Written Answers of 5 March 1997

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Hunger Strikers
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what independent medical assessment(a) is allowed and (b) has been made of the condition of the hunger strikers at Rochester prison or moved from Rochester prison; [18473]

  (2) if he will make a statement on the medical condition of (a) Mr. Naser Lechibi and (b) the other hunger strikers at Rochester prison or moved from Rochester prison. [18472]

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: No immigration detainees at Rochester are currently refusing food. Those who do so are taken to an outside hospital if their condition gives cause for concern. Detainees who persist in food refusal clearly take risks with their health: medical records are confidential, but none of those who took part in the recent protest is currently assessed as giving cause for medical concern.

  Taylor Inquiry
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if evidence from Dr. Ed Walker was offered to the Taylor inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster; for what reasons he was not called to give oral evidence; and if he will make a statement. [18500]

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: Dr. Walker did not give evidence to the Taylor inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster. The inquiry was concerned with the events at the Hillsborough stadium. The precise circumstances in which the victims died were matters for the coroner's inquest. A statement given by Dr. Walker to police on 20 July 1989 was made available to the coroner's inquest.

  Child Prostitution
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the penalties for those who entice children into prostitution. [18492]

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government announced on 16 January that it had decided to carry out a review of existing maximum penalties for sex offences. This will include the offence of causing or encouraging the prostitution of a girl under 16. The purpose of the review will be to identify any anomalies in existing penalties, and to ensure that penalties properly reflect the comparative gravity of existing offences.

  Telephone Interceptions
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received calling for interceptions of telephone 604
  conversations involving alleged criminals to be usable as evidence in criminal trials; and if he will make a statement. [18448]

  Mr. Howard
  The right hon. Lord Lloyd of Berwick has raised the issue on a number of occasions, including at chapter 7 of the report of his inquiry into legislation against terrorism, where he recommended that section 9 of the Interception of Communications Act 1985 be amended so as to allow the prosecution to adduce intercepted material in cases affecting national security. That recommendation is under consideration. The views of the law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies have been sought by my Department. Otherwise, I am aware of no recent representations on the subject.

  Knives
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people(a) aged under 18 years and (b) in total were (i) arrested for, (ii) cautioned for, (iii) charged with and convicted of offences relating to knives in north Yorkshire in each of the last five years; [18261]

  (2) how many people (a) from York, (b) from north Yorkshire and (c) nationally were convicted of offences relating to knives carried out by (i) persons of all ages and (ii) persons aged under 18 years at the time of the offence in each of the last three years. [18262]

  Mr. Maclean
  Detailed data of the number of people arrested and charged are not collected centrally.

  Information available on the number of people cautioned, prosecuted and convicted from 1991 to 1995 is given in the tables. 1996 data will not be available until the autumn.

  Table A. Number of persons aged under 18 years cautioned, prosecuted at magistrates' courts and convicted at all courts for offences relating to knives by type of offence and area 1991–95

  Area

  Disposal

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Carrying article with blade or point in a public place [Criminal Justice Act 1988, Sec 139]

  York petty sessional division1

  Cautions

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Prosecutions

  1

  —

  —

  —

  2

  Convictions

  1

  —

  —

  —

  2

  North Yorkshire police force area

  Cautions

  1

  9

  4

  1

  3

  Prosecutions

  3

  —

  3

  1

  4

  Convictions

  3

  —

  2

  1

  4

  England and Wales

  Cautions

  328

  423

  418

  497

  544

  Prosecutions

  274

  277

  222

  392

  435

  Convictions

  185

  207

  168

  296

  305

  Carrying of offensive weapons2 without lawful authority or reasonable excuse in a public place [Prevention of Crime Act 1953, Sec 1]

  York petty sessional division1

  Cautions

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Prosecutions

  1

  1

  —

  1

  2

  Convictions

  1

  1

  —

  1

  1

  605

  Table A. Number of persons aged under 18 years cautioned, prosecuted at magistrates' courts and convicted at all courts for offences relating to knives by type of offence and area 1991–95

  Area

  Disposal

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  North Yorkshire police force area

  Cautions

  2

  11

  4

  3

  5

  Prosecutions

  4

  4

  6

  7

  4

  Convictions

  3

  4

  4

  4

  3

  England and Wales

  Cautions

  1,258

  1,274

  1,387

  1,350

  1,290

  Prosecutions

  731

  733

  659

  692

  834

  Convictions

  494

  439

  377

  408

  482

  1 Includes convictions at the Crown court where the committing magistrates' court was York PSD.

  2 May include a small number of offences involving truncheons etc.

  Table B. Number of persons, all ages, cautioned, prosecuted at magistrates' courts and convicted at all courts for offences relating to knives by type of offence and area 1991–95

  Area

  Disposal

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Carrying article with blade or point in a public place [Criminal Justice Act 1988, Sec 139]

  York petty sessional division1

  Cautions

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Prosecutions

  8

  3

  10

  4

  13

  Convictions

  6

  3

  7

  4

  10

  North Yorkshire police force area

  Cautions

  4

  11

  7

  4

  4

  Prosecutions

  28

  10

  25

  13

  26

  Convictions

  21

  9

  19

  9

  20

  England and Wales

  Cautions

  704

  1,055

  1,282

  1,292

  1,512

  Prosecutions

  2,397

  2,640

  2,553

  3,366

  3,474

  Convictions

  1,737

  1,848

  1,852

  2,502

  2,559

  Carrying of offensive weapons2 without lawful authority or reasonable excuse in a public place [Prevention of Crime Act 1953, Sec 1]

  York petty sessional division1

  Cautions

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Prosecutions

  11

  18

  18

  9

  11

  Convictions

  9

  16

  14

  3

  8

  North Yorkshire police force area

  Cautions

  4

  20

  6

  8

  7

  Prosecutions

  51

  55

  56

  58

  42

  Convictions

  34

  42

  38

  35

  28

  England and Wales

  Cautions

  2,697

  2,911

  3,172

  3,026

  2,973

  Prosecutions

  5,979

  5,795

  5,148

  5,419

  5,215

  Convictions

  3,907

  3,606

  3,118

  3,295

  3,190

  1 Includes convictions at the Crown court where the committing magistrates' court was York PSD.

  2 May include a small number of offences involving truncheons etc.

  Mrs. Ganiat Lasoye (Deportation Order)
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will review the deportation order served on Mrs. Ganiat Lasoye; [18223]

  (2) if he will reverse the deportation order on Mrs. Ganiat Lasoye; what professional advice and from which (a) bodies and (b) individuals he assessed prior to the decision to deport her; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of procedures followed in taking the decision to deport her; and if he will make a statement. [18245]
  606
  Mr. Kirkhope
  I am satisfied that the original deportation decision was properly based. However, in view of the exceptional compassionate circumstances, we have concluded that deportation action should not now be taken.

  Prison Staff Ratios
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current average staff to prisoner ratio in category C prisons. [17973]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 5 March 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the current staff to prisoner ratio in category C prisons.
  There are 12,840 prisoners held in dedicated category C training prisons, including Buckley Hall prison which is managed by Group 4.
  The requested provisional information is shown below.

  Prisoners

  Staff

  Ratio

  12,840

  9,842

  1:1.3

  Inquest Proceedings (Oxford)
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the inquest, about which the hon. Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden has written to the Oxford coroner, Nicholas Gardiner, to be reconvened; and if he will make a statement. [18103]

  Mr. Sackville
  The date for the resumption of the inquest is a matter for the Oxfordshire coroner to decide. I understand that he hopes to list the case for hearing in early April.

  American Prison Ship (Purchase)
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if a contract has been agreed to purchase the American prison ship Resolution. [17974]

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from David Scott to Mr. George Howarth, dated 5 March 1997:
  The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the prison ship "Resolution".
  The Prison Service has bought a floating prison, the "Resolution" (now renamed the "Weare"). The contract for the purchase of the vessel was ratified on 31 January.
  607

TRANSPORT

  Traffic Congestion
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish by region the residual life remaining in those parts of the trunk road network in England, including bridges, classified as condition orange and condition red for traffic congestion according to the maps produced by the national roads network assessment system for(a) 1995, (b) 2005 and (c) 2015. [17704]

  Mr. Watts
  [holding answer 26 February 1997]: Residual life provides a measure of the remaining strength of a road in terms of the number of years of forecast traffic loading it is estimated to be able to carry before strengthening should be considered. Even at the stage of zero residual life, the road will perform quite satisfactorily

  Annex A: Residual life of those parts of the trunk road network classified as condition orange in 1995

  Region

  <0

  0–4

  5–9

  10–14

  15–19

  >19

  London

  16.00

  0.00

  0.00

  2.00

  28.00

  54.00

  Southern

  7.32

  8.55

  12.00

  11.39

  23.74

  37.00

  Midland

  8.20

  15.06

  16.83

  15.12

  16.09

  28.70

  Northern

  4.75

  7.11

  12.44

  13.51

  29.41

  32.78

  Annex B: Residual life of those parts of the trunk road network classified as condition red in 1995

  Region

  <0

  0–4

  5–9

  10–14

  15–19

  >19

  London

  16.93

  12.94

  18.35

  14.51

  15.65

  21.62

  Southern

  4.52

  5.87

  11.16

  7.61

  28.30

  42.54

  Midland

  8.28

  9.93

  14.37

  17.31

  16.69

  33.42

  Northern

  6.56

  8.82

  10.39

  15.67

  31.36

  27.20

  Annex C: Residual life of those parts of the trunk road network classified as condition orange in 2005

  Region

  <0

  0–4

  5–9

  10–14

  15–19

  >19

  London

  13.54

  9.80

  14.99

  21.33

  13.54

  26.80

  Southern

  4.95

  6.88

  10.08

  13.05

  25.50

  39.54

  Midland

  6.53

  11.87

  13.23

  13.39

  16.69

  38.29

  Northern

  5.42

  7.34

  11.68

  12.69

  30.12

  32.75

  Annex D: Residual life of those parts of the trunk road network classified as condition red in 2005

  Region

  <0

  0–4

  5–9

  10–14

  15–19

  >19

  London

  15.93

  12.18

  17.27

  13.79

  16.60

  24.23

  Southern

  5.97

  7.51

  11.63

  9.27

  28.25

  37.37

  Midland

  10.73

  10.56

  13.67

  15.77

  15.70

  33.57

  Northern

  6.16

  5.68

  12.01

  14.26

  15.48

  46.41

  Annex E: Residual life of those parts of the trunk road network classified as condition orange in 2015

  Region

  <0

  0–4

  5–9

  10–14

  15–19

  >19

  London

  0.00

  46.97

  21.21

  10.61

  4.55

  16.66

  Southern

  3.77

  5.03

  8.16

  11.58

  27.97

  43.49

  Midland

  6.12

  7.89

  9.12

  11.68

  18.62

  46.57

  Northern

  10.74

  8.66

  11.36

  12.76

  21.98

  34.50

  608
  for an indeterminate period—generally some years—but with the expectation of increasing levels of minor repair works.

  The condition of the trunk road network is good, the percentage of the motorway network having less than zero residual life being only 3.9 per cent. and for all-purpose trunk roads only 7.3 per cent. These percentages are within the target of 7 to 8 per cent. set by the PAC in 1991 to be achieved by the year 2000 and demonstrate the success of recent investment in the national network.

  The same concept of defining residual life cannot be applied to bridges or other structures. They have much longer nominal lives before strengthening may be required and the deterioration process is quite different.

  The following six tables indicate the residual life by region in 1995 of those parts of the road network classified as orange or red based on high growth forecasts for traffic levels.
  609

  Annex F: Residual life of those parts of the trunk road network classified as condition red in 2015

  Region

  <0

  0–4

  5–9

  10–14

  15–19

  >19

  London

  16.33

  11.77

  16.79

  16.42

  14.96

  23.73

  Southern

  6.10

  8.63

  12.02

  11.74

  24.29

  37.22

  Midland

  7.88

  11.92

  14.42

  14.83

  15.67

  35.28

  Northern

  4.03

  6.60

  11.51

  13.06

  27.79

  37.01

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish by region the maintenance planned by the Highways Agency for those parts of the trunk road network in England, including bridges, classified as condition orange and condition red for traffic congestion according to the maps produced by the national roads network assessment system for(a) 1995, (b) 2005 and (c) 2015. [17705]

  Mr. Watts
  [holding answer 26 February 1997]: The Highways Agency's plans for future maintenance of the trunk road network have not yet been finalised.

  M45 (Litter)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which body is responsible for collecting litter on the M45; and when it was last collected. [17313]

  Mr. Watts
  Responsibility for litter clearance on the M45 lies with the Highways Agency, which has instructed its maintenance agents to clear litter as necessary to meet the obligations imposed by the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The last general litter clearance on the M45 was carried out in March 1996.

  Ferry Safety
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the regulations which apply to roll-on roll-off ferries with regard to the ration of(a) lifeboats and (b) lifejackets required to the number of passengers aboard. [18685]

  Mr. Bowis
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: For vessels built before 1 July 1986, the relevant regulations are regulations 4 and 5 of the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances) Regulations 1980, SI No. 1980/538.

  For vessels built on or after 1 July 1986, the relevant regulation is regulation 5 of the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances) Regulations 1986, SI No. 1986/1066.

  Overloaded Aircraft
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 10 February,Official Report, column 70, if he will estimate the cost of answering the question of how many aircraft have been found to be overloaded in each of the past two years. [18651]

  Mr. Bowis
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: The Civil Aviation Authority audits UK airlines to ensure that their aircraft are operated within the limitations of their performance, including those limitations associated with aircraft weight. Reports of these audits are placed on the file of the relevant air operator's certificate holder.

  The number of incidents of overloading can therefore be obtained only by manual examination of the individual reports of each inspection carried out in the last 24 months
  610
  on aircraft operated by the 230 UK holders of air operators' certificates. In this case, the hon. Member's question could be answered only at disproportionate cost.

  Coastguard Service
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what are his plans for staff levels at the Liverpool Coastguard station; [18635]

  (2) what are his plans for the future of the Oban (Scotland) Coastguard station; [18630]

  (3) what are his plans for the future of the Pentland (Orkney) Coastguard station; [18632]

  (4) what are his plans for the future of Tyne Tees (Tynemouth) Coastguard station; [18636]

  (5) for what reason the Oban Coastguard station (Scotland) was left out from that part of the "Focus for Change" review which will exclude the station from officers with enhanced grading; [18631]

  (6) if he will make a statement on the treatment of (a) Pentland (Orkney) (b) Liverpool and (c) Tyne Tees (Tynemouth) Coastguard stations under the "Focus for Change review with particular reference to the issue of officers with enhanced grading. [18633]

  Mr. Bowis
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer that I gave on 4 February, Official Report, column 574. The strategy for HM Coastguard is still under development and its effect on the future staffing levels of any rescue centre cannot yet be assessed. Meanwhile, under present arrangements for the implementation of "Focus for Change", 17 rescue centres will have watches headed by the new higher grade watch managers. Pentland, Tyne Tees, Liverpool and Oban will be considered at a later date.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive the 1995–96 annual report of the Coastguard agency; and if he will make a statement. [18560]

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

  Letter from C. J. Harris to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 5 March 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Question about The Coastguard Agency 1995–96 Annual Report.
  The report is with the printers and will be published shortly. Copies will then be placed in the House Library.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of(a) sector stations and (b) sector station officers in the Coastguard agency for each of the last seven years; and what are his projections for the number of sector stations in each of the next five years. [18634]
  611
  Mr. Bowis
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: I have asked the chief executive of the Coastguard agency to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from C. J. Harris to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 5 March 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of sector stations and sector officers in the Coastguard Agency for each of the last five years and projected figures for number of sector stations in the next five years.

  (a) Sector Bases

  (b) Sector Officers

  31December 1990

  97

  113

  31December 1991

  97

  113

  31December 1992

  96

  96

  31December 1993

  93

  94

  31December 1994

  85

  92

  31December 1995

  81

  92

  31December 1996

  79

  81

  Projections for the number of sector bases for each of the next five years: 64.

  Railtrack Debts
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department took to write off the debts of Railtrack; and if he will indicate the amounts involved. [18679]

  Mr. Watts
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: The outstanding capital debt of Railtrack owed to the national loans fund, amounting to £1,229 million, was extinguished by the Railways Act 1993 (Extinguishment of Loans) (Railtrack plc) Order 1996 on 29 March 1996. On that day, £585 million of new debt owed to HM Treasury was created. Part of the £585 million was repaid immediately; the remainder was sold on as bonds in July 1996, after Railtrack was privatised. The company's capital structure was determined with the objective of maximising the overall value of the flotation.

  Marine Pollution
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many illegal discharges from ships were reported in each year since 1990, indicating in each case the location; how many resulted in a successful prosecution; and what was the fine imposed. [18559]

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

  Letter from Chris Harris to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 5 March 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Question about illegal discharges from ships which have been reported since 1990.
  Details of illegal discharges are published by the Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS) in their annual survey of oil pollution around the coasts of the United Kingdom. The information includes an overall summary of prosecutions together with the level of fines imposed.
  Copies of ACOPS reports are available in the House of Commons library up to and including 1995. The report for 1996 is still being compiled.

  Heavy Goods Vehicles
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 10 February,Official
  612
  Report, column 64, on what date he received the submission of the Association of District Councils for his consultations on the introduction of 44-tonne lorries; and for what reason the Association of District Councils was not included in his original answer. [18599]

  Mr. Watts
  The hon. Member's question to which my answer appeared in the Official Report on 10 February was originally due for answer on 31 January and the information in the answer included the responses received by that date. The response from the Association of District Councils was not received until 3 February. I regret that the answer was not fully up to date when published.

  Regional Railways
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his current estimate of the annual subsidy which will be paid to each of the regional railway franchisees for 1997–98. [16617]

  Mr. Watts
  The Office of Passenger Rail Franchise's latest estimates of the grant support to be paid in 1997–98 to the franchisees that make up the previous regional railways sector British Rail are given in the table, together with the comparative British Rail grant claim for 1996–97. Both sets of figures comprise the annual support for passenger rail services grant paid by the franchising director and the financial support provided to train operators by passenger transport executives.

  1996–97 grant claim £ million

  1997–98 estimated payments £ million

  South Wales and West

  84.8

  70.9

  Merseyrail

  84.1

  80.7

  North West Regional Railways

  191.9

  184.9

  Regional Railways North East

  223.2

  224.5

  Central

  198.1

  187.5

  ScotRail

  292.3

  280.1

TREASURY

  Price Indices
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the main price indices used in each EU member state; and what assessment he has made of their(a) basis, (b) data collection procedures and (c) methods of calculation relative to those used in the United Kingdom. [17356]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
  613
  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. David Shaw, dated 5 March 1997:
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent question on the main price indices used in each EU Member State; and what assessment has been made on their basis, data collection procedures and methods of calculation relative to those used in the United Kingdom.
  All EU Member States produce a consumer price index (CPI) based on the expenditure patterns of consumers in their country for national purposes. The last study of EU national prices indices was carried out by Rudolf Teekens of the Institute of Social Studies in the 1989 Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, publication Consumer Price Indices in the EC—Similarities, Differences and Proposals for Harmonisation, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. A table from the report listing the main prices indices for each country is attached. This is the latest information available but it is possible that the situation has changed since the report was produced.
  In addition to nation price indices the EU Member States have been working with Eurostat for over three years to produce harmonised measures of inflation expressly for the purposes of comparisons across Member States. This has involved assessment of the basis of the indices, the data collection procedures and the method of calculation in each country.
  These harmonised inflation figures will be used to inform decisions on which Member States meet the conditions to participate in EMU under Article 109j of the Treaty on European Union. However, they are not intended to replace existing national CPIs. The RPI remains the best indicator of UK consumer price inflation.
  This programme of harmonisation has lead to the production of Harmonised indices of consumer prices (HICP) by each Member State, Norway and Iceland. The first figures for all 15 Member States will be published by the EC on 7 March 1997. The figures for the UK were published by ONS on 26 February 1997.

