Written Answers of 22 May 1997

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Stephen Lawrence
  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what recent representations he has received regarding the murder of Stephen Lawrence; and if he will make a statement; [186]

  (2) what plans he has to establish a public inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the role played by the police, the CPS and the judicial system following his death. [187]

  Mr. Michael
  An early-day motion regarding the murder of Stephen Lawrence was tabled on 20 May. We have also received a recent letter about the case from the London borough of Greenwich and are aware of the widespread concern, particularly within the black community, resulting from this case. We are currently considering how those concerns can best be addressed, and will make an announcement soon.

  Drugs-related Offences
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serving prisoners were convicted of drugs-related offences in each of the last three years. [869]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  Information on the number of persons received under sentence into prisons in England and Wales for drug offences (excluding find defaulters) for the years 1994 to 1996 is given below.

  Number

  1994

  3,483

  1995

  4,729

  19961

  6,100

  1 Provisional information.

  Information for 1994 and 1995 is published in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales"—tables 3.9, 4.6 and 5.6 of the 1994 (Cm 3087) and 1995 (Cm 3355) editions. Copies are available in the Library.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to give the courts new powers to deal with those convicted of drugs-related offences. [872]

  Ms Quin
  Yes. We are committed to introducing a new drug testing and treatment order, and will bring forward legislative proposals accordingly.

  Drug Addiction (Crime)
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of those convicted of all crimes are known to be addicted to drugs. [870]
  108
  Mr. George Howarth
  It is difficult to quantify the proportion of offenders addicted to drugs or dependent on them. The Home Office has a research programme designed to shed further light on the links between drugs and crime. It includes a study of drug use by samples of people arrested by the police in various cities. Preliminary results from this study point to a higher level of drug taking by arrestees than expected. However, the study is still incomplete; the University of Cambridge will be delivering a report to the Home Office in October, which is likely to be published around the end of the year.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of recorded crime in each of the last three years was committed by persons between the ages of 15 and 21 years. [873]

  Mr. Michael
  The readily available information is for persons found guilty at all courts or cautioned for indictable offences and is contained in table 5.26 of Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1995.

  Copies are available in the Library.

  Salman Rushdie
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is Her Majesty's Government policy in respect of ensuring the safety from the threat of terrorism of Mr. Salman Rushdie; and if he will make a statement. [993]

  Mr. Straw
  Decisions concerning the protection provided for Mr. Rushdie are for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. Mr. Rushdie continues to receive protection at a level commensurate with the threat and which has successfully ensured his safety over a number of years.

  Hit-and-run Drivers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce legislation to extend police powers of arrest over hit-and-run drivers; and what other measures he plans to take in respect of hit-and-run drivers. [718]

  Mr. Michael
  The Government intend to make failure to stop after a road accident involving personal injury an arrestable offence. Primary legislation will be brought forward at the earliest opportunity. No other measures are planned.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of successful arrests of hit-and-run drivers have been recorded in each of the last 12 months. [719]

  Mr. Michael
  The information requested is not collected centrally. Information on arrests is not held centrally at the level of detail needed to isolate particular offences. Nor can hit-and-run drivers be identified in the statistics of motoring offence prosecutions, as they will form only part of those offences classified as failing to stop or report an accident (i.e. where personal injury is caused).

  Onibiyo Family
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will allow the two male members of the Onibiyo family to return from Nigeria and Guyana and be granted permanent United Kingdom residency. [716]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  It is open to Mr. Abdul Onibiyo to apply at any time for entry clearance to return to the United Kingdom. Mr. Onibiyo's son, Ademola, will not qualify for entry clearance while he remains the subject of a valid and extant deportation order but it is open to him to apply to have the order revoked. Entry clearance will be granted only to applicants who meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules. It would not be appropriate to treat the Onibiyos exceptionally.

  Primary Purpose Rule
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to abolish the primary purpose rule. [794]

  Mr. Straw
  In our manifesto, we said that we would reform the current system to remove the arbitrary, ineffective and unfair results that can follow from the primary purpose rule. We shall make an announcement about this soon.

  Refugees and Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on refugees and asylum seekers from the Congo and neighbouring states. [1053]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  As my right hon. Friend explained in his reply to the hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner) on 16 May,Official Report, column 3, he has made a declaration under the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996 that Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo) has undergone an upheaval such that we would not seek to enforce the return of refused asylum seekers to that country for the time being.

  The declaration of upheaval relates to the fundamental changes which have occurred in Zaire and does not extend to neighbouring countries. We will of course continue to monitor the situation in the region generally.

  Road Tax Discs
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the police powers to remove or clamp motor vehicles not displaying a valid road tax disc. [1022]

  Mr. Michael
  Powers contained in the Vehicle Excise Duty (Immobilisation, Removal and Disposal of Vehicles) Regulations 1997 enable the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions to authorise agents of the Department of Transport to clamp and impound vehicles evading vehicle excise duty. I understand that a three-month pilot scheme was successfully conducted by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency last year and that consideration is currently being given on the way forward. There are no plans to give the police powers to remove or clamp untaxed vehicles.

  Border Controls
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on border controls, and to what extent the Government plans to concede administration, control and judicial authority to the European Union. [974]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  We have made clear our firm commitment to maintain Britain's frontier controls. We will not agree to anything which would jeopardise their continuation.

  Civil Service (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants at each grade within his Department were of Asian origin on 5 May. [243]

  Mr. Straw
  The information requested is given in the following tables, table 1 relating to the non-prisons Home Office and table 2 relating to the Prison Service. To avoid the possibility of identifying individuals because of low numbers in particular grades, the figures are given by grade level (i.e. main grades plus equivalent specialist grades) and grade levels are amalgamated where necessary.

  The computer systems used do not allow for the provision of data on a particular retrospective date and the figures, which have been supplied by the Department's Information Technology units, relate to the position on 12 May (table 1) and 15 May (table 2). The Prison Service information has been supplied from a database which is currently being updated.

  Table 1: Number of Civil Servants of Asian origin (excluding prison service) by grade level

  Grade level

  Number

  Administrative assistant

  147

  Administrative officer

  189

  Executive officer

  94

  Higher executive officer

  18

  Senior executive officer and above

  8

  Total

  456

  Data extracted on 12 May 1997 (monthly snapshot) for serving, permanent, non-industrial staff.

  Table 2: Number of civil servants of Asian origin by grade level: prison service

  Grade level

  Number

  Administrative assistant

  60

  Administrative officer

  212

  Executive officer

  47

  Higher executive officer and senior executive officer

  22

  Grade 7

  13

  Grade 6 and above

  37

  Total

  391

  Data extracted on 15 May 1997 for serving, permanent, non-industrial staff.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to increase the number of employees from ethnic minorities within his Department. [244]
  111
  Mr. Straw
  I am undertaking a review of the current position. Although measures used in the past have been relatively successful in attracting ethnic minority recruits, I remain concerned about the under-representation of employees from the ethnic minorities, particularly in higher grades.

  The measures used up to now include targeting job advertisements where they are most likely to reach prospective ethnic minority applicants, and raising the Department's profile with prospective ethnic minority applicants, for example, by participating in the Windsor Fellowship programme and the National Mentoring Consortium.

  As part of the Department's commitment to securing equality of opportunity for all staff, the procedures in the non-prisons Home Office for dealing with complaints of harassment and discrimination are being reviewed. The Prison Service will shortly begin a programme of racial harassment awareness training for all staff.

  British Citizenship Applications (Fees)
  Mr. Singh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision he intends to make in respect of fees for applications for British citizenship made under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997. [1297]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The British Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 1997 are being laid before Parliament today. They amend the British Nationality (Fees) Regulations 1996 so as to prescribe a fee of £250 for an application for registration as a British citizen under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997, and apply to the 1997 Act the fee of £20 for supplying a certified copy of a certificate etc.

  Wrongful Convictions
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many claims for financial compensation are outstanding involving individuals who were found by the Court of Appeal to have been wrongfully convicted and on what date the individuals concerned had their convictions quashed. [182]

  Mr. Michael
  [holding answer 21 May 1997]: There are currently 156 outstanding cases at various stages in the process of consideration.

  There are currently 59 applications for compensation outstanding where a decision has still to be taken on whether the applicants qualify for compensation. There are also 27 finalised claims yet to be submitted by successful applicants and 18 claims that are either with, or in the process of being prepared for, the independent assessor. In addition, there are 52 further claims being processed arising from a number of cases in Greater Manchester where drink-driving convictions were quashed following possible contamination of blood samples.

  No central record is maintained of the dates on which the convictions were quashed in those involving wrongful conviction.

  Special Secure Units
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in 112
  introducing a system of three-monthly reviews of the health of individual prisoners in special secure units; how many prisoners were examined in each month since the system was introduced; and how many individual prisoners have been detained in an SSU without examination for periods exceeding three months. [185]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  [holding answer 21 May 1997]: The health care received by prisoners in special secure units (SSUs) is comparable to that elsewhere in the Prison Service. In addition, the Operating Standards for SSUs state that the health of each SSU prisoner will be reviewed every three months. Details of the format and content of these reviews were agreed in April and a system for reviewing the health of SSU prisoners has now begun.

  Full Sutton Prison
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many hours per day Danny McNamee, currently detained in the special secure unit at HMP Full Sutton, is confined to his cell; and what is the size of his cell. [149]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  [holding answer 19 May 1997]: Danny McNamee is out of his cell for 4 hours 15 minutes a day between Monday to Friday, 8 hours 15 minutes on Saturday and 7 hours 45 minutes on Sunday. These hours relate to time allotted for general association, meals and exercise. Mr. McNamee refuses to take part in organised gymnasium activity or to work and he elects to take education in his cell. If he were to take part in these activities he would spend an additional 4 hours a day out of his cell between Monday to Friday.

  The average size of a cell within the special secure unit at Full Sutton prison is approximately 3.5 metres by 2 metres.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the decision of the Prison Service to refuse permission for Danny McNamee, currently detained in the special secure unit at HMP Full Sutton, to be examined by an outside consultant for a suspected hernia. [162]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 19 May 1997]: The medical staff responsible for the clinical care of Danny McNamee at Full Sutton prison have examined him on a number of occasions. They are satisfied that he does not have a hernia or any other condition which warrants the intervention of an outside consultant. Mr. McNamee will continue to receive regular medical examinations in line with Prison Service policy.

  Prison Transfers
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison transfers to(a) Northern Ireland and (b) the Irish Republic have taken place in each month since October 1994; how many requests for transfer (i) have been rejected and (ii) remain outstanding; and if he will list the prisoners involved in each case. [150]

  Ms Joyce Quin
  [holding answer 19 May 1997]: Arrangements for the exact date of transfer of prisoners are an operational matter for the prison concerned. However, the number of applications from prisoners

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  seeking transfer to Northern Ireland approved in each month since October 1994 are given in the following table.

  Approval of requests for transfer to Northern Ireland

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  January

  —

  —

  1

  February

  —

  —

  —

  March

  —

  4

  —

  April

  1

  3

  1

  May

  —

  4

  2

  June

  3

  3

  July

  6

  2

  August

  1

  2

  September

  —

  —

  October

  —

  2

  2

  November

  —

  —

  3

  December

  —

  3

  1

  Since October 1994, 31 requests for transfer to Northern Ireland have been refused.

  Twelve requests remain under consideration.

  Prisoners repatriated to the Republic of Ireland in each of the following months are given below:

  Repatriation to the Republic of Ireland

  Year

  Number

  May

  1996

  2

  November

  1996

  3

  December

  1996

  2

  February

  1997

  1

  March

  1997

  1

  May

  1997

  1

  Three repatriation applications have been refused.

  Eighty applications remain under consideration either in England and Wales or in the Republic of Ireland.

  It is not normal practice to disclose the personal details of individual prisoners.

DEFENCE

  Imphal Barracks
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Army plans to close its civilian manning and records office at Imphal barracks, York; how many square feet of office space this closure will release; and what are his plans for its future use. [600]

  Dr. Reid
  This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Army Personnel Centre. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from David Burden to Mr. Hugh Bayley, dated 22 May 1997:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the closure of the Manning and Records Offices and Regimental Pay Offices at Imphal Barracks, York in so far as it applies to the Army Personnel Centre as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of that Agency. Although the latter elements of your Question are outwith my area of responsibility, I have been asked to provide a consolidated response.
  114
  I should explain that the functions of the Royal Artillery Manning and Records Office, the Footguards and Infantry Manning and Records Office, and the associated Army Regimental Pay Offices, currently located within Imphal Barracks, York, will transfer to the Army Personnel Centre (APC) in Glasgow on 16 June 1997.
  These offices currently occupy approximately 44514 ft2 (4137m2) of Building 107, Imphal Barracks, York. As the Manning and Records, and Regimental Pay Offices are lodger units on the site, when this part of the building is vacated due to the transfer of the functions to the APC, HQ Land Command as the Top Level Budget Holder responsible for maintaining and managing the barracks, will be the prime executive authority who will endorse any decision on the future occupants of the office space made available. HQ Land Command act as the focal point for the submission of any departmental restructuring and relocation initiatives, entering into formal correspondence and consultation with interested parties through the normal chains of command.
  Although any plans for the future use of the accommodation are outwith my area of responsibility, I am informed that a site reshuffle of local branches is intended and that the office space will be reallocated to other MOD users, including Headquarters 15 (North East) Brigade, and elements of Headquarters 2 Division which, by January 1998, will together occupy the majority of the vacated accommodation. I understand that no firm decision has yet been taken regarding the remainder of the vacated office space.
  I hope this is helpful.

