 for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and housing associations.

  Mr. Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many submissions he has received(a) in favour of and (b) opposed to, his proposals to subject Northern Ireland Housing Executive functions to compulsory competitive tendering; and if he will make a statement. [17745]

  Mr. Moss
  Over 130 copies of the proposal for the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order, which included provisions subjecting the Northern Ireland Housing Executive functions to compulsory competitive tendering, were issued on 19 January 1996. Thirty-four submissions were received, of which two were in favour of, and eight were opposed to, the proposals to subject Northern Ireland Housing Executive functions to compulsory competitive tendering.

  Water Service Staff
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many posts within the Water Service were transferred to Craigavon from (i) Newry, (ii) Armagh, (iii) Belfast and (iv) elsewhere, in each of the past five years; [17803]

  (2) how many people are employed in design in the Water Services in (i) Craigavon, (ii) Armagh and (iii) Newry; and what proposals there are for future staffing levels in those offices; [17807]

  (3) how many posts within the Water Service were transferred to Belfast from (i) Newry, (ii) Armagh, (iii) Craigavon and (iv) elsewhere, in each of the past five years; [17805]

  (4) how many employees there were in Water Service in (i) Armagh, (ii) Craigavon and (iii) Newry and Mourne in each of the past five years; [17804]

  (5) what were the (a) numbers and (b) grades of recruits to the Water Service in (i) administration, (ii) personnel, (iii) design, (iv) accountancy and (v) other disciplines, in each of the past five years, indicating the location of each post; [17808]

  (6) what are the projected staffing levels in the water service in (i) Armagh, (ii) Craigavon, (iii) Newry and (iv) Belfast, for the next three years. [17806]

  Mr. Moss
  Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Water Service under its chief executive, Mr. H. R. F. Plester. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
  575
  Letter from H. R. F. Plester to Mr. Seamus Mallon, dated 28 February 1997:
  I have been asked to reply to your six Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland about Water Service operational matters. I shall answer each in turn in the order in which they were tabled. The general background is that staffing levels in the Water Service have reduced from 2529 in 1992 to 2298 at the end of 1996.
  No 386
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many posts within Water Service were transferred to Craigavon from (i) Newry, (ii) Armagh, (iii) Belfast and (iv) elsewhere, in each of the past five years.
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Newry

  Armagh

  Belfast

  Elsewhere

  1992

  0

  0

  10

  0

  1993

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1994

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1995

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1996

  9

  4

  0

  0

  No 387
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people are employed in design in the Water Services in (i) Craigavon, (ii) Armagh and (iii) Newry; and what proposals there are for future staffing levels in those offices.
  Twenty-seven people based in Craigavon are employed in design which is taken to include construction supervision and direct administrative support. Overall design manning in the Water Service is being reduced so that engineering staff can be redeployed to enable the filling of key vacancies directly related to the provision of customer services. One option under consideration would involve a reduction of about ten staff in the Craigavon design section (together with slightly greater numbers in Belfast). Water Service is currently considering this and alternative options in line with business needs, the expressed wishes of staff and their career development, together with any possible differential impact in relation to Equal Opportunities taking full account of Government's commitments to TSN and PANT concerning possible disparity of effect in community or sectional terms. You will be aware that Water Service Design Group does not provide direct services to the public. All staff under consideration are in mobile grades available for posting throughout Northern Ireland. Water Service has, at present, no staff involved in design permanently based in either Armagh or Newry and no change in this situation is envisaged.
  No 389
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many posts within the Water Services were transferred to Belfast from (i) Newry, (ii) Armagh, (iii) Craigavon and (iv) elsewhere, in each of the past five years.
  No Water Service posts were transferred to Belfast during the past five years with the exception of five posts transferred from Craigavon in 1995.
  No 392
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many employees there were in Water Services in (i) Armagh, (ii) Craigavon and (iii) Newry and Mourne in each of the past five years.
  576
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Armagh

  Craigavon

  Newry and Mourne

  1992

  71

  219

  104

  1993

  65

  230

  101

  1994

  64

  222

  97

  1995

  62

  207

  96

  1996

  53

  221

  89

  No 393
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what were the (a) numbers and (b) grades of recruits to the Water Services in (i) administration, (ii) personnel, (iii) design, (iv) accountancy and (v) other disciplines, in each of the past five years, indicating the location of each post.
  Recruitment of staff is to the Department of the Environment (NI); numbers, grades and initial location of recruits whose first posting was to Water Service are shown in the table.

  General Service Grades (includes administration and personnel)

  Number

  Grade

  Location

  1992

  2

  Administrative Assistant

  Belfast

  1

  Administrative Officer

  Belfast

  1

  Typist

  Belfast

  1993

  3

  Administrative Assistant

  Belfast

  1

  Administrative Trainee

  Belfast

  1

  Administrative Assistant

  Cookstown

  1

  Administrative Officer

  Belfast

  1

  Typist

  Belfast

  1994

  0

  1995

  2

  Administrative Assistant

  Belfast

  1

  Typist

  Belfast

  1996

  1

  Administrative Assistant

  Belfast

  1

  Administrative Officer

  Belfast

  1

  Management Trainee

  Belfast

  Design

  Number

  Grade

  Location

  1992

  5

  Professional and Technology Officer

  Belfast

  3

  Graduate Trainee Engineer

  Belfast

  7

  'O' level Trainee Engineer

  Belfast

  1

  'O' level Trainee Engineer

  Craigavon

  1

  'O' level Trainee Engineer

  Londonderry

  1993

  2

  Graduate Trainee Engineer

  Belfast

  3

  'O' level Trainee Engineer

  Belfast

  1

  'O' level Trainee Engineer

  Ballymena

  2

  'O' level Trainee Engineer

  Craigavon

  1994

  0

  1995

  0

  577

  Design

  Number

  Grade

  Location

  1996

  4

  Graduate Trainee Engineer

  Belfast

  1

  Graduate Trainee Engineer

  Craigavon

  5

  'O' level Trainee Engineer

  Belfast

  1

  'O' level Trainee Engineer

  Londonderry

  1

  'O' level Trainee Engineer

  Ballymena

  1

  'O' level Trainee Engineer

  Craigavon

  Accountants

  Number

  Grade

  Location

  1992

  0

  1993

  0

  1994

  1

  Grade 5 Director of Finance

  Belfast

  3

  Grade 7 Accountant

  Belfast

  1995

  0

  1996

  1

  Staff Officer Accountant

  Belfast

  Other disciplines (includes main operational functions)