  Table: A.1

  Country

  Name of the Index, Widest Field of Observation

  D

  Cost-of-Living Index for all Private Households (Preisindex fur die Lebenshaltung aller Privaten Haushalte) published items of expenditure: 755

  G

  Consumer Price Index for Urban Households of Workers and Employees (Indice des Prix à la Consommation des Ménages Urbains dont le chef est ouvrier ou employé published items of expenditure: 296

  I

  National Consumer Price Index (Prezzi al Comsumo per l'intera Collettività Nazionale) published items of expenditure: 878

  NL

  Consumer Price Index for the Whole Population (Prijsindexcijfer van de Gezinsconsumptie voor de Totale Bevolking) published items of expenditure: 690

  B

  Consumer Price Index (Indice des Prix à la Consommation) published items of expenditure: 401

  L

  Consumer Price Index (Indice des Prix à la Consommation) published items of expenditure: 255

  UK

  General Index of Retail Prices published items of expenditure: 394

  IRL

  Consumer Price index published items of expenditure: 722

  614

  Table: A.1

  Country

  Name of the Index, Widest Field of Observation

  DK

  Consumer Price Index (Forbrugerprisindeks) published items of expenditure: 523

  G

  Consumer Price Index published items of expenditure: 386

  E

  Consumer Price Index (Indice de Precios de Consumo) published items of expenditure: 428

  P

  Consumer Price Index (Indice de Precos no Consumidor) published items of expenditure: 500

  Income Tax
  Dr. Wright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage to total Government revenue is accounted for by income tax. [18145]

  Mr. Jack
  Income tax accounted for 25¼ per cent. of all general Government receipts in 1995–96. The Budget forecast this percentage falling to 24 per cent. in 1997–98, reflecting the 1995 and 1996 Budget reductions in income tax.

  Employee Share Ownership Schemes
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many statutory employee share ownership trusts have been notified to the Inland Revenue in each year since 1990; [17979]

  (2) how many (a) firms and (b) employees participate in the employee share ownership plans currently known to the Inland Revenue. [17978]

  Mr. Jack
  Statutory employee share ownership trusts—ESOTs—do not require formal advanced approval from, or registration by, the Inland Revenue. The Revenue is, however, prepared to say whether a particular draft or executed trust deed meets the statutory ESOT conditions. Not all companies will see a need to clear a trust deed in advance; and companies clearing deeds are not required to state the number of employees prospectively covered by them. The number of statutory ESOTs cleared by the Revenue since 1990 is in the table. Information about the number of firms and participating employees in all forms of employee share ownership plan is not available.

  Number of statutory ESOTs

  1990–91

  6

  1991–92

  5

  1992–93

  3

  1993–94

  2

  1994–95

  6

  1995–96

  2

  1996–971

  27

  1 To end February 1997.

  Europe Community (UK Contribution)
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will express the United Kingdom's gross
  615
  contribution to the EC in 1995–96 as a proportion of the revenue from the standard rate of income tax for the same period. [18084]

  Mr. Oppenheim
  In financial year 1995–96 the UK's total gross contribution to the European Community budget after abatement was £7,635 million. This was equivalent to 17.5 per cent. of revenue from the basic rate of income tax in that year of £43,600 million. However, the UK's contribution to the European Community is, of course, funded by total general Government receipts. In 1995–96 our gross contribution to the Community was equivalent to 2.8 per cent. of the total of £269,200 million.

  Inflation
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the reliability of the governor of the Bank of England's forecasts of the rate of inflation. [18398]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  The Bank published in its February 1996 inflation report an assessment of its forecasting record since it began publishing the inflation report in February 1993.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account he took of the potential impact of increases in costs outside the UK's control in setting his inflation target. [18397]

  Mrs. Knight
  The Chancellor took full account of this, and other factors, in setting the inflation target of 2½ per cent. or less. As he said in his 1995 Mansion house speech, events outside our control, such as sharp movements in commodity prices, could temporarily take us away from the objective. But setting interest rates consistently at the level judged necessary to achieve the inflation target should ensure that inflation will remain in the range 1 to 4 per cent. Since the Government started setting an explicit target for inflation, underlying inflation has averaged 2.6 per cent.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he has taken to monitor the accuracy and reliability of his method of calculating inflation. [18399]

  Mrs. Knight
  The Government's target for inflation is set in terms of underlying inflation—the retail prices index excluding mortgage interest payments. The RPI, which is compiled from a total of 120,000 prices collected each month from 146 locations throughout the UK is determined by recommendations of the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee. The Office for National Statistics, which compiles and publishes the RPI, has in place a number of checks to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the index including auditing of monthly price collection, and regular updating of its coverage.

  Pneumonia Deaths
  Ms Jowell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the number of recorded deaths from pneumonia in each region for the month of January in each year since 1990 to date. [18284]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 3 February 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
  616
  Letter from Tim Holt to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 5 March 1997:
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me, as Director of the Office for National Statistics, to reply to your recent question asking what was the number of recorded deaths from pneumonia in each region for the month of January in each year since 1990 to date.
  The following tables show the number of deaths certified as due to pneumonia (ICD1 480–486) that occurred in January to (a) residents of each regional health authority from 1990 to 1995 and (b) residents of each regional office area from 1996 to 1997. Please note that the figures for 1996 and 1997 are provisional

  (a) Deaths due to pneumonia, January occurrences, 1990–95

  Regional Health Authority

  1990

  1991

  1992

  19932

  1994

  1995

  Northern

  220

  195

  326

  334

  347

  307

  Yorkshire

  303

  239

  358

  452

  442

  401

  Trent

  352

  339

  349

  509

  592

  548

  East Anglian

  160

  156

  149

  250

  308

  299

  North West Thames

  241

  217

  248

  385

  364

  357

  North East Thames

  289

  268

  319

  437

  471

  563

  South East Thames

  338

  334

  354

  526

  484

  606

  South West Thames

  216

  280

  275

  401

  394

  442

  Wessex

  196

  244

  198

  366

  434

  456

  Oxford

  170

  172

  166

  262

  298

  295

  South Western

  266

  239

  249

  366

  391

  408

  West Midlands

  347

  354

  375

  567

  566

  566

  Mersey

  258

  238

  193

  327

  342

  313

  North Western

  339

  294

  317

  489

  468

  509

  Wales

  224

  195

  197

  344

  338

  397

  1 International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.

  2 New procedures for coding cause of death from 1993 mean that figures for pneumonia from 1993 onwards are not comparable with those in earlier years. The increase due to the new coding practice is about 50 per cent. More details can be found in ONS Series DH2, no.21, Mortality statistics: cause, 1993 (revised) and 1994 (published in 1996), copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.

  (b) Deaths due to pneumonia, January occurrences, 1996–97 (provisional)

  Regional Office

  1996

  1997

  Northern and Yorkshire

  965

  1,234

  Trent

  776

  1,154

  Anglia and Oxford

  846

  1,097

  North Thames

  1,097

  1,784

  South Thames

  1,314

  2,035

  South and West

  1,044

  1,773

  West Midlands

  744

  990

  North West

  1,137

  1,436

  Wales

  459

  778

  Crude Oil Prices
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each of the last five years for which figures are available the(a) average (b) highest and (c) lowest prices of crude oil during each year. [18512]

  Mrs. Angela Knight
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: The information requested is available in the "International Financial Statistics" publication of the International Monetary Fund. Oil prices can be found in

  617
  the "Commodity Prices" tables, which is on page 84 of the February edition of the monthly report, with annual data also available in the yearbook.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the(a) number and (b) value of PFI contracts which have been agreed in the last financial year for which figures are available; what were the total annual payments to be made in respect of those contracts; and what will be the total value of the payments made over the life of the contracts. [18582]

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: The information is not available in the form requested. However, annual PFI data showing historic and forecast capital investment is published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report, tables 5.4 and 5.5. This was supplemented by my answer to the hon. Member for Newham, North-East (Mr. Timms) on 10 December 1996, Official Report, columns 125–26. Table 5.6 shows aggregated estimates of revenue commitments for signed projects, up to the year 2024–25. A list of major agreed projects as of 26 November 1996, and their capital value, was placed in the House of Commons Library in response to a further parliamentary question from the hon. Member for Newham, North-East on 17 December 1996, Official Report, columns 510–11. This will be updated on a quarterly basis, with the next list due to be placed in the library at the end of March. The total number of PFI deals is not held centrally.

  Local Authority Borrowing
  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to the quotas for lending to local authorities by the Public Works Loan Board. [19201]

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The Public Works Loan Commissioners have issued a circular today notifying local authorities that there will be no change in the formula for calculating quotas for 1997–98.

  Copies of the circular have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Anglo-French Peacekeeping Missions
  Mr. Temple-Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions, since Britain joined the European Community, British and French forces have been on active service jointly in a conflict or peacekeeping role; and in which countries these actions took place. [18434]

  Sir Nicholas Bonsor
  Since 1973, UK and French armed forces have served jointly in one conflict—the Gulf war—and in the following peacekeeping operations: UNAVEM III, UN Angola verification mission; MINURSO, UN mission for the referendum in Western Sahara; UNAMIC, UN advanced mission in Cambodia; UNTAC, UN transitional authority in Cambodia; UNPROFOR, UN protection force in former Yugoslavia; UNCRO, UN confidence restoration mission in Croatia;618
  UNPREDEP, UN preventive deployment force, Macedonia; UNTAES, UN transitional administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium, Croatia; UNMOP, UN mission of observers in Prevlaka, Croatia; UNOMIG, UN Observers mission in Georgia; and UNIKOM, UN Iraq/Kuwait observation mission.

  Earth Summit II
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what preparations his Department is making for Earth summit II and for the preparatory conferences leading up to the summit. [18498]

  Dr. Liam Fox
  This Department will play its full part, with other Government Departments, at the intersessional meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development being held in New York between 24 February and 7 March, at the fifth meeting of the CSD in New York between 7 and 25 April, and at the UN General Assembly special session in New York between 23 and 27 June. The UK aim is to ensure a successful review of progress since Rio and the setting of priorities for the years ahead. FCO officials from both the diplomatic and aid wings will form part of the UK delegations to these meetings. Our missions overseas, including the UK missions to the UN, will continue to promote UK objectives and priorities for sustainable development. The aid wing has also provided some financial support to help non-governmental organisations in developing countries to prepare for and attend these meetings.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Parliamentary Answers
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 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. [16795]

  Mr. Freeman
  A list of the number of written and oral questions answered by the Cabinet Office, Office of Public Service, in the Sessions 1982–83 to 1995–96, as supplied by the parliamentary on-line information service unit, has been placed in the House Library. Figures for 1979–80 to 1981–82 are not available.

  The other information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Breakfast Tours
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade who has been responsible for organising the business breakfast to be held in Carlisle on 10 March; at whose request the meeting was arranged; what is the estimated cost; and which Government Department will bear the costs. [18421]
  619
  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 3 March 1997]: The Carlisle business breakfast has been cancelled.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) of 24 February,Official Report, column 64, if he will list for each event the organisation responsible for organising the business breakfast; and at whose request it was arranged. [18422]

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 3 March 1997]: I have asked the relevant Government office to arrange each of the business breakfasts.

  European Union Funding
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what EU regional aid has been secured for(a) Blyth Valley and (b) the north-east of England in each of the last two years. [18575]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  Funding to the value of £4,143,902 has been secured from EU structural funds specifically for the Blyth Valley area in the last two years. In addition, a further £3,990,327 has been gained for projects covering the wider south-east Northumberland area; mostly in the form of business support measures funded from European regional development fund and training activities funded through the European social fund. Other region-wide projects will also provide benefits for the Blyth Valley area.

  The total amount of EU structural funds secured for the north-east of England in the last two years is approximately £235 million. This includes the objective 2 and 5b programmes as well as various Community initiatives which operate in specified parts of the region. The north-east also benefits from a share of the national objective 3 programme which provides training and counselling for the unemployed. In addition, the north-east of England will continue to benefit from objective 2 funding until 2001, and a programme worth approximately £290 million received in principle agreement from the European Commission on 27 February 1997.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make representations to the European Union to ensure that on all occasions it promptly pays United Kingdom companies which are involved in EU-financed projects. [18612]

  Mr. Nelson
  The Government take the late payment of commercial debts very seriously and is prepared to make representations to the European Commission about individual cases. The Department is ready to follow up the case which my hon. Friend previously brought to my attention as soon as the company concerned provides the further information that my officials requested from it.

  Airbus
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Woking (Sir C. Onslow) of 18 February,Official Report, column 483, what is the expected level of repayments in 1998 and in subsequent years in respect of the launch aid support given to the Airbus A330/340 aircraft. [17372]
  620
  Mr. Greg Knight
  Forecast repayments are calculated on the basis of expected sales. These underlying assumptions are considered to be commercially confidential.

  Timber Exports
  Mr Pawsey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the value of timber exports from the United Kingdom. [17338]

  Mr. Nelson
  UK exports of timber amounted to £38 million in 1995, and £45 million in January to November 1996.

  Scientists
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Institute of Food Research by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18191]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  Data on numbers of scientists employed on Government-funded projects at the Institute of Food Research is not readily available. However, in 1995–96, a total of 316 scientist—staff in post—were employed at IFR, and Government-funded projects accounted for approximately 79 per cent. of IFR funding: 46 per cent. from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, 28 per cent. from MAFF and 5 per cent. from other Government users. Comparable funding data is not available for the earlier years.

  Research and Development
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total research and development expenditure by the Office of Science and Technology for each year from 1980 to the present in(a) cash and (b) constant prices. [18665]

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: The Office of Science and Technology was established in 1992. The total annual expenditure by OST on research and development since that time is as follows:

  £ million

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Cash

  1,008.8

  1,134.9

  1,173.5

  1,249.9

  1,261.8

  1996–97 prices

  1,109.2

  1,212.8

  1,232.1

  1,281.1

  1,261.8

  1 Estimated outturn.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total research and development expenditure by the Office of Science and Technology on food and agricultural science for each year from 1980 to the present in(a) cash and (b) constant prices. [18667]

  Mr. Taylor
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: Science budget expenditure on research is managed by the research councils. Research in food and agricultural science is funded principally by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council—formerly the Agriculture and Food Research Council. The Medical Research Council also funds some relevant research, figures for which are readily available only for 1994–95 and 1995–96. The figures for spending are in the table.
  621

  £000

  Year

  Cash

  Constant prices (1995–96=100)

  1980–81

  34,477

  81,265

  1981–82

  41,934

  82,910

  1982–83

  43,624

  80,517

  1983–84

  45,840

  80,856

  1984–85

  46,680

  78,398

  1985–86

  52,725

  83,950

  1986–87

  57,149

  88,329

  1987–88

  54,896

  80,558

  1988–89

  61,112

  84,055

  1989–90

  74,311

  95,536

  1990–91

  85,905

  102,275

  1991–92

  96,271

  107,717

  1992–93

  107,294

  115,196

  1993–94

  109,359

  114,113

  1994–95

  126,477

  129,446

  1995–96

  135,715

  135,715

  In addition, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council are involved in joint funding of some relevant research; NERC-funded research in the areas of terrestrial and freshwater sciences and the impact of agriculture on the environment includes research relevant to the agricultural sciences.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total Government research and development expenditure by each Department for each year from 1980 to the present in(a) cash and (b) constant prices. [18666]

  Mr. Taylor
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: Reliable information is not available before 1984–85. For the years from 1985–86, I refer the hon. Member to tables D.3 and D.4 in "Forward Look of Government Funded Science, Engineering and Technology 1996", for years 1985–86 to 1998–99, and for 1984–85 to tables 1.3.1 and 1.3.2 of the "Forward Look of Government Funded SET 1994". Copies of both documents are available in the Library of the House.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what research and development facilities have been privatised since 1980; and if he will list for each year since 1980 the changes in the number of(a) employees and (b) scientists employed in those establishments. [18668]

  Mr. Taylor
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: The following research and development facilities have been privatised since 1980 in order to increase their scope and ability to offer services to a wider user community:
  The Hydraulic Research Station was converted to an independent company limited by guarantee in 1982.
  The National Maritime Institute, formerly part of the National Physical Laboratory, was privatised as a company limited by guarantee in October 1982.
  The plant breeding activities of the Agricultural and Food Research Council's plant breeding institute were privatised by trade sale in October 1987, but the establishment itself remained in the public sector as part of the AFRC's institute of plant science research.
  The National Measurement Accreditation Service, formerly part of the National Physical Laboratory, was merged with the National Accreditation Council for Certification Bodies, formerly part of the British Standards Institution, in August 1995 to form the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, which was established as a non-profit distribution company limited by guarantee.
  622
  The National Engineering Laboratory was privatised by trade sale in October 1995.
  The operation of the National Physical Laboratory was contracted out in October 1995.
  The Laboratory of the Government Chemist was sold to a management-led consortium in March 1996.
  The Transport Research Laboratory was sold to the Transport Research Foundation in April 1996.
  The Natural Resources Institute was privatised in May 1996.
  AEA Technology, the former commercial arm of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority which absorbed the rationalised activities of the Warren Spring Laboratory in spring 1994, was privatised in September 1996.

  Records of the number of (a) employees and (b) scientists employed in those establishments since 1980 are not kept centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  British Agrochemicals Association Ltd.
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what representations he has received from the British Agrochemicals Association Ltd. in the past 12 months; what was the subject of those representations; and if he will make a statement; [18453]

  (2) what meetings he has had with the British Agrochemicals Association Ltd. in the past 12 months; what was the subject of the meetings; and if he will make a statement. [18452]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business, Industry and Energy attended the British Agrochemical Association's annual luncheon on 4 December 1996.

  Neither my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade nor other DTI Ministers have otherwise met or received representations from the British Agrochemicals Association in the last 12 months.

  Regional Selective Assistance
  Mr. Milburn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much in total his Department has failed to recover from companies defaulting on the terms of awards of regional selective assistance for each of the last 10 financial years; and if he will list the number of companies which defaulted in each year. [18669]

  Mr. Greg Knight
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: The amount that the Department has failed to recover in the last 10 financial years is:

  Number of companies

  £000

  1987–88

  3

  841

  1988–89

  19

  620

  1989–90

  40

  704

  1990–91

  55

  1,287

  1991–92

  152

  5,988

  1992–93

  181

  9,025

  1993–94

  89

  2,747

  1994–95

  54

  2,543

  1995–96

  57

  1,659

  1996 to February 97

  99

  2,593

  In total, this amounts to less than 3 per cent. of the total spend over the same period.
  623

PRIME MINISTER

  Ministerial Accountability
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Prime Minister what account is taken of the Crichel Down precedent when considering whether a Minister ought to tender their resignation. [18743]

  The Prime Minister
  A discussion of the relevance of the events surrounding the resignation of Sir Thomas Dagdale in 1954 to present-day circumstances is contained in the memorandum on "Ministerial accountability and the provision of information to Parliament" which the Government submitted to the Public Service Committee in March 1996. The memorandum was published in volume III of the Public Service Committee's second report, Session 1995–96.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the circumstances in respect of failure or errors by a Government Department in which he would require the appropriate Minister to resign. [18723]

  The Prime Minister
  This would necessarily depend on the particular circumstance of the case, including the nature of the failure or errors in the Department and the extent of the Minister's personal responsibility for those failures or errors.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Sport (Students)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans she has to encourage students to participate in sport and physical recreation. [17414]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 26 February 1997]: The sport policy statement, "Sport: Raising the Game", published in July 1995, set out the Government's strategy for rebuilding the strength of British sport at all levels, from sport in schools, through sports clubs and further and higher education institutions, to our top athletes.

  In "Sport: Raising the Game", we emphasised the importance of students continuing to have the opportunity to develop a lifelong involvement in recreational or competitive sport at colleges and universities. We shall continue to emphasise this at every opportunity.

  Following on from the policy statement, in June 1996, the Further Education Funding Council produced its first report on good practice in sports provision in the further education sector, which included audited information. The report also includes examples of good practice. The FEFC has agreed to update its database on sports provision annually, to continue to comment on sports provision and students achievements in sport in its inspection reports, and to monitor changes in provision indicated by statistical returns from colleges.