  United Arab Emirates
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review bilateral defence agreements with the United Arab Emirates. [267]

  Dr. Reid
  The strategic defence and security review will consider all aspects of defence. The review will take full account of our commitment to international peace and security, and our interest in continued cooperation and consultation with our friends, including the United Arab Emirates.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the Defence Review will include consideration of the threat or use of nuclear weapons, following the International Courts Advisory Opinion of July 1996; [253]

  (2) if the Defence Review will include a review of the future of Trident. [258]

  Dr. Reid
  As was made clear in the new Government's Election Manifesto, we are committed to retaining Trident to provide a minimum, but credible and effective, nuclear deterrent. We will press for multilateral negotiations towards mutual, balanced and verifiable reductions in nuclear weapons. When satisfied with progress towards our goal of the global elimination of these weapons, we will ensure that British nuclear weapons are included in multilateral negotiations.

  Our country's security needs and foreign policy objectives must be fully reflected in the roles, missions and tasks of our armed forces. The Government have decided therefore to hold a strategic defence and security review. All aspects of defence will be considered in this process.

  Bahrain
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current nature of Her Majesty's Government defence co-operation with Bahrain; and if he will make a statement. [740]

  Dr. Reid
  Bahrain hosts some of the RAF force involved in Operation JURAL, which monitors Iraqi compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 688. There are occasional deployments by other RAF aircraft and RN ships make regular visits to Bahrain. UK and Bahraini Defence Forces periodically exercise together and the UK provides some military training to Bahraini students. The defence relationship with Bahrain is underpinned by regular meetings of the UK-Bahrain Defence Committee.

  Five Power Defence Arrangement
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review the five power defence arrangement with Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. [813]

  Dr. Reid
  The strategic defence and security review will consider all aspects of defence. The review will take full account of our commitment to international peace and security, and our interest in continued co-operation and consultation with our friends, including in the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

  Gulf War
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made since 18 March in his Department's search for information concerning reports of dead animals being found during the Gulf war and analysed. [99]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 21 May 1997]: As well as searching for relevant information amongst our records, my Department has conducted a survey amongst serving Gulf war veterans on this subject. I will report on the results of this work as soon as it has been completed.

  Defence Review
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence

  (1) if he will list the estimated savings he intends to make as a result of the Defence Review his Department is undertaking: [980]

  (2) if he will list his proposals for the Defence Review; and if he will make a statement: [981]

  (3) what plans he has to reduce the size of the armed forces. [979]

  Dr. Reid
  Our country's security needs and foreign policy objectives must be fully reflected in the roles, missions and tasks of our armed forces. The Government has, therefore, decided to hold a strategic defence and security review. All aspects of defence will be considered in this process, which will be policy led rather than driven by resources.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Civil Service (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Attorney-General how many civil servants of each grade in his Department were of Asian origin, on 5 May. [726]

  The Attorney-General
  The numbers of civil servants of each grade in the Law Officers' Departments who are of Asian origin is as follows:

  Treasury solicitor's department

  Number

  Senior civil service

  1

  Grade 6

  1

  Grade 7

  15

  Executive officer

  5

  Administrative grades

  4

  Secretarial grades

  2

  1 Includes two on loan to other departments.

  The Government Property Lawyers

  Number

  Senior civil service

  0

  Grade 6

  0

  Grade 7

  0

  Executive Officer

  2

  Administrative Grades

  0

  Secretarial Grades

  0

  Crown Prosecution Service

  Number

  Senior civil service

  0

  Grade 6

  1

  Grade 7

  0

  Crown prosecutor

  71

  Executive officer

  40

  Administrative grades

  91

  Secretarial grades

  6

  Serious fraud office

  Number

  Senior civil service

  0

  Grade 6

  0

  Grade 7

  0

  Executive officer

  4

  Administrative grades

  4

  Secretarial grades

  0

  The figures set out the position at 5 May 1997 except in the case of the Crown Prosecution Service where the figures are based on information provided by staff as at 30 April 1997.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Attorney-General what proposals he has to increase the number of ethnic minority employees in his Department. [727]

  The Attorney-General
  The Departments for which I am responsible, in line with other Government Departments, are equal opportunity employers. They welcome applications from ethnic minorities and recruit staff on the basis of fair and open competition in
  117
  accordance with the guidelines published in the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code "to find the best available person for the job considered on individual merit and regardless of race, gender or disability".

  A number of initiatives exist designed to increase awareness of race issues and to monitor the effectiveness of equal opportunity policies. In addition the Crown Prosecution Service participates in mentoring and fellowship schemes offering assistance to undergraduates drawn from ethnic minorities.

TREASURY

  Earnings (Pendle and East Lancashire)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimates he has made of the number of people in Pendle earning less than £3.50 per hour. [205]

  (2) what estimate he has made of the number of persons in employment in (a) Pendle and (b) East Lancashire currently earning less than (i) £4 per hour, (ii) £3.50 per hour and (iii) £3 per hour. [232]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange a reply to be given.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 22 May 1997:
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent questions regarding earnings in Pendle and East Lancashire.
  The latest information, from the New Earnings Survey April 1996, is contained in the following table. Results are presented for the Pendle parliamentary constituency and for Lancashire as a whole; East Lancashire is not a formally defined geographical area.

  Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence New Earnings Survey April 1996

  Percentage of employees with hourly earnings (excluding overtime) less than:

  £3.00

  £3.50

  £4.00

  Pendle

  Full-time

  1.5

  8.1

  14.0

  Part-time

  11.1

  27.8

  30.6

  All

  3.5

  12.2

  17.4

  Lancashire

  Full-time

  1.6

  5.7

  11.0

  Part-time

  7.5

  23.2

  37.3

  All

  3.0

  9.8

  17.1

  I will arrange for a copy of this letter to be placed in the Library

  Unemployment Statistics
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will issue a separate list of unemployment figures based on the number of people seeking work. [190]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The Director of the Office for National Statistics is responsible for deciding the form, coverage and timing of release of statistics issued by his Office, taking into account the views of customers. ONS is presently consulting customers on the future presentation of labour market statistics; the consultation exercise was 118
  launched through an article in the Labour Market Trends published on 8 May. Comments on the proposals should be sent to ONS by 14 June.

  The proposals set out for consultation reflect the House of Commons Employment Select Committee recommendation that more prominence should be given to the measure of unemployment which is based on the internationally agreed ILO definition.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the current level of unemployment in the United Kingdom(a) numerically and (b) in percentage terms. [296]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange a reply to be given.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Dale Campbell-Savours, dated 22 May 1997:
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to your recent question on the current level of unemployment in the United Kingdom (a) numerically and (b) in percentage terms.
  ONS produce two measures of unemployment. The first, derived from the quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS), is defined on a consistent and internationally recognised basis set out by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and counts as unemployed people who are: a) without a paid job; b) available to start work within the next two weeks and c) have either looked for work in the last four weeks or are waiting to start a job already obtained.
  The other measure of unemployment; the monthly claimant count, is based on the administrative system and includes all people claiming unemployment-related benefits (i.e. Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support or National Insurance credits) at Employment Service offices on the day of the monthly count, who on that day had signed on as unemployed and available to do any suitable work. Essentially, all people who attend an Employment Service office to sign are counted, irrespective of whether they are actually receiving benefit.
  The latest ILO figures relate to winter 1996/97 (December to February). These show that in Great Britain, the seasonally adjusted number of unemployed people was 2,111,000 or 7.5 per cent of the workforce. In April 1997, seasonally adjusted claimant unemployment in the United Kingdom was 1,651,400 or 5.9 per cent of the workforce.
  Although the methods of calculation and the levels of those two series differ, they indicate broadly consistent rates of underlying change in unemployment.

  Bereavement Allowance
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of extending payment of the widows bereavement allowance to widowers. [592]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Reliable estimates are not available.

  Civil Service (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to increase the number of ethnic minority employees in the Treasury. [729]

  Mrs. Liddell
  All recruitment to the Treasury is done on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. The Treasury participates in the Windsor Fellowship in an
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  attempt to attract applications from suitably qualified ethnic minority candidates, and advertise itself as an equal opportunities employer.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants, of each grade, in the Treasury, were of Asian origin, on 5 May. [728]

  Mrs. Liddell
  Following the introduction on 1 April 1996 of a new departmental pay and grading structure all Treasury staff transferred from the old civil service grades, into new broad pay ranges. As at 5 May 1997, the number of staff in post in the Treasury who declared themselves to be of Asian origin was 50, distributed within the Pay Ranges as follows:

  Pay range

  Staff of Asian origin within pay range

  A

  9

  B

  33

  C

  4

  D

  1

  E

  2

  F

  1

  G

  0

  H

  0

  Children
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of children aged(a) five, (b) six and (c) seven in each year between 1997 and 2001. [644]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The information requested is shown for the United Kingdom in the following table:

  Mid-year

  thousands

  Age last birthday

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  Children aged 5

  790

  761

  761

  736

  727

  Children aged 6

  797

  790

  761

  762

  736

  Children aged 7

  780

  797

  791

  761

  762

  Source:

  1994-based National Population Projections.

  ONS Series PP2 No.20 (The Stationery Office).

  Landfill Tax
  Mrs. Helen Jackson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total revenue raised by the landfill tax to date. [615]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 21 May 1997]: As at Friday, 16 May, total revenue raised by the landfill tax is £174 million.

  Unemployment Figures
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to alter the methodology currently used to calculate unemployment figures to reflect more accurately the numbers of people seeking work; and if he will made a statement. [751]

  Mrs. Liddell
  [holding answer 21 May 1997]: The Director of the Office for National Statistics is responsible for statistical methodology. He is currently reviewing the
  120
  presentation and dissemination of labour market data. A consultative article has been published in the May 1997 edition of Labour Market Trends.

  The proposals set out for consultation reflect the House of Commons Employment Select Committee recommendation that more prominence should be given to the measure of unemployment which is based on the internationally agreed ILO definition.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of domestic heating oil currently subject to a VAT rate of 8 per cent. is accounted for by(a) purchases by VAT-registered businesses and (b) uses other than space heating. [180]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 21 May 1997](a) Neither the suppliers of heating oil nor Customs and Excise keep records which would enable them to specify the proportion of domestic heating oil purchased by VAT-registered businesses and which is taxed at 8 percent.

  (b) All domestic heating oil is subject to VAT at eight per cent. It is estimated that about one per cent. of domestic heating oil is used other than for space heating, ie for lighting or cooking.

  Inheritances
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average value of inheritances for the most recent year for which figures are available. [696]

  Mr. Raynsford
  I have been asked to reply.

  The average value of inheritances other than of surviving spouses and excluding all inheritances of under £1,000 in England in the years 1993 to 1995 is estimated at £18,600. Figures for individual years are subject to too largeamarginofuncertaintytobemeaningful.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Aid Recipients
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures she plans to introduce to ensure that the poorest members of society in recipient countries benefit from British aid programmes. [812]

  Clare Short
  We are reviewing all our existing spending programmes to ensure resources are directed towards tackling poverty. The White Paper will set out our strategy whereby through coherent policies in areas such as trade, environment, debt, as well as in our bilateral programmes, we can make a real impact on poverty eradication.

  Congo
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what provision is being made for the emergency provision of humanitarian relief in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [1036]
  121
  Clare Short
  The needs are unclear. An international assessment will be needed but UN agencies and NGOs report that aid supplies in the region are adequate to cover immediate needs. The airlift of Rwandan refugees from the Kisangani area is ongoing. Thirty-three thousand five hundred refugees have been repatriated so far. The UK has provided finance and personnel to help. I am ready to consider further assistance as needs are identified.

PRIME MINISTER

  Downing Street
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will consider having the barriers and gates to Downing street removed. [994]

  The Prime Minister
  Security measures at Downing Street are kept under constant review and our advice is at present they should remain.

  Voluntary Organisations and Charities
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Prime Minister what consideration he gave to the experience and views of voluntary organisations and charities before he transferred ministerial interest from National Heritage to the Home Office. [959]

  The Prime Minister
  The move of responsibility from the Department of National Heritage to the Home Office has been widely welcomed within the sector and will be seen as the first step to taking forward the positive change in relationships between government and the voluntary sector which we have promised.

  The Labour Party consulted widely with the voluntary sector. The policy document, published in March. "Building a Future Together" was circulated to several thousand voluntary organisations inviting views on the location of departmental responsibilities in government.

  Motor Racing
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Prime Minister which department has ministerial responsibility for motor racing. [957]

  The Prime Minister
  The Department of National Heritage.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Literacy
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children left primary school in 1996 able to read and write to their chronological age. [209]

  Mr. Byers
  Fifty eight per cent. of pupils reached level 4 and above—the level expected for 11 year olds—in English in the 1996 National Curriculum tests.

  Teachers
  Mr. St. Aubyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of extra teachers which will be required by his proposals on reducing class sizes. [211]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The number of extra teachers will depend on how individual LEAs and schools implement reductions in class sizes.

  Class Sizes
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his target for reducing class sizes in schools and his estimate of the cost. [212]

  Mr. Byers
  Our pledge is to phase out classes of over 30 for all five, six and seven year olds during the lifetime of this Parliament. Detailed costs will depend on how LEAs and schools implement reductions in class sizes.