  Number

  Grade

  Location

  1992

  2

  Professional and Technology Officer

  Belfast

  1

  Professional and Technology Officer

  Londonderry

  1

  Professional and Technology Officer

  Craigavon

  1

  Professional and Technology Officer

  Omagh

  2

  SG2 Water Sampler

  Belfast

  2

  SG2 Water Sampler

  Craigavon

  1

  Scientific Officer

  Belfast

  2

  Industrial Operative

  Londonderry

  2

  Industrial Operative

  Antrim

  2

  Industrial Operative

  Ballymena

  2

  Industrial Operative

  Larne

  1

  Electrician

  Belfast

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Downpatrick

  12

  Industrial Operative

  Belfast

  10

  Industrial Operative

  Craigavon

  5

  Industrial Operative

  Newry

  2

  Industrial Operative

  Armagh

  1993

  1

  Professional and Technology Officer

  Belfast

  1

  Professional and Technology Officer

  Londonderry

  1

  Professional and Technology Officer

  Antrim

  2

  Professional and Technology Officer

  Craigavon

  1

  SG2 Water Sampler

  Belfast

  3

  SG2 Water Sampler

  Ballymena

  1

  Ship's Mate

  Belfast

  2

  Assistant Scientific Officer

  Belfast

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Magherafelt

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Enniskillen

  2

  Industrial Operative

  Ballymena

  578

  Other disciplines (includes main operational functions)

  Number

  Grade

  Location

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Coleraine

  1

  Electrician

  Belfast

  2

  Industrial Operative

  Downpatrick

  6

  Industrial Operative

  Conlig

  10

  Industrial Operative

  Belfast

  2

  Industrial Operative

  Armagh

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Newry

  9

  Industrial Operative

  Craigavon

  1994

  2

  SG2 Water Sampler

  Belfast

  1

  SG2 Water Sampler

  Ballymena

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Magherafelt

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Omagh

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Londonderry

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Antrim

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Ballymena

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Coleraine

  5

  Industrial Operative

  Belfast

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Lisburn

  4

  Industrial Operative

  Conlig

  1

  Fitter

  Belfast

  4

  Industrial Operative

  Craigavon

  6

  Industrial Operative

  Armagh

  1995

  1

  SG2 Water Sampler

  Ballymena

  1

  SG2 Water Sampler

  Craigavon

  4

  Industrial Operative

  Londonderry

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Omagh

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Antrim

  4

  Industrial Operative

  Ballymena

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Larne

  18

  Industrial Operative

  Belfast

  4

  Industrial Operative

  Lisburn

  9

  Industrial Operative

  Conlig

  3

  Industrial Operative

  Downpatrick

  1

  Able Bodied Seaman

  Belfast

  2

  Fitter

  Belfast

  4

  Industrial Operative

  Craigavon

  3

  Industrial Operative

  Newry

  3

  Industrial Operative

  Armagh

  1996

  1

  Gr 6 Mechanical and Electrical Eng

  Belfast

  2

  Industrial Operative

  Londonderry

  3

  Industrial Operative

  Ballymena

  8

  Industrial Operative

  Belfast

  2

  Industrial Operative

  Lisburn

  1

  Industrial Operative

  Conlig

  2

  Industrial Operative

  Downpatrick

  2

  Electrician

  Belfast

  2

  Fitter

  Belfast

  2

  Industrial Operative

  Craigavon

  No 396
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what are the projected staffing levels in Water Services in (i) Armagh, (ii) Craigavon, (iii) Newry and (iv) Belfast, for the next three years.
  Water Service staffing levels currently under review include scientific services, design services and administrative support for operational services. The outcome of these reviews will not be known for some months. It is not, therefore, possible to provide the detailed information requested for these locations at this time. When concluded the outcome of these reviews will, however, if significant changes are involved, be communicated to elected representatives. Staffing matters are regularly the subject of trade union consultation

  Housing Council
  Mr. A. Cecil Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to extend the responsibilities of the Northern Ireland Housing Council. [17741]

  Mr. Moss
  None.

  Housing
  Mr. A. Cecil Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many units of housing were completed by(a) housing associations and (b) the Housing Executive in Northern Ireland during 1995–96; and what is the total number of applicants on housing waiting lists. [17743]

  Mr. Moss
  The information is as follows:

  Number

  Registering housing associations

  1,276

  Housing executive

  1,362

  Waiting lists as at 31 March 1996

  Urgent

  11,148

  General

  12,201

  Total

  23,349

  Number

  Percentage

  Expenditure (1 April 1996 to 1 February 1997)

  Total households in Northern Ireland

  518,841

  —

  —

  Total Housing Executive properties

  139,447

  —

  —

  Tenants receiving Housing benefit

  109,026

  78

  168,864,324

  Private Sector tenants (including housing association tenants)

  34,045

  —

  68,626,495

  Owner-occupiers receiving housing benefit

  43,905

  —

  10,200,000

  Major Road Works Programme
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in respect of the major road works programme in each of the last five years and the current year the sums set out in each relevant edition of the Northern Ireland expenditure plans and priorities for that programme. [18591]

  Mr. Moss
  Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Roads Service under its chief executive, Mr. W. J. McCoubrey. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from W. J. McCoubrey to Mr. William Ross, dated 3 March 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me to reply to your recently tabled PQ about planned expenditure on the major road works programme.
  The table below details planned expenditure on major roads schemes as incorporated in the Government's Northern Ireland Expenditure Plans and Priorities.
  580
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each council area the total (i) dwellings, (ii) Housing Executive dwellings, (iii) housing association dwellings, (iv) privately owned rented dwellings and (v) owner-occupied dwellings; and if he will list each category as a percentage of the total number of dwellings in each council area. [18511]

  Mr. Moss
  The most recent information in the form requested is set out in table A3.21 of the Northern Ireland house condition survey 1991, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. Similar information from the Northern Ireland house condition survey 1996 is expected to be published later this year. Between surveys, the information requested is not available at district council level.

  Housing Benefit and Rate Rebate
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each council area the number and percentage of (i) all occupants, (ii) occupants of (1) Housing Executive properties and (2) housing association properties and (iii) owner-occupiers who receive(a) housing benefit and (b) rate rebate, and what are the total sums for each category in each area. [18510]

  Mr. Moss
  The information is not available in the form requested; however, information which is available as at 1 February 1997 is as follows:

  Planned expenditure on major works (Schemes costing £200,000 and over)

  Year

  £000s

  1991–92

  18,730

  1992–93

  18,426

  1993–94

  22,747

  1994–95

  22,309

  1995–96

  16,723

  1996–97

  14,384

  Figures for 1991–92 to 1995–96 extracted from NI Estimates. Figure for 1996–97 included in new format of NI Estimates.

  I hope you find this information helpful.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the PFI contracts signed to date, indicating the total value of such contracts, the cost per year in annual payments and the total value of the payments to be made over the life of the contracts. [18617]

  Sir John Wheeler
  Projects approved under the private finance initiative to date include a contract energy services scheme at Holywell hospital, car parking facilities at the Royal group of hospitals, and leasing of medical and other equipment. The car parking project at the Royal group of hospitals is a financially free-standing
  581
  project which will recover its costs through charges to the user. The total capital value of signed contracts amounts to approximately £5.3 million, with an annual payment of £1 million. The total value of the payments to be made over the life of the contracts amounts to approximately £5.7 million.