  Also following on from the policy statement, in December 1996, the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals and the Standing Conference of Principals jointly published "Sport in Higher Education", an important part of which is the first ever in-depth survey of the extent and nature of sports facilities and opportunities, including community use, in the higher education sector.
  624
  The report makes a number of recommendations higher education institutions might pursue to raise the profile of sport, including ensuring that institutions' literature, particularly the prospectus, conveys the scope of available sports facilities and infrastructure, and records students' sporting achievements.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans her Department has to aid universities and colleges in implementing the recommendations of the Bannister committee's report into university sports scholarships. [17408]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 26 February 1997]: The Bannister committee's report highlights examples of best practice and sets out guidelines for the operation of university sports scholarship schemes. I fully back that guidance and hope further and higher education institutions will follow it. The results will undoubtedly benefit both the institutions and their sports scholars.

  Over the post two years, further and higher education institutions across the United Kingdom have benefited substantially from lottery grants for upgrading existing sports facilities and for building new ones. Under the lottery-funded world class performance programme, applications for the funding of individual athletes must be made through the national governing bodies of sport. Where an eligible athlete is also a student, part of the grant awarded to that athlete may be used to offset all or part of the student's study costs. The first awards under the world class performance programme will be made shortly.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what analysis has been made to determine what proportion of students in secondary education who progress on to further or higher education continue to participate in sport and physical recreation while studying. [17409]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 26 February 1997]: The 1990 general household survey indicated that 91 per cent. of full-time students take part in sport or physical recreation on a regular basis.

  British Academy of Sport
  Sir Irvine Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans she has for visiting the proposed sites for the British Academy of Sport. [18335]

  Mr. Sproat
  I visited the site proposed by the Heyford Consortium on Tuesday 4 March. I will be visiting the sites proposed by the Sheffield Consortium and by the Central Consortium on Thursday 6 March.

  National Lottery (Crewe and Nantwich)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many lottery tickets have been sold in the Crewe and Nantwich parliamentary constituency. [18638]

  Mr. Sproat
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: This is an operational matter for Camelot Group plc. I have therefore asked the Director General of the National Lottery, who is responsible for regulating the operation of the lottery, to write to the hon. Member and to place copies of his response in the Libraries of the House.
  625

  Sports Council Lottery Fund
  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list by county and district and by amount the awards made in 1995, 1996 and 1997 by the Sports Council Lottery Fund to benefit(a) bowls, (b) athletics, (c) disability sports, (d) multi sports, (e) tennis and (f) mountaineering in Wales. [17300]

  Mr. Sproat
  Awards totalling more than £23.7 million have been made to 232 sports projects throughout Wales. I have arranged for the lists to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Dr. Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list by county and district the awards made in 1995, 1996 and 1997 by the Sports Council Lottery Fund to benefit the sports of(a) football, (b) rugby union and (c) swimming in the UK indicating the amount of each award. [17306]

  Mr. Sproat
  Awards totalling over £441 million have been made to 2,603 sports projects throughout the UK. I have arranged for the lists to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Earth Summit II
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what preparations her Department is making for the United Nations General Assembly special session, earth summit II; and for the meetings leading up to the summit. [18396]

  Mr. Clappison
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Department of the Environment is taking the lead within Government on the preparations for the UN General Assembly special session in June.

  I refer the hon. Lady to the reply that I have given today to my hon. Friend the Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo).

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Higher Education (Leeds)
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students from Leeds have entered higher education in each of the last five years. [17893]

  Mr. Forth
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Nursery Places
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many children are currently in nursery places in Lancashire; and what percentage this is of children of nursery school age. [17709]

  (2) how many children are currently in nursery places in each local education authority in England; and what percentage that is of the children of nursery school age in each case. [18419]
  626
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children are currently in nursery places in the London borough of Waltham Forest; and what percentage this is of children of nursery school age. [18079]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I refer the hon. Members to statistical bulletin 2/97 which shows numbers and percentages of children aged under five in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools by local education authority area in England in January 1996. A copy of the bulletin is in the Library.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many nursery places for four-year-olds were provided by Leeds city council in the last year for which figures are available; what percentage this was of the number of four-year-olds in the Leeds city area; and what was the national average percentage of four-year-olds provided with a nursery place. [18338]

  Mr. Squire
  There were just under 3,000 four-year-olds in maintained nursery schools or nursery classes in maintained primary schools in the Leeds education authority area. The Department does not publish information on percentages or participation rates of four-year-olds by local education authority area. The percentage of four-year-olds in England who were in maintained nursery schools or nursery classes in maintained primary schools was 24 per cent. in January 1996.

  Participation rates of children under five in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools by local education authority area in England in January 1996 were published in a statistical bulletin on 28 February, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students with student loans eligible for repayment are currently(a) in arrears and (b) in litigation in respect of their repayments. [17718]

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

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how often she has met representatives of the Student Loans Company in the last year. [17719]

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, met the chairman and chief executive of the Student Loans Company on 9 September.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received in the last year about the student loans system; and if she will make a statement. [17720]

  Mr. Forth
  Since 1 March 1996, my right hon. Friend has received 202 letters from hon. Members and members of the public on the subject of student loans. In addition, my right hon. Friend has received a number of letters on
  627
  student support generally. The breakdown of how many of those letters included student loans issues could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received from bodies interested in winning a contract to take over the administration of the student loans system. [17721]

  Mr. Forth
  Contracting out of the administrative functions of the Student Loans Company will be by competitive tendering. The competition has not yet begun, but to date, there have been three such representations.

  First degree home graduates from HE institutions in the UK in 1995 for whom destination is known

  Subject of degree:

  Destination/occupation

  Mathematical sciences

  Computing science

  Engineering/technology1

  Humanities

  Creative arts

  Education

  Entered employment:

  Managers

  246

  445

  1,147

  746

  450

  244

  Professional Occupations

  697

  1,122

  4,994

  629

  473

  8,067

  Associate professional occupations

  317

  2,213

  1,266

  509

  2,405

  324

  Clerical and secretarial

  281

  376

  507

  954

  624

  220

  Craft occupations

  11

  85

  276

  234

  18

  Personal protective occupations

  72

  50

  175

  410

  412

  261

  Sales

  106

  107

  451

  545

  687

  144

  Plant machine operatives

  17

  17

  145

  49

  83

  24

  Other occupations

  63

  99

  361

  196

  329

  84

  Unknown

  36

  46

  124

  63

  396

  103

  Entered study or training

  1,090

  485

  2,055

  2,491

  1,920

  390

  Not available for employment

  120

  145

  485

  428

  439

  246

  Seeking employment

  313

  695

  1,627

  1,002

  2,006

  883

  Total home graduates for whom destination is known

  3,369

  5,885

  13,613

  8,056

  10,458

  11,008

  1 Including biotechnology.

  Local Education Authorities
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list in rank order local education authorities by GCSE A to C grade results together with the local education authority rank order place for expenditure per pupil. [18090]

  Mrs. Gillan
  The following table lists in rank order for each local authority the percentage of 15-year-old pupils obtaining five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C in 1995–96 together with the local education authority rank order place for expenditure per secondary pupil in 1994–95—the latest year for which information is available.

  Maintained schools in England1

  Local education authority

  1995–96 Pupils aged 15 achieving 5 or more GCSE Grades A*-C

  1994–95

  Per cent.

  Rank

  Unit costs Rank2 3

  Isles of Scilly

  73.1

  1

  108

  Kingston upon Thames

  59.9

  2

  86

  Sutton

  56.4

  3

  85

  Harrow

  53.5

  4

  90

  Barnet

  53.4

  5

  81

  North Yorkshire

  53.0

  6

  n/a

  North Somerset

  52.5

  7

  n/a

  Richmond upon Thames

  52.2

  8

  76

  Redbridge

  50.8

  9

  87

  West Sussex

  50.6

  10

  47

  Buckinghamshire

  50.5

  11

  50

  Surrey

  50.5

  11

  45

  628

  Graduate Employment
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what are the latest figures available for graduates gaining employment related to their degree within six months of graduation in(a) teaching, (b) engineering, (c) biotechnology and research sciences, (d) creative arts, (e) humanities, (f) computing and technology and (g) applied mathematics; and if she will make a statement. [17728]

  Mr. Forth
  The latest available information giving a complete list of occupations entered and other destinations by selected subject of first degree is given in the following table:

  Maintained schools in England1

  Local education authority

  1995–96 Pupils aged 15 achieving 5 or more GCSE Grades A*-C

  1994–95

  Per cent.

  Rank

  Unit costs Rank2 3

  Bromley

  50.3

  13

  42

  Gloucestershire

  50.2

  14

  1

  Somerset

  50.0

  15

  18

  Solihull

  49.6

  16

  38

  Cheshire

  49.3

  17

  29

  Dorset

  49.3

  17

  11

  Hertfordshire

  49.3

  17

  54

  Stockport

  49.0

  20

  25

  Berkshire

  48.8

  21

  46

  Bury

  48.6

  22

  5

  Trafford

  48.6

  22

  65

  Wiltshire

  48.3

  24

  20

  Shropshire

  48.0

  25

  80

  York

  47.7

  26

  n/a

  Bath and North East Somerset

  47.4

  27

  n/a

  Suffolk

  47.0

  28

  32

  Bexley

  46.8

  29

  44

  Cambridgeshire

  46.7

  30

  26

  Cornwall

  46.7

  30

  33

  Kensington and Chelsea

  46.7

  30

  106

  Hampshire

  46.5

  33

  30

  Northumberland

  46.1

  34

  2

  Oxfordshire

  45.8

  35

  58

  Dudley

  44.9

  36

  35

  South Gloucestershire

  44.7

  37

  n/a

  Hereford and Worcester

  44.6

  38

  13

  Isle of Wight

  44.5

  39

  4

  Lincolnshire

  44.5

  39

  77

  Wirral

  44.4

  41

  61

  Cumbria

  44.2

  42

  7

  Devon

  44.2

  42

  34

  629

  Maintained schools in England1

  Local education authority

  1995–96 Pupils aged 15 achieving 5 or more GCSE Grades A*-C

  1994–95

  Per cent.

  Rank

  Unit costs Rank2 3

  Havering

  44.1

  44

  88

  Sefton

  44.0

  45

  40

  Wigan

  43.9

  46

  21

  Kent

  43.7

  47

  57

  Warwickshire

  43.7

  47

  71

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  43.6

  49

  n/a

  Northamptonshire

  43.5

  50

  55

  East Sussex

  43.3

  51

  74

  Essex

  43.1

  52

  66

  Camden

  43.0

  53

  99

  Bedfordshire

  42.7

  54

  42

  Lancashire

  42.6

  55

  70

  Hounslow

  42.3

  56

  89

  Derbyshire

  42.0

  57

  59

  Bolton

  41.9

  58

  53

  Norfolk

  41.9

  58

  69

  North Tyneside

  41.1

  60

  23

  Enfield

  41.0

  61

  74

  Hillingdon

  40.9

  62

  93

  St. Helens

  40.9

  62

  49

  Staffordshire

  40.9

  62

  15

  Calderdale

  39.7

  65

  15

  Leicestershire

  39.7

  65

  56

  Croydon

  38.8

  67

  27

  Kirklees

  38.4

  68

  50

  Merton

  38.3

  69

  95

  Coventry

  38.0

  70

  82

  North Lincolnshire

  37.6

  71

  n/a

  Redcar and Cleveland

  37.6

  71

  n/a

  Sheffield

  37.2

  73

  17

  Stockton on Tees

  37.2

  73

  n/a

  Gateshead

  36.6

  75

  52

  Leeds

  36.6

  75

  37

  Nottinghamshire

  36.4

  77

  79

  Durham

  36.2

  78

  19

  Rotherham

  36.2

  78

  36

  Rochdale

  35.4

  80

  38

  Tameside

  35.4

  80

  9

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  35.3

  82

  105

  Wakefield

  35.3

  82

  9

  South Tyneside

  35.2

  84

  12

  Brent

  35.1

  85

  6

  Ealing

  34.6

  86

  84

  Doncaster

  33.5

  87

  3

  Waltham Forest

  33.4

  88

  78

  Oldham

  33.3

  89

  60

  Westminster

  33.0

  90

  100

  Birmingham

  32.9

  91

  73

  Wandsworth

  32.8

  92

  102

  Newcastle Upon Tyne

  32.7

  93

  63

  North East Lincolnshire

  32.4

  94

  n/a

  Walsall

  32.2

  95

  63

  Hartlepool

  31.9

  96

  n/a

  Sunderland

  31.7

  97

  22

  City of Bristol

  30.9

  98

  n/a

  Wolverhampton

  30.2

  99

  68

  Salford

  30.1

  100

  24

  Lewisham

  30.0

  101

  96

  Greenwich

  29.1

  102

  98

  Bradford

  28.9

  103

  8

  Haringey

  28.5

  104

  101

  Barnsley

  28.2

  105

  14

  Newham

  27.9

  106

  92

  Liverpool

  27.6

  107

  91

  Barking and Dagenham

  27.1

  108

  72

  Manchester

  27.0

  109

  83

  Middlesbrough

  26.9

  110

  n/a

  Sandwell

  26.5

  111

  48

  Hackney

  25.7

  112

  103

  Lambeth

  25.1

  113

  107

  Southwark

  24.6

  114

  97

  630

  Maintained schools in England1

  Local education authority

  1995–96 Pupils aged 15 achieving 5 or more GCSE Grades A*-C

  1994–95

  Per cent.

  Rank

  Unit costs Rank2 3

  Tower Hamlets

  23.9

  115

  104

  Knowsley

  23.6

  116

  41

  City of Kingston-upon-Hull

  22.8

  117

  n/a

  Islington

  22.4

  118

  94

  England

  41.7

  1 The figures for GCSE achievements relate to LEA maintained and grant maintained schools in England.

  2 The ranking of unit costs relates to LEA maintained schools only and exclude grant maintained schools. The ranking is in ascending order, the lowest being at the top.

  3 n/a denotes not available.

  Student Numbers
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimates she has made of the effects on student numbers of(a) reductions in grant levels paid to students and (b) the introduction of requirements on students to contribute to the cost of course fees. [18418]

  Mr. Forth
  The proportion of young people entering full-time higher education has almost doubled since 1989–90, the last year before student loans were introduced. Our policy is not to require full-time undergraduates to contribute to tuition costs. We believe that top-up fees are neither necessary nor desirable, particularly in the light of the additional £200 million funding for higher education announced in the 1996 Budget, but it is for individual universities to decide whether to introduce top-up fees and to estimate what their effect might be on student numbers.

  Science A-levels
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of school pupils who were 16 years old in 1996 have gone on to study an A-level science subject, broken down by region and gender. [18339]

  Mrs. Gillan
  This information is not available.

  Medical Training
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimates she has made of the total cost of training a doctor. [18604]

  Mr. Forth
  The cost of training a doctor has various components at undergraduate and postgraduate level and figures are not available in consistent form for each of these components. Figures for the teaching and other costs for undergraduates are as follows.

  Teaching costs are based on figures published annually by the Higher Education Funding Council for England for the average council grant for teaching allocated to each academic subject category as reported by higher education institutions. The figures for pre-clinical and clinical medicine are as follows together with figures for the average level of tuition fee for medical students.
  631

  Average Unit of Council Funding (AUCF) and tuition fees for medical students in 1995–96

  Average units of council funding £

  Tuition fee £

  Pre-clinical medicine

  3,673

  1,600

  Clinical medicine

  7,167

  2,800

  A medical student has two years of pre-clinical and three years of clinical tuition. The fees and AUCF for the undergraduate courses followed by a doctor in training, at 1995–96 rates, total £40,447 over five years.

  Medical students also receive grants and loans from public funds but data collected on maintenance awards and student loans do not distinguish between types of study. The average level of maintenance grant and student loan for full-time students eligible for awards and loans was £2,595 in 1994–95.

  In addition, the national health service supports teaching of medical undergraduates on practice placements through the service increment for teaching—SIFT—levy on health authorities. The total SIFT budget for medical students in England in 1996–97 is £412 million.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimates she has made of the extent to which graduates entering medical school are more or less likely not to complete their training than non-graduate entrants. [18603]

  Mr. Forth
  Information on the respective rates of course completion by graduate and non-graduate entrants to medical schools is not compiled centrally.

  Bradfield House School, Cullompton
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what measures her Department has taken to ensure that the Office for Standards in Education report of the inspection on 5 and 6 February 1997 of Bradfield House school, Cullompton has been circulated to those listed in section 20 (3) of the School Inspections Act 1996; [18483]

  (2) pursuant to her answer of 19 February, Official Report, columns 564–65, on Bradfield House school, Cullompton what action she intends to take following the report of the Ofsted visit of February 1997 on the school; and if she will make a statement. [18506]

  Mr. Robin Squire
  I understand that the school received Ofsted's report on Bradfield House on 26 February 1997. The report states that Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools is of the opinion that the school requires special measures since it is failing to give pupils an acceptable standard of education.

  The school must now circulate the report to all parents and placing authorities in accordance with section 20 of the School Inspections Act 1996. The school is also required, by section 21 of the Act, to prepare and submit to HMCI and the Secretary of State by Monday 19 May an action plan for the recovery of the school. Officials wrote to the school on 3 March warning it that, unless confirmation is received by 7 March that it will comply
  632
  with both these statutory requirements, the matter will be passed to the Treasury Solicitor for legal action to secure compliance.

  The school verbally indicated on 4 March that it intends to circulate the report.

  The Secretary of State also has under consideration the withdrawal of the school's approval under section 347(1) of the Education Act 1996. Her decision whether to take such action is separate from her consideration of the action plan but, in making her decision, she will have regard to all relevant factors, including the adequacy of the action plan.

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 18 February,Official Report, column 462, how many people have been subject to benefit disqualification for refusing a job offer notified by the Employment Service in each quarter of the last year for which figures are available. [18688]

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

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Ms Roseanna Cunningham, dated 5 March 1997:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about how many people have been subjected to benefit disqualification as a result of refusing a job offer notified by the Employment Service in each quarter for the last year for which figures are available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  The information you require is contained in the document entitled "Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions". Copies of this document, which is published quarterly, are held in the Library of the House. The latest published information relates to the quarter year ending 30 September 1996.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Ms Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, (1) pursuant to his answer of 18 February,Official Report, column 462, how many people after claiming jobseeker's allowance for a period of 13 weeks have taken jobs advertised through the jobcentre that are (a) part-time and (b) temporary; [18689]

  (2) pursuant to his answer of 18 February, Official Report, column 462, how many people have taken jobs advertised through the jobcentre with weekly earnings of less than £105 per week, based on a 35 hour week after claiming the jobseeker's allowance for a period of 13 weeks. [18690]

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

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Ms Roseanna Cunningham, dated 5 March 1997:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question pursuant to the Answer of 18th February, Official Report, column 402, regarding the number of people who after claiming Jobseeker's Allowance of a period of 13 weeks have taken jobs advertised through the Jobcentre that are (a) part-time (b) temporary and

  633
  (c) with weekly earnings of less than £105 (based on a 35 hour week). This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  Unfortunately, the Employment Service does not hold this information and I am therefore unable to supply the details as outlined in your request.
  I am sorry I cannot be more helpful.

ENVIRONMENT

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many copies of(a) "This Common Inheritance" annual report 1997 and (b) "Climate Change, the UK Programme", were produced; at what cost; and to whom they were distributed. [17726]

  Mr. Gummer
  Some 3,100 copies of this year's "This Common Inheritance" report was printed. One thousand five hundred were for official use at a cost of some £22,300. Of these, 150 copies were distributed to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development; 13 to Parliament; 800 to Government Departments—including Government office for the regions and UK missions overseas, 350 to interested organisations at home; and 120 to the EU, foreign Governments and other international organisations.

  Some 3,500 copies of the climate change report were printed. A total of 1,025 were for official use at a cost of some £20,000. Of these, 500 were distributed to the UN climate change secretariat, as required under the convention; 13 to Parliament; 370 to Government Departments—including UK missions overseas; 111 to consultants, agencies, industries and environment campaign groups who had helped in the production of the report or otherwise have a close interest; and 31 to the EU and other international organisations.