  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the cost of reducing class sizes to 30 or below for five, six and seven-year-olds. [985]

  Mr. Byers
  The detailed costs of achieving that objective will depend on how LEAs and schools implement those reductions.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many primary schools in(a) Hull and (b) Kingston upon Hull, North have class sizes of 30 and over for five, six and seven-year-olds; and how many have over (i) 35 pupils and (ii) 40 pupils. [163]

  Mr. Byers
  [holding answer 19 May 1997]: The information is not available in the form requested.

  Mrs Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will list by each primary school in each local education authority the current numbers in each class at ages(a) five, (b) six and (c) seven years respectively; [571]

  (2) if he will list by local education authority the average class size for five, six and seven-year-olds. [505]

  Mr. Byers
  [holding answer 20 May 1997]: The information is not available in the form requested.

  Nursery Places
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he plans to take to guarantee a nursery place for every four-year-old; and how long this will take. [214]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The Government is committed to providing good quality nursery education for all four-year-olds by April 1999 at the latest. Local authorities will be required to establish Early Years Forums, which will draw up Early Years Development Plans outlining how places will be secured.

  Mrs. Marion Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many extra nursery places have been created since the introduction of the nursery voucher scheme. [220]
  123
  Ms Morris
  Assessment of Phase 1 of the nursery education voucher scheme shows too few places have been created. The Government's proposals for early years development plans to replace vouchers will be more effective.

  Education Policy (Hackney)
  Ms Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to visit Hackney town hall to discuss education policy in respect of under achieving young males. [215]

  Dr. Howells
  Ministers from this Department intend to meet with representatives of Hackney Town Hall in the foreseeable future in order to discus a range of educational issues, in particular concerning Hackney schools under special measures. Under achievement of young males will be one such issue.

  Job Clubs
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the future of job clubs. [216]

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  We are already committed to an ambitious and radical welfare to work programme for unemployed people. We will review all existing provisions to assess the extent of their contribution to this policy.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Townend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the number of additional places in the state sector that will be required as a result of the ending of the assisted places scheme. [217]

  Mr. Byers
  There are over 800,000 empty places within existing LEA provision so there is ample scope available to accommodate the 10,000 or so pupils who would otherwise have entered the assisted places scheme each year. Phasing out the scheme will lead to savings of about £100 million in total by the year 2000 which will be used to reduce class sizes for 5, 6 and 7 year olds.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much it will cost to return all assisted places scheme pupils back into the state sector; and how much money will be released to spend on the state sector. [221]

  Mr. Byers
  I refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for East Yorkshire (Mr. Townend).

  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Education and Employment how many pupils are currently in receipt of support from the assisted places scheme. [224]

  Mr. Byers
  Participating schools' estimates show that there are some 33,140 children holding assisted places in England in the current academic year 1996–97. Final figures will be available by the end of the current school term. The number of such children in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
  124
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children in Worcestershire are currently receiving assisted places. [227]

  Mr. Byers
  Information on the local education authority area from which assisted pupils are drawn is not collected centrally. At the 9 schools currently participating in the assisted places scheme in the Hereford and Worcester area, 1,039 children hold assisted places.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what expenditure is planned to support the assisted places scheme in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99. [770]

  Mr. Byers
  Current plans, already announced, for expenditure on the assisted places scheme in financial year 1997–98 amount to £140 million. Provision for 1998–99 will be reviewed in the light of our commitment to phase out the scheme from September 1998 while allowing existing assisted place holders to continue their education at participating schools.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average cost per assisted place in the year 1996–97. [766]

  Mr. Byers
  The average cost of an assisted place in the current academic year 1996–97 is estimated to be £3,916.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many assisted places are due to be made available in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99. [767]

  Mr. Byers
  Some 10,700 new entry places will be made available in academic year 1997–98. We intend to introduce legislation this Summer which will stop new pupil intakes in 1998–99.

  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the expected annual saving which will accrue from the abolition of the assisted places scheme. [984]

  Mr. Byers
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, East (Ms Griffiths).

  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his policy in respect of children midway through their GCSEs and A levels who are currently receiving assistance from the assisted places scheme. [986]

  Mr. Byers
  We shall honour commitments to existing holders of assisted places at age 11 or above to complete their education.

  Mr. Grogan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many places, at what schools and at what cost were provided under the assisted places scheme in North Yorkshire in 1995–96 and 1996–97. [969]
  125
  Mr. Byers
  The number of assisted places taken-up and the cost of those places for each participating school in North Yorkshire, including the City of York, in academic years 1995–96 and 1996–97 are given in the following table:

  Assisted places scheme: North Yorkshire

  Academic year 1995–96

  1996–96

  Ampleforth College1

  Number of assisted pupils

  —

  23

  Cost of places £000s

  —

  121

  Ashville College

  Number of assisted pupils

  20

  36

  Cost of places £000s

  93

  157

  Bootham School, York

  Number of assisted pupils

  33

  41

  Cost of places £000s

  153

  197

  Giggleswick School

  Number of assisted pupils

  26

  34

  Cost of places £000s

  121

  153

  Harrogate Ladies' College

  Number of assisted pupils

  25

  35

  Cost of places £000s

  119

  168

  Mount School, York

  Number of assisted pupils

  35

  46

  Cost of places £000s

  180

  225

  Scarborough College

  Number of assisted pupils

  42

  75

  Cost of places £000s

  181

  340

  St. Peter's School, York

  Number of assisted pupils

  108

  128

  Cost of places £000s

  480

  586

  1 Participating in the scheme for first time from 1996–97.

  Dearing Report
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects to receive the Dearing report on matters relating to higher education. [218]

  Dr. Howells
  The Dearing Inquiry is expected to report this summer.

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will assess the impact of the jobseeker's allowance on rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [219]

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  A full evaluation of JSA policy has been commissioned from the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University. The Employment Service itself will be carrying out local monitoring of delivery.

  School Standards
  Mr. Alan Keen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what role he proposes local education authorities will have in supporting schools to raise standards. [222]
  126
  Mr. Byers
  The Government sees a fundamental role for local education authorities in a partnership to raise standards. The forthcoming White Paper will set out the Government's proposals for LEA Development Plans which will specify how each LEA will provide local leadership focused on raising standards in all its schools. The role will include: providing the data schools need to set challenging but realistic improvement targets; monitoring performance; working with schools before they develop serious weaknesses; taking decisive action where necessary; and promoting good practice by providing effective advisory and other professional support services.

  General Teaching Council
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what timetable he plans for the setting up of a general teaching council. [223]

  Mr. Byers
  Our forthcoming White Paper will mark the start of wide ranging consultations on our plans for establishing a general teaching council. We will bring forward enabling legislation later this year.

  Students (Benefits)
  Mr. Andrew Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to change the rules governing student entitlement to social security benefit. [225]

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  We shall keep this issue under review as we develop our package of Welfare to Work reforms.

  Ashford High School
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the application for grant-maintained status by Ashford high school in Middlesex. [226]

  Mr. Byers
  The Department has received a complaint from the Local Education Authority about the conduct of the parental ballot on grant-maintained status for Ashford high school. That complaint is currently being investigated in accordance with established procedures.

  Further Education Colleges
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will require colleges of further education to consult the Further Education Funding Council in advance of restructuring leading to redundancies. [284]

  Dr. Howells
  My right hon. Friend does not consider that such a requirement should be introduced, since the Further Education Funding Council does not have a specific role in advising colleges on their management processes. Colleges are statutorily bound to notify my right hon. Friend where they intend to make redundant 20 or more employees and to consult with representatives of the employees.

  Nursery Vouchers
  Mr. Letwin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement about the Government's plans for the nursery voucher scheme. [591]

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will announce details of, and a timetable for, his abolition of the nursery voucher scheme in England. [868]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply given earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member of Forest of Dean (Mrs. Organ).

  Ms Hodge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on his plans for nursery provision for the under fives and the nursery voucher scheme. [1294]

  Ms Morris
  The Government will replace the previous Government's voucher scheme from the autumn term. The voucher scheme will not meet the need for high quality, accessible early years education.

  The Government will consult during the summer on proposals for the preparation of full Early Years Development Plans to take effect in all areas from April 1998. In addition, we will be inviting proposals for the development of pilot early excellence centres to demonstrate our commitment to bringing nursery education and childcare closer together.

  For the autumn and spring terms, local education authorities will be invited to submit an interim Early Years Development Plan. This will set out the way in which they will provide places for four year olds in their area. They will be expected to consult and co-operate with the private and voluntary sectors in these arrangements.

  Where interim Early Years Development Plans are approved, recognised places in all sectors filled by eligible four year olds will be funded by grant provided by the Secretary of State paid through LEAs or direct in the case of GM schools. Where LEAs are unable to bring forward an acceptable interim plan, recognised places chosen by parents in the private and voluntary sectors will be funded by grant from the Secretary of State by reference to certificates of eligibility issued to those parents.

  Information about arrangements for the remainder of 1997–98 will be sent to LEAs and other interests shortly, and to parents of four year olds and providers as soon as practicable.

  Education Funding (Staffordshire)
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will increase the education element of the standard spending assessment for Staffordshire relative to that of other shire counties. [762]

  Mr. Byers
  Education SSAs reflect cost variations such as different wage levels across the country and different levels of deprivation. We are currently reviewing the SSA methodology for 1998–99 in consultation with local authority representatives.

  Primary School Class Sizes
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what estimate he has made of the number of additional teachers required to reduce class sizes for all five, six and seven-year-old pupils to below 30 pupils; [768]

  (2) what estimate he has made of the capital expenditure required to enable class sizes for all five, six and seven-year-old pupils to be reduced to below 30 pupils in three years. [769]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Our policy is to phase out classes of over 30 for all five, six and seven-year-old pupils during the lifetime of this Parliament. The detailed costs of achieving that objective, including the cost of any additional teachers and any capital expenditure required, will depend on how LEAs and schools implement those reductions.

  Training
  Mr. Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what are(a) the latest figures and (b) the figures for a year earlier from the TfW Leavers Survey for the number and proportion of leavers who (i) had been entered for vocational qualification, (ii) had obtained a vocational qualification, had failed to obtain a vocational qualification, and were awaiting their results in (1) the North London TEC area, (2) London and (3) Great Britain as a whole; how many of the TfW leavers in the relevant period had completed their training; what was the average time they had spent on TfW training; and if he will make a statement; [836]

  (2) what are (a) the latest figures and (b) the figures for a year earlier from the TfW Leavers Survey for the number and proportion of leavers who in (i) the North London TEC area, (ii) London and (iii) Great Britain, were (1) in full-time job with their work experience employers, (2) in a full-time job with another employer, (3) employed in their own business, (4) in a part-time job, (5) in voluntary work, (6) on another Government training programme, (7) on a full-time education or training course, (8) unemployed and claiming benefit, (9) unemployed and not claiming benefit, (10) in a Jobclub and (11) doing something else; [837]

  (3) What are (a) the latest figures and (b) the figures for a year earlier from the YTS/YT Leavers Survey for (i) make and female trainees, (ii) each separate ethnic group and (iii) those with a disability in (1) the North London TEC area, (2) London and (3) Great Britain as a whole for those (a) in full-time work with the same employer, (b) in full-time work with a different employer, (c) in part-time work, (d) on a full-time course at a college or training centre, (e) on another youth training scheme, (f) doing something else, (g) unemployed and (h) who had obtained a vocational qualification; and what were (1) the number of questionnaires issued, (2) the usable percentage response rate and (3) the percentage of respondents who were early leavers. [838]

  Dr. Howells
  I will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and place a copy of my reply in the Library.

  Teachers' Superannuation Scheme
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to review the changes to the teachers' superannuation scheme made by the previous Government with special reference to teachers and lecturers retiring after 31 August 1997 having to wait until the age of 60 years to receive their pension. [987]

  Mr. Byers
  The changes made by the previous Government were necessary because of the escalating cost of teachers' premature retirement, to which the Public Accounts Committee drew attention. Employers will still be able to grant premature retirement to teachers under 60.

  Consultation is proceeding on further changes designed to enhance the flexibility of teachers' pension arrangements. My right hon. Friend will make an announcement about this in due course.

  Secondary Places, Hillingdon
  Mr. McDonnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the number of secondary places available in Hillingdon. [1296]

  Mr. Byers
  The Funding Agency for Schools will be consulting on the establishment of a new GM school in Hillingdon.

  Further Education
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the Government will continue to fund further education through the FEFC with the proposed reduction in funding next year. [988]

  Dr. Howells
  Following the Further Education Funding Council's notification of provisional funding allocations on 4 April, the Council will shortly be notifying colleges of their final funding allocations for the 1997–98 academic year.

  Agency Labour
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the Government's policy in respect of the present system of colleges employing casual agency labour through(a) ELS and (b) other agencies. [989]

  Dr. Howells
  As from incorporation on 1 April 1993, further education colleges assumed responsibility for their own finance and organisation, including the appointment, dismissal, redundancy and conditions of service generally of their staff. As a result, any decisions on whether to employ staff through an employment agency, and if so which agency to use, are for the college concerned to make.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Bed and Breakfast Accommodation
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to review the six-bed rule for bed and breakfast accommodation. [1070]
  130
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  While I am aware that the level at which non-domestic rates apply is a matter of concern to some tourism businesses, the policy responsibility for the six-bed rule lies with the Department of the Environment. Should there be any review of that policy, the impact on tourism would be taken into account.