SCOTLAND

  Voluntary Sector Projects
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to prevent closure of voluntary sector projects which would formerly have been eligible for a three-year extension subject to positive evaluation. [18173]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Under "Programme for Partnership", it is for local partnerships to make decisions on the extension of voluntary sector projects funded through the urban programme.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much of the urban programme underspend he will use to fund voluntary sector projects for one more year, in areas that were not awarded priority partnership area or regulation programme status. [18174]

  Mr. Robertson
  There is no reason to expect an urban programme underspend in 1996–97.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will meet representatives of the Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector to discuss the use of urban programme underspend to avoid imminent closure of voluntary sector projects. [18175]

  Mr. Robertson
  I met representatives of the Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector on 24 January 1997 to discuss its concerns about voluntary sector projects. I have already agreed to a further meeting with it on Friday 4 April 1997.

  Research Grants
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the total amount of Government research grants allocated in each of the past five years to each Scottish university in (i) pharmacology, (ii) bio-physics, (iii) food hygiene and (iv) information technology. [17288]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 26 February 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her yesterday by my hon. Friend the Minister for Science and Technology at the Department of Trade and Industry.

  Farmed Salmon
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what tests are currently carried out on farmed Scottish salmon for traces of ivermectin; and what proportion of fish revealed traces in the most recent tests. [17830]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 27 February 1997]: The Veterinary Medicines Directorate undertakes surveillance for the presence of residues of veterinary medicines in fish as part of a
  582
  programme to monitor whether residues of these substances are passing into food for human consumption in unacceptable concentrations. In the case of salmon, samples of farmed salmon, including Scottish salmon, are purchased from randomly selected retail outlets throughout the United Kingdom. The 1996 programme of analyses has yet to be completed and reported, but the most recent data show that no residues of ivermectin were determined in any of the 275 samples of salmon analysed to date.

  Further Education
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to include an assessment of(a) the quality of the services and (b) other factors in the future determination of grants for further education colleges; and if he will make a statement. [17998]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 28 February 1997]: The White Paper "Raising the Standard", Cm 3542, published in January 1997 set out our plans to consult colleges on introducing, from 1997–98, a direct link between quality and funding. That, and other factors, will be considered in the review of the further education funding formula I have announced will take place.

  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to provide additional funding to the further education sector to allow for the introduction of new initiatives; and if he will make a statement. [17999]

  Mr. Robertson
  [holding answer 29 February 1997]: The White Paper "Raising the Standard", Cm 3542, published in January 1997 set out our plans to launch a challenge fund to improve the use of new technology by colleges. The sum of £1.3 million will be made available for this in 1997–98.

  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to review the funding formula for the further education sector; and if he will make a statement. [18000]

  Mr. Robertson
  [holding answer 28 February 1997]: I announced on 3 February 1997 that a review of the funding formula for the further education sector would be initiated. Work on that will commence shortly, and will involve representatives of the sector.

  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations he has had with the further education sector in respect of its concerns about the current funding formula; and if he will make a statement. [18001]

  Mr. Robertson
  [holding answer 28 February 1997]: I met representatives of the Association of Scottish Colleges on 27 January 1997 for a discussion on further education funding. I assured them that college views will be considered as part of the forthcoming review of the funding formula.

  Pupils (Standard Grades)
  Ms Rachel Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many 16-year-olds gained five standard grades in each year since 1991. [18420]
  583
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  [holding answer 3 March 1997]: Standard grade statistics are collected for S4 pupils and not for 16-year-old pupils. Most S4 pupils, however, have attained their 16th birthday, or will shortly do so. The number of pupils who gained five or more standard grades is listed. Statistics for those who gained standard grades at levels 1 to 3 are available from 1991. Information on pupils who gained five or more standard grades at levels 4 to 7 is, however, available only from 1993.

  Level 1–3

  Level 4–7

  Level 1–7

  1991

  25,357

  —

  —

  1992

  27,527

  —

  —

  1993

  28,478

  22,868

  51,346

  1994

  30,655

  23,423

  54,078

  1995

  33,553

  23,623

  54,078

  1996

  34,884

  24,091

  58,975

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Brewing Industry
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on recent rulings by the Office of Fair Trading in respect of(a) the tied house in relation to brewers and (b) the Courage Inntrepreneur scheme. [18462]

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  (a) The Officer of Fair Trading held an inquiry into brewers' wholesale pricing policy in 1995. The inquiry concluded that, although a minority of tied tenants on long leases had experienced some hardship, the differential wholesale pricing policy of brewers had not in general placed the tied trade at a disadvantage to free houses. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade accepted this conclusion.

  (b) The Office of Fair Trading recommended that the undertakings given by Inntrepreneur following the merger between Courage and Grand Metropolitan in 1991 be varied. This variation released Inntrepreneur from its previous undertakings, but introduced a new undertaking which prevented Inntrepreneur from requiring any of its tenants to take beer supplies exclusively from Scottish and Newcastle, which owns the Courage beer brands. The Director General of Fair Trading argued that, as the nature and size of Inntrepreneur were similar to that of a number of other pub chain operators, it was no longer appropriate to keep the existing undertakings in place. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade accepted this recommendation.

  Oil (Control and Jurisdiction)
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the European Union has any entitlement to exercise control or jurisdiction over the organisation of oil development and exploration and the disposal of the oil from United Kingdom waters; and if he will make a statement. [18586]

  Mr. Page
  The exploration for and development of the UK's oil and gas resources continue to be carried out under licences issued by the UK Government. The UK's licensing regime is required to conform with the 584
  provisions of the hydrocarbons licensing directive of 1994, which sets out common rules relating to the procedures for granting authorisations for the exploration and production of oil and gas. However, that directive also reaffirms the important principle that
  "Member States have sovereignty and sovereign rights over hydrocarbon resources on their territories".

  Structural Funds Programmes
  Mr. Faber
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the negotiation of the 1997 to 1999 British objective 2 structural funds programmes. [18863]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  The Government in collaboration with local partnerships produced regional and social conversion plans for each of the 13 British areas. These were submitted to the European Commission during August 1996.

  Following negotiations, the Commission has announced its agreement in principle to 10 programmes of grant, based on these plans, subject to consultation of the EU structural funds committees. Some questions raised by the Commission remain to be settled; I hope that this can be done as soon as possible so that the programmes can be adopted by the Commission by the end of March.

  The 10 programmes cover:

  North-east England

  West Cumbria

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  London

  West Midlands

  Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire

  South Wales

  Eastern Scotland

  Western Scotland

  Gibraltar

  The remaining programmes for the east midlands, Thanet and Plymouth are close to agreement and should be adopted during April.