  A few copies of each document are held by the Department of the Environment and the remainder are on sale to the general public from the Stationery Office.

  UN Earth Summit II
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department has taken to involve other Government Departments in preparations for the UN's earth summit II. [18394]

  Mr. Clappison
  "Agenda 21", the blueprint for sustainable development agreed at the Rio earth summit, covers the activities of most Government Departments. We are, therefore, ensuring that these Departments are involved in all aspects of the preparations for the special session of the UN General Assembly in June.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will support proposals for negotiations at the UN's earth summit II on a forest convention. [18395]

  Mr. Clappison
  It is the Government's view that the special session of the UN General Assembly in June should be used to review progress since the Rio earth summit, and to take a forward look, seeking to renew the political momentum for achieving sustainable development. The Government believe that negotiations 634
  on a forest convention should begin as soon as possible. We want the UN General Assembly special session to endorse this.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will support proposals for negotiations on (i) a freshwater convention and (ii) a forest convention at the Earth summit II. [18497]

  Mr. Clappison
  The Government believe that negotiations on a forest convention should begin as soon as possible. We want the special session of the UN General Assembly to endorse this.

  Negotiations on a global convention on the non-navigational uses of transboundary watercourses commenced last autumn in the sixth committee of the UN General Assembly. The proposed convention, which is the result of long work in the International Law Commission, addresses most significant aspects of freshwater. The United Kingdom supports, and is making constructive contributions to these negotiations, which are planned to resume just before Easter.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what preparations his Department is making for Earth summit II; and for the preparatory conferences leading up to the summit. [18499]

  Mr. Clappison
  Preparations for the special session of the UN General Assembly began in June 1996 with a seminar involving Government, business, non-governmental organisations and local government. A consultation paper was issued in December 1996, setting out the Government's approach to the special session. Comments on this are now being considered, and a revised version will be published in due course. A report setting out the United Kingdom's progress since Rio, together with some of our objectives for future action, is also being prepared for presentation to the special session. The current intersessional meeting, and the main session in April, of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development will be used to prepare the ground for the special session.

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Merchant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the 1997–98 charging scheme for local air pollution control under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. [18920]

  Mr. Clappison
  Charges to cover the costs of local enforcing authorities in regulating processes which are subject to part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 were introduced in April 1991.

  With the approval of the Treasury, and following consultation with local authority associations and industry, my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales have made a revised scheme specifying the scale of fees and charges to take effect from 1 April 1997.

  The main changes are that the standard application fee is increased by £25 to £1,040, the substantial charge fee is increased by £15 to £665, and the annual subsistence charge is increased by £15 to £640.
  635
  In addition, an adjustment has been made to the scheme this year to introduce variable payment arrangements for operators of mobile crushing and screening plant allowing for reduced payments for multiple plant.

  The scheme has been laid before both Houses and a copy placed in the Libraries.

  Domestic Heating
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much more fuel it takes to heat a typical semi-detached house with(a) gas central heating and (b) non-white meter electric heating in (i) Braemar, (ii) Lerwick, (iii) Aberdeen, (iv) Edinburgh, (v) Dundee and (vi) Glasgow than a similar house in Bristol using the data contained in the climatic severity index. [18687]

  Mr. Clappison
  The percentage of extra fuel required to heat a typical semi-detached house with(a) gas central heating is estimated to be as follows for each of the specified locations:

  (i) Braemar +32 per cent.

  (ii)Lerwick +48 per cent.

  (iii)Aberdeen +32 per cent.

  (iv)Edinburgh +25 per cent.

  (v)Dundee +25 per cent.

  (vi)Glasgow +23 per cent.

  The percentage of extra fuel required to heat a typical semi-detached house with (b) non-white electric heating is estimated to be as follows for each of the specified locations:

  (i)Braemar +32 per cent.

  (ii)Lerwick +47 per cent.

  (iii)Aberdeen +32 per cent.

  (iv)Edinburgh +25 per cent.

  (iv) Dundee +25 per cent.

  (vi) Glasgow +23 per cent.

  These figures have been calculated using the Building Research Establishment domestic energy model and taking Bristol as the base case.

  Rough Sleeping
  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what Government funding is going to be offered in the areas invited by his Department and the Department of Health on 31 October 1996 to develop strategies to tackle rough sleeping. [19079]

  Mr. Curry
  The Government's aim is to ensure that there is no necessity for people to sleep rough. On 31 October last year, I announced that, following detailed evaluations in 23 areas which were co-ordinated by Shelter on contract to the Department of the Environment, funding would be offered to support expansion of the rough sleepers initiative to the London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea, and to Brighton; and that a new rough sleepers revenue fund would be made available to support local strategies drawn up jointly by local authorities and voluntary sector agencies to tackle rough sleeping in Bath, Bournemouth, Cambridge, Ealing, Exeter, Leicester, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford and Richmond upon Thames. I have received and considered strategies from each of these areas and have reached decisions on the projects which 636
  the Government will support. My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, has today written to each of the local authorities explaining these decisions in detail, and invitations to bid for funding will be issued shortly to voluntary sector organisations and housing associations identified in the strategies as potential providers of the services that we have agreed to fund. The Department of Health will be writing separately to local authorities about funding arrangements under the homeless mentally ill initiative.

  My announcement on 31 October last year also referred to expansion of the existing central London rough sleepers initiative zones to encompass the W1 and W2 postal districts of Westminster. My Department is discussing separately with Westminster city council and local voluntary sector agencies the arrangements for this expansion, which may result in some extra funding for outreach and resettlement work.

  I am pleased that each of the strategies includes existing or new projects provided by statutory and voluntary sector organisations. This local input is particularly important as a demonstration of the partnership approach that underlies the success of the rough sleepers initiative. In some areas, Government funding will be subject to clarification of the local authority housing contribution to the strategy.

  This national programme of Government help is being targeted on areas where the most significant rough sleeping problems have been identified. Local authorities have an obligation to consider the housing needs of everyone residing in their areas, including people sleeping rough, and to reflect those needs in their general housing strategies. My Department has produced comprehensive guidance to enable local authorities to conduct detailed evaluations of the extent of rough sleeping in their areas and to develop effective strategies to tackle any problems that exist. The Government will consider offering funding to support local rough sleeping strategies in other areas where a major problem is identified.

  I am pleased to announce that Ian Brady, deputy chief executive of homelessness charity Centrepoint, will be joining my Department on secondment to promote the development of local rough sleeping strategies, in liaison with local authorities and other voluntary sector agencies. This combination of measures is designed to ensure that there is no necessity for anyone to sleep rough in England.

  Copies of my Department's letters to each of the areas being offered funding, including summaries of the strategies and the Government's response, have been placed in the Library.

DEFENCE

  Cadets
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to encourage the military training of cadets. [17428]

  Mr. Soames
  My Department continues to support syllabuses predominantly geared to military training for the cadet forces. For the Army Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps, military training forms about 60 per cent. of the total training given to cadets. For the Sea Cadet Corps this figure is about 30 per cent. because the
  637
  emphasis on sail-training and watermanship has a more civilian, rather than military application. The RN, Army and RAF sections of the combined cadet force follow similar training syllabuses to those of their respective single service cadet forces. The remaining time is devoted to adventurous and other activities. The syllabuses for military training covers the following subjects.

  Sea Cadet Corps (SCC)
  Bearing and self discipline, rank and rate structure of the Royal Navy, naval customs, basic seamanship and swimming, navigation and rules of the road, maritime affairs, squad drill, anus drill, firefighting, first aid, communications.
  Army Cadet Force (ACF)
  Drill, turnout, military knowledge, skill at arms, use of map and compass, fieldcraft, band, first aid, life saving, canoeing, competition shooting, and self reliance training.
  Air Training Corps (ATC)
  RAF history, airmanship, map reading, principles of flight, basic navigation, aircraft recognition, drill, skill at arms, first aid, lifesaving, air experience flying, gliding, visits to RAF stations.
  Combined Cadet Force (CCF)
  The CCF contingents which are formed in schools, undertake a similar military training syllabus as laid down for their respective single-service cadet organisation.

  Schools
  Mr. Jamieson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what was the average cost to his Department of the school places provided for the children of service personnel in independent and private schools in each of the last five years; [17932]

  (2) how many pupils have benefited from the boarding school allowance in each of the past five years. [17931]

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 27 February 1997]: The average cost of places in independent and private schools provided by my Department through the boarding school allowance scheme and special educational needs allowance in each of the last five years was as follows:

  1991–92: £7,116 per place

  1992–93: £7,720 per place

  1993–94: £9,040 per place

  1994–95: £9,438 per place

  1995–96: £10,337 per place

  For figures of the number of service children who have benefited from boarding school allowance, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 November 1996, Official Report, columns 195–96.

  Goose Bay
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the amounts paid to the Canadian Government in each financial year from 1993–94 onwards for Royal Air Force use of the facilities at Goose bay, Labrador; what are the estimated total payments for financial years 1996–97 and 1997–98; what was the breakdown for each year into(a) dedicated costs and (b) the United Kingdom share of common costs; and what exchange rate was applicable for each year. [17990]
  638
  Mr. Soames
  For financial years 1993–94 to 1996–97 the breakdown is as follows:

  Financial year

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  11996–97

  Dedicated costs (£ million)

  6.885

  5.049

  4.578

  4.402

  Common costs (£ million)

  7.517

  7.022

  6.632

  4.137

  Total contribution payable to Canada (£ million)

  14.402

  12.071

  11.210

  8.539

  Exchange rate £ =

  C$1.96

  C$2.13

  C$2.14

  C$2.14

  1 Estimates.

  Figures shown are based on bills and estimates presented by the Canadian Government. We expect our overall costs at Goose bay to reduce slightly in financial year 1997–98.

  Regiments
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is(a) the current establishment and (b) the nominal strength of (i) The Duke of Wellington's Regiment, (ii) Green Howards, (iii) Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire, (iv) The Light Infantry, (v) The Royal Dragoon Guards, (vi) The Light Dragoons and (vii) 1 Royal Tank Regiment. [18265]

  Mr. Soames
  The establishments and strengths are as follows:

  Unit

  Establishment

  Strength

  Surplus/Deficit

  1st Battalion The Duke of Wellingtons Regiment

  554

  585

  +31

  1st Battalion The Green Howards

  625

  654

  +29

  1st Battalion The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire

  539

  548

  +9

  The Light Infantry

  1st Battalion

  581

  553

  -28

  2nd Battalion

  555

  506

  -49

  The Royal Dragoon Guards

  406

  397

  -9

  The Light Dragoons

  388

  405

  +17

  1st Royal Tank Regiment

  398

  360

  -38

  Junior Leader Scheme
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 February,Official Report, column 719, how many people were made redundant as a result of the decision to close the junior leader and apprentice training site at Harrogate; what was the total cost of redundancy payments; and if he will make a statement. [18117]

  Mr. Soames
  [holding answer 28 February 1997]: Nine non-industrial and 17 industrial personnel were made redundant. The total cost to the Ministry of Defence is £354,513, which can be broken down into £261,925, the cost for this financial year, and £92,688, the cost of the future liability for annual compensation payments which will extend over the next nine years.
  639

  A30 Improvement (Eviction of Protesters)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the involvement of armed forces personnel in the eviction of protesters on or around the route of the A30 Honiton to Exeter road improvement between 1 December 1996 and 27 February 1997. [18749]

  Mr. Soames
  There was no armed forces involvement in the eviction of the protesters.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Waste Management
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the ways in which his Department has demonstrated the ability to improve efficiency and competitiveness through an environmental audit of waste management within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16427]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  The Department of Social Security has had an environmental strategy in place since 1992. Our environmental audits concentrate on auditing all new buildings and major refurbishment to obtain Building Research Establishment environmental assessment method accreditation.

  The Department encourages use of the Environment Agency's DIY environmental performance checklist for premises management.

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people are currently receiving invalidity benefit in England; [17810]

  (2) how many people received sickness benefit in England in the latest week for which figures are available. [17811]

  Mr. Burt
  The information is in the table:

  Number of incapacity benefit recipients in England at 31 August 1996

  Incapacity benefit short term lower rate

  94,000

  Incapacity benefit short term higher rate

  84,000

  Incapacity benefit long term rate

  1,190,000

  Total

  1,368,000

  1. Figures are taken from a 5 per cent, sample of the incapacity benefit computer system and rounded to the nearest thousand. Does not include a small number of cases not on the system.

  2. From April 1995 sickness benefit was replaced by incapacity benefit—short-term lower rate—and invalidity benefit was replaced by incapacity benefit—short-term higher and long term rate.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of(a) incapacity benefit, (b) severe disablement allowance and (c) income
  640
  support where a disability premium is in payment have (i) been disallowed benefits and (ii) subsequently signed on as unemployed since April 1995; what was the average duration of unemployment benefit or jobseeker's allowance; and how many of those signing on have subsequently found work. [17096]

  Mr. Burt
  [holding answer 25 February 1997]: Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows:

  From April 1995 to the end of December 1996, 173,000 incapacity benefit recipients were disallowed benefit. In the same period 75,0001 people in receipt of national insurance credits because of incapacity, most of whom received income support, were disallowed benefit. From April 1995 to the end of December 1996, 92,400 people previously in receipt of incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance and income support on the basis of incapacity for work claimed unemployment benefits.

  Note:
  1 Some cases in receipt of national insurance credits only will not be included in this figure.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much money was lent on social fund loans at the last date for which figures are available; how many people have such loans; what is the average loan at the time of issue; what is the average repayment period; and what assessment has been made of the take-up of these loans over the past two years. [17730]

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

  April 1996–January 1997

  Budgeting loans

  Crisis loans

  Number of awards

  767,000

  644,000

  Total amount awarded

  £231 million

  £43 million

  Average payment1

  £301

  £66

  Average length of repayment for loan repaid during this period

  22.7 weeks

  14.5 weeks

  1 Figures may not sum due to rounding.

  1. The number of discretionary awards made after review is not included.

  The overall performance of the social fund is constantly monitored and the results of this monitoring are used to inform the budget allocations each year.

  Number of loans made over the last two years

  Year

  Budgeting loan

  Crisis loan

  1994–95

  864,000

  755,000

  1995–96

  921,000

  832,000

  641

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent review he has undertaken of the effects of the introduction of jobseeker's allowance; and if he will make a statement. [17854]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  In line with the Government's commitment to evaluating all new policies, we have set in place an extensive programme of monitoring and evaluation, to assess whether the jobseeker's allowance is achieving its policy objectives.

  A wide-ranging evaluation is being undertaken which includes a national survey of unemployed claimants conducted before and after the introduction of the benefit.

  Both the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service have an extensive monitoring programme in place to assess its implementation and performance.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has received from MIND proposing changes to the housing benefit regulations; and what the proposed changes were. [18371]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has received one representation from the Coventry branch of MIND about the proposed changes to housing benefit which will restrict the amount of rent which will be used to calculate housing benefit for most single people under age 60 living in the deregulated private rented sector. This representation expressed concern that people with chronic enduring mental illness may be detrimentally affected by the proposed changes.

  MIND has also made representations to the Social Security Advisory Committee on the proposed changes. The Government have just received the committee's report and will study it carefully before taking final decisions.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what analysis the Government have undertaken of the effect of(a) recent and (b) planned changes to housing benefit on people with mental health problems living within the community. [18426]

  Mr. Evans
  The Government are collecting data to monitor the impact of the housing benefit changes which were introduced last October. The monitoring exercise will be extended to cover future changes. The results will be analysed and will be placed in the Library. In addition, the Government are putting a series of research projects in place to evaluate the long-term effects of the changes and the use of discretionary funds to prevent exceptional hardship. The information collected will not focus specifically upon people with mental health problems. The results are expected next year.

  The Government have also set up an inter-departmental review to look at the funding of supported accommodation, and as part of this exercise research is being undertaken to quantify the contribution made by housing benefit to the provision of supported accommodation for all client groups.
  642

  State Earnings-related Pensions Scheme
  Mr. Olner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimates he has made of the net present value of(a) additional expenditure on SERPS pension and (b) savings made from reduced expenditure on national insurance rebates and incentives paid on contributions made to appropriate personal pensions payments in (i) 2025, (ii) 2030, (iii) 2040 and (iv) 2050, if (1) all and (2) half of those earning under £10,000 per annum currently opted out of SERPS into APPs were to rejoin SERPS. [15592]

  Mr. Heald
  [holding answer 14 February 1997]: We estimate that the net present value of additional SERPS expenditure if all holders of appropriate personal pensions—APPs—who earn under £10,000 were to join SERPS would be £110 million in 2025–26; £80 million in 2030–31; £10 million in 2040–41 and zero in 2050–51. The additional SERPS expenditure if half of those APP holders earning under £10,000 were to join SERPS is estimated at £50 million in 2025–26; £40 million in 2031–32; zero in 2040–41 and 2050–51.

  We estimate that the net present value of reduced expenditure on national insurance rebates if all holders of APPs who earn under £10,000 were to join SERPS would be £170 million in 2025–26; £130 million in 2030–31; £10 million in 2040–41 and zero in 2050–51. The reduced expenditure if half of those APP holders earning under £10,000 were to join SERPS is estimated at £80 million in 2025–26; £60 million in 2031–32; £10 million in 2040–41 and zero in 2050–51.

  The costings assume that those holding APPs in 1996–97 would otherwise continue as APP holders in the projected period. In addition, they are assumed to have the same real earnings in these future years as they did in the base year. All figures are expressed in 1996–97 prices, discounted.

  Disability Appeal Tribunals
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many medical examinations for the purpose of the all work test were carried out in November 1996 by doctors who were members of disability appeal tribunals. [13325]

  Mr. Roger Evans
  [pursuant to his reply 30 January, Official Report, c 362–63]: In November 1996, 2,399 all work test examinations were conducted doctors undertaking work for Benefits Agency medical services on a fee-paid sessional basis who are also members of disability appeal tribunals.

  Sources:
  Independent Tribunal Service
  Benefits Agency Medical Services.

  Note:
  Data are provisional and subject to change.

SCOTLAND

  Water and Sewerage Services
  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for the future management of the water and sewerage services in Scotland. [17327]
  643
  Mr. Kynoch
  The new structure for water and sewerage services which we have put in place is designed to be durable and efficient.

  Scottish Grand Committee
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what role he plans for the Secretary of State for Scotland at future meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee. [17328]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I will ensure that the Scottish Grand Committee continues to bring government closer to the Scottish people and make it more accountable to them.

  Mr. Matthew Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the work of the Scottish Grand Committee over the last year. [17334]

  Mr. Forsyth
  In the last year the Scottish Grand Committee has assumed a pivotal role in making government more accountable to the Scottish people and strengthening the Union.

  Mr. Congdon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the contribution of the Scottish Grand Committee to the accountability of his Department. [17344]

  Mr. Forsyth
  The Scottish Grand Committee is a powerful Committee of this House. Its enhanced role has ensured closer scrutiny and accountability of the work of my Department.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will meet the Scottish Trades Union Congress to discuss the unemployment situation in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [17329]

  Mr. Kynoch
  My right hon. Friend meets representatives of the Scottish Trades Union Congress from time to time to discuss a range of issues. There are no current plans for a meeting.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the level of unemployment in Scotland. [17343]

  Mr. Kynoch
  The seasonally adjusted level of unemployment in Scotland has fallen by more than 24,100 since April 1996 and is well below the European Union average.

  Shipbuilding
  Mr. Davidson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to ensure the future of commercial shipbuilding in(a) Scotland and (b) Govan.[17330]

  Mr. Kynoch
  My right hon. Friend has taken a close interest in the commercial success of the shipbuilding industry in every part of Scotland. This has included promoting the interests of the industry and, where appropriate, drawing attention to the continued excellence of these shipyards and the great progress in their productivity, working practices and labour relations.
  644

  Employment Trends
  Ms Rosanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Scottish trades Union Congress to discuss employment trends in the public sector in Scotland. [17332]

  Mr. Kynoch
  I met STUC representatives on 11 February this year to discuss local government employment issues. I meet the general secretary of the STUC regularly.