  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment he has made of the consistency of the application of the six-bed rule for bed and breakfast accommodation by valuation officers; and if he will make a statement. [1069]

  Mr. Clarke
  None. It is the responsibility of Inland Revenue local Valuation Officers (VOs) to maintain local non-domestic rating lists. Guidance has been issued to all VOs concerning the rating of bed and breakfast accommodation to ensure a consistent nation-wide approach. I am aware that the level at which non-domestic rates apply is a matter of some importance to small businesses in tourism.

  Civil Service (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many civil servants at each grade within his Department were of Asian origin on 5 May. [239]

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  The number of staff in my Department (excluding its Agencies) who have declared the ethnic group to which they belong as being Asian, as at 5 May, is as follows:

  Grade

  Number

  Asian

  A(L)

  1

  B

  1

  C

  3

  D(U)

  4

  D(L)

  2

  Total

  11

  The 1996 Department of National Heritage Pay and Grading review made the following changes to "traditional" Civil Service grades. Grades 6 and 7 were merged to form A(U) and A(L) respectively. Grades SEO and HEO were merged to form grade B. Grade EO became C, and AO and AA were merged to form D(U) and D(L) respectively.

  Concessionary Television Licences
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will introduce regulations making it easier for concessionary television licences to be obtained for pensioner tenants, other than those in warder-controlled accommodation, who are visited by officials. [82]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 19 May 1997]: The Government have no current plans to extend the scope of the concessionary scheme.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Late Payments
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many small business organisations have made
  131
  representations (a) supporting and (b) opposing the Government's proposals for a statutory right to interest on late payment; and if she will make a statement. [848]

  Mrs. Roche
  I have had representations from two small business organisations, one of whom was in favour of legislation for a Statutory Right to Interest and the other one of whom was opposed.

  It is clear that late payment continues to cause concern to small businesses. Business surveys consistently show that over 60 per cent. of small firms support the introduction of legislation for a Statutory Right to Interest. It is in direct response to these concerns that the Government will introduce the Fair Payment of Commercial Debts Bill.

  Representations from small business organisations will be sought in response to the Green Paper on a statutory right to interest that we plan to publish in the summer.

  Post Office (Franchise Transfers)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to stop proposed Post Office Counters Ltd. franchise transfers, with special reference to Southport general post office. [835]

  Ian McCartney
  In announcing on 16 May a comprehensive review of options for implementing the Government's election manifesto pledge to grant the Post Office greater commercial freedom, I also announced that, at my request, the Post Office had agreed to suspend its programme of converting Crown post offices to agency status—except where irreversible commitments already exist—until we are in a position to make informed decisions. The proposal to convert the Crown post office in Southport has been suspended.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Godsiff
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the Government's policy towards small businesses. [703]

  Mrs. Roche
  The Government firmly believes that small businesses form the bedrock of a successful economy and is determined to work with them to address their needs and priorities.

  We are developing a range of imaginative proposals which will address the needs of the 90s and beyond. Our plans include improving the quality and effectiveness of business support; introducing the Enterprise Zone; cutting unnecessary red tape and introducing a new legal right to interest on commercial debt.

  EU Research Council
  Mr. Healey
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the outcome of the EU Research Council on 14 and 15 May. [1426]

  John Battle
  I represented the UK at the meeting of the EU Research Council on 14–15 May 1997 at which the European Commission's proposals for the Fifth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP5) were the chief item for discussion. I underlined the need for FP5 to be strongly focused on Europe's economic and social challenges and deliver real 132
  results. The whole programme must be focused on well defined objectives, be tightly managed and involve the users of research.

  Following an exchange of views, a worthwhile measure of agreement was reached on a number of key issues relating to the shape and structure of FP5. All Member States subscribed to these except Spain, which withheld agreement because it was unable to secure acceptance that financial commitments on FP5 should be delayed. Conclusions adopted by the Presidency reflect the areas of agreement on FP5, which include the need to improve the coherence of the proposed thematic programme structure while still limiting programme numbers to a range of broadly 4–6; the need for additional 'key actions' (targeted R&D directed at specific social and economic goals) within a limit of broadly 25; commitment to keeping to the timetable for the introduction of FP5; and agreement to procedures for taking forward work on the scientific and technological content of FP5, and tackling the management questions. I consider this a very useful outcome that will give an impetus to further preparatory work before the next Council in November.

  I also addressed research ministers from the EU's Central and East European Associates in the context of the "Structured Dialogue" preparing for the enlargement of the European Union. I emphasised the UK's strong support for enlargement and the valuable contribution that strengthened scientific and technological co-operation could make to prospects for accession.

  The Council also approved conclusions on the European Commission's Action Plan for Innovation and received a report on the progress of negotiations on the EC/US Science and Technology Co-operation Agreement.

  Champagne Imports
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many bottles of champagne were imported from France in each year since 1992. [1104]

  Mrs. Roche
  The number of bottles of champagne the UK imports from France is not available. The volumes, in millions of litres, are given in the following table.

  Year

  Millions litres

  1992

  11.1

  1993

  14.3

  1994

  17.8

  1995

  14.0

  1996

  15.5

  Source:

  HM Customs and Excise.

  Non-fossil Fuel Obligation
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what measures would be necessary to extend the scope of the non-fossil fuel obligation to include other forms of energy; [1009]

  (2) what plans she has to review the non-fossil fuel obligation; [1003]

  (3) what plans she has to extend the scope of the non-fossil fuel obligation. [1010]
  133
  John Battle
  I anticipate initiating shortly a consultation exercise with the relevant trade bodies of the renewable energy industry, OFFER, and the Regional Electricity Companies on a fifth non-fossil fuel obligation (NFFO) Order for renewable energy in England and Wales, leading to an announcement later in the year. I am currently considering the options for the longer term future of the NFFO, and I will make a further announcement in due course. Extending the scope of NFFO to include other forms of energy will need primary legislation and clearance from the European Commission.

  Child Labour
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to introduce measures to ensure that goods imported to Britain have not been produced by child labour. [814]

  Mrs. Roche
  The Government will use every endeavour to protect and promote human rights in the work place and support the eradication of all forms of exploitative and abusive labour (including child labour) as part of our wider effort to reduce global poverty and promote sustainable human development. We will be meeting the CBI, TUC and the British Retail Consortium on 23 May to discuss practical ways forward and the purpose to meet relevant non-government organisations in the near future to progress these discussions further.

  Trade and Investment (South Asia)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the increased economic co-operation and free trade in the south Asian region and their impact on the United Kingdom's trade and investment with and in the countries concerned. [743]

  Mrs. Roche
  I believe that the commitment of the countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation to introduce a free trade area by 2001 will give a considerable boost to trade within the region. This should create significant opportunities for UK companies. I will ensure that my Department does all that it can to help UK companies to take advantage of these opportunities.

  Trade (Chinese Community)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps she plans to take to promote further the contribution made by Britain's Chinese community to the balance of payments through enhanced trade with the countries of east and south and east Asia. [710]

  Mrs. Roche
  Britain's Chinese community already makes an important contribution to the nation's commercial success at home and overseas. I would be happy to consider ways in which the community might be more actively involved in our trade promotion activities.

  Trade (China)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she plans to lead a trade mission to the People's Republic of China. [279]

  Mrs. Beckett
  My forward travel programme is currently under consideration and no plans have yet been made for a visit to China.

  Minimum Wage
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what research her Department has carried out into the effects of the minimum wage on jobs. [210]

  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the effect of a national minimum wage on employment levels. [189]

  Ian McCartney
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Banbury on 21 May 1997, Official Report, column 65.

  Manufacturing Exports
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on manufacturing exports. [700]

  Mrs. Roche
  In 1996 the UK exported manufactured goods worth £139.1 billion and imported manufactured goods worth £146.9 billion.

  We are committed to improving the focus of our efforts to back British business selling abroad. We are establishing an export forum that will consider all aspects of our current programmes and activities.

  Indo-British Partnership Initiative
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has in respect of the Indo-British Partnership Initiative. [715]

  Mrs. Roche
  The Indo-British Partnership has made a significant contribution to the strengthening of bilateral commercial links between the UK and India since its formation in 1993. A number of high-profile events are planned over the coming months to mark the 50th anniversary of India's independence including a major "Indo-British Partnership: Towards 2000" exhibition which will take place in Delhi in the Autumn at the time of the State Visit by HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. This will have a commercial focus but will also highlight scientific, technological, cultural, sporting and other links. A programme of promotional events is also planned in the UK later in the year involving Business Links, trade associations and Chambers of Commerce. I will be providing every possible support for the Indo-British Partnership's future activities and hope personally to be associated with a number of its events.

  International Labour Organisation Conditions
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans her Department has to place proposals before the World Trade Organisation concerning the enforcement of ILO conditions in member states. [501]

  Mrs. Roche
  [holding answer 20 May 1997]: The Government will use every endeavour to protect and promote human rights in the work place and are considering how best to use international fora. We will be looking closely at the position in the International Labour Organisation and the World Trade Organisation, taking into account the declaration agreed at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Singapore last December

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Defence Exports
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what changes he plans to make to the criteria governing the granting of export licences to British companies selling defence equipment overseas; and which countries would be precluded from receiving United Kingdom defence equipment by these criteria; [276]

  (2) when he expects to publish his revised criteria for the granting of export licences for sales of defence equipment; and if he will publish precise definitions of each; [275]

  (3) which countries his Department assesses currently use United Kingdom manufactured defence equipment for the purposes of internal repression. [250]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  We have made a firm commitment not to permit the sale of arms to regimes that might use them for internal repression or international aggression. To give effect to that commitment, we have initiated an urgent review of the detailed criteria used in considering licence applications for the export of conventional arms. We support a strong UK defence industry but must ensure that exports are properly regulated. We are aware of concerns that some defence equipment exported from the UK in the past has been used for internal repression. The review will ensure that the risk of such misuse is fully taken into account, alongside all other relevant factors, in the assessment of all licence applications for the export of conventional arms. The new criteria will be made available to the House when the Review is complete. In the meantime, I have instructed my officials to consult Ministers whenever there are export licence applications which may raise concerns about human rights or international stability.

  Mission Statement
  Mr. Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the cost to public funds of producing and distributing the film to be produced by Sir David Puttnam setting out the Foreign Secretary's mission statement. [120]

  Mr. Fatchett
  £2,500.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he accepts the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 8 July 1996 on the legality of nuclear weapons as a basis of British nuclear policy. [255]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  We strongly support the goal of the global elimination of nuclear weapons. We welcome the Court's recognition of the importance of obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, including the nuclear weapon states' obligation on nuclear disarmament. The Court's Advisory Opinion does not require a change in the United Kingdom's entirely defensive nuclear deterrence policy.
  136
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government intend to ratify the 1997 additional protocols to the 1949 Geneva convention. [256]

  Mr. Lloyd
  I assume the hon. Member is referring to the 1977 additional protocols. The Government is addressing the issue as a matter of priority.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the distinction between individual and collective defence in respect of the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons, following the opinion of the International Court on nuclear weapons. [254]

  Mr. Lloyd
  The International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion does not require a change in the United Kingdom's policy of considering the use of nuclear weapons only in self defence, which includes the defence of our NATO allies, and only in extreme circumstances.

  British Prisoners (Venezuela)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to secure the repatriation of James Miles and Paul Loseby, currently detained in Venezuela. [824]

  Mr. Fatchett
  We have encouraged the Venezuelan government to accede to the Council of Europe Convention on the transfer of Sentenced Persons. If the Venezuelan government accede to the Convention and Mr. Miles and Mr. Loseby are found guilty and sent to prison, they would be able to apply to transfer to a prison in the UK.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of(a) the present living conditions and (b) the medical care available to James Miles and Paul Loseby while detained in Venezuela. [825]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Messrs Miles and Loseby are visited regularly by consular staff. They make sure that living conditions are acceptable and no worse than those of other prisoners. Neither Miles nor Loseby have complained to consular staff about the medical care they have received to date.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to ensure that the medical care and living conditions of James Miles and Paul Loseby are satisfactory while they are detained in Venezuela. [826]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Consular staff in Caracas regularly visit Mr. Miles and Mr. Loseby. They check on their medical care and living conditions, and if necessary make representations to the Venezuelan authorities.

  British Prisoners (Repatriation)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the repatriation of British prisoners. [823]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Government policy is that on humanitarian grounds prisoners should be able to serve their sentences in their own country. The United Kingdom
  137
  is party to the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and the Commonwealth Scheme for the Transfer of Convicted Offenders. We also have bilateral agreements with Thailand and Egypt.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to secure the repatriation of British citizens currently detained in Venezuela. [827]

  Mr. Fatchett
  On 17 April we approached the Venezuelan government about accession to the Council of Europe Convention on the transfer of Sentenced Persons. We await their reply. If the Venezuelan government acceded to the Convention British prisoners sentenced and imprisoned in Venezuela would be able to apply to transfer to a prison in the UK.

  Locarno Room
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total cost, including video production, of the presentation made to the media and others in the Locarno room of the FCO on 12 May. [618]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 20 May at columns 39–40 to the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham and the hon. Member for Spelthorne.

  Amsterdam Treaty
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the proposed draft treaty of Amsterdam. [789]

  Mr. Fatchett
  We placed in the Libraries of the House on 16 May an unofficial paper tabled in the IGC that day by the Dutch Presidency. It is not a draft Treaty, but it includes proposed Treaty changes in most of the areas being discussed in the IGC. We will continue to send papers tabled in the IGC to Parliament.