  The programmes set a coherent strategic framework for the use of approximately £1.9 billion of EU structural funds grant for economic regeneration, the development of enterprise and skills, and the creation of jobs based on the local needs and the potential of each area. They draw on the experience and successes of the 1994 to 1996 programmes to ensure continuity and improved value for money.

  Under the programmes, a range of projects will be approved, for the support for small and medium enterprises, increasing the technology base, tourism and community economic development, with an anticipated total value of around £4.7 billion.

  I welcome the effective way in which the Government and local partnerships have co-operated on these programmes. Over the past few years, the experience of local programme monitoring committees has grown. Increasingly, they address strategic issues, as well as the more working level consideration of programme implementation. Although these committees essentially deal with administrative matters and are mainly attended by officials, we have received representations from some

  585
  committees seeking to involve local councillors. After considering these representations, I have decided that it should be for each United Kingdom monitoring committee to determine whether to accept elected members as representatives of local councils.

  Most of the programmes for England and Wales provide for part of their grant, £160 million in total, to be awarded to projects through the second round of regional challenge. This will be run locally, and after the programmes have been adopted, each area will launch its own competition.

  Regional challenge aims to increase competition in the allocation of European structural funds. The first round awarded a total prize fund of £160 million to 34 innovative projects in England and Wales. Winning applicants included flagship projects such as the earth centre in South Yorkshire and the Lowry centre in Salford. The first round of regional challenge projects has levered in an estimated £359 million of private sector contribution.

  Films (Copyright)
  Mr. Faber
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what form notifications should take for the purpose of regulation 33(b) of the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 1996 (SI, 1996, No. 2967) when authors or performers wish to exercise their right to equitable remuneration for rental of films made under agreements concluded before 1 July 1994. [18864]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  Directive 92/100 EEC, which these regulations implement, does not specify how such notification are to be made and nor, therefore, can the regulations do so. It would nevertheless appear that any form of notifications that clearly indicates an intent to exercise the right to equitable remuneration would be valid for the purposes of regulation 33. Such notifications may be given on behalf of the persons to whom they relate by those representing them, such as professional agents or advisers or organisations such as Equity. It would also appear that notifications need not list individually the performers or films to which they relate to be valid. Ultimately, however, these are matters for the courts to determine.

DEFENCE

  Pipeline Inspection Notification
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what conclusions were reached following the trial of published avoidances around the United Kingdom ethylene pipeline, promulgated by aeronautical information circular No. 73/1994; [17993]

  (2) how many aircraft proximity incidents between helicopters whose activities were notified under the pipeline inspection notification system and military aircraft have been reported since the introduction of the system; and if he will list the date and risk category of each incident; [17994]

  (3) if he will list the changes made to the pipeline inspection notification system since its introduction, including the date on which each change was introduced; [17984]
  586
  (4) what plans he has for further changes to the pipeline inspection notification system. [17983]

  Mr. Soames
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

  Ion Exchange Resin
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress being made in developing a treatment process for ion exchange resin arising from the MODIX process at Rosyth and Devonport. [18221]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  This is a matter for the chief executive of the Ships Support Agency. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Roger Babington to Mr. Alan Simpson, dated 4 March 1997:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the progress on the treatment of ion exchange resin arising from the MODIX process at Rosyth and Devonport, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Ships Support Agency.
  The resin generated as a result of the MODIX process can be categorised into two groups; resin containing chelates (chemicals which affect the rate at which the radioactivity within the resin may leach out) and resin without chelates. The resin without chelates, categorised as low level waste, is sent to BNF Plc Drigg for disposal. The resin without chelates, categorised as intermediate level waste, is stored safely until it has decayed to low level waste, when it too can be disposed of at BNF Plc Drigg. The resin containing chelates is cleaned by a process called MODULOX (trade name for Modular Oxidisation) which removes the chelates so the waste can be disposed of at BNF Plc Drigg once classified as low level waste.

  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress being made to construct building D151 at Devonport to store arisings of ion exchange resin. [18218]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  This is a matter for the chief executive of the Ships Support Agency. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Roger Babington to Mr. Alan Simpson, dated 4 March 1997:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the progress being made to construct building D151 at Devonport to store the arisings of ion exchange resin, as this mater falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Ships Support Agency.
  The construction work on the building which will accommodate arisings from the ion exchange resin is progressing to programme, under project D151, for handover to Devonport Management Limited early in 1998.

  Radium Experiments (Alverstoke)
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what data his Department has collated concerning radium experiments on humans at Alverstoke. [18098]

  Mr. Soames
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library.

  Air Traffic Control
  Mr. Spellar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on operational
  587
  effectiveness of moving from a system of military air traffic control to utilising the system of civilian air traffic control. [18260]

  Mr. Soames
  The RAF has carried out a thorough assessment, involving practical simulations and managerial studies, of delivering a military air traffic control service using the equipment and associated software designed to be provided for the new en route centre at Swanwick. The assessment determined that the same degree of service in terms of quality and safety could be provided to military aircraft without any loss of operational freedom.

  Gulf War (Organophosphate Pesticides)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report specific corrections to each of the previously inaccurate replies relating to the use of organophosphate pesticides during the Gulf war. [18342]

  £ million

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Vehicles

  1.171

  11.358

  9.447

  2.049

  1.653

  Containers

  0.000

  2.75

  8.65

  0.03

  0.007

  These costs are charged to Vote 2. Further breakdown by subhead is not held centrally and is not available.

  RAF Greenham Common (Radioactive Contamination)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the recent report by the geosciences advisory unit of Southampton oceanography centre relating to alleged radioactive contamination around RAF Greenham Common base. [18340]

  Mr. Soames
  As this report was issued only very recently, it has not yet been possible to assess in detail all the information it contains. We are, however, pleased to note that the conclusions of this independent study broadly substantiate the findings of the National Radiological Protection Board report which was published in December last year. The results relating to the Greenham Common and Newbury areas must be particularly reassuring to local residents and provide further confirmation that there was no truth in last year's irresponsible allegations of a nuclear weapon accident.

  The tentative evidence regarding man-made radioactivity in the immediate environment of AWE Aldermaston must be compared with the extensive environmental survey data held at AWE and published annually before any proposals for yet further work can be considered.