  Economy (North Ayrshire)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the current economic prospects in north Ayrshire. [17333]

  Mr. Kynoch
  The economic prospects in North Ayrshire remain good. Unemployment in the North Ayrshire council area fell by 6.7 per cent. in the year to January 1997.

  Islands Needs Allowance
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss the second stage of the special islands needs allowance review. [17335]

  Mr. Kynoch
  We are committed to beginning a review of the special islands needs allowance later this year once expenditure data from all of the new councils is available.

  Glenmore
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received regarding plans for(a) a gondola and (b) a funicular railway at Glenmore in the Cairngorms. [17336]

  Mr. Kynoch
  My right hon. Friend has received seven letters about the Cairngorm funicular railway since 1 January. Four opposed the development while one was dismissive of a gondola as an alternative.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the impact on the manpower of Scottish local authorities of the revenue support grant settlement for 1997–98; and if he will make a statement. [17337]

  Mr. Kynoch
  Provided councils maximise the benefits from the reorganisation and efficiency savings, and budget in line with the priorities my right hon. Friend set in determining the settlement, it should lead to a continued improvement in front-line services.

  Mr. Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest assessment of the economic consequences of his policy towards non-domestic rates in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [17340]

  Mr. Kynoch
  Ratepayers have saved more than £1.4 billion in the past 5 years. If the Government had not harmonised rating, next year's bills would be at least double their current levels. We are further freezing the business rates for all small businesses in 1997–98; direct support in that year alone will total over £170 million.
  645
  The success of the policy is clear. In the last decade the number of companies registered in Scotland has increased by almost 14,000. Business births in Scotland continue to exceed business deaths.

  This is good news for Scottish business.

  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received on the projected level of local government expenditure in the highlands. [17347]

  Mr. Kynoch
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about this matter.

  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received on local government finance. [17348]

  Mr. Kynoch
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on this matter.

  Dame Jill Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the recent Coopers and Lybrand report on local government spending in Scotland. [17321]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The report confirms that after adjustments for non-comparability Scottish councils are spending £285 more each year for every man, woman and child than English councils are spending and £181 more than Welsh councils are spending.

  I now intend to start the next stage of the study to find out whether there is any justification for this excess.

  Teaching Posts
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the change in the number of teaching posts in(a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland in 1997–98. [17339]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  Any change in the number of teaching posts will reflect local authority decisions.

  Flood Prevention
  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the successful bids for challenge funding to aid flood prevention projects. [17341]

  Mr. Kynoch
  My right hon. Friend has today announced details of successful central challenge fund bids, including those dealing with flood prevention. East Ayrshire council will receive £1.9 million for early action works to alleviate flooding risk in the Kilmarnock area and Perth and Kinross council will receive a total of £18.3 million over the next five years, subject to the Perth flood prevention scheme being confirmed.

  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for introducing a flood management scheme for the whole of the River Tay catchment area. [17342]

  Mr. Kynoch
  My right hon. Friend has no such proposals. Local councils have powers under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 to prevent or mitigate flooding of non-agricultural land in their areas. The Flood Prevention and Land Drainage (Scotland) Bill currently 646
  going through Parliament will, if enacted, ensure that local authorities address their responsibilities for flood prevention.

  Dumfries and Galloway Health Board
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the amount of money made available to the Dumfries and Galloway health board in each of the last three years. [17345]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The amount of money made available to Dumfries and Galloway health board was £121.306 million in 1994–95, £127.695 million and £131.803 million in 1996–97.

  Scottish Enterprise
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met Scottish Enterprise to discuss trends in the Scottish economy. [17346]

  Mr. Kynoch
  My right hon. Friend and I have regular contact with Scottish Enterprise.

  Clinical Services
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the Government's policy regarding the privatisation of national health service clinical services in Scotland. [17349]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government are committed to a national health service delivered on the basis of clinical need, largely free at the point of delivery, and funded from taxation. The private finance initiative enables modern facilities to be provided sooner than would otherwise be possible.

  The Government have consistently made it clear that they will not approve any project under the private finance initiative that includes clinical services unless it has the support of local clinicians and management.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the mechanisms required for the introduction of a separate system of income taxation in Scotland. [17350]

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Dover. (Mr. Shaw).

  Electronic Tagging
  Mr. Gallie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the outcome of the electronic tagging of persistent offenders in a pilot project in Norfolk; and if he will make a statement on the implications for Scotland. [17352]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The pilot project in Norfolk and those in Manchester and Berkshire have been evaluated by the Home Office. The findings seem to confirm that the technology is reliable and that this form of sentence can be a worthwhile addition to the range of community penalties available to sentencers. There is no reason to believe that the same will not be true in Scotland.
  647

  Felling Licence (Balblair)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what advice the Forestry Commission received from the local authority and Scottish Natural Heritage prior to approving a felling licence for woodland at Balblair; and if he will publish the advice; [17487]

  (2) when he was consulted by the Forestry Commission prior to the issue of a licence to fell woodlands at Balblair. [17488]

  Mr. Kynoch
  The Forestry Commission has not approved any felling at Balblair and so it has not issued a felling licence. The commission did receive an application for the woodland grant scheme which included proposals for felling, but this was withdrawn by the applicant before the commission had concluded its consultations with Scottish Natural Heritage and the local authority.

  Receptions to penal establishments by main crime/offence, 1995

  Scotland

  Number and percentage

  Crime/offence

  Direct receptions

  Fine default receptions

  Number

  Percentage

  Number

  Percentage

  Total crime and offences

  11,502

  100

  7,509

  100

  Total crimes: sub total

  8,145

  71

  3,261

  43

  Non-sexual crimes of violence: sub total

  1,271

  11

  145

  2

  Homicide

  75

  1

  4

  1—

  Serious assault and attempted murder

  747

  6

  77

  1

  Handling offensive weapons

  150

  1

  41

  1

  Robbery

  265

  2

  16

  1—

  Other

  34

  1—

  7

  1—

  Crimes of indecency: sub total

  224

  2

  148

  2

  Sexual assault

  64

  1

  3

  1—

  Lewd and ibidinous practices

  131

  1

  2

  1—

  Other

  29

  1—

  143

  2

  Crimes of dishonesty: sub total

  5,320

  46

  2,188

  29

  Housebreaking

  1,634

  14

  457

  6

  Theft by opening lockfast places

  438

  4

  161

  2

  Theft of a motor-vehicle

  514

  4

  141

  2

  Other theft

  2,039

  18

  1,049

  14

  Fraud

  174

  2

  133

  2

  Other

  521

  5

  247

  3

  Fire-raising, vandalism etc: sub total

  136

  1

  207

  3

  Fire-raising

  31

  1—

  3

  1—

  Vandalism etc.

  105

  1

  204

  3

  Other crimes: sub total

  1,194

  10

  573

  8

  Crimes against public justice

  492

  4

  276

  4

  Drugs related crimes

  685

  6

  284

  4

  Other

  17

  1—

  13

  1—

  Total offences: sub total

  3,357

  29

  4,248

  57

  Miscellaneous offences: sub total

  2,369

  21

  2,649

  35

  Petty assault

  672

  6

  417

  6

  Breach of the peace

  1,606

  14

  2,008

  27

  Drunkenness

  11

  1—

  58

  1

  Other

  80

  1

  166

  2

  Motor vehicle offences: sub total

  988

  9

  1,599

  21

  Dangerous and careless driving

  61

  1

  64

  1

  Drunk driving

  185

  2

  261

  3

  648

  Prison Population
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the Scottish prison population by type of offence numerically and in percentage terms. [17696]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The subject of this question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Mrs. Ray Michie, dated 5 March 1997:
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your Question about providing information on the Scottish prison population by type of offence.
  Information by offence type is not currently available in relation to the average daily prison population. However, the table attached provides reception information by main offence for the year 1995.
  649

  Receptions to penal establishments by main crime/offence, 1995

  Scotland

  Number and percentage

  Crime/offence

  Direct receptions

  Fine default receptions

  Number

  Percentage

  Number

  Percentage

  Speeding

  5

  1—

  24

  1—

  Unlawful use of vehicle

  725

  6

  1,167

  16

  Vehicle defect offences

  2

  1—

  15

  1—

  Other

  10

  1—

  68

  1

  1 Denotes less than 0.5 per cent.

  Community Councils
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) for what reasons the community councils abolished on 31 March 1997 will not re-convene until July; [18006]

  (2) what arrangements he is making for the discharge of the functions of the community councils in Scotland in the period between 31 March and July 1997; [18007]

  (3) what guidance has been given to community councils about their (i) planning functions, (ii) representation on external bodies, (iii) financial and other contractual commitments and (iv) funding for local projects during the period between 31 March and July 1997; [18008]

  (4) what notice was given to existing community councils about their period of non-existence; and what legal advice has been given about continuing duties and responsibilities of existing members while the community councils are disbanded. [18009]

  Mr. Kynoch
  [holding answer 3 March 1997]: The operation of community council schemes is entirely the responsibility of the relevant local authority. I understand that Scottish Borders council has decided to revoke the existing community council schemes within its area on 31 March and subsequently to adopt a new scheme. It is for Scottish Borders council to justify to the people it serves the length of any period of interregnum between the dissolution of community councils under its existing schemes and the election of new community councils under its proposed new scheme. It is also for the council to consider any interim arrangements for seeking the views of the community.

  I hope that Scottish Borders council will very carefully re-examine whether the length of interregnum that it proposes is really necessary.

  Nutritional Standards
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those health boards and local authorities which have agreed nutritional specifications and standards of quality for contracts. [17373]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what assessment he has made of the extent to which food provided in child care facilities for under-fives meets his Department's dietary targets; [17374]
  650
  (2) what assessment he has made of the extent to which food provided in (a) schools and (b) hospitals (i) provides adequate nutrition and (ii) takes account of cultural and religious requirements. [17416]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Responsibility for the provision of food in schools and in child care facilities for the under-fives rests with local authorities. It is for these authorities to determine and review the nature of the food to be provided and its nutritional value.

  Scottish health service trusts are responsible for the provision of food in hospitals. Each trust is required to have in place food and dietary policies which offer patients a choice of food of a high quality and nutritional value and which meets, as appropriate, the specific cultural and religious requirements of patients.

  The Scottish diet action plan, "Eating for Health", which was published by the Government in July 1996, contains a set of model nutritional guidelines for catering specifications for the public sector in Scotland. The plan recommends that the guidelines should be taken into account by all public sector bodies in determining the specification and standards in their catering contracts. The action plan and the guidelines have been distributed widely, and all directors of education and Scottish health service boards and trust hospitals received copies.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will estimate the minimum weekly cost of the good required for a healthy diet for(a) an adult male and (b) an adult female; [17375]

  (2) what steps his Department takes to encourage local initiatives to improve access to a range of healthy food at reasonable prices in low income areas; [17417]

  (3) if he will make a statement on the (a) role of and (b) resources allocated to the national project officer charged with implementing the diet action plan for Scotland. [17418]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  "Eating for Health -A Diet Action Plan for Scotland", which I launched in July 1996, set a framework for action to improve the Scottish diet over the next 10 years.

  Among its 71 recommendations was the appointment of a national project officer to facilitate a strategic approach to dietary improvement in low income communities, including the development of new initiatives in both urban and rural areas to aid access to healthy foods. The officer was appointed last October, under the auspices of the Scottish Consumer Council, with funding from the Scottish Office. Resources totalling more than £1 million are being made available over this and the next two financial years to take forward initiatives flowing from the action plan. Of this amount, £115,000

  651
  has been specifically earmarked in the current year to find the national project officer post and initiatives associated with it.

  The Scottish Office is also continuing to support local initiatives through the urban programme, and three projects promoting healthy eating in urban areas are currently being funded. Dietary issues in low-income communities are also being addressed under programmes for partnership, the current urban regeneration policy framework. This work is complemented by the activities of health alliances, now established in every health board area, for which the action plan envisaged an expanding role in stimulating and supporting community activity.

  The weekly cost of a healthy diet will vary according to individual choice and circumstance; but healthy eating does not necessarily mean a more expensive food bill. The action plan recommends that supermarkets should examine, in consultation with the national project officer, the feasibility of measures to improve the availability of healthy products to low income communities. This is a point my right hon. Friend and I will be discussing with senior representatives of the major retailers at a meeting later this month.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action his Department has taken, since the publication of a diet action plan for Scotland, to stimulate consumer demand for fruit and vegetables; and what progress has been made towards the targets for consumption of fruit and vegetables. [17376]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As recommended in the Scottish diet action plan, "Eating for Health", the Health Education Board for Scotland is currently distributing a maildrop on healthy eating to every household in Scotland. This stresses the positive benefits of fruit and vegetables in protecting against a number of serious diseases, and encourages increased consumption in line with the dietary targets.

  The Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Environment Department has also recently adjusted the criteria pertinent to its food processing and marketing grant schemes so that preference is given to initiatives which produce healthy foods, including fruit and vegetables.

  Progress towards the dietary targets set in 1994 will be measured primarily through the recently introduced Scottish health survey. The first data from the survey will be available in the spring and will provide a baseline against which changes in the populations's dietary behaviour, including consumption of fruit and vegetables, can be measured.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the health boards and local authorities who have indicated their commitment to implement the recommendations contained in the diet action plan for Scotland and nutrition targets. [17377]

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  "Eating for Health—A Diet Action Plan for Scotland" was issued to all health boards and local authorities on publication last July. It has been widely welcomed by the Scottish health service. A conference organised jointly by The Scottish Office, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Health Education Board for Scotland on public health in 652
  September 1996 indicated a high degree of commitment and support among local authorities for the recommendations in the plan.

  Meat Hygiene Inspectors
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meat hygiene inspectors were employed by(a)his Department and (b) the Meat Hygiene Service (i) on the most recent date available and (ii) for each year since 1979. [18164]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  No meat hygiene inspectors were employed by the Department. The chief executive of the Meat Hygiene Service has been asked to write to the hon. Member regarding their staffing numbers.

  Scientists
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many food and agriculture scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at ADAS establishments by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18179]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  On 1 March 1997, there were no food and agriculture scientists employed on Scottish Office-funded projects in ADAS establishments. On 31 March 1995, one part-time scientist was employed on a Scottish Office-funded project at ADAS.

  Data in respect of earlier years is no longer held centrally.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many food and agriculture scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Agriculture and Food Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council establishments by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18180]

  Mr. Robertson
  On 1 March 1997, 2.05 full-time equivalent food and agricultural scientists were employed on Scottish Office-funded projects in BBSRC establishments. On 31 March 1995, two full-time equivalent food and agriculture scientists were employed on Scottish Office-funded projects in BBSRC establishments.

  Data in respect of earlier years are no longer held centrally.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many food and agriculture scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Central Science Laboratory by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18169]

  Mr. Robertson
  On 1 March 1997, 0.7 full-time equivalent food and agriculture scientists at the Central Science Laboratory were employed on a Scottish Office-funded project. There were no food and agriculture scientists employed at CSL on Scottish Office-funded projects on 31 March 1995.
  653
  Data in respect of earlier years is no longer held centrally.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Institute of Food Research by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18171]

  Mr. Robertson
  Since 31 March 1995, there have been no scientists working on Scottish Office-funded projects at the Institute of Food Research.

  Data in respect of earlier years is no longer held centrally.

  Research and Development Expenditure
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the Department's total research and development expenditure for each year from 1980 to the present in(a) cash and (b) constant prices on projects funded by his Department equivalent to those covered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. [18176]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The Scottish Office funding of agricultural and fisheries research complements the agricultural and fisheries research funded by MAFF and the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council. There are a number of co-ordination mechanisms in place to ensure that research is not duplicated.

  Total Scottish Office research and development expenditure on agricultural and fisheries is set out in the table. Figures are only available from 1981–82 to 1995–96. Figures for 1981–82 to 1992–93 are taken from the "Annual Review of Government-funded Research and Development" for each year. Figures from 1993–94 to 1995–96 are taken from the "Forward Look of Government-funded Science, Engineering and Technology" for each year.

  £ million

  Year

  Cash

  Constant prices (1995–96)

  1981–82

  36.2

  71.5

  1982–83

  38.1

  70.2

  1983–84

  41.3

  72.7

  1984–85

  44.1

  74.0

  1985–96

  44.6

  70.9

  1986–87

  42.5

  65.6

  1987–88

  41.2

  60.4

  1988–89

  43.3

  59.5

  1989–90

  45.6

  58.6

  1990–91

  47.9

  56.9

  1991–92

  48.0

  53.6

  1992–93

  50.7

  54.4

  1993–94

  50.8

  52.9

  1994–95

  52.2

  53.5

  1995–96

  49.5

  49.5

  Veterinary Surgeons
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many veterinary surgeons were employed by his 654
  Department and on projects funded by his Department on (a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March for each year since 1979. [18163]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  The Scottish Office employs no veterinary surgeons. Veterinary advice is provided by MAFF vets, five of whom currently advise the Scottish Office. There were 12 veterinary surgeons employed on projects funded by the Scottish Office at 1 March 1997.

  Data in respect of earlier years is no longer held centrally.

  Veterinary Scientists
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many veterinary scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Central Veterinary Laboratory by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18170]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  There have been no veterinary scientists employed at the Central Veterinary Laboratory on projects funded by the Scottish Office since 31 March 1995.

  Data in respect of earlier years are no longer held centrally.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will announce the income scale that will apply to the assisted places scheme in Scotland in school session 1997–98. [19078]

  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  For school session 1997–98, I propose to lay regulations before the House in due course providing for progressive parental contribution for one assisted pupil in relation to family income as follows:

  Part of relevant income to which the specified percentage applies

  Parental contribution (percentage)

  That part, if any, which exceeds £9,969 but does not exceed £10,864

  9

  That part, if any, which exceeds £10,864 but does not exceed £11,725

  12

  That part, if any, which exceeds £11,725 but does not exceed £13,481

  15

  That part, if any which exceeds £13,481 but does not exceed £16,186

  21

  That part, if any, which exceeds £16,186 but does not exceed £19,712

  24

  That part, if any, which exceeds £19,712

  33

  The relevant income scale is open-ended, but the remission can, of course, be given only where the parental contribution is less than the school tuition fee. We do not expect the income scale adjustment to have a significant effect on the proportion of pupils who receive full remission of their fees, currently standing at 47.4 per cent. of the 3,539 pupils assisted in the 1996–97 school session.
  655
  Mr. Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has determined the level of fee remission grant which will be available to parents under the assisted places scheme in school session 1997–98. [19080]

  Mr. Robertson
  Independent schools offer a wider choice and diversity of education with strong traditions of academic attainment, good examination results, sound discipline and a commitment to a wide range of sport and extra curricular activities.

  The assisted places scheme provides financial assistance towards tuition fees and certain other costs for children from low income families who would otherwise have not been able to afford the cost of an independent school education for their children. In the current 1996–97 school session, 48 per cent. of the 3,500 pupils being assisted under the scheme come from families whose gross income is less than £9,873 per annum; with 75 per cent. of those pupils coming from families earning £16,000 or less per annum. The assisted places scheme has, since it was introduced in 1981, enabled over 11,000 children from families with low incomes to attend Scottish independent schools.

  My right hon. Friend is making £14,131,000 available for fee remission in the 1997–98 school session in response to applications for funds from the 53 schools across Scotland which will participate in the scheme. The table sets out the allocation of fee remission grants to individual schools for the 1997–98 school session. It will be for each participating school to fund as many assisted places as can be afforded from within these allocated amounts, but we estimate that this total should be sufficient to fund around 3,800 places in the 1997–98 school session, maintaining our commitment to the expansion of the scheme.