  Panchen Lama
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions he is taking to secure the release of the Panchen Lama Choekyi Nyima; and if he will make a statement. [992]

  Mr. Fatchett
  We are concerned at the continued detention by the Chinese authorities of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the child accepted by the Dalai Lama as the eleventh reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. Along with EU partners, the previous government raised its deep concern at this detention with the Chinese. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has also raised the question of human rights with them, most recently in his meeting with the Chinese Ambassador on 12 May. We will continue to work with our EU partners to urge the Chinese authorities to respect human rights and the distinct religious identity of the Tibetans.

  Fishing Quotas
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what demands the 138
  United Kingdom is making within the EU to assist United Kingdom fishermen; and if the Government have sought a larger United Kingdom quota. [285]

  Mr. Morley
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government will negotiate to achieve changes to the Common Fisheries Policy which will assist United Kingdom fishermen, including strengthening the economic benefits that countries derive from their national quotas. The Government will seek increased quotas when they are justified by the state of the fish stocks.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of the population was eligible for legal aid for each year from 1970 to 1996; and what estimate he has made of the percentage of the population which would be eligible for legal aid in(a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999. [1077]

  Mr. Hoon
  We have no reliable means of estimating the percentage of the population that is eligible for civil legal aid. Estimates of the percentage of households eligible for civil legal aid are available for each of the following financial years.

  Financial year

  Percentage

  1979–80

  77

  1989–90

  68

  1990–91

  61

  1992–93

  53

  1993–94

  48

  1994–95

  50

  1995–96

  50

  1996–97

  48

  1997–98

  48

  Comparable estimates are not available for the other years covered by the question.

  There are no formal estimates for future years.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the underspend of the legal aid budget in each of the last three years; and what were the factors which were responsible for the underspend. [1079]

  Mr Hoon
  The shortfall in legal aid expenditure as against provision, in each of the last three years for which information is available, was as follows:
  1993–93: £73 million

  1994–95: £107 million

  1995–96: £66 million

  The underspends resulted from a lower than expected number of bills and higher than expected recovery of costs by the Legal Aid Fund in civil cases.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to change the membership of the Legal Aid Board. [1055]
  139
  Mr. Hoon
  There are currently two vacancies on the Legal Aid Board which the Lord Chancellor intends to fill in due course.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the current levels of remuneration for legal aid for(a) barrister and (b) solicitors. [1056]

  Mr. Hoon
  I am satisfied that remuneration rates for legal aid work for both solicitors and barristers are currently set at a level which attracts a sufficient number of competent practitioners to undertake the work, whilst at the same time ensuring that the cost to public funds is not unreasonable. The present levels were considered earlier this year as part of the annual discussions with the profession on remuneration rates. No changes were made.

  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much money from the legal aid budget has been provided to new age travellers to

  £

  Civil

  Magistrates' Court

  Crown court

  Advice and assistance

  Assistance by way of representation

  Duty solicitor

  1979–80

  936

  318

  n/a

  72

  —

  —

  1980–81

  911

  332

  n/a

  74

  234

  —

  1981–82

  1,018

  322

  n/a

  77

  251

  —

  1982–83

  1,124

  321

  n/a

  79

  260

  —

  1983–84

  1,199

  332

  n/a

  79

  272

  —

  1984–85

  1,260

  343

  497

  82

  294

  131

  1985–86

  1,315

  349

  514

  83

  298

  132

  1986–87

  1,408

  379

  556

  83

  309

  128

  1987–88

  1,457

  412

  599

  82

  330

  126

  1988–89

  1,587

  425

  623

  80

  334

  124

  1989–90

  1,656

  449

  675

  82

  348

  118

  1990–91

  1,717

  473

  713

  87

  360

  114

  1991–92

  1,788

  497

  788

  92

  387

  112

  1992–93

  1,867

  491

  902

  93

  472

  113

  1993–94

  1,957

  470

  965

  94

  539

  111

  1994–95

  2,171

  434

  1,005

  92

  565

  113

  1995–96

  2,369

  462

  944

  96

  590

  133

  Information on Crown court legal aid is not readily available for the period 1979–80 to 1983–84. The Advice By Way of Representation scheme was introduced in 1980–81. The Duty Solicitor Magistrates' Courts Scheme was introduced in 1984–85 and Police Station Scheme in 1985–86.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what target he plans to set in respect of the percentage of the population eligible for legal aid. [1078]

  Mr. Hoon
  It is not our intention to set a target of this kind for legal aid. Our aim is to ensure that, within the resources available, legal aid is used to best effect.

  Immigration Appeal Tribunal
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many and what proportion of Immigration Appeal Tribunal members are(a) women and (b) of Asian origin. [1052]

  Mr. Hoon
  On the 1 May 1997 there were a total of 26 members of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal in post. The President of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal is
  140
  challenge, through (a) the county courts, (b) the High Court, (c) the divisional court and (d) the magistrates courts, decisions to remove them from unlawful occupation of public and private land in each of the last three years. [960]

  Mr. Hoon
  It is not possible to distinguish new age travellers from other legally aided applicants. Nor is it possible to identify separately cases involving unlawful occupation of public and private land.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what has been the average cost per case to public funds for cases qualifying for legal aid for each year from 1970 to 1996, in 1996 prices. [1075]

  Mr. Hoon
  The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, information on the cost to legal aid is available from 1979–80. Average payments from the legal aid fund, by category of legal aid in 1995–96 prices was as follows:

  male. Of the four full-time members one is a woman. Of the 21 part-time legal members two are women. Of the 20 lay members six are women. Questions asking the ethnic origins of candidates for legal appointments to the Immigration Appeal Tribunal have been included on application forms only since 1991. Candidates are under no obligation to answer such questions. However, from information currently held I can say that two are Asian; 15 are White; one is listed as "other"; and the ethnic origins of the remaining eight are unknown. No information on the ethnic origins of lay members is collected.

  Evesham Magistrates Court
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make it his policy to intervene to prevent the closure of Evesham magistrates court before the Lord Chancellor has considered the objections to the closure plan, lodged by Hereford and Worcester county council. [1061]

  Mr. Hoon
  Hereford and Worcester magistrates courts committee have stated that Evesham magistrates court will remain open, during this financial year, pending the determination of the appeal.

  Civil Service (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals he has to increase the number of ethnic minority employees in his Department. [723]

  Mr. Hoon
  For the Lord Chancellor's Department, including the Court Service and the Public Trust Office, the Department's Programme of action to achieve equality of opportunity for people of ethnic minority origin sets out specific commitments in respect of recruitment, retention and development of ethnic minority employees, including monitoring the impact of the commitments. Equal Opportunities statements are included in all recruitment literature and advertisements. Training on equal opportunities is obligatory for all staff in management grades, to assist in retention of ethnic minority employees. Sponsorship of ethnic minority students under the Windsor Fellowship scheme and

  Mandate Equivalent Grade

  Grade

  Indian

  Pakistani

  Bangladeshi

  East African

  Chinese

  Other

  Totals

  SCS1

  —

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  SRA (Lawyer)

  Grade 7

  1

  0

  0

  1

  0

  1

  3

  RE I

  SEO

  1

  0

  0

  2

  0

  0

  3

  RE2

  HEO

  2

  0

  1

  1

  0

  2

  6

  RE3

  EO

  16

  2

  0

  8

  3

  5

  34

  ROI

  AO

  15

  1

  0

  1

  2

  9

  28

  RO2

  AO

  76

  6

  0

  24

  4

  16

  126

  RA 1

  AA

  34

  2

  0

  14

  1

  7

  58

  RA2

  AA

  18

  2

  2

  10

  2

  11

  45

  Totals

  164

  13

  3

  61

  12

  51

  304

  Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Keith Vaz, dated 19 May 1997:
  I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question. The Office is an executive agency of the Lord Chancellor.
  The numbers by grade of civil servants of Asian origin in the Public Record Office on 5 May were:

  Public record office band

  Civil Servant of Asian origin

  3

  1

  4

  4

  5

  23

  6

  15

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many civil servants, of each grade, in his Department, were of Asian origin, on 5 May. [722]

  Mr. Hoon
  For the Lord Chancellor's Department, including the Court Service and the Public Trust Office, the information is set ut in the table below. I have asked the Chief Executives of the Land Registry and the Public Record Office to reply separately. There is no legislative requirement to monitor the ethnic origin of Northern Ireland Court Service employees and no figures are available.
  142
  provision of mentors for the National Mentoring scheme help to promote the Lord Chancellor's Department as an attractive employer to minority ethnic groups.

  The Northern Ireland Court Service has no proposals/targets specific to ethnic minority employees, but it is the policy of the Service to ensure equality of opportunity for all current and potential employees on the basis of merit alone. I have asked the Chief Executives of the Land Registry and of the Public Record Office to reply separately.

  Letter from Stuart Hill to Mr. Keith Vaz, dated 22 May 1997:
  I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning the number of civil servants of Asian origin in his Department and Agencies.
  The table below sets out the number of employees of HM Land Registry who are of Asian origin together with their grade. The information is derived form declarations by Land Registry staff and the position is shown as on 5 May 1997.

  Grade Level

  Number of civil servants of Asian origin (including casual staff)

  HEO and above

  16

  EO

  82

  Bailiff

  6

  AO

  271

  AA

  38

  SGB 1 and 2

  33

  Typist

  28

  Total

  474

  Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Keith Vaz, dated 19 May 1997:
  I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question. The Office is an executive agency of the Lord Chancellor.
  The Public Record Office has no specific proposals to increase the number of its ethnic minority employees. It is however an equal opportunities employer and its recruitment practice follows the guidelines on fair and open competition from the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code (2nd edition 1996). Currently 17% of its employees are from ethnic minorities.

  Letter from Stuart Hill to Mr. Keith Vaz, dated 22 May 1997:
  I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning proposals to increase the number of ethnic minority employees.

  143
  HM Land Registry's Programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity for people of ethnic minority origin sets out specific commitments in respect of recruitment, retention, training and development of ethnic minority employees, including monitoring the impact of commitments.
  Training on equal opportunities is mandatory for all staff on entry to a management grade and additional training is provided before staff are involved in recruitment procedures. "Equal Opportunities" statements are included in all our recruitment literature and advertisements.

  High Court Judges
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many judges at High Court level and below are(a) women and (b) of Asian origin. [1051]

  Mr. Hoon
  The information requested is set out in the table below. The figures are as at 1 May 1997. The figures for Asian judges are believed to be correct, but as the ethnic origin of candidates for judicial office was not recorded prior to October 1991, the information may be incomplete.

  Total number

  women

  Asian

  High Court Judges

  96

  7 (7.3 per cent.)

  0

  Circuit Judges

  562

  29 (5.2 per cent.)

  4 (0.7 per cent.)

  Recorders (part-time)

  903

  67 (7.4 per cent.)

  3 (0.3 per cent.)

  Assistant Recorders (part-time)

  356

  60 (16.8 per cent.)

  3 (0.8 per cent.)

  District Judges

  332

  37 (11.1 per cent.)

  1 (0.3 per cent.)

  Deputy District Judges (part-time)

  690

  88 (12.7 per cent.)

  7 (1 per cent.)

  Stipendiary Magistrates Acting Stipendiary

  90

  15 (16.6 per cent.)

  2 (2.2 per cent.)

  Magistrates (part-time)

  90

  16 (17.7 per cent.)

  0

  Chairmen of Industrial Tribunals (full-time)

  80

  12 (15 per cent.)

  2 (2.5 per cent.)

  Chairmen of Industrial Tribunals (part-time)

  200

  26 (13 per cent)

  2 (1 per cent.)

  Unsuccessful Applicants for Silk
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many unsuccessful applicants for Silk in each year since 1992 sought an interview with officials in his Department to ascertain the factors considered by the Lord Chancellor when arriving at his decision. [704]

  Mr. Hoon
  The factors considered by the Lord Chancellor when arriving at his decisions on Silk are detailed in the notes provided to all applicants. The number of unsuccessful applicants who sought an interview with officials to discuss their personal position in 1995 and 1996 were 36 and 41 respectively. For earlier years the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Juvenile Offenders
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average time between arrest and disposal for juvenile offenders in(a) juvenile courts and (b) Crown courts. [871]

  Mr. Hoon
  The information requested is not recorded for juveniles in the Crown court. Similar information to that required is, however, available for juveniles in the 144
  Youth court. In 1996, the average time from offence to completion (which may be sentence, committal, dismissal or discontinuance) for defendants in indictable cases in the Youth court was 131 days.

  General Election (Ballot Papers)
  Mr. Letwin
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what administrative guidance is issued in respect of the opening of sealed containers in which the counterfoils of ballot papers are placed at a general election in the absence of a court order. [1014]

  Mr. Hoon
  Rule 55(1) of the Parliamentary Election Rules, embodies in the Representation of the People Act 1983, requires Returning Officers to send the sealed packets of counterfoils to the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery. Rule 56 provides that the sealed packets may be opened only on an order of this Honourable House or a Court, and that the order may prescribe the conditions under which the order is to be carried out.

WALES

  Civil Service (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to increase the number of employees from ethnic minorities within his Department. [231]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  My Department has recently agreed to participate in the Windsor Fellowship Programme. In addition we have established an outreach programme to promote career opportunities and encourage applications from people from ethnic minorities.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants at each grade within his Department were of Asian origin on 5 May. [230]

  Mr. Davies
  The information requested is not available in the format requested.