  British Military Personnel (Rwanda)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training assistance British military personnel have provided in Rwanda over the past five years. [18474]
  588
  Mr. Soames
  I apologised to the House on 10 December last year for the fact that earlier parliamentary questions on this subject had been answered incorrectly. Full details of what is now known about the use of organophosphate pesticides by British service personnel during the Gulf war are contained in the organophosphate pesticide investigation team report which was published on 10 December 1996. A copy of this report was also placed in the Library.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost to his Department of aid to the Russian Federation to assist the safe transport and storage of nuclear weapons for each of the last five financial years; and from which subheads of which votes these funds were taken. [18278]

  Mr. Soames
  UK assistance to the Russian Federation in the context of safe transport and storage of nuclear weapons has comprised two related projects: the supply of heavy duty trucks and the supply of supercontainers. The total costs by year for each of the last five years for these two projects are as follows:

  Mr. Soames
  No training assistance has been provided by British military personnel in Rwanda over the past five years. A member of the Royal Army Medical Corps has, however, provided assistance in 1995 to the independent international commission of inquiry set up at the request of the Government of Rwanda to investigate events surrounding deaths of an unknown number of persons at the Kibeho refugee camp. In addition, a member of the RAF legal services led a seminar sponsored by the UN centre for human rights in February on training the Rwandan army in the human rights aspects of military activity.

  European Directives
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work has been carried out or commissioned by(a) his Department and (b) the Adjutant General to assess the impact on the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force of (i) the working time directive, (ii) the posting of workers directive, (iii) the parental and family leave directive, (iv) the young workers directive, (v) the burden of proof directive and (vi) the data protection directive. [18369]

  Mr. Soames
  The Ministry of Defence takes its full part in government consideration of EU legislation. All relevant directives are examined within MOD to assess the potential impact on the armed forces, and the appropriate service authorities contribute fully to the debate. Any proposed EU directives which might affect service personnel policy are routinely referred to the Army's Adjutant General and to his counterparts in the other two services for their views. The parental and family leave directive and the burden of proof directive do not
  589
  apply to the UK since they are being made under the agreement on social policy. The posting of workers directive does not apply to the armed forces. The working time directive, the young workers directive and the data protection directive are all currently under active consideration within the Department.

  HMS Monmouth (Lynx Helicopter)
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the loss of the Lynx helicopter from HMS Monmouth off Plymouth on 25 February; and what the helicopter will cost to replace. [18424]

  Mr. Soames
  HMS Monmouth was exercising in the channel south of the Eddystone light on 25 February, in heavy seas, when the lashing securing her Lynx helicopter to the flight deck broke, causing the aircraft to topple overboard following a sequence of heavy rolls by the ship. The crew of the helicopter, who were aboard the aircraft at the time, were recovered shaken but uninjured. The Royal Navy has begun an inquiry into the incident.

  It is intended to salvage the aircraft so that the extent of the damage to it, and the possibility of returning it to service, can be assessed. HMS Monmouth is currently being provided with a replacement Lynx from within the existing aircraft fleet. It is too early to say what further action, if any, will be required to replace the damaged aircraft, or what the costs would be.

  New Building (Abbey Wood, Bristol)
  Mr. Berry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (1) pursuant to his answer of 27 January,Official Report, column 32, if the new claim for additional payments and extensions for time submitted by the shell and core contractor for his Department's new building at Abbey Wood, Bristol, incorporates the claims referred to in his answer of 24 June 1996, Official Report, column 39; [18502]

  (2) what claims for compensation have been made on the basis of the accuracy of the specifications in his Department's documentation for its new building at Abbey Wood, Bristol; [18503]

  (3) on how many occasions the shell and core contractor for his Department's new building at Abbey Wood, Bristol, was prevented from progressing because of delays by the client team in approving design change. [18504]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  The new claim submitted for additional payment and extensions of time has subsumed that previously submitted by the Abbey Wood shell and core contractor.

  Common Security and Defence Policy
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the agreement made between France and Germany at Nuremburg in December 1996 on common security and defence and the relevance of this agreement to NATO obligations. [18587]
  590
  Mr. Soames
  The agreement is a matter for the French and German Governments, but we note its reaffirmation of the importance of NATO to Europe's stability and security, and its signatories' commitment to strengthen their contribution to the alliance.

  German Military Forces
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement describing the current restrictions on the participation of German military forces outside their own borders in consequence of post-war agreements. [18588]

  Mr. Soames
  Germany is not bound by any post-war treaty in this respect. The basic law lays down that the German armed forces may be used only for defensive purposes. The federal court ruled in July 1994 that this provision was no bar to the deployment of German forces outside Germany. The court did, however, require that any such deployment be approved by the Bundestag in each case. German forces are now deployed to Bosnia as part of NATO's security force.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military sites in the United Kingdom have nuclear waste storage facilities; and what is the total amount of radioactive waste in storage at the(a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force sites. [15999]

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  [holding answer 14 February 1997]: MOD stores radioactive waste in numerous locations throughout the United Kingdom. Details, including predicted future arisings, from the 10 major MOD sites in the United Kingdom, either storing or producing radioactive waste, were published by Nirex in "The 1994 United Kingdom Waste Inventory", a copy of which has been sent to the Library. Other minor items of radioactive waste are stored at various locations prior to disposal; however, it would involve disproportionate cost to provide details of these.

  Parliamentary Answers
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many questions were tabled for reply by his Department in each Session since 1979–80; in how many instances in each year the reply has been that providing the information involved disproportionate cost; and in how many instances in each year questions have been given the reply that the information was not available centrally. [16785]

  Mr. Soames
  A list of the number of written and oral parliamentary questions answered by Ministers in my Department in the Sessions 1982–83 to 1995–96, supplied by the parliamentary on-line information service unit, has been placed in the Library. Figures for the earlier years requested are not available.

  The other information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Deaths
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of each armed service have(a) been killed on active service, (b) been killed in accidents, (c) committed suicide and (d) died of natural causes in each of the last seven years. [17819]

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 27 February 1997]: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Analytical Services Agency. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member.

  The number of deaths in the armed forces from 1 January 1990 to 3 March 1997 (based on information reported to DASA as at 3 March 1997)

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997 to 3 March 1997

  Total

  Tri-service

  Active service

  10

  38

  5

  7

  8

  0

  3

  0

  71

  Assault

  2

  4

  2

  0

  5

  4

  0

  0

  17

  Coroner verdicts of suicide

  42

  34

  30

  23

  29

  18

  5

  0

  181

  Other self inflicted1

  4

  7

  6

  10

  2

  23

  17

  0

  69

  Accidents

  159

  141

  124

  129

  107

  101

  75

  4

  840

  Natural causes

  103

  86

  100

  72

  68

  61

  40

  3

  533

  Details of causes not yet available

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  8

  1

  9

  Total

  320

  310

  267

  241

  219

  207

  148

  8

  1,720

  Navy

  Active service

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Assault

  0

  1

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  3

  Coroner verdicts of suicide

  8

  5

  6

  1

  6

  1

  2

  0

  29

  Other self inflicted1

  1

  2

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  5

  Accidents

  22

  26

  21

  34

  11

  16

  13

  1

  144

  Natural causes

  19

  19

  21

  9

  18

  12

  8

  1

  107

  Details of causes not yet available

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3

  0

  3

  Total

  50

  53

  48

  44

  37

  31

  27

  2

  292

  Note:

  1This covers cases with open or misadventure coroner verdicts and those yet to be confirmed.