  Assisted places scheme 1997–1998 allocation of fee remission grant

  School

  Proposed allocation (£)

  Aberlour School

  52,000

  Albyn School

  125,000

  Ardvreck School

  38,000

  Beaconhurst School

  110,000

  Belhaven Hill School

  30,000

  Belmont House School

  167,000

  Butterstone School

  33,000

  Cademuir International School

  5,000

  Cargilfield School

  29,000

  Clifton Hall School

  40,000

  Craigclowan School

  38,000

  Craigholme School

  168,000

  Croftinloan School

  61,000

  Dollar Academy

  284,000

  Edinburgh Academy

  351,000

  Fernhill School

  103,000

  Fettes College

  273,000

  George Heriot's School

  795,000

  George Watson's College

  860,000

  Glasgow Academy

  245,000

  Glenalmond College

  397,000

  Gordonstoun School

  213,000

  Hamilton College

  96,000

  High School of Dundee

  795,000

  High School of Glasgow

  174,000

  Hutchesons' Grammar School

  641,000

  Keil School

  281,000

  Kelvinside Academy

  475,000

  656

  Assisted places scheme 1997–1998 allocation of fee remission grant

  School

  Proposed allocation (£)

  Kilgraston School

  355,000

  Lathallan School

  34,000

  Laurel Park School

  600,000

  Lomond School

  285,000

  Loretto School

  250,000

  Merchiston Castle School

  400,000

  Morrison's Academy

  578,000

  New School, Butterstone

  28,000

  New Park School

  35,000

  Park Lodge School

  24,000

  Rannoch School

  225,000

  Robert Gordon's College

  265,000

  Rudolf Steiner School, Edinburgh

  336,000

  St. Aloysius College

  583,000

  St. Columba's School

  130,000

  St. Denis and Cranley School

  158,000

  St. George School

  257,000

  St. Leonard's School

  240,000

  St. Margaret's School, Aberdeen

  62,000

  St. Margaret's School, Edinburgh

  336,000

  St. Mary's School, Melrose

  36,000

  Stewart's Melville College and the Mary Erskine School

  1,300,000

  Strathallan School

  353,000

  Wellington School

  382,000

  Total

  14,131,000

HEALTH

  Emergency Beds
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability of emergency beds in NHS hospitals during(a) the current winter and (b) the winter of 1995–96; and what measures he is taking, or has taken, to ensure availability when required. [18458]

  Mr. Horam
  In the national health service, use of beds is not necessarily limited to either emergency or elective patients and therefore the number of "emergency beds" is not recorded centrally.

  The most recent information on acute bed availability can be found in "Bed Availability for England 1995–96", copies of which can be found in the Library.

  Admissions
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) medical emergency admissions and (b) elective surgical admissions there were for each month since April 1995. [18608]

  Mr. Horam
  Information for 1995–96 will be available later this year.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS elective admissions have been cancelled because of emergency demand for NHS hospital facilities in the last 12 months; and how many private patient admissions to NHS pay beds have been cancelled in the same period for the same reason. [18611]
  657
  Mr. Horam
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Cancelled operations
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients had their operations cancelled and were not re-admitted within 30 days for each month since April 1995. [18607]

  Mr. Horam
  The information available is provided in quarterly returns which are available in the Library.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS theatre sessions were cancelled in each month since April 1995. [18606]

  Mr. Horam
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Doctors
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors ceased practice in each of the last five years. [18605]

  Mr. Malone
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Cancer Patients
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of terminally ill patients with cancer in acute hospital beds in the latest period for which figures are available.[18730]

  Mr. Horam
  None.

  Accident and Emergency Services
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of private hospitals provide full accident and emergency services. [18713]

  Mr. Horam
  The information requested is not collected centrally.

  Breast Screening
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of women aged 50 years have had breast screening, broken down by(a) district health authority and (b) regional health authority. [18731]

  Mr. Horam
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Cryptosporidium
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department was first notified of the outbreak of cryptosporidium in the area of Thames Water; and by whom. [18908]

  Mr. Horam
  The local consultant in communicable disease control for Brent and Harrow health authority informed officials of an increase in the number of reported cases of cryptosporidiosis in the area on the afternoon of Friday 28 February. Later the same afternoon, the regional epidemiologist reported an outbreak of the infection in West Hertfordshire.
  658

  Operation Waiting List
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women are waiting for(a) a hysterectomy operation, (b) a mastectomy operation and (c) a hip replacement operation in each health authority area; and how many have been waiting longer than (i) three, (ii) six, (iii) nine and (iv) 12 months. [18788]

  Mr. Horam
  The information requested is not available. Information collected centrally is at specialty level and does not distinguish between male and female patients.

  Mental Health
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations the Government have received regarding the effects of the provisions of the Finance Bill on people with mental health problems living within the community; and if he will make a statement on those effects. [18370]

  Mr. Burns
  The Government receive numerous representations from a wide range of interested parties on the provisions of the Finance Bill. Improving the care of mentally ill people is a high priority for the Government and considerable resources have been spent in recent years in pursuit of this aim. We recently announced the allocation of an extra £50 million to help health and local authorities improve further the quality and range of services they provide to mentally ill people.

  Unlicensed Medicines
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the medicines currently available that are not licensed for human administration. [18593]

  Mr. Malone
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Unlicensed medicines may be manufactured or imported for supply to the order of a doctor or dentist for their individual patients.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what medicines currently given to children are administered by a route, in a formulation or in a dosage which has not been approved by the Medicines Control Agency. [18594]

  Mr. Malone
  When medicines are administered to children by a route, in a formulation or in a dosage which has not been approved for that age group by the Medicines Control Agency, this occurs outside the terms and conditions of the medicinal product licence and is the responsibility of the prescribing physician. Such usage is not reported to the Medicines Control Agency.

  Broadmoor Special Hospital
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the powers and responsibilities of the patients council at Broadmoor; and if he will make a statement. [18691]

  (2) what plans he has to investigate allegations of (a) child abuse, (b) access to pornographic materials and (c) sexual assault in Broadmoor hospital. [18693]
  659
  Mr. Burns
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health gave the hon. Member for Stockport (Ms Coffey) on 3 March 1997,Official Report, column 451.

  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to improve staff morale at Broadmoor hospital; and if he will make a statement. [18692]

  Mr. Burns
  Staffing issues at Broadmoor hospital are a matter for the hospital authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of Broadmoor hospital, Mrs. Sheila Drew-Smith.

  Recombinant Factor 8
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish funding provision for recombinant factor 8 on an equivalent basis to that provided in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [18720]

  Mr. Horam
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) on 23 July 1996,Official Report, columns 216–17.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Newcastle Disease
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 17 February, for what reasons the vaccination of poultry against Newcastle disease is normally prohibited in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [17242]

  Mr. Ancram
  [holding answer 24 February 1997]: Vaccination against Newcastle disease has been prohibited in Northern Ireland until recently because the Province's status as a non-vaccinating area has permitted the prohibition of poultry—other than eggs and day-old chicks—from vaccinating countries. That has helped to prevent the introduction of other poultry diseases from which Northern Ireland has been free. Vaccination also makes it technically difficult to detect and diagnose Newcastle disease if it does occur.

  Action for Community Employment (Staff Reductions)
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he plans to take to protect the continuing services of(a) youth clubs, (b) pre-school playgroups, (c) organisations working with the elderly, (d) environmental groups, (e) disabled organisations and (f) other voluntary or community groups, affected by the reduction in the number of ACE employees. [17706]

  Mr. Ancram
  Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Ian Walters. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
  660
  Letter from Ian Walters to Mr. Seamus Mallon, dated 5 March 1997:
  The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency, to reply to your question about continuing services to groups in the community affected by the reduction in the Action for Community Employment (ACE) scheme.
  The essential purpose of ACE is to enable long-term unemployed participants to compete more effectively for available permanent jobs. The community benefit of ACE to a secondary aim. However, Baroness Denton wishes to minimise the effect of the reductions on the community and has asked the Agency to give priority to protecting services to needy and vulnerable people. Accordingly, we wrote on 7 February to ACE projects giving guidance on preserving priority services to the elderly, under 5's, the disabled and ill. Services to youth clubs and environmental groups are not included as priorities.
  The management committees of ACE schemes have been asked to take particular care when reducing places to try and ensure that needy people are not suddenly deprived of essential services on which they have come to depend. The Agency is also encouraging ACE schemes, wherever possible, to work with neighbouring schemes to preserve services.
  I can assure you that the Agency will continue to work with schemes to minimise the impact of the reduction.

  Punishment Shootings
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many assaults described as punishment shootings have taken place in Northern Ireland in each year since 1991 and in 1997 to date; and how many were believed in each year to have been carried out by the(a) Provisional IRA, (b) other terrorist groups, (c) the Ulster Defence Association, (d) the Ulster Volunteer Force and (e) other loyalist paramilitary organisations. [18686]

  Sir John Wheeler
  [holding answer 4 March 1997]: Casualties as a result of terrorist assaults (shootings) are as follows:

  Year

  By loyalist groups

  By republican groups

  Total

  1991

  40

  36

  76

  1992

  72

  61

  133

  1993

  60

  25

  85

  1994

  68

  54

  122

  1995

  3

  0

  3

  1996

  21

  3

  24

  1997 (to 2 March)

  11

  1

  12

  It is not possible to specify which individual group carried out an offence.

  Meat Hygiene Inspectors
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hygiene inspectors were employed by(a) his Department and (b) the Meat Hygiene Service (i) on the most recent date available and (ii) in each year since 1979. [18167]

  Mr. Ancram
  It is possible to provide only details of the numbers of staff employed by the Department of Agriculture from each year since 1990. To provide details for earlier years would incur disproportionate costs.
  661

  (a) Meat inspectors employed by the Department of Agriculture

  February 1997: 132

  March 1996: 118

  March 1995: 118

  March 1994: 129

  March 1993: 133

  March 1992: 136

  March 1991: 134

  March 1990: 143

  (b) There is not a separate meat hygiene service in Northern Ireland.

  Food and Agriculture Scientists
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many food and agriculture scientists were employed in Government-funded food and science establishments by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18182]

  Mr. Ancram
  In addition to the number of food and agriculture scientists employed by the Department, details of which were given to him in a response earlier today, the following food and agriculture scientists are employed by ARINI—the Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland:

  February 1997: 46

  March 1995: 51

  March 1990: 39

  The information was provided by ARINI who have advised that in the time available it was not possible to provide information for earlier years. They have further advised that up to 1990 the food and agriculture scientists employed by ARINI would have worked solely on projects funded by the Department. However, since then there has been an increase in commercial research which required a commensurate increase in scientific staff. In the time available it has not been possible to sub-divide the number of staff into those working on projects funded by the Department and those working on commercially funded projects.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many food and agriculture scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Agriculture and Food Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council establishments by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18184]

  Mr. Ancram
  The Department does not employ staff at either establishment.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many food and agriculture scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at ADAS establishments by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18183]

  Mr. Ancram
  The Department does not employ staff at ADAS establishments.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many food and agriculture scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Central 662
  Science Laboratory by his Department on (a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18185]

  Mr. Ancram
  The Department does not employ staff at the Central Science Laboratory.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Institute of Food Research by his Department on(a) the most recent date available, and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18187]

  Mr. Ancram
  The Department does not employ staff at the Institute of Food Research.

  Veterinary Surgeons
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many veterinary surgeons were employed by his Department on projects funded by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March in each year since 1979. [18166]

  Mr. Ancram
  The Department of Agriculture employs veterinary surgeons for a variety of tasks including disease prevention, control and eradication, meat hygiene and veterinary research. The figure in the table indicates the breakdown between veterinary research and other duties.

  It is possible to provide details only of the numbers of veterinary surgeons employed in each year since 1990. To provide details for earlier years would incur disproportionate costs.

  Veterinary research

  February 1997: 26

  March 1996: 26

  March 1995: 26

  March 1994: 27

  March 1993: 27

  March 1992: 25

  March 1991: 28

  March 1990: 21

  Veterinary service

  February 1997: 138

  March 1996: 136

  March 1995: 143

  March 1994: 151

  March 1993: 144

  March 1992: 129

  March 1991: 111

  March 1990: 111

  Veterinary Scientists
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many veterinary scientists were employed on Government funded projects at the Central Veterinary Laboratory by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18186]
  663
  Mr. Ancram
  The Department does not employ any veterinary scientists at the Central Veterinary Laboratory.

  Scientific Establishments
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those scientific establishments other than the Central Science Laboratory, Central Veterinary Laboratory and the Institute of Food Research receiving funding from his Department indicating the number of scientists employed at each on projects funded by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18188]

  Mr. Ancram
  The only scientific establishment outside of the Department which receives funding from the Department is the Agriculture Research Institute of Northern Ireland. For details of the number of scientists employed by that institute, I refer the hon. Member to answer to him on that subject today.

  Research and Development Expenditure
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the Department's total research and development expenditure for each year from 1980 to the present in(a) cash and (b) constant prices on projects funded by his Department on matters equivalent to those covered by MAFF. [18181]

  Mr. Ancram
  The information is as follows:

  Council

  Electorate mid summer 1995

  Population mid summer 1995

  Total council debt for 1995–98 £

  Council debt per head of electorate £

  Council debt per head of civilian population £

  Total council debt as percentage of annual income for 1995–96

  Antrim

  31,793

  46,400

  6,654,277.00

  209.30

  143.41

  134.77

  Ards

  51,050

  66,700

  9,982,147.00

  195.54

  149.66

  131.32

  Armagh

  37,454

  52,400

  7,943,190.00

  212.08

  151.59

  152.91

  Ballymena

  43,135

  57,400

  6,418,230.00

  148.79

  111.82

  133.23

  Ballymoney

  18,107

  24,600

  1,697,563.00

  93.75

  69.01

  70.54

  Banbridge

  27,644

  37,300

  4,991,104.00

  180.55

  133.81

  127.08

  Belfast

  204,641

  296,300

  32,629,900.00

  159.45

  110.12

  57.68

  Carrickfergus

  25,938

  34,900

  4,246,926.00

  163.73

  121.69

  105.99

  Casilereagh

  48,825

  63,400

  9,382,079.00

  192.16

  147.98

  164.36

  Coleraine

  38,231

  54,100

  7,948,121.00

  207.90

  146.92

  123.39

  Cookstown

  22,229

  31,300

  280,440.00

  12.62

  8.96

  10.29

  Craigavon

  55,432

  77,900

  11,401,098.00

  205.68

  146.36

  121.98

  Derry

  66,604

  101,700

  17,528,766.00

  263.18

  172.36

  117.56

  Down

  42,297

  60,000

  5,388,249.00

  127.39

  89.80

  73.90

  Dungannon

  33,127

  46,100

  1,156,761.00

  34.92

  25.09

  28.10

  Fermanagh

  40,335

  54,700

  1,457,629.00

  36.14

  26.65

  27.36

  Larne

  22,765

  30,000

  4,593,901.00

  201.80

  153.13

  125.67

  Limavady

  20,184

  30,100

  2,940,431.00

  145.68

  97.69

  98.45

  Lisburn

  72,584

  103,600

  4,775,926.00

  65.80

  46.10

  51.53

  Magherarfelt

  26,336

  37,000

  609,261.00

  23.13

  16.47

  17.37

  Moyle

  10,939

  14,800

  1,391,429.00

  127.20

  94.02

  80.46

  Newry and Mourne

  58,647

  83,500

  15,686,535.00

  267.47

  187.86

  177.45

  Newtonabbey

  57,187

  78,600

  14,060,530.00

  245.87

  178.89

  150.25

  North Down

  56,062

  73,000

  16,032,743.00

  285.98

  219.63

  168.73

  Omagh

  31,806

  46,200

  7,245,187.00

  227.79

  156.82

  148.65

  Strabane

  26,001

  36,100

  3,355,454.00

  129.05

  92.95

  82.51

  Total

  1,169,353

  1,638,100

  199,797,877.00

  664

  Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, research and development expenditure:

  Year

  Cash

  Constant prices (1995–96 financial year) £ million

  1979–80

  3.59

  9.11

  1980–81

  4.93

  10.74

  1981–82

  5.20

  10.18

  1982–83

  5.75

  10.50

  1983–84

  6.09

  10.63

  1984–85

  6.44

  10.70

  1985–86

  7.02

  11.00

  1986–87

  7.50

  11.40

  1987–88

  8.00

  11.70

  1988–89

  7.50

  10.34

  1989–90

  7.89

  10.09

  1990–91

  8.31

  9.69

  1991–92

  8.75

  9.74

  1992–93

  8.85

  9.55

  1993–97

  8.75

  9.28

  1994–95

  8.62

  8.90

  1995–96

  8.65

  8.65

  1996–97

  n/a

  —

  n/a = not available. Data for years prior to 1991–92 are estimates.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each council in Northern Ireland (i) the electorate, (ii) the population and (iii) the council debt(a) in total, (b) per head of electorate, (c) per head of the total population and (d) as a percentage of annual income at the latest date for which figures are available. [18516]

  Mr. Moss
  The information requested is set out in the table.
  665

WALES

  Cold-related Illnesses
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many people in Wales received treatment by NHS doctors for cold-related illnesses for the period December 1996 and January 1997; and what was the average figure for similar periods in the past 10 years; [17220]

  (2) what have been the excess winter treatment rates for cold-related illnesses in hospitals in Wales for (a) in-patients and (b) out-patients for each of the last 10 years; [17213]

  Number of in-patient admissions by primary diagnosis

  Hypothermia

  Influenza

  Pneumonia

  Bronchitis

  December 1985

  29

  26

  401

  361

  January 1986

  13

  9

  458

  400

  Total for 1985–86

  156

  167

  3,814

  2,870

  December 1986

  32

  8

  354

  326

  January 1987

  7

  9

  371

  325

  Total for 1986–87

  112

  77

  3,501

  2,452

  December 1987

  13

  14

  357

  352

  January 1988

  15

  5

  386

  403

  Total for 1987–88

  93

  73

  3,769

  2,568

  December 1988

  5

  14

  342

  280

  January 1989

  8

  31

  451

  391

  Total for 1988–89

  64

  122

  3,826

  2,099

  December 1989

  12

  30

  412

  536

  January 1990

  9

  187

  766

  566

  Total for 1989–90

  68

  304

  4,475

  2,780

  December 1990

  11

  20

  406

  389

  January 1991

  8

  4

  371

  299

  Total for 1990–91

  66

  85

  3,717

  2,473

  December 1991

  12

  24

  630

  437

  January 1992

  9

  23

  582

  966

  Total for 1991–92

  86

  115

  4,722

  3,466

  December 1992

  19

  15

  540

  554

  January 1993

  27

  9

  455

  263

  Total for 1992–93

  107

  101

  4,447

  2,982

  December 1993

  17

  9

  455

  480

  January 1994

  11

  23

  551

  433

  Total for 1993–94

  107

  205

  4,819

  2,953

  December 1994

  10

  25

  582

  470

  January 1995

  9

  2

  573

  822

  Total for 1994–95

  70

  91

  4,925

  3,069

  Winter Mortality Rates
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what have been the excess winter mortality rates in Wales for each of the past 10 years in terms of(a) excess numbers and (b) percentages for (i) people over the age of 65 years, (ii) single parent families, (iii) people in receipt of income support, (iv) people with disabilities and (v) others. [17473]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information on parental status, income or physical impairment is not collected at death registration and it is therefore not possible to provide data in terms of these characteristics. The available information, provided by the Office for National Statistics, is in the following table:
  666
  (3) how many people in Wales received hospital treatment as (a) in-patients and (b) out-patients, for cold-related illnesses for the periods December 1996 and January 1997; and what was the average figure for similar periods in the past 10 years. [17217]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  Information concerning the illnesses for which people are treated by general medical practitioners or as out-patients in NHS hospitals is not available centrally. Information on the number of in-patients treated in NHS hospitals during December 1996 and January 1997 is not yet available. However, information relating to the number of in-patient admissions with cold related illnesses in each of the last 10 years for which data are available is given in the following table:

  Number1

  Percentage2

  1986–87

  1,642

  19.8

  1987–88

  1,430

  16.7

  1988–89

  761

  8.6

  1989–90

  2,771

  32.0

  1990–91

  2,159

  24.9

  1991–92

  1,753

  20.3

  1992–93

  1,410

  15.8

  1993–94

  963

  10.2

  1994–95

  1,445

  16.1

  1995–96

  2,256

  24.8

  1 The number by which deaths occurring in December to March exceed the average of those occurring in the previous and following four month periods.