  NHS Trusts (Contracts)
  Mr. Opik
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many NHS trusts failed to meet the 14 March 1997 deadline to agree contracts with their purchasers; and how many are now expected to go to arbitration. [779]

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  The objective for 1997–98 was for trusts and health authorities to agree contracts by 16 May 1997. Information about which organisations met the objective is not yet available. I will write to the hon. Member in due course and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Duchy Benevolent Fund
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list for each local authority area in Lancashire the number of applications received for assistance from the Duchy's benevolent fund and the number successful, listing the sums and receipts in each case for the most recent year for which figures are available. [642]
  145
  Dr. David Clark
  Figures for the year ending 31 March 1997 are as follows:

  Local authority area

  Applications received

  Successful applications

  Total donater £

  Blackburn

  6

  3

  1,087

  Blackpool

  8

  4

  1,900

  Burnley

  17

  9

  3,650

  Chorley

  5

  2

  500

  Fylde

  3

  3

  150

  Hyndburn

  4

  4

  950

  Lancaster

  12

  6

  575

  Pendle

  18

  6

  3,870

  Preston

  13

  11

  2,708

  Ribble Valley

  7

  5

  2,200

  Rossendale

  7

  5

  1,600

  South Ribble

  6

  4

  911

  West Lancashire

  3

  2

  100

  Wyre

  3

  2

  803

  County-wide

  5

  2

  1,836

  Total

  22,840

  In addition major projects supported were:

  Local authority area

  Total donated

  Recipient

  Preston

  5,000

  Parish Prospect

  Preston

  5,000

  St. Walburge's

  Blackburn

  5,000

  Cathedral Tower

  Blackburn

  5,000

  New Direction Training

  Fylde

  5,000

  Youth Information and Advice Centre

  Total

  25,000

  The Duchy Benevolent Fund also makes grants to charities such as Invalids-At-Home who then make smaller grants to many individuals some of whom will live in Lancashire.

  Civil Service (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor or the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants of each grade in the Office of Public Service were of Asian origin, on 5 May. [724]

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  The total number of civil servants, by grade, in the Cabinet Office, the Office of Public Service and its executive agencies on that date were as follows:

  Grade

  Total number of staff in grade

  Number with Asian background

  Non-industrial staff

  Grade 6

  52

  1

  Senior Executive Officers

  131

  2

  Higher Executive Officers

  201

  4

  AT/HEO(D)

  21

  1

  Executive Officers

  296

  10

  Administrative Officers

  360

  14

  Administrative Assistants

  63

  7

  Professional and Technology Officer

  36

  1

  Higher Scientific Officer

  1

  1

  Assistant Information Officer

  1

  1

  Assistant Statistician

  1

  1

  Personal Secretaries

  90

  5

  146

  Grade

  Total number of staff in grade

  Number with Asian background

  Typists

  32

  2

  Support Grade Band 1

  70

  1

  Industrial staff

  Drivers

  204

  2

  Custody Guards

  332

  10

  Inspector

  4

  1

  Under the department's equal opportunities policy, all staff joining the department are invited to provide details of their ethnic background to enable effective monitoring of the policy. The information is provided by individuals on a voluntary basis.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proposals he has to increase the number of ethnic minority employees in the Office of Public Service. [725]

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  The Cabinet Office (OPS) and its agencies is an equal opportunities employer. Applications from ethnic minorities are welcomed and monitored. Appointments are made on merit and in accordance with the principle of fair and open competition.

  Quangos
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will list the name of the chairman of each quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation where Ministers are responsible for the appointment; [996]

  (2) if he will list the name of each member of each quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation in Cumbria, identifying the chairman separately; [998]

  (3) if he will list the name of each quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation to which Ministers or their representatives make appointments; [995]

  (4) if he will list each quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation in Cumbria. [997]

  Dr. David Clark
  Unfortunately, not all this information is held centrally. However, I refer my hon. Friend to the information now available on the Internet (www.open.gov.uk/pau/paupoint.htm) which sets out appointments made by Ministers to boards of executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and NHS bodies—approximately 8,500 appointments in total. Information on appointments to advisory NDPBs and other bodies is available from sponsoring departments and is often set out in departmental publications, such as departmental annual reports, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

  The Cabinet Office publication Public Bodies 1996, also available in the House Libraries, lists all NDPBs and nationalised industries, together with certain public corporations and NHS bodies, and identifies those appointments made by The Queen and Her Ministers. This information however is not set out by region.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Prime Minister's Questions
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the President of the Council how many Back-Bench hon. Members she consulted about changes to Prime Minister's Questions before the change was announced. [652]

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  There was no formal consultation, although Members on all sides of the House have placed their dissatisfaction with the old arrangements on record over several years.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
  ENVIRONMENT AND THE REGIONS

    Climate Change
    Mr. Gummer
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to meet his Cabinet colleagues from the other European Union countries to discuss climate change and the fixing of targets for 2005. [637]

    Mr. Prescott
    Together with the Minister for the Environment, I plan to attend the EU Environment Council in Luxembourg on 19 and 20 June at which climate change, including appropriate reduction targets for developed countries for 2005, will be discussed.

    Conference on Sustainable Development
    Mr. Gummer
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when he plans to attend the conference on sustainable development in New York; [639]

    (2) what issues he plans to include in his speech to the conference on sustainable development in New York; [640]

    (3) if he plans to accompany the Prime Minister to the special session of the UN in New York. [641]

    Mr. Prescott
    The Prime Minister and I will both be attending the UN General Assembly Special Session in June. The Prime Minister will address the General Assembly on 23 June. He will no doubt refer to the importance the Government attaches to the goal of sustainable development and to our priorities for pursuing that goal.

    Housing (Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale)
    Mr. Gordon Prentice
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the percentage of(a) the local authority, (b) housing association, (c) the private sector and (d) the total housing stock in (i) Burnley, (ii) Pendle and (iii) Rossendale assessed as requiring major expenditure to bring it up to standard in each year since 1992. [698]

    Mr. Raynsford
    As part of the annual Housing Investment Programme, local authorities in England are asked to provide estimates of the numbers of their own dwellings and dwelling in other tenures in their area which are unfit. The estimated proportions of unfit stock 148
    on 1 April provided by Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale on their 1992 to 1996 HIP1 returns are set out below. The figures are not necessarily reported on a consistent basis because of differences in interpretation of the statutory definition of unfitness. Not all of these dwellings will require major expenditure to make them fit.

    Local authority

    Housing association

    Private sector

    Total stock

    Burnley

    1992

    3

    1—

    20

    17

    1993

    5

    4

    18

    16

    1994

    1—

    2

    22

    18

    1995

    1—

    0

    22

    18

    1996

    1—

    0

    24

    19

    Pendle

    1992

    0

    3

    7

    6

    1993

    0

    2

    7

    6

    1994

    0

    7

    6

    1995

    0

    0

    18

    15

    1996

    0

    0

    17

    15

    Rossendale

    1992

    1—

    0

    7

    6

    1993

    1—

    0

    7

    6

    1994

    6

    not reported

    6

    not reported

    1995

    4

    0

    33

    27

    1996

    3

    0

    30

    24

    1 Less than 0.5 per cent. but not zero.

    Petrol
    Mr. Matthew Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his Department's policy will be towards the proposals relating to maximum permissible levels of(a) sulphur in petrol and diesel and (b) benzene in petrol by 2000, at the Council of European Environment Ministers meeting in June. [1015]

    Mr. Meacher
    The Government is committed to taking tough action to improve air quality in the UK. We will make clear our position on the levels of sulphur in petrol and diesel and benzene in petrol at the Council of European Environment Ministers meeting in June, as part of the negotiation of a common position on the proposed vehicles and fuels directives.

    EU Committee of the Regions
    Mr. Whitehead
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the method whereby United Kingdom members of the EU Committee of the Regions are appointed; and if he will make a statement. [841]

    Ms Armstrong
    The first term of the Committee of the Regions ends on 25 January 1998. Before making nominations for new appointments to the Committee we intend to consider the arrangements for making these nominations and to consult local government.

    Southend (Grant)
    Sir Teddy Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made in determining the grant to be
    149
    given to the Southend unitary authority for the year 1998–99; and what factors he is entitled to take into account in making such a determination. [976]

    Ms Armstrong
    I expect to announce the Revenue Support Grant for Southend for 1998/99 at the same time as I announce my proposals for other authorities. Such announcements have customarily been made about the end of November. I expect to apply the same grant formula to Southend as to other authorities with similar responsibilities. I have a broad discretion as to the factors which may be taken into account.

    To assist Southend, and other authorities reorganising in April 1998, I intend to publish indicative estimates of the level of Standard Spending Assessment which each authority would have had for 1997–98, had reorganisation taken place a year earlier.

    Carbon Dioxide Emissions
    Mr. Matthew Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate his Department has made of the impact a reduction in VAT on domestic fuel to 5 per cent. would have on carbon dioxide emissions the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [1004]

    Mr. Meacher
    We have estimated that the reduction in VAT on domestic fuel to 5 per cent. will result in an increase in carbon dioxide emissions of about 0.9 million tonnes per year (equivalent to about a quarter of a million tonnes of carbon) by 2010. This represents about 0.15 per cent. of current carbon dioxide emissions.

    Mr. Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has commissioned into the increases in carbon dioxide emissions which would result from a programme of building clean coal plants. [1013]

    Mr. Meacher
    Extensive research on the effects of clean coal plants is available from ETSU (formerly the Energy Technology Support Unit) and the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas Research and Development Programme. The impacts that clean coal technology would have on carbon dioxide emissions would depend on the number of plants built and which other options for electricity generation they displace.

    Mr. Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what modifications he proposes to make to the United Kingdom climate change action programme to achieve the Government's target of a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 levels by 2010; and if he will make a statement. [1005]

    Mr. Meacher
    The Government will lead the fight against global warming at the Kyoto Conference on climate change this December, through our target of a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010. We will review the United Kingdom's Climate Change Programme in that light looking for improvements in areas such as domestic and industrial energy efficiency, an integrated transport strategy to tackle the projected growth in emissions from road transport, and a large increase in the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources and combined heat and power schemes.

    Council Properties
    Mr. Streeter
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the estimated potential rental income from vacant council owned properties in Devon and Plymouth. [983]

    Mr. Raynsford
    Local authorities report information on the rent loss on their vacant dwellings in their Housing Subsidy Claim returns. The provisional total rent loss on vacant dwellings in 1996–97 reported by local authorities in Devon, including Plymouth, is some £1.3 million (1.3 per cent of potential rent income); the corresponding figure for Plymouth is £0.5 million (1.5 per cent.). The corresponding figure for rent loss as a percentage of potential rent income for all local authorities in England is 2.6 per cent.

    Rented Housing
    Mr. Winnick
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects local authorities to be able to use their capital receipts to start building rented housing. [991]

    Mr. Raynsford
    Legislation to facilitate the Government's Capital Receipts initiative will be brought forward as quickly as possible. Resources released under the initiative will be made available to local authorities to use in support of priority schemes which meet key objectives. We will be considering and consulting on these over the coming weeks.

    Shopping Centres
    Mr. Bennett
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to reply to the Environment Committee's report on shopping centres, Fourth report, Session 1996–97, HC 210. [35]

    Mr. Raynsford
    We expect to respond in mid-June.

    English Partnerships
    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans next to meet the chairman of English Partnerships. [808]

    Angela Eagle
    The Deputy Prime Minister and colleagues look forward to meeting the Chairman of English Partnerships in common with the Chairmen of the other major bodies sponsored by this department.

    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the development of English Partnerships. [798]

    Angela Eagle
    We intend to build on the achievements of English Partnerships in the context of our policies for regional development and after extensive consultation.

    Planning Inspectors
    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many planning inspectors are currently in place; and on what grades they are; [820]

    (2) what is the current waiting time for appeal cases to be heard from receipt of appeals; [819]
    151
    (3) what was the backlog of appeals being dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate on 5 May. [818]

    Mr. Raynsford
    Responsibility for the provision of information on performance on the processing of planning appeals and other operational matters has been delegated to the Planning Inspectorate Agency under its Chief Executive Mr. Chris Shepley. I have asked him to reply.

    Letter from C. J. Shepley to Mr. Keith Vaz, dated 21 May 1997:
    The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has asked me to reply to your Questions about:
    the current waiting time for appeal cases to be heard;
    the number and grades of planning inspectors;
    the current backlog of appeals being dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate on 5 May.

    During April the average waiting time for dates offered to the parties for planning appeals to be heard at both a public inquiry and a hearing was 26 weeks from the start of the appeal.

    On 1 May 1997 the Planning Inspectorate had 379 Planning Inspectors. Of the 224 salaried Inspectors there were 42 Principal Housing and Planning Inspectors, 149 Senior Housing and Planning Inspectors and 33 Housing and Planning Inspectors. The remaining inspectors were fee paid.

    The planning appeal system is governed by procedure rules. These rules prescribe the time allowed for the parties to the appeal to compete the various stages of the process. As a consequence there will always be appeals in the process awaiting determination. On 5 May there were 6,879 planning appeals being dealt with by the Inspectorate in England.

    City Challenge
    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the future of City Challenge. [811]

    Mr. Caborn
    We will honour all existing funding commitments under City Challenge, thus allowing the remaining partnerships, subject to satisfactory performance, to complete their programmes within the agreed funding period.

    Planning Policy Guidance
    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review PPG6. [817]

    Mr. Raynsford
    We have no current plans to review PPG6, although we are concerned to apply it firmly and consistently, and to monitor its effectiveness. The Government is currently considering its response to the more detailed and specific matters raised by the Environment Committee's report on shopping centres.