  The number of deaths in the armed forces from 1 January 1990 to 3 March 1997 (based on information reported to DASA as at 3 March 1997)

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997 to 3 March 1997

  Total

  Army1

  Active service

  10

  33

  5

  7

  7

  0

  3

  0

  65

  Assault

  2

  3

  2

  0

  4

  3

  0

  0

  14

  Coroner verdicts of suicide

  20

  22

  19

  18

  18

  15

  3

  0

  115

  Other self inflicted2

  3

  4

  4

  4

  1

  17

  13

  0

  46

  Accidents

  92

  91

  75

  65

  71

  55

  46

  1

  496

  Natural causes

  48

  39

  50

  39

  29

  24

  17

  0

  246

  Details of causes not yet available

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  5

  0

  5

  Total

  175

  192

  155

  133

  130

  114

  87

  1

  987

  RAF

  Active service

  0

  5

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  5

  Assault

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Coroner verdicts of suicide

  14

  7

  5

  4

  5

  2

  0

  0

  37

  Other self inflicted2

  0

  1

  2

  6

  1

  5

  3

  0

  18

  Accidents

  45

  24

  28

  30

  25

  30

  16

  2

  200

  Natural causes

  36

  28

  29

  24

  21

  25

  15

  2

  180

  Unknown

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  Total

  95

  65

  64

  64

  52

  62

  34

  5

  441

  Notes:

  1Includes Gurkhas.

  2'This covers cases with open or misadventure coroner verdicts and those yet to be confirmed.
  592
  Letter from Paul Altobell to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 4 March 1997:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of personnel serving in the Armed Forces who have died since 1990 as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of Defence Analytical Services Agency.
  The information you request is detailed in the attached tables. I have listed deaths according to our standard classification system which I hope you will find useful as it gives slightly greater detail than requested in your question. You will also note that as well as giving figures for the last seven years I have included the position for the first three months of this year.

  UN Service Medal (Korea)
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons stocks of the United Nations service medal with clasp "Korea" are exhausted; and when further medals will be made available. [17752]

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 28 February 1997]: It is normal procedure that claims for the United Nations service medal with clasp "Korea" are passed to the appropriate single service medal office where eligibility may be confirmed following a check of service records. Until recently, stocks were held at the Army medal office. Those stocks were depleted in August 1995 and a request for additional medals was sent to UN headquarters, New York. In late 1996 the UN secretariat informed the United Kingdom mission to the UN that it did not intend to issue any more "Korea" medals, as its stocks were exhausted and no funds were available to purchase more.

  Since then, the UN has granted permission to the British Government to purchase and issue the medal. Arrangements to identify a suitable source of supply are in hand. Following the necessary procurement action, eligible claimants will be issued with their medal.

  Some 180 eligible British veterans of the Korean war are awaiting their UN medal at this time.

  Royal Naval College, Greenwich
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the estimated costs of the conversion of the Royal Naval college at Greenwich to accommodate the joint service command and staff college(a) as set out in the consultation document published by his Department in January 1995 and (b) as subsequently revised, in each case taken over a 25-year period at net present value. [18471]

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 3 March 1997]: The 1995 consultative document considered two Greenwich-based options, the difference lying in the number of students on the advanced course. The most relevant of these is the option with 312 students on the advanced course, which had a 25-year net present value of £256 million at September 1993 prices. As the Greenwich option was effectively ruled out at this point, for a variety of reasons including the fact that its costs were 25 per cent. higher than the then preferred Camberley option, no revised costs have been produced. Uplifting the figure by standard defence indices gives an NPV of approximately £290 million at April 1997 prices. Broadly comparable NPV figures for the recently announced preferred Serco/Laing proposal, albeit over a 30-year period and with an advanced course of 327 students, are around £195 million.

ENVIRONMENT

  City Challenge
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for redeveloping Stockton high street under the city challenge initiative. [17013]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  As my hon. Friend is aware, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of 594
  State for Transport issued our decisions on the planning and associated transport matters relating to Stockton town centre development on 20 February. Those decisions should effectively allow city challenge to proceed with its redevelopment plans.

  Recycling Facility (Warndon)
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about(a) planning permission for and (b) the licensing of the proposed chemical transfer and oil recycling facility at Warndon, Worcester. [17017]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received some 210 representations on these issues. These are in addition to the petition from the residents of Worcestershire which the hon. Gentleman submitted to the House on 26 November 1996 and on which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State submitted observations on 22 January 1997.

  Local Government Finance
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the level of local government funding. [17018]

  Mr. Curry
  The level of local government funding is set at a level which allows efficient local authorities to provide a full range of services, and is in line with overall Government policy on public spending.

  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes he plans to make to the formulae for the standard spending assessment. [17020]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  None, at present. We shall consider the formulae for 1998–99 later in the year.

  Global Warming
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representation he has received relating to the impact of Government policies on global warming. [17019]

  Mr. Gummer
  The hon. Member will be as pleased as I am at the successful outcome of Sunday and Monday's Environment Council. The UK played a central part in that success and we are determined to ensure that the world signs up in Kyoto to substantial reductions in polluting gases.

  Litter
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to discourage litter. [17021]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Tidy Britain Group, which is largely funded by my Department, acts as the national litter abatement agency. The group promotes a wide range of campaigns to discourage litter and we have highlighted its role in the Department's current national publicity campaign "Helping your Environment".

  Earth Summit
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what reports the Government will submit to the UN special session in New York in June to review progress on implementing the decisions of the Rio de Janeiro Earth summit. [17022]

  Mr. Gummer
  A report setting out the United Kingdom's overall progress in implementing Agenda 21 will be presented to the special session. The report will also set out some of the Government's objectives for future action towards achieving sustainable development, and cross-refer to other relevant sources of information about the UK's approach.

  Rents-to-mortgages Schemes
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of the rents-to-mortgages schemes. [17023]

  Mr. Clappison
  None. Rent-to-mortgage is an option under the highly successful right-to-buy scheme, which has enabled over 1.3 million council tenants in England to buy their home since 1980.

  Opencast Mining
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will change planning procedures to make it more difficult for opencast coal operators to obtain planning consent. [17024]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  No. The mineral planning guidance note on opencast coal was fully reviewed and revised in July 1994. There are currently no plans to revise it again.

  Council Tax (Essex)
  Mr. Bernard Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the level of council tax likely to be levied in Essex in 1997–98. [17025]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  No such assessment has been made, as it is for local authorities to set their own levels of council tax in their area in the light of local needs and priorities.