  2 The number defined above as a percentage of the average of the autumn and summer deaths.

  667
  Mr. Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what have been the excess mortality rates in Wales for the past 10 years expressed(a) in excess numbers and (b) as percentages. [17443]

  Mr. Jones
  There is no generally accepted definition of excess mortality. The annual and quarterly numbers of deaths and rates per 1,000 population for Wales, Great Britain and the United Kingdom are shown in the Office for National Statistics quarterly publication, "Population Trends", copies of which are held in the Library.

  Welsh Language Electoral Forms
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions his Office has had with(a) the Home Office and (b) the Welsh Language Board on the provision of bilingual forms for use by candidates and agents in elections; if the forms supplied to candidates and agents in Wales in the forthcoming general election will be bilingual; and if he will make a statement. [17892]

  Mr. Hague
  Electoral matters are the responsibility of the Home Office. The only prescribed form for use by candidates or their agents which acting returning officers are required to supply is the nomination paper which is available in a Welsh language version.

  Candidates must also complete a consent to nomination, which is not supplied by the acting returning officer in a pre-printed form, and both the candidate and election agent must complete a declaration on election expenses, the form of which is prescribed but which is not currently available in a Welsh language version.

  The Home Office proposes to review arrangements for the provision of all electoral forms following the general election. It will consider the use of the Welsh language in that review, consulting the Welsh Language Board as necessary.

  Number of local authority employees per 1000 of population, June 19931

  Counties1

  Total employees per 1,000 of population

  Full-time employees per 1,000 of population2

  Part-time employees per 1,000 of population2

  Clwyd

  34.8

  17.4

  17.5

  South Glamorgan

  35.2

  18.2

  16.9

  West Glamorgan

  37.9

  22.0

  15.9

  Gwynedd

  38.2

  20.0

  18.2

  Mid Glamorgan

  39.2

  22.1

  17.1

  Gwent

  40.1

  19.2

  20.9

  Dyfed

  41.0

  21.7

  19.3

  Districts4

  Brecknock

  6.3

  5.5

  0.7

  Dinefwr

  6.6

  6.3

  0.4

  Monmouth

  7.5

  5.9

  1.6

  Taff Ely

  7.5

  6.3

  1.2

  South Pembrokeshire

  7.6

  6.9

  0.6

  Ynys Mon

  7.8

  6.5

  1.3

  Alyn and Deeside

  8.0

  6.8

  1.2

  Carmarthen

  8.0

  6.8

  1.2

  Vale of Glamorgan

  8.3

  6.4

  1.8

  668

  BSE
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of concealment over BSE infection are(a) currently under investigation and (b) have been reported in each of the last two years in Wales; how many and what percentage of those investigated have resulted in (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction; and if he will make a statement. [18105]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  No cases of concealment of BSE infection are currently under investigation or have been reported in the past two years.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many new cases of BSE infection have been reported in Wales in each of the last 48 months; and if he will make a statement. [18106]

  Mr. Evans
  The distribution of confirmed cases in Wales by month of clinical onset is as follows:

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  January

  324

  304

  130

  78

  February

  332

  229

  120

  71

  March

  302

  215

  125

  69

  April

  279

  166

  86

  45

  May

  263

  165

  100

  34

  June

  266

  168

  95

  35

  July

  283

  169

  90

  35

  August

  313

  126

  111

  44

  September

  295

  146

  93

  33

  October

  304

  163

  111

  40

  November

  261

  153

  86

  18

  December

  288

  172

  108

  13

  Local Authority Employees
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in rank order the number of employees for each local authority per 1,000 of population for the most recent three years for which figures are available. [18096]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  The information requested is given in the following tables:
  669

  Number of local authority employees per 1000 of population, June 19931

  Counties1

  Total employees per 1,000 of population

  Full-time employees per 1,000 of population2

  Part-time employees per 1,000 of population2

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  8.3

  7.4

  0.8

  Ceredigion

  8.3

  7.8

  0.5

  Glyndwr

  8.5

  6.3

  2.2

  Colwyn

  8.6

  6.7

  1.9

  Radnorshire

  8.9

  6.2

  2.6

  Lliw Valley

  9.1

  7.6

  1.5

  Rhuddlan

  9.1

  7.8

  1.3

  Montgomeryshire

  9.2

  5.8

  3.4

  Ogwr

  9.2

  7.1

  2.1

  Dwyfor

  9.5

  8.7

  0.8

  Neath

  9.6

  8.5

  1.1

  Cynon Valley

  9.7

  9.0

  0.7

  Arfon

  9.9

  8.7

  1.2

  Delyn

  9.9

  7.2

  2.7

  Torfaen

  10.3

  8.6

  1.8

  Newport

  10.6

  8.6

  2.0

  Islwyn

  10.7

  9.5

  1.2

  Wrexham Maelor

  11.1

  9.1

  2.0

  Meirionnydd

  11.4

  9.5

  1.8

  Rhymney Valley

  11.7

  8.9

  2.8

  Cardiff

  11.8

  8.3

  3.5

  Rhondda

  12.6

  9.9

  2.8

  Merthyr Tydfil

  12.7

  11.3

  1.5

  Swansea

  13.5

  12.5

  1.0

  Blaenau Gwent

  14.2

  12.4

  1.9

  1 Authorities are ranked according to total employees (i.e. the sum of Full-time and Part-time) per 1000 population.

  2 Full-time employees are those that work over 30 hours per week, Part-time employees are those that work up to and including 30 hours per week.

  3 Data for Powys are unavailable.

  4 Data for Aberconwy, Llanelli and Port Talbot are unavailable.

  Number of local authority employees per 1000 of population, June 19941

  Total employees per 1,000 of population

  Full-time employees per 1,000 of population2

  Part-time employees per 1,000 of population2

  Counties3

  Clwyd

  33.6

  16.4

  17.3

  South Glamorgan

  35.0

  18.1

  17.0

  West Glamorgan

  38.0

  22.1

  15.9

  Gwynedd

  38.9

  20.1

  18.8

  Mid Glamorgan

  39.6

  21.9

  17.7

  Gwent

  39.8

  18.8

  21.0

  Dyfed

  41.8

  21.9

  19.9

  Districts4

  Brecknock

  6.1

  5.4

  0.6

  Dinefwr

  6.3

  6.0

  0.4

  Monmouth

  7.1

  5.7

  1.4

  Vale of Glamorgan

  7.6

  6.3

  1.2

  South Pembrokeshire

  7.8

  7.3

  0.5

  Taff Ely

  7.8

  6.6

  1.2

  Ynys Môn

  7.8

  6.4

  1.4

  Alyn and Deeside

  8.0

  6.7

  1.2

  Carmarthen

  8.0

  6.7

  1.3

  Ceredigion

  8.0

  7.6

  0.5

  Colwyn

  8.1

  6.6

  1.5

  Glyndwr

  8.2

  5.9

  2.2

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  8.2

  7.3

  0.9

  Montgomeryshire

  8.4

  5.6

  2.8

  Radnorshire

  8.6

  6.1

  2.5

  670

  Number of local authority employees per 1000 of population, June 19941

  Total employees per 1,000 of population

  Full-time employees per 1,000 of population2

  Part-time employees per 1,000 of population2

  Lliw Valley

  8.8

  7.7

  1.1

  Rhuddlan

  9.0

  7.8

  1.2

  Ogwr

  9.3

  7.2

  2.1

  Delyn

  9.4

  6.8

  2.7

  Dwyfor

  9.5

  8.6

  0.8

  Neath

  9.6

  8.3

  1.3

  Arfon

  9.8

  8.4

  1.3

  Llanelli

  10.0

  9.0

  1.0

  Torfaen

  10.0

  8.2

  1.7

  Newport

  10.4

  8.7

  1.7

  Port Talbot

  10.4

  8.8

  1.6

  Meirionnydd

  10.8

  9.2

  1.5

  Islwyn

  11.0

  9.2

  1.8

  Wrexham

  Maelor

  11.0

  9.2

  1.9

  Rhymney

  Valley

  11.4

  8.7

  2.7

  Cardiff

  12.1

  8.2

  3.9

  Rhondda

  12.6

  9.8

  2.8

  Merthyr Tydfil

  13.0

  11.5

  1.4

  Swansea

  13.4

  12.2

  1.2

  Blaenau Gwent

  14.5

  12.3

  2.1

  1 Authorities are ranked according to total employees (i.e. the sum of Full-time and Part-time) per 1000 population.

  2 Full-time employees are those that work over 30 hours per week, Part-time employees are those that work up to and including 30 hours per week.

  3 Data for Powys are unavailable.

  4 Data for Aberconwy and Cynon Valley are unavailable.

  671

  Number of local authority employees per 1,000 of population, June 19951

  Total employees per 1,000 of population

  Full-time employees per 1,000 of population2

  Part-time employees per 1,000 of population2

  Counties3

  Clwyd

  33.5

  16.3

  17.1

  South Glamorgan

  36.0

  18.0

  17.9

  Gwent

  39.6

  18.3

  21.3

  Gwynedd

  40.2

  20.1

  20.1

  Mid Glamorgan

  41.6

  22.6

  19.1

  Dyfed

  42.5

  22.1

  20.3

  Districts4

  Brecknock

  6.3

  5.5

  0.8

  Dinefwr

  6.6

  6.1

  0.5

  Monmouth

  6.9

  5.4

  1.5

  Vale of Glamorgan

  7.2

  5.7

  1.5

  Ynys Môn

  7.4

  5.9

  1.5

  Carmarthen

  7.9

  6.6

  1.3

  Alyn and Deeside

  7.9

  6.7

  1.2

  South Pembrokeshire

  8.1

  7.8

  0.3

  Glyndŷr

  8.2

  6.0

  2.3

  Taff Ely

  8.3

  6.7

  1.6

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  8.4

  7.5

  0.9

  Colwyn

  8.5

  6.8

  1.8

  Radnorshire

  8.6

  6.0

  2.6

  Montgomeryshire

  8.8

  5.7

  3.1

  Lliw Valley

  8.9

  7.8

  1.1

  Dwyfor

  9.2

  8.4

  0.8

  Rhuddlan

  9.3

  7.6

  1.7

  Aberconwy

  9.5

  8.5

  1.0

  Llanelli

  9.5

  8.6

  0.9

  Ogwr

  9.7

  7.4

  2.3

  Arfon

  9.9

  8.4

  1.6

  Delyn

  10.2

  7.0

  3.2

  Neath

  10.6

  9.1

  1.5

  Rhymney Valley

  10.7

  8.6

  2.1

  Meirionnydd

  10.7

  9.2

  1.6

  Wrexham Maelor

  10.9

  8.9

  2.0

  Port Talbot

  11.0

  9.4

  1.6

  Islwyn

  12.0

  9.7

  2.3

  Newport

  12.0

  8.9

  3.1

  Cynon Valley

  12.0

  8.8

  3.2

  Cardiff

  12.8

  8.4

  4.3

  Swansea

  13.1

  11.9

  1.2

  Merthyr Tydfil

  13.3

  11.8

  1.5

  Rhondda

  13.5

  10.0

  3.5

  Blaenau Gwent

  14.6

  12.2

  2.4

  1 Authorities are ranked according to total employees (i.e., the sum of Full-time and Part-time) per 1,000 population.

  2 Full-time employees are those that work over 30 hours per week, Part-time employees are those that work up to and including 30 hours per week.

  3 Data for Powys and West Glamorgan are unavailable.

  4 Data for Ceredigion and Torfaen are unavailable.

  Greenmeadow Inn (Demolition)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set up a public inquiry into the manner in which decisions were taken within the Cadw organisation to facilitate the demolition of the Greenmeadow inn. [18570]
  672
  Mr. Hague
  The case for listing the Greenmeadow inn, Rudry was carefully considered in the light of available evidence and with reference to policy guidance on listing. Criteria for the selection of listed buildings have been set out in Welsh Office circular 61/96, and before that in circular 61/81. My decision not to list the Greenmeadow inn was taken because it did not meet these criteria.

  Gastroschisis
  Mr. Austin-Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the incidence of gastroschisis per 1,000 births for each health authority for the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [17279]

  (2) how many cases of gastroschisis per 1,000 births there were in each year since 1970. [17280]

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  [holding answer 24 February 1997]: The available information is given in the following table. Data refer to anomalies of abdominal wall which include exomphalos, gastroschisis and prune belly (syndrome). Data for gastroschisis alone are available only at disproportionate cost. Data are shown from 1979, as before this date they were not available on a comparable basis. Rates are calculated per 10,000 live or still births. It should be noted that notification of congenital abnormalities is on a voluntary basis and, therefore, data may underestimate the true position. Terminations are not included.

  Abdominal wall defects1

  Number notified

  Rate

  1979

  9

  2.5

  1980

  7

  1.9

  1981

  7

  1.9

  1982

  11

  3.1

  1983

  9

  2.5

  1984

  5

  1.4

  1985

  4

  1.1

  1986

  10

  2.7

  1987

  6

  1.6

  1988

  7

  1.8

  1989

  8

  2.1

  1990

  7

  1.8

  1991

  9

  2.4

  1992

  6

  1.6

  1993:

  Clwyd

  1

  2.0

  East Dyfed

  1

  4.0

  Gwent

  1

  1.6

  Gwynedd

  —

  —

  Mid Glamorgan

  5

  6.9

  Pembrokeshire

  —

  —

  Powys

  1

  7.1

  South Glamorgan

  1

  1.8

  West Glamorgan

  —

  —

  Wales

  10

  2.7

  1 International Classification of Diseases 9th revision code 756.7.

  Research and Development
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what was the Welsh Office Agriculture Department's research and development expenditure in each year from 1980 to the present in(a) cash and (b) constant prices; [18028]
  673
  (2) how many veterinary scientists were employed on Government funded projects at the Central Veterinary Laboratory by his Department on (a) the most recent date for which figures are available, and (b)31 March, (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980; [18160]

  (3) how many food and agriculture scientists were employed on Government funded projects at the Central Science Laboratory by his Department on (a) the most recent date for which figures are available, and (b) 31 March, (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980; [18159]

  (4) how many scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Institute of Food Research by his Department (a) the most recent date for which figures are available, and (b) 31 March, (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18161]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  None.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the scientific establishments receiving funding from his Department other than the Central Science Laboratory, the Central Veterinary Laboratory and the Institute of Food Research; and the number of scientists employed at these establishments on projects funded by his Department on(a) the most rent date for which figures are available, and (b) 31 March, (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18162]

  Mr. Evans
  The number of scientists in each establishment working on research commissioned and funded specifically by the Welsh Office, at the end of March for the particular years, is as follows:

  1985

  1990

  1995

  1997

  Institute of Terrestrial Ecology

  6

  6

  8

  8

  Institute of Hydrology

  5

  4

  5

  7

  Institute of Arable Crop Research

  0

  0

  3

  3

  National Radiological Protection Board

  0

  10

  10

  10

  No comparable figures are available for 1980.

  In addition, the Welsh Office contributes towards the cost of work relevant to Wales in these and other establishments where the lead is taken by other Government Departments.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many food and agriculture scientists were employed by his Department(a) in Government-funded food and science establishments, (b) on Government funded projects at ADAS establishments and (c) on Government-funded projects at Agriculture and Food Research Council and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council establishments at the most recent date available; and how many were employed at 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18029]

  Mr. Evans
  None. Work by food and agriculture scientists on behalf of the Welsh Office is carried out under contract or memoranda of understanding.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many scientists were employed by his Department and each of his Department's agencies at the most recent date available; how many were in each year since 1979 on research on matters within the responsibility of the 674
  Agriculture Department; and if he will list each agency, service and central laboratory employing such scientists. [18032]

  Mr. Evans
  The Welsh Office employs a number of scientific experts. There are no staff working in scientific grades with Cadw, Welsh Historic Monuments, the only agency for which the Department has sole responsibility. The Department has not employed scientists to work on agricultural research matters since 1979.

  Veterinary Surgeons
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many veterinary surgeons were employed by his Department and on projects funded by his Department at the most recent date available; and how many at 31 March in each year since 1979. [18030]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  None. Veterinary surgeons working on behalf of the Welsh Office are employed by MAFF.

  Meat Hygiene Inspectors
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many meat hygiene inspectors were employed by his Department, at the most recent date available; and how many were employed in each year since 1979. [18031]

  Mr. Jonathan Evans
  No meat inspectors have been employed by the Welsh Office.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Research and Development
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what his Department's research and development expenditure was for each year from 1980 to the present in(a) cash and (b) constant prices. [18026]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 27 February 1997,Official Report, column 325.

  BSE
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the full economic cost to the United Kingdom of the BSE crisis, excluding the cost to the Government. [18033]

  Mr. Baldry
  The Ministry is commissioning an independent study to provide a comprehensive assessment of the economic impact of BSE across the whole UK economy and within particular regions. The study is expected to be completed during September 1997.

  British Agrochemicals Association
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 19 February,Official Report, column 636, regarding the British Agrochemicals Association, if the representations from the association included any relating to the taxation of (a) pesticides and (b) fertilisers; and if he will make a statement. [18449]
  675
  Mrs. Browning
  The British Agrochemicals Association's representations to my Department have included the fees and levy which fund the control and monitoring of pesticides but they have not related to the taxation of pesticides. No representations have been received from the association on the taxation of fertilisers.

  Drug-resistant Parasites
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he has evaluated on the incidence of drug-resistant nematode worms in sheep. [17817]

  Mrs. Browning
  [holding answer 27 February 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 27 February 1997, Official Report, column 328. In addition, no veterinary medicine is authorised for use unless it meets stringent statutory criteria of safety, quality and efficacy. Information submitted in support of applications for authorisation of products intended for the prevention or treatment of infectious diseases or parasitic infestations must include data on the emergence of resistant organisms. Information relating to the authorisation of specific products, however, is subject to the confidentiality requirements of section 118 of the Medicines Act 1968.

  Scientists
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those scientific establishments other than the Central Science Laboratory, Central Veterinary Laboratory or Institute of Food Research receiving funding from the Department, indicating the number of scientists employed at each on projects funded by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18192]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The following is a list of establishments at which MAFF currently funds research. Information on previous years and on the number of scientists employed by each contractor is not available.

  Aberdeen University

  Aberystwyth University

  ADAS

  Advanced Technologies (Cambridge) Ltd.

  AEA Technology

  Alistair Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science

  Animal Health Trust

  Aspland and James Ltd.

  Aston University

  Babraham Institute

  Babtie Group

  Beatson Institute for Cancer Research

  BIBRA Toxicology International

  Birmingham University

  Bradford University

  Brighton University

  Bristol University

  British Geological Survey

  British Market Research Bureau Ltd.

  British Trust for Ornithology

  Caledonian University

  676

  Cambac JMA Research Limited

  Cambridge Environment Research Cons. Ltd.

  Cambridge Laboratory

  Cambridge University

  Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association

  Canterbury Christchurch College

  Cardiff University

  CEFAS Laboratories

  Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research

  Chalcolmbe Agricultural Resources

  Chembiotech Laboratories

  Consortium of Local Authorities

  Contractors in Collaborative Trial

  Coventry University

  Dairy Research and Consultancy Ltd.

  De Montfort University

  Delft Hydraulics

  Dundee University

  Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre

  Durham University

  Ecoscope Applied Ecologists

  Elm Farm Research Centre

  Exeter University

  Forest Research Station (Alice Holt)

  Forestry Authority

  Game Conservancy Trust

  GENUS

  Glasgow Science Services

  Glasgow University

  Hannah Research Institute

  Harper Adams Agricultural College

  Heather Trust, The

  Henry Doubleday Research Association

  Herschel Smith Laboratory for Medicinal Chemistry

  Home Grown Cereals Authority

  Horseracing Forensic Laboratory

  Horticulture Research International

  Hull University

  Humberside University

  Hydraulics Research Wallingford Group Ltd.