    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review PPG1. [821]

    Mr. Raynsford
    We have no immediate plans to revise the current version of Planning Policy Guidance Note 1: General Policy and Principles which was published in February. As we introduce policies which will strengthen the planning system, such as our commitment to regional development, we will be considering how these should be promoted through national planning policy guidance.

    Regional Development Agencies
    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the proposed budget for the regional development agencies for 1998–99. [797]

    Angela Eagle
    This question does not arise, since we intend that regional development agencies in England will begin operation in the year 1999–2000.

    Out-of-town Shopping Centres
    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government policy in respect of out-of-town shopping centres. [809]

    Mr. Raynsford
    The Government supports the objective of maintaining and enhancing existing centres and focusing retail development in existing centres to assist their regeneration. The Government is currently considering the recent report of the Environment Committee on shopping centres and will be publishing a response shortly.

    Green Belt
    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about Green Belt policy. [822]

    Mr. Raynsford
    The Government's Green Belt policy is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 2. The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. The key feature of Green Belt policy is therefore its presumption against inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

    Single Regeneration Budget
    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his plans for Round 3 of the Single Regeneration Budget. [800]

    Mr. Caborn
    The Government is strongly committed to the regeneration of cities and other areas. It will honour commitments on Round 3 and earlier rounds of the Single Regeneration Budget Challenge Fund, subject to satisfactory performance by the schemes supported and the availability of resources.

    Guidance for the fourth round as issued in March by the previous administration and potential bidders are already working up proposals. The Government does not wish to stop this work. It wishes to ensure, however, that those preparing proposals are given the clearest possible guidance on the Government's policies and priorities. It will therefore issue shortly supplementary guidance, the key elements of which will be:

    (a) a requirement that proposals contribute to the Government's Manifesto commitment to carry out a concerted attack against the multiple causes of social and economic decline, and fit with its new policies, including those relating to employment, crime and housing;

    (b) a greater emphasis on tackling the needs of communities in the most deprived areas;

    153

    (c) a requirement that proposals should take account of existing strategies for promoting economic development and tackling deprivation, such as economic development strategies prepared by local authorities, and fit with the Government's policy on regional governance.

    In addition, the Government considers that there should be a more collaborative approach between those preparing proposals, their partners and Government Offices for the Regions in order to arrive at a shared understanding of regeneration needs and priorities, and to stimulate fresh thinking. To facilitate this sort of exchange, the Government has decided that the deadline for submission of initial proposals be shifted from 27 June 1997 to 26 September 1997. It nonetheless expects those working up proposals to be in touch with the appropriate Government Office for the Region well before this revised deadline.

    Garth Refurbishment Programme, Hull
    Mr. McNamara
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and Regions what directions his Department gave for the delaying and rephasing of the Garth Refurbishment Programme in Hull. [771]

    Angela Eagle
    During the 1997 Public Expenditure Survey, provision for the Estate Action programme nationally was reduced by £10 million in 1997–98, and £20 million in each of the next two years. As a result, planned expenditure on a number of Estate Action schemes, including the Garth Refurbishment Programme in Hull, was reprofiled in consultation with the local authorities concerned. However, the total amount of Estate Action grant to be given to this and other committed Estate Action schemes remains unchanged.

    Green Globe Task Force
    Mr. Llew Smith
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list(a) the dates for proposed meetings of the Government's green globe task force in the current year and (b) the members, and their affiliations, of the task force. [864]

    Mr. Meacher
    The green globe task force was established in opposition to advise the shadow Foreign Secretary and shadow Secretary of State for Environmental Protection. The exact status of the task force in the future is still under discussion.

    Out-of-town Development
    Mr. Gummer
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for ensuring that the sequential test is universally applied to out-of-town development proposals. [851]

    Mr. Prescott
    I am committed to revitalising town centres. I will therefore expect local planning authorities to apply a sequential approach to selecting locations and to identifying sites for key town centre uses and expect developers to apply this approach when selecting sites for development.
    154

    East Midlands Regional Development Agency
    Ms Hewitt
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will establish the headquarters of the new east midlands regional development agency in Leicester. [1031]

    Angela Eagle
    We will shortly be consulting interested parties in all the English regions about our proposals for Regional Development Agencies, and will make our detailed decisions in the light of those consultations.

    Somerset County Council
    Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will determine whether Somerset county council can exceed its expenditure cap for 1997–98. [1144]

    Mr. Prescott
    I am announcing the capping principles for all authorities, including Somerset, today.

    The vast majority of authorities have set budgets and council taxes within the limits set by my predecessor; in only three cases (out of 436 authorities) am I proposing cap limits which would require authorities to reduce their budget requirements.

    These authorities are Oxfordshire County Council, Somerset County Council and Warwickshire County Council. I have proposed caps for them which I consider, on the basis of all the information available so far, to be reasonable and achievable in all the circumstances of the authorities concerned. If the authorities accept my proposed caps they will be able to issue new lower bills without delay.

    The capping principles for 1997–98 are set out in the Limitation of Council Tax and Precepts 1997–98 (4 February 1997) subject to a general proviso that no authority is to be designated if its budget requirement is £50,000 or less above the limit implied by these principles. I have placed copies of this document in the Library of the House. The main points are:

    (i) Inner London boroughs, Metropolitan Districts and Unitary authorities and the Isles of Scilly were able to increase their budget requirements by 1 per cent. or the increase in their education, PSS and fire SSAs whichever is the greater;

    (ii) County Councils, outer London Boroughs and the City of London were able to increase their budget requirements by 2 per cent. or the increase in their education, PSS and fire SSAs, whichever is the greater;

    (iii) Shire districts were able to increase their budgets by 0. 5 per cent.;

    (iv) Fire and Civil Defence Authorities were able to increase their budget requirements by 3.0 per cent.;

    (v) Police Authorities were able to increase their budgets by 3.2 per cent.

    Authorities budgeting more than 12. 5 per cent. above SSA were subject to a cash freeze.
    In accordance with sections 54 and 56 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, I have decided to designate the authorities listed below. The amount given after each authority is the amount which I am proposing should be the maximum amount calculated by each authority as its budget requirement for 1997–98:
    Oxfordshire County Council: £339.530 million
    Somerset County Council: £284.746 million
    Warwickshire County Council: £292.335 million

    155
    This decision demonstrates that we are taking our commitments on spending very seriously. The authorities now have 28 days, starting today, in which to inform us whether or not they accept their proposed cap. If they accept, the caps will be confirmed by notice and the authorities can set revised lower budgets. The budgets we are proposing imply reductions of £6 million for Oxfordshire, £3.339 million for Somerset and £2 million for Warwickshire. Band D council tax bills well be reduced by around £28 (Oxfordshire) £20 (Somerset) and £11 (Warwickshire.) If an authority challenges, it must propose an alternative amount together with its reasons for doing so and will have the opportunity to meet us to explain its case. Once we have considered all the available information we shall propose final caps which will be included in an Order, a draft of which is debated by the House of Commons. If the draft Order is approved, final caps are set by notice and revised budgets and council tax levels must then be set by the authorities concerned.

    Capital Receipts (Lancashire)
    Mr. Gordon Prentice
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each local authority in Lancashire the capital receipts held resulting from the sale of land, property and other assets. [697]

    Mr. Raynsford
    The amounts of accumulated and unspent usable capital receipts at 31 March 1996 for each local authority in Lancashire are listed below:

    £000

    Lancashire CC

    154

    Blackburn

    0

    Blackpool

    4,916

    Burnley

    1,154

    Chorley

    500

    Fylde

    353

    Hyndburn

    0

    Accidents and casualties by severity: vehicles involved by vehicle type: road length: all by selected individual motorways1: 1995 Number

    Number

    Accidents

    Casualties

    Vehicles involved

    Fatal

    Serious

    All Severities

    Fatal

    Serious

    All Severities

    Two wheel motor vehicles

    Cars and LGV

    HGV

    All Vechicles2

    Kilometeres open at December 19951

    England

    M1/M10

    20

    144

    980

    23

    194

    1,658

    43

    1,965

    334

    2,372

    319

    M45

    0

    1

    3

    0

    1

    7

    1

    2

    1

    4

    13

    M2

    0

    12

    59

    0

    12

    87

    5

    94

    19

    120

    43

    M3

    1

    37

    229

    1

    43

    353

    23

    410

    32

    468

    90

    M4

    11

    73

    603

    23

    110

    936

    46

    1,086

    108

    1,269

    187

    M5

    11

    56

    373

    11

    78

    591

    17

    701

    107

    133

    262

    M6

    24

    129

    940

    26

    191

    1,659

    31

    1,681

    395

    2,150

    383

    M11

    3

    18

    143

    3

    23

    209

    11

    225

    38

    278

    85

    M11

    2

    7

    50

    3

    10

    85

    2

    84

    19

    108

    46

    M20

    4

    23

    98

    4

    34

    156

    1

    154

    30

    185

    86

    M23

    1

    11

    85

    1

    14

    146

    6

    161

    12

    182

    27

    M25

    16

    109

    1,028

    17

    139

    1,623

    52

    2,036

    302

    2,420

    185

    M26

    0

    4

    12

    0

    4

    24

    1

    17

    3

    21

    16

    M27/M271/M275

    6

    27

    206

    6

    38

    299

    17

    443

    25

    490

    60

    M40

    6

    45

    273

    7

    60

    454

    9

    487

    64

    566

    147

    M42

    1

    27

    112

    1

    34

    174

    5

    203

    28

    239

    72

    M50

    0

    4

    11

    0

    4

    14

    0

    9

    7

    16

    35

    M53

    0

    8

    76

    0

    8

    120

    2

    137

    8

    149

    33

    M54

    2

    2

    29

    2

    2

    39

    2

    47

    10

    61

    36

    M55

    0

    4

    19

    0

    7

    40

    0

    29

    5

    34

    19

    M56

    1

    12

    108

    1

    12

    171

    2

    182

    31

    220

    58

    M57

    2

    1

    26

    2

    2

    50

    0

    50

    2

    52

    17

    M58

    0

    1

    24

    0

    1

    30

    2

    32

    6

    40

    19

    M61

    2

    11

    72

    2

    17

    116

    3

    128

    19

    151

    40

    156

    £000

    Lancaster

    0

    Pendle

    302

    Preston

    1966

    Ribble Valley

    261

    Rossendale

    186

    South Ribble

    4,540

    West Lancashire

    1,276

    Wyre

    3,810

    Source:

    1995–96 capital outturn returns.

    Comparable figures for the amounts of set-aside capital receipts held by local authorities are not available. Individual authorities may not have retained all their set-aside receipts in the form of cash and investments, but instead used the cash to repay debt or in lieu of further borrowing.

    We will be consulting the Local Government Association and local authorities on the Government's Capital Receipts initiative. No decision about the basis on which resources are to be distributed to individual authorities will be made until that consultation process is complete.

TRANSPORT

  Road Safety
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which road has the highest number of accidents; and if he will publish a league table of those roads in the UK with the highest number of road accidents. [2]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I attach information on injury accidents and consequent casualties in 1995 for specified motorways in Great Britain. Unfortunately, the specific information requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
  157

  Accidents and casualties by severity: vehicles involved by vehicle type: road length: all by selected individual motorways1: 1995

  Number

  Accidents

  Casualties

  Vehicles involved

  Fatal

  Serious

  All Severities

  Fatal

  Serious

  All Severities

  Two wheel motor vehicles

  Cars and LGV

  HGV

  All Vehicles2

  Kilometres open at December 19951

  M62

  11

  48

  483

  15

  61

  753

  19

  870

  186

  1081

  174

  M63

  1

  7

  132

  1

  8

  192

  1

  259

  30

  294

  26

  M65

  0

  7

  30

  0

  8

  45

  0

  55

  4

  61

  22

  M66

  0

  7

  39

  0

  7

  53

  2

  84

  5

  93

  19

  M69

  0

  4

  27

  0

  5

  36

  2

  37

  5

  44

  28

  M180/M181

  1

  4

  19

  1

  4

  20

  0

  16

  9

  26

  45

  Other motorways

  3

  6

  112

  3

  6

  148

  10

  201

  14

  228

  36

  Motorways

  129

  849

  6,401

  153

  1,137

  10,318

  315

  11,885

  1,858

  14,255

  2,625

  A(M) roads

  12

  51

  450

  13

  63

  673

  29

  821

  78

  937

  201

  Total (including A(M) roads)

  141

  900

  6,851

  166

  1,200

  10,991

  344

  12,706

  1,936

  15,192

  2,826

  Wales

  Motorways

  4

  24

  209

  4

  34

  323

  6

  404

  57

  475

  —

  A(M) roads

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  —

  Total (including A(M) roads)

  4

  24

  209

  4

  34

  323

  6

  404

  57

  475

  126

  Scotland

  Motorways

  9

  75

  330

  10

  99

  535

  12

  554

  73

  648

  —

  A(M) roads

  0

  0

  2

  0

  0

  2

  0

  2

  0

  3

  —

  Total (including A(M) roads)

  9

  75

  332

  10

  99

  537

  12

  556

  73

  651

  316

  Great Britain

  Motorways

  142

  948

  6,940

  167

  1,270

  11,176

  333

  12,843

  1,988

  15,378

  —

  A(M) roads

  12

  51

  452

  13

  63

  675

  29

  823

  78

  940

  —

  Total (including A(M) roads)

  154

  999

  7,392

  180

  1,333

  11,851

  362

  13,666

  2,066

  16,318

  3,268

  1 Casualty and accident data by road class are not available for Northern Ireland.

  2 Includes pedal cycles, buses and coaches and other vehicles.

  3 Excluding slip roads. Data for England from 1994 onwards supplied by DOT Statistics Directorate. Data for Wales from Welsh Office and Scotland from Scottish Office.