  Local Authority Housing
  Mr. Betts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his plans for the transfer of local authority housing. [17026]

  Mr. Curry
  Transfer is an excellent way of increasing investment in the local authority stock and the Government have therefore recently introduced a package of measures aimed at encouraging local authorities to transfer more of their stock to registered social landlords. We have also announced our intention to use the housing investment programme to encourage local authorities to consider how they can best use transfer to meet the need for investment in their stock and thus also make best use of the limited public funds available for housing.
  596
  Sir Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his current estimate of the numbers of dwellings in local authority ownership which could be transferred to different ownership through large-scale voluntary transfer. [17029]

  Mr. Curry
  With the new package of measures announced by the Government last autumn to encourage stock transfer, we expect the level of transfer to increase significantly. Taken together with sales to individuals, we currently anticipate a reduction in local authority stock of just over 1 million homes or around 30 per cent. in the next 10 years.

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about air pollution. [17027]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Environment Act 1995 set up the legislative framework for a national strategy for air quality and for action by local authorities to assess and manage air quality. The strategy, which will be published shortly, will set out air quality standards and objectives, and will outline the measures which will be taken at international, national and local level in order to meet those objectives.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received regarding air pollution. [17028]

  Mr. Clappison
  My Department has received 420 representations, from members of the public, business, local authorities and other bodies, in response to consultation on the draft national strategy for air quality, which the Government are preparing in accordance with the Environment Act 1995.

  Council House Sales
  Sir David Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses have been sold to sitting tenants since May 1979. [17030]

  Mr. Clappison
  Over 1.48 million tenants purchased their homes from English local authorities and new towns between April 1979 and September 1996.

  Parliamentary Answers
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many questions were tabled for reply by his Department in each Session since 1979–80; in how many instances in each year the reply has been that providing the information involved disproportionate cost; and in how many instances in each year questions have been given the reply that the information was not available centrally. [16796]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  A list of the number of written and oral PQs answered by my Department in the Sessions 1982–83 to 1995–96, as supplied by the parliamentary on-line information service unit, is given. This information is also available in the House Library. Figures for 1979–80 to 1981–82 are not available.
  597

  Year

  Written

  Oral

  1982–83

  1,457

  367

  1983–84

  4,181

  626

  1984–85

  3,328

  370

  1985–86

  3,624

  415

  1986–87

  2,355

  290

  1987–88

  5,214

  554

  1988–89

  4,911

  423

  1989–90

  5,947

  369

  1990–91

  3,233

  367

  1991–92

  1,513

  182

  1992–93

  5,029

  541

  1993–94

  3,301

  377

  1994–95

  2,970

  405

  1995–96

  2,481

  317

  Providing the number of instances in each year that questions have been given a reply of disproportionate cost or that the information was not held centrally would themselves involve disproportionate cost.

  Household Waste-derived Compost
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the report on the potential markets for household waste-derived compost to be published; and to whom he plans to circulate it. [17714]

  Mr. Gummer
  The report, entitled "Markets and Quality Requirements for composts and Digestates from the Organic Fraction of Household Wastes", has been prepared under a research contract now managed by the Environment Agency. It was made public in January; and priced copies will be available in March, reference number CWM 147/96, from the Waste Management Information Bureau, AEA Technology plc, F6 Culham, Oxfordshire OX14 3DB, telephone number 01235 463162. Complimentary copies are due to be sent to the Environment Select Committee, the British library, the Composting Association, the National Composting Development Association, the Institute of Waste Management, the Environmental Services Association, the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management and the specialist press. My Department promoted the report at the Composting Association's annual conference in November 1996 and will be doing so again at a National Composting Development Association conference in March 1997.

  Local Government Legislation
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the legislation for which his Department has been responsible which affects(a) local government finance and (b) local government responsibilities since June 1979. [18149]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  The Department has been responsible for the primary legislation listed in the years since 1979. Only Acts affecting the general responsibilities of local government are shown. Some of the Acts are private Members' legislation.

  (a) local government finance

  Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980

  Local Government Finance Act 1982

  Rates Act 1984

  Rates Support Grant Act 1986

  598

  Local Government Finance Act 1987

  Local Government Act 1987

  Rates Support Grant Act 1987

  Local Government Finance Act 1988

  Rates Support Grant Act 1988

  Local Government and Housing Act 1989

  Caravans (Standard Community Charge and Rating) Act 1991

  Community Charges (Substitute Setting) Act 1991

  Community Charges (General Reduction) Act 1991

  Local Government Finance and Valuation Act 1991

  Local Government Finance Act 1992

  Non-Domestic Rating Act 1992

  Non-Domestic Rating Act 1993

  Non-Domestic Rating Act 1994

  Non-Domestic Rating (Information) Act 1996

  Rating (Caravans and Boats) Act 1996.

  (b) local government

  Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980

  Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982

  Local Authorities (Expenditure Powers) Act 1983

  Local Government (Interim Provisions) Act 1984

  Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985

  Local Government Act 1985

  Local Government Act 1986

  Local Government Act 1988

  Local Government and Housing Act 1989

  Local Government Finance (Publicity for Auditors Reports) Act 1991

  Local Government Act 1992

  Local Government (Overseas Assistance) Act 1993

  Audit (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1996

  Rivers (Water Abstraction)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many rivers in England and Wales have been identified as suffering from low flow due to over-abstraction; what percentage of those identified have had(a) short-term and (b) long-term solutions implemented to restore their natural flow; and if he will make a statement. [18015]

  Mr. Clappison
  In 1990–91 the National Rivers Authority identified in England and Wales a total of 335 km of reaches in 40 rivers as having low flows and affected by water abstraction. Of those 40, nine have fully implemented solutions, nine have solutions in progress, eight have solutions identified, six continue to be investigated and eight have been found not to have problems due to abstraction. By March 1996, the total length of the affected reaches had been reduced by 207 km. The Environment Agency has targets to reduce this by a further 106 km by March 1999.

  Waltham Forest
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what bids into the single regeneration budget from the London borough of Waltham Forest have been successful in each year since the SRB was established. [18081]
  599
  Sir Paul Beresford
  Since the single regeneration budget was introduced the London borough of Waltham Forest has attracted funding for the following bids:1995–96: South Leytonstone Community Partnership Lea Bridge - A Gateway to Opportunity.
  1996–97: Towards Employability - A Strategy for Schools in Waltham Forest.

  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the expenditure of the Waltham Forest housing action trust in each year since it was set up; and what is its expected final total spending. [18080]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Waltham Forest housing action trust has received grant in aid as follows:

  1991–92: £0.5 million

  1992–93: £11.8 million

  1993–94: £25.0 million

  1994–95: £36.7 million

  1995–96: £34.0 million

  1996–97: £20.9 million (Estimate)

  Waltham Forest HAT has been asked to base its future plans on a total lifetime grant in aid figure not exceeding £227 million.