  Institute for Animal Health

  Institute of Arable Crops Research

  Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research

  Institute of Occupational Medicine Limited

  Institute of Plant Science Research

  Institute of Terrestrial Ecology

  Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology

  Institute of Zoology

  Intera Information Technologies Limited

  John Innes Centre

  Laboratory of the Government Chemist

  Lancaster University

  Land Research Associates

  Laser Technologies Ltd.

  Leatherhead Food Research Association

  Leeds University

  Leicester University

  Liverpool John Moores University

  677

  Liverpool University

  London Hospital Medical College

  London, City University

  Loughborough University of Technology

  Marine Resource Consultants Ltd.

  Meat and Livestock Commission

  Medical Research Council

  Moredun Research Institute

  Mylnefield Research Services Ltd.

  National Consumer Council

  National Inst. of Agricultural Botany

  National Poisons Unit

  National Radiological Protection Board

  National Trust

  Natural Resources Institute

  Newcastle University

  North East Wales Institute

  Nottingham Trent University

  Nuclear Electric, Berkeley Technology Centre

  Oxford Lipid Metabolism Group

  Oxford University

  Paterson Institute

  Phoenix Research Laboratory

  PIRA International

  Plymouth University

  Portsmouth University

  Processors and Growers Research Association

  Public and Corporate Economic Consultants

  Public Health Laboratory Services

  Queen's University of Belfast

  RAPRA Technology Limited

  RCD—Radio Carbon Dating

  Reading Scientific Services Limited

  Reading University

  Remote Sensing Applications Consultants

  Rendel Geotechnics Consultants

  Research Services Ltd.

  RHM Technology

  Roslin Institute, Edinburgh

  Rowett Research Institute

  Royal Agricultural College

  Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

  Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine

  Royal Postgraduate Medical School

  Royal Veterinary College

  RPS Clouston

  RSC Analytical Methods Committee

  School of Ocean Sciences

  Scottish Agricultural College, Bucksburn

  Scottish Consumer Council

  Scottish Crop Research Institute

  Scottish Parasite Diagnostic Laboratory

  Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre

  Sea Mammal Research Unit Sheffield University

  Siemens Environmental Systems Ltd.

  Silsoe Research Institute

  SOAEFD Marine Laboratory

  678

  Social and Community Planning Research

  South Bank University

  Southampton University

  St. Andrews University

  St. Bartholomew's Hospital

  St. Mary's Hospital Medical School

  St. Thomas' Hospital, Rayne Institute

  Stirling University

  Strathclyde University

  Surrey Medical Imaging Systems Ltd.

  Surrey University

  Sussex University

  Swansea University

  UCNW (Bangor University)

  UL Birkbeck College

  UL Imperial College

  UL Kings College

  UL Queen Mary and Westfield College

  UL University College

  UL Wye College

  United Medical and Dental School

  University of East Anglia

  University of East London

  University of Edinburgh

  University of Essex

  University of Hertfordshire

  University of Luton

  University of Manchester

  University of Ulster

  University of York

  Vegetarian Society

  W. S. Atkins Science and Technology

  Wales University, Swansea

  Water Research Centre

  Westlakes Research (Trading) Ltd.

  Westminster University

  Wisdom Agricultural Limited

  Writtle College

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many scientists were employed by his Department and each of his Department's agencies at the most recent date available; how many were employed in each year since 1979; and if he will list each agency, service and central laboratory employing scientists on projects funded by his Department. [18025]

  Mr. Hogg
  The numbers of staff in scientific grades, excluding veterinary grades, employed by my Department and its agencies at the most recent date available in 1997, and at 1 April in each year since 1979 are shown in the following table. The Meat Hygiene Service does not employ any staff in scientific grades.

  A list of establishments at which MAFF is currently funding research has already been supplied in a reply given to the hon. Gentleman today.
  679

  Scientific staff employed in the Department and agencies

  Date

  MAFF

  VMD

  VLA

  CSL

  PSD

  ADAS

  Total

  1 April 1979

  1,826

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,826

  1 April 1980

  2,051

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,051

  1 April 1981

  1,983

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,983

  1 April 1982

  1,916

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,916

  1 April 1983

  1,836

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,836

  1 April 1984

  1,713

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,713

  1 April 1985

  1,736

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,736

  1 April 1986

  1,755

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,755

  1 April 1987

  1,650

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,650

  1 April 1988

  1,661

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,661

  1 April 1989

  1,645

  11

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,656

  1 April 1990

  1,437

  12

  260

  —

  —

  —

  1,709

  1 April 1991

  1,450

  14

  288

  —

  —

  —

  1,752

  1 April 1992

  726

  19

  294

  302

  —

  425

  1,766

  1 April 1993

  802

  18

  286

  301

  —

  410

  1,817

  1 April 1994

  555

  19

  307

  1463

  119

  401

  1,864

  1 April 1995

  605

  19

  317

  493

  121

  360

  1,915

  1 April 1996

  422

  23

  2515

  488

  128

  336

  1,912

  1 January 1997

  430

  21

  513

  3399

  127

  281

  1,771

  Figures for the agencies are given from the date of their establishment.

  1 The Central Science Laboratory Agency includes the MAFF food science laboratories from 1 April 1994.

  2 The Veterinary Laboratories Agency includes the MAFF veterinary investigation service from 1 April 1996.

  3 The Central Science Laboratory Agency co-located to a single site at Sand Hutton during 1996.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many food and agriculture scientists were employed by his Department(a) in Government-funded food and science establishments, (b) on Government-funded projects at ADAS establishments and (c) on Government-funded projects at the Agricultural and Food Research Council, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council on (a) the most recent date available; and (b) 31 March, (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18027]

  Mr. Hogg
  The information requested is either unavailable or could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and food how many food and agriculture scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Central Science Laboratory by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18189]

  Mr. Hogg
  The latest forecast indicates that for the year to 31 March 1997 there will be 435 food and agriculture scientists employed at the Central Science Laboratory on projects funded by my Department. Comparable figures for 1995 were 492 and for 1993, 281. Information prior to establishment as an Agency on 1 April 1992 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Staff numbers rose in April 1994 as a result of the merger with MAFF food science laboratories and relaunch as an enlarged agency.

  Meat Hygiene Inspectors
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many meat hygiene inspectors were employed by his Department and by the Meat Hygiene Service at the most recent date available; and in each year since 1979. [18024]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No meat hygiene inspectors are, or have been, employed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
  680
  The Meat Hygiene Service was established as an executive agency of MAFF on 1 April 1995 and took over responsibility from local authorities for meat hygiene and inspection in licensed fresh meat premises.

  Staffing matters are the responsibility of the Meat Hygiene Service and I have asked the chief executive, Mr. Johnston McNeill, to reply to the hon. Member direct.

  Letter from J. McNeill to Dr. Gavin Strang, dated 5 March 1997:
  As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) your Parliamentary Questions to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Scotland concerning the number of Meat Hygiene Inspectors (MHIs) employed by the Meat Hygiene Service at the most recent date available and in each year since 1979 has been passed to me for reply.(18024)
  The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) was established as an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) on 1 April 1995. It took over from some 300 local authorities responsibility for enforcing meat hygiene, inspection and animal welfare at slaughter legislation in licensed fresh meat premises in England, Scotland and Wales. Consequently, I am unable to supply details of staffing numbers prior to the Agency vesting date of 1 April 1995.
  On a full time equivalent basis, the MHS currently employs 761 MHIs in England and 158 MHIs in Scotland.
  The MHS employed a total of 803 MHIs as at 1 April 1995 and 850 MHIs as at 1 April 1996. The MHS is unable to provide a territorial breakdown of these previous years figures.

  Vitamin B6 Supplements
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement about the safety of vitamin B6 supplements; [18267]

  (2) if he will ask the Food Advisory Committee to review the safety of vitamin B6 supplements. [18386]

  Mrs. Browning
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 20 January 1997,Official Report, column 480. Since then, the secretariat of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment—COT—has received further data relating to the safety of vitamin B6. This will be

  681
  considered by the COT at its next meeting. The Food Advisory Committee will consider what, if any, action needs to be taken to ensure that consumers are not put at risk in the light of any further advice from the COT.

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he requested the Food Advisory Committee to make an independent assessment of recommendations supplied to it by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment in regard to the safety of vitamin B6 supplements before issuing its press release on 19 December in relation to nerve damage from the consumption of vitamin B6 supplements. [18382]

  Mrs. Browning
  The Food Advisory Committee relies upon the toxicological assessments made by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment and other relevant expert committees in reaching its own independent judgment of any action which may be necessary to ensure the chemical safety of food. In the case of vitamin B6, the FAC was not asked to carry out its own toxicological assessment as this does not form part of its terms of reference.

  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reports of peripheral neuropathy in association with the consumption of vitamin B6 supplements at doses of up to 200mg per day were evaluated in the recently completed study carried out by the medical toxicology unit to monitor the safety of dietary supplements and natural remedies. [18385]

  Mrs. Browning
  The medical toxicology unit study commissioned by this Department on toxicological problems resulting from exposure to traditional medicines and food supplements did not include any reported cases of peripheral neuropathy associated with the consumption of vitamin B6.

  Food Safety Investigations
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many food safety incidents his Department investigated in 1996. [18388]

  Mrs. Browning
  The investigation of food safety incidents is generally the responsibility of local authorities. In exceptional cases where a potential public health risk has regional or national implications or where there is a major local incident, local authorities notify the Department of Health, which will take action as appropriate through the food hazard warning system. There were 144 food safety incidents reported to the Department of Health during 1996.

  Sustainability Indicators (Agrochemicals)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the

  £000

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Swine fever

  —

  458

  277

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Fowl plague

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  6

  Foot and mouth

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Brucellosis

  1,588

  464

  74

  60

  307

  22

  11

  TB

  231

  218

  298

  336

  462

  864

  496

  TB in deer

  —

  —

  —

  —

  169

  116

  8

  682
  validity of the level of pesticide and fertiliser use as an indicator of sustainability. [18451]

  Mrs. Browning
  The level of pesticide use in terms of tonnage applied or number of spray applications is not a good indicator of sustainability. Several hundred different chemicals are approved as pesticides. Each has a different environmental impact and the relative impact of different chemicals may not be closely related to the amount used.

  Similarly the amount of fertiliser used is not a good indicator of environmental impact. The timing and method of application also affect the efficiency with which nutrients are taken up and hence the amounts released into the environment.

  Plans to develop and improve the indicators already published in "Indicators of Sustainable Development for the United Kingdom", which include indicators on nutrients and pesticides, were published in "Rural England 1966".

  Mr. Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the potential of economic instruments for achieving sustainability with regard to pesticide and fertiliser use. [18450]

  Mrs. Browning
  The Government intend shortly to issue a discussion paper on the options for using economic instruments, including instruments for pesticides and fertilisers, to achieve water protection policy objectives.

  Diseased Animals (Compensation)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much compensation has been paid to animals slaughtered to prevent the spread of animal diseases in 1996. [18389]

  Mrs. Browning
  The information requested is as follows:

  £000

  BSE

  6,956

  Newcastle disease

  7

  Salmonella

  121

  Brucellosis

  13

  TB

  2,276

  Total

  9,373

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 24 February,Official Report, columns 77–78, on compensation for diseased animals, what infections the compensation was paid out for; and how much was paid for each infection in each year from 1985 to 1991. [18425]

  Mrs. Browning
  The information requested for the years 1985–86 to 1991–92 is as follows:
  683

  £000

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  Salmonella

  —

  —

  —

  4

  1,237

  1,779

  1,703

  BSE

  —

  —

  —

  1,067

  4,028

  10,663

  20,126

  Total

  1,819

  1,140

  649

  1,467

  6,203

  13,444

  22,354

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total amount paid as compensation for(a) poultry, (b) cattle and (c) other animals as a result of the slaughter of diseased or suspected diseased animals in each year from 1985 to 1991; and if he will make a statement.[15713]

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  a) Poultry

  —

  —

  —

  4

  1,237

  1,779

  1,709

  b) Cattle

  1,819

  682

  372

  1,463

  4,797

  11,549

  20,637

  c) Others

  —

  458

  277

  —

  169

  116

  8

  Total

  1,819

  1,140

  649

  1,467

  6,203

  13,444

  22,354

  Intervention Storage
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the ecu prices per kilo achieved by meat plants for beef accepted for intervention storage in(a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland since 1996; and if he will make a statement on the reason for differential prices regionally for beef going into intervention storage. [18337]

  Mr. Baldry
  Differential regional prices for intervention purposes only occur in the areas of Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Northern Ireland is considered a separate region for intervention purchases in recognition of the particular importance of the beef sector there, and the effect of its proximity to the Republic of Ireland market.

  Prices awarded since March 1996 are as follows:

  Date of tender

  Steers

  Young bulls

  Steers

  Young bulls

  9 April1996

  261

  240

  241

  220

  7 May 1996

  245

  232

  245

  232

  28 May 1996

  234

  219

  243

  225

  11 June1996

  231

  211

  240.98

  219.99

  25 May 1996

  247.431

  216.237

  244.575

  223.608

  9 July 1997

  246.61

  217.464

  244.23

  221.759

  23 July 1997

  249.872

  224.085

  242.892

  1—

  6 August1996

  240.784

  227.31

  230.054

  209.6

  27 August1996

  232.247

  218.727

  222.936

  1—

  10 September 1996

  228.698

  218.481

  222.438

  1—

  24 September 1996

  236.234

  214.879

  225.542

  193.964

  8 October1996

  237.313

  215.03

  226.211

  197.376

  22 October1996

  238.692

  212.412

  226.067

  1—

  12 November 1996

  254.809

  224.839

  232.074

  1—

  26 November 1996

  266

  266

  266

  1—

  10 December 1996

  266

  253.5

  266

  1—

  14 January 1997

  273

  273

  273

  1—

  28 January 1997

  273

  273

  273

  1—

  11 February 1997

  273

  259.961

  273

  1—

  25 February 1997

  273

  258.081

  273

  1—

  1 No bids submitted.

  Rendering Industry
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each rendering firm, the amounts paid to them by the Intervention Board for rendering cattle covered by the
  684
  Mrs. Browning
  [pursuant to her answer, 24 February 1997, c. 77–78]: The information requested on slaughter compensation is as follows:

  over-30-months scheme, as (a) pounds and (b) percentage of the total; and if he will list the (i) tonnage and (ii) number of such cattle rendered by each rendering firm. [18495]

  Mr. Baldry
  The provision of details of payments made to individual renderers, or other information from which such payments could be deduced, would breach commercial confidentiality. Information on a UK basis is as follows:

  UK total

  Tonnage of material rendered on which payment made to 28 February 1997

  449,590

  Total payments, including VAT made to renderers to 28 February 1997 (£ million)

  55.4

  Estimated animals covered by above payments1

  977,370

  1 Based on 460 kg of processed material per animal.

  Veterinary Scientists
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many veterinary scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Central Veterinary Laboratory by his Department on(a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (ii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18190]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I have asked the chief executive of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Dr T. W. A. Little, to reply on my behalf.

  Letter from T. W. A. Little to Dr. Gavin Strang, dated 5 March 1997:

  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on the numbers of veterinary scientists employed on Government funded projects at CVL for various dates. [18190]

  I should, perhaps, explain that we do not have a grade or job description that covers specifically "veterinary scientists". The table below relates to veterinary grades with an indication of the numbers of qualified vets in those posts.
  685

  Figures at March 1997

  Figures at March 1995

  Permanent veterinary

  23

  20

  Permanent non-veterinary

  19

  18

  Total

  42

  38

  The figures are only available for these dates since the others you indicated relate to our pre-Agency days and they will, therefore, have been included in the replies by the Minister to the other questions you tabled.

  As I am sure you know, as a result of the merger with the Veterinary Investigation Service in October 1995, CVL has been part of the larger Veterinary Laboratories Agency. In addition to the figures shown above there are a further 63 staff at March 1997 within the Veterinary Investigation Division (old Veterinary Investigation Service) of the VLA. Again, for the pre-merger dates figures for the Veterinary Investigation Service will have been included in the Minister's reply.

  The figures I have quoted are for all our veterinary grade staff in CVL and we cannot distinguish those employed solely on government-funded projects. However, over 80 per cent, of our business is for MAFF and therefore the majority of staff in the veterinary grade will be employed on Government-funded projects.

  Research Establishments
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will make available further memorandums concerning the prior options reviews of his Department's public sector research establishment. [19202]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Memorandums on the Central Science Laboratory, Horticulture Research International and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency have now been placed in the Library of the House. These set out the rationale underlying the decisions taken concerning these establishments, which I announced on 9 December for the CSL and on 29 January for HRI and the VLA.

  Veterinary Surgeons
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many veterinary surgeons were employed by his Department and on projects funded by his Department on(a) the most recent date available, and (b) 31 March of each year since 1979. [18023]

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The numbers of veterinary surgeons employed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at 1 April each year since 1979 are as follows:686

  Year

  Number of veterinary surgeons

  VFS and VIS

  CVL

  CSG

  VMD

  MHS

  Total

  1979

  491

  102.5

  —

  —

  —

  593

  1980

  483

  99

  —

  —

  —

  582

  1981

  471

  97

  —

  —

  —

  568

  1982

  459

  95.5

  —

  —

  —

  554.5

  1983

  467

  72.5

  —

  —

  —

  539.5

  1984

  460

  85.5

  —

  —

  —

  545.5

  1985

  444

  83.5

  —

  —

  —

  527.5

  1986

  422

  75.5

  —

  —

  —

  497.5

  1987

  381

  67.5

  —

  —

  —

  448.5

  1988

  381.5

  71.5

  1

  —

  —

  454

  1989

  376.5

  63.5

  1

  11

  —

  452

  1990

  391

  1n/a

  1

  11

  —

  403

  1991

  408

  1n/a

  1

  12

  —

  421

  1992

  425.6

  1n/a

  1

  12

  —

  438.6

  1993

  422.3

  1n/a

  —

  10

  —

  433.3

  1994

  408.8

  1n/a

  1

  12

  —

  421.8

  1995

  395.5

  220

  2

  12

  42

  471.5

  1 Figures are not available for CVL for these years.

  2 Does not include veterinary surgeons in the senior civil service in CVL.

  Abbreviations:

  VFS: Veterinary Field Service.

  CVL: Central Veterinary Laboratory.

  VIS: Veterinary Investigation Service.

  CSG: Chief Scientist's Group.

  VMD: Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

  MHS: Meat Hygiene Service.

  On 1 October 1995, The Veterinary Investigation Service joined the Central Veterinary Laboratory to form the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.

  Year

  VFS

  CVL and VIS

  CSG

  VMD

  MHS

  Total

  1996

  294.6

  160

  2

  15

  42

  413.6

  Current

  297.5

  287

  4

  14

  45

  445.5

  1 Figures are not available for CVL for these years.

  2 Does not include veterinary surgeons in the senior civil service in CVL.

  Abbreviations:

  VFS: Veterinary Field Service.

  CVL: Central Veterinary Laboratory.

  VIS: Veterinary Investigation Service.

  CSG: Chief Scientist's Group.

  VMD: Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

  MHS: Meat Hygiene Service.

  The figures for the number of veterinary surgeons engaged in projects funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food are not held centrally. They could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Karen Refugees
  Karen Refugees
  Gibraltar
  Gibraltar
  NATO and Russia
  NATO and Russia
  EU Fisheries Council: Total Allowable Catches
  EU Fisheries Council: Total Allowable Catches
  MAFF Research Establishments
  MAFF Research Establishments
  Trunk Road Programme Cancellations: Respondents' Expenses
  Trunk Road Programme Cancellations: Respondents' Expenses
  DoT Research Site, Crowthorne: Sale
  DoT Research Site, Crowthorne: Sale
  Local Air Pollution Control: Revised Charges
  Local Air Pollution Control: Revised Charges
  9mm Centrefire Weapons and Ammunition
  9mm Centrefire Weapons and Ammunition
  Royal Parks: Facilities for Cyclists
  Royal Parks: Facilities for Cyclists
  Fluoridation of Water
  Fluoridation of Water