  Landfill Applications
  Ms Lynne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance he issues on the requirement of a planning authority to consider(a) the risk of water pollution and (b) the impact from increased traffic on surrounding communities, before granting permission to a planning application for a landfill facility. [18094]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Planning guidance in respect of waste disposal, including landfill, is contained in planning policy guidance note 23 "Planning and Pollution Control". This guidance is being revised in stages and the first part, to be published later this year, will deal with waste management. Attention is drawn to the need to consider the risks of water pollution and the effects of traffic in both the original PPG and the revision.

  Local Authority Employees
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in rank order the number of employees for each local authority per 1,000 of the resident population for the most recent three years for which figures are available. [18097]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  I have today placed the information for 1995 and 1996 in the Library of the House.

  The figures are taken from the "Joint Staffing Watch". The survey was reviewed in 1994 and from 1995 onwards a revised survey form was introduced which included a different service analysis, introduced figures for whole-time equivalent employment, and introduced new guidelines on the recording of part time staff. As a result of these changes, it is not possible to provide comparable figures for 1994.
  600
  The levels of employment in individual authorities are not directly comparable because of variations in population structure, social characteristics and the extent to which they use private firms and contractors or act as agents for other authorities.

  Nitrogen Oxide Emissions
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the change in nitrogen oxide emission levels over the last 20 years; and if he will make a statement. [18016]

  Mr. Clappison
  Emissions for nitrogen oxides were 2,206 kilotonnes and 2,218 kilotonnes for 1974 and 1994 respectively. Emissions of nitrogen oxide peaked in 1989 at 2,728 kilotonnes. The 1994 figure represents a 19 per cent. reduction on the 1989 peak. Further information can be found in the Department of the Environment's "Digest of Environmental Statistics 1996", a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Timber
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of timber used in the United Kingdom came from certified sustainable sources in each year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [18018]

  Mr. Clappison
  This information is not available.

  The Government are exploring ways in which voluntary certification of timber could both reflect and encourage sustainable forest management, and support the recently agreed proposals for action on this set out in the final report of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development's intergovernmental panel on forests. The Government will now be pressing for effective international action to implement the IPF's proposals.

  Single Regeneration Budget (Lancashire)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what bids into the single regeneration budget from local authorities and others within the county of Lancashire have(a) been submitted and (b) been approved in each year of the budget's existence. [18435]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  Over the three annual rounds of the single regeneration budget, the following number of bids have been received from local authorities and others in Lancashire:

  Outline

  Encouraged

  Approved

  Round I

  34

  9

  5

  Round II

  32

  8

  4

  Round III

  12

  7

  6

  First Aid Staff (Schools)
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the statutory requirements regarding the number of qualified first aid staff in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools. [18392]
  601
  Sir Paul Beresford
  Schools, like all workplaces, are required by the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 to make first aid provision for their employees.

  Although school pupils as non-employees are not covered by these requirements, the guidance covering the regulations recognises that employers will wish to make provision for them.

  Additionally, guidance from the Department for Education and Employment and the Welsh Office describes the common law responsibilities of schools "in loco parentis". The guidance suggests that combined provision for both employees and students is sensible when employers are making their assessment of the number of first-aiders required.

  Noise Pollution
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department is currently undertaking into noise pollution; and if he will make a statement. [17371]

  Mr. Clappison
  My Department is currently funding the following noise research work:

  Domestic noise complaints as seen by local authorities and those complained of.

  Noise climate assessment: a review of national and European practices.

  Clay target shooting: establishment of noise measurement methodology.

  Review of the take-up of the new night noise offence in the Noise Act 1996—phase 1: survey of local authority practice in dealing with domestic night noise complaints as at October 1996 to provide a baseline for studying the take-up and workings of the new offence.

  Technical advice to the Department on acoustic issues.

  Housing (Disabled People)
  Mr. Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the Government's proposals of 12 January 1995 to bring house building regulations into line with those for public and commercial buildings in respect of access for disabled people. [17898]

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  Given the large number of replies to the consultation, work on analysing them has only just been completed. Further work is being undertaken on the cost of complying with the proposals. The results from this will then be considered by the Building Regulations Advisory Committee, along with the analysis of the responses to the consultation, prior to officials making recommendations to Ministers. Given the uncertainty of the timing of the outstanding work, it is difficult to give a firm commitment, but I hope that it will be possible to take a statement in the early summer.

  Mr. Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many homes have been built since the Government's proposals for access for disabled people to new housing were published on 12 January 1995; how many of them are accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [17897]

  Mr. Jones
  Estimates of housebuilding for chronically sick and disabled persons are shown in the publication "Housing and Construction Statistics". Figures for 602
  January 1995 to September 1996 can be found in the September quarter 1996 part 1 edition. Copies of this publication are in the Library.

  Mr. Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations his Department has received from organisations of and for disabled people on access for disabled people to new housing; what replies he has made; what action he is taking in response to the representations; and if he will make a statement. [17899]

  Mr. Jones
  There have been 64 letters received since the beginning of this year regarding the extension of part M of the building regulations to dwellings. The letters have come from five individuals and 42 disability organisations, some of which have written more than once. Ministers have replied to 31 of the letters, and officials in my Department have responded to the rest on our behalf. All the replies have indicated the progress that has been made with the analysis of the consultation that was issued concerning this matter, and have indicated that further work is in hand examining the costs of implementing the proposals.

  Water Companies
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total indicative value of the water and sewerage companies calculated by his Department at the time of privatisation. [18581]

  Mr. Clappison
  The total indicative value of the 10 water and sewerage companies calculated at the time of privatisation was £15.2 billion.

  Refuse Collection (Barnet)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the response of the council of the London borough of Barnet to the notice served on it on 21 November 1996 in respect of its decision to assign refuse collection work to its direct service organisation. [18865]

  Sir Paul Beresford
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has considered the response made by the authority on 18 December. He has today given a direction to the authority because it still appears to him that the authority acted in an anti-competitive manner in assigning work to its direct service organisation. He took this view because of the way in which the authority had reached its decision to assign the work. The effect of the direction is that the authority must retender the work immediately and seek consent if it wishes to continue to carry out the work in-house.

  Hedgerows
  Mr. Merchant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the result of the Government's consultation on the draft hedgerows regulations. [18921]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Government yesterday laid in both Houses draft hedgerows regulations, revised in the light of responses to the public consultation.

  Copies of the report on the analysis of the responses to the consultation have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Animal Carcase Incinerators
  Animal Carcase Incinerators
  Hedgerows: Draft Regulations
  Hedgerows: Draft Regulations
  Child Crime: Prevention
  Child Crime: Prevention
  Data Protection Directive: Responses
  Data Protection Directive: Responses
  International Development Association: Funding
  International Development Association: Funding
  Nuclear Reprocessing
  Nuclear Reprocessing