  BAA
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he next intends to meet the chairman of BAA. [815]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Deputy Prime Minister had a constructive discussion with Sir John Egan, the Chief Executive of BAA plc, at a meeting on Wednesday 21 May.

  Heathrow
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to use EU regulations to ring-fence Heathrow slots for flights from Plymouth and the south west. [978]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Government has no powers to ring-fence slots for services which are no longer operating.

  Road Maintenance
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the cost to the Highways Agency of preventing deterioration of the trunk road network. [4]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions will be discussing appropriate levels of the future 158
  expenditure on the trunk road and motorway network with the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency over the next few months.

  Railtrack
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he proposes to take to ensure that Railtrack fulfils its contractual obligations to maintain(a) the infrastructure and (b) track and signalling. [64]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Under its contracts with train operators Railtrack is penalised for delays to services caused by faults in the infrastructure and signalling and thereby encouraged to invest in necessary maintenance. This is one of the areas we are considering as part of our review of regulation of the rail industry.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the amount which Railtrack is contractually obliged to spend on track and signalling upkeep and maintenance; [66]

  (2) what powers he has to force Railtrack to commit funds towards maintenance and upkeep of track and signalling if it falls below the contractual obligations set by the regulator. [67]
  159
  Ms Jackson
  The Secretary of State has no powers to force Railtrack to commit funds. The Rail Regulator, in setting the level of charges payable by train operators, has assumed that Railtrack will spend £3.5 billion at 1995/96 prices on network renewal in the six years to 2001. Railtrack does not have a contractual obligation to spend this amount on maintenance but a failure to spend at the levels assumed by the Regulator would be taken into account when he reviews access charges in 2001.

  The Rail Regulator has today called for greater public accountability from Railtrack and announced that he will be seeking agreement to an amendment to Railtrack's licence to ensure delivery of its investment plans. This exposes the weakness in the present system. We will be conducting a thorough review of rail regulation.

  West Coast Main Line (Redundancies)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the total cost to public funds of redundancy payments to staff employed on the west coast main line since it was sold. [33]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Redundancy payments made by West Coast Trains Limited since it was franchised are a matter for the operator. Costs of redundancies to the Exchequer are not identified separately, but may have been a factor in the bids by tenderers for the franchise.

  Rail Track Maintenance
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take action to ensure that track maintenance undertaken by Railtrack correlates to those areas of track most in need of attention. [65]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Secretary of State has no powers to force Railtrack to direct its spending to any particular area. Railtrack's annual Network Management Statement gives a guide to the company's own priorities. Responsibility for enforcement of safety duties rests with the Health and Safety Executive who can issue improvement notices requiring works to be carried out by a certain date.

  Ticket Refunds
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to make it possible to claim a refund on a fare incorrectly levied at a station other than that at which the ticket was purchased. [747]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Normally, unused tickets will be eligible for refund and the claim can be submitted at any station. All franchised train operating companies (TOCs) are obliged to participate in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) which deals with the retailing of fares and other products by passenger operators. The TSA obliges all operators to accept claims whether or not they issued the ticket, and arrangements are then made if necessary to forward applications to the relevant train operator who will settle the claim. I understand that train operators are proposing to streamline this process so that TOCs have the option to settle a claim at any station, regardless of where the original purchase was made.

  A421 (Great Sanford)
  Sir Nicholas Lyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what further procedures are necessary before the Great Banford bypass (A421) can be commenced; and if he will make a statement. [755]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We are committed to a strategic review of the Roads Programme and I anticipate that this scheme will be included in that review.

  A1 (Tempsford)
  Sir Nicholas Lyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to commence the construction of the A1 Tempsford flyover; and if he will make a statement. [754]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We are committed to a strategic review of the trunk road programme. I anticipate that this scheme will be included in that review.

  A6 (Bedford)
  Sir Nicholas Lyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assistance he is giving to facilitate the construction of the Bedford Western bypass from the A6 to the A421; and if he will make a statement. [756]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The A6 to A428 link was removed from the roads programme in 1996. The Highways Agency is liaising with the County Council, acting on behalf of a consortium of developers, on the A428 to A421 link.

  Roads (Funding)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the annual expenditure on(a) construction and (b) maintenance of the roads network in each of the last five years; and what proportion of this expenditure was funded by taxes raised by (i) car tax and (ii) heavy goods vehicles tax. [708]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The information requested is as follows:

  £ million

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  National roads

  Construction

  1,399

  1,460

  1,460

  1,289

  1,180

  Maintenance

  644

  699

  706

  572

  527

  Local roads

  Construction

  687

  677

  607

  685

  641

  Maintenance

  1,923

  1,950

  1,973

  2,037

  1,923

  Tax

  Private light goods vehicle tax

  2,655

  3,065

  3,240

  3,445

  3,560

  Heavy goods vehicle tax

  500

  510

  540

  555

  555

  Total

  3,155

  3,575

  3,780

  4,000

  4,115

  Tax revenues stated to the nearest £5 million. 1996–97 expenditure is estimated outturn.

  South West Trains
  Mr. Whitehead
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the efficacy of the regulation of the performance of South West Trains; if the regulatory regime is operating according to the undertakings given upon the privatisation of South West Trains; and if he will make a statement. [842]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Although South West Trains' performance has now been restored to an acceptable standard, it is the Government's view that their passengers received unacceptable service for some months earlier this year, and such problems must not recur. We believe that the tools presently available to regulators are inadequate and have already begun to seek ways of strengthening them in the interests of passengers. We have asked the Franchising Director to review his existing enforcement powers, and we will consider how these should be strengthened or how we might otherwise tighten the regulation of franchise agreements.

  Petrol
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate his Department has made of the effect that reducing the benzene content of petrol would have on benzene emissions. [1000]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The evidence which has emerged as a result of the Auto Oil programme suggests that, very broadly the amount of benzene and the amount of aromatics in petrol contribute about equally to the benzene in vehicle exhaust gases, although the results can vary between vehicle types and operation. A third small source is from the partial combustion of other hydrocarbons. As a guide, therefore, a halving of the benzene content in petrol (typical UK average 2–3 per cent.) would result in approximately a one quarter reduction in exhaust gas benzene. The effect of fitting catalytic convertors to cars is much greater, however, benzene emissions being reduced by 85 per cent. compared with non-catalyst cars.

  Recreational Flying
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has to introduce legislation to curtail or restrict the hours in which recreational aircraft flying can take place; and if he will make a statement; [971]

  (2) what plans he has to require recreational aircraft users to install and pay for silencers on their aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [972]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We recognise that recreational flying can cause disturbance. The UK is leading work in the International Civil Aviation Organisation on possible improvements in technology and operational practice. We expect results later this year.

  Winterbourne Stoke Bypass
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made on the design and construction of the Winterbourne Stoke bypass on the A303(T). [90]
  162
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  [holding answer 20 May 1997]: We are undertaking a strategic review of the Trunk Road programme and I anticipate that this scheme will be included in that review.

SCOTLAND

  Glasgow Royal Infirmary (Maternity Unit)
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects work to commence on the construction of the new maternity unit in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary complex as a replacement for the Royal Maternity Hospital in Rottenrow; and if he will make a statement. [557]

  Sam Galbraith
  The construction of the new maternity unit in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary complex is part of a package of PFI projects put forward by the Trust. I am presently reviewing all PFI projects and intend to make an announcement shortly.

  Scottish Trades Union Congress
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to meet the STUC to discuss the economy of Scotland and if he will make a statement. [581]

  Brian Wilson
  My right hon. Friend will be meeting a number of representative bodies, including the STUC, in the near future. It is likely that the economy of Scotland will be one of a number of issues that will be discussed at these meetings.

  Scottish Enterprise
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to appoint a new chairman of Scottish Enterprise; and if he will make a statement. [576]

  Brian Wilson
  Following the resignation of Sir Donald Mackay, a new Chairman will be announced in due course. This appointment will be made in accordance with the guidance issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

  Scottish Homes
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland from what date Scottish Homes tenants will be allowed to include local authorities as potential landlords in any ballot to transfer from Scottish Homes; and if he will make a statement. [578]

  Malcolm Chisholm
  We are reviewing the arrangements for the transfer of Scottish Homes houses in the light of the Government's commitment to give tenants choice in their landlord.

  Skye Bridge
  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date plans for the route of the Skye bridge which envisaged the use of Eileian Ban were first considered by the Scottish Office. [1203]
  163
  Malcolm Chisholm
  The Scottish Office received a copy of a feasibility report entitled "A Bridge to Skye" from the former Highland Regional Council for consideration in December 1986. A number of routes were assessed for the Skye Bridge, with a western route crossing the island of Eilean Ban being the route recommended by JMP Consultants Limited, who had undertaken the feasibility study on behalf of Highland Regional Council.

  Historic Scotland
  Miss Anne Begg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the key performance targets he has set for Historic Scotland for 1997–98. [1228]

  Mr. Dewar
  I have set Historic Scotland the following key performance targets for 1997–98:

  Target

  Protecting Scotland's built heritage

  Number of monuments scheduled

  380

  Number of listed building resurvey units

  178

  Number of weeks in which 80 per cent. Of scheduled monument consent cases resolved

  12

  Percentage of listed building consent cases resolved within 28 days

  97 per cent.

  Percentage of listed building consent cases newly assisted by grant

  145

  Total value of grant-assisted repairs in progress

  £34 million

  Programme of conservation of monuments in care1

  meet programme

  Promoting and presenting the built heritage

  HS market share compared to major paid heritage attractions in Scotland[*]

  47 per cent.

  Percentage of satisfied visitors (based on surveys)

  95 per cent.

  Average spend per visitor

  £1.12

  Agency management

  Percentage efficiency gains/savings on all non-grant expenditure

  1.5 per cent.

  Net Exchequer funding of running costs1

  £12.0 million

  1 For details see Historic Scotland Corporate Plan to be published in July.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Food Safety
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to provide for the fullest access to information on food safety issues by the general public; and if he will make a statement. [43]

  Mr. Rooker
  Yes. My right hon. Friend, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has made clear that it is our intention to introduce changes to the working practices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to increase openness and access to information on food safety matters by the general public. We shall be developing this policy in close consultation with interested parties, including consumer representatives.
  164
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will hold discussions with representatives of bodies and individuals responsible for food safety on the introduction of revised guidelines on the publication of information on food safety matters drawn to the attention of government departments. [44]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has made clear that it is our intention to introduce changes to the working practices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to increase openness and access to information on food safety matters by the general public. We shall be developing this policy in close consultation with interested parties, including consumer representatives.

  Beef
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Department has made of the advantages of a general ban on the importation of beef with minor exemptions. [48]

  Mr. Rooker
  The European Commission issued a draft report in March on risk factors and surveillance procedures on BSE in the Community. This report identified serious deficiencies in BSE control and detection in some other Member States. The draft report has been passed to SEAC for their consideration and advice.

  BSE
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the development of(a) a live test and (b) a post-mortem test for the indentification of BSE in cattle. [11]

  Mr. Rooker
  (a) MAFF has put considerable resources into the development of a test to detect BSE in live cattle, but so far no test suitable for use in the field has been developed. At present BSE can be suspected in the live animal only on the basis of observations of the clinical signs exhibited: confirmation of the clinical opinion is dependent on laboratory examination of brain tissue after death. Additional resources are being invested into the development of a BSE diagnostic test. To stimulate research in this area MAFF recently launched an Open Competition for independent scientists to develop alternative novel approaches. MAFF is also working in collaboration with French, Dutch and American researchers in the development of tests. Although lines of investigation using urine, blood and cerebrospinal fluid show some promise on clinically affected animals, they are unlikely to be of value in the immediate future in diagnosing sub-clinically infected cattle.

  (b) Currently the identification of BSE in cattle is undertaken by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) by histopathological examination of post-mortem samples of brain tissue. Research is under way to find a test which could be applied commercially. Any post-mortem test has to take into account the pathogenesis of the disease, which determines where infectivity will be present at any point in time after infection. There also needs to be a plentiful supply of disease specific monoclonal antibody that has

  165
  been validated for the particular purpose to which the test is to be applied. All claims that such tests are currently available are overstated.

  Civil Service (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has to increase the number of ethnic minority employees in his Department. [731]

  Mr. Morley
  The Department has in place a comprehensive Programme of Action for Equality of Opportunity which covers monitoring of personnel procedures including recruitment. This enables any necessary action to be taken to ensure that procedures are fair to all staff and applicants. Employment levels of ethnic minority individuals in the main recruitment grades in London and the South East compare well with the benchmarks for the economically active population in the area. Outreach activities are encouraged if monitoring indicates that applications from ethnic minority individuals are below the relevant local benchmark.

  The Department also participates in the Windsor Fellowship sponsorship programme for the development of ethnic minority undergraduates which includes work experience placements with the sponsoring employer. Two Fellows are currently being sponsored and the Department has previously sponsored two other individuals.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many civil servants of each grade in his Department were of Asian origin, on 5 May. [730]

  Mr. Morley
  This answer covers core MAFF and the following of its agencies: Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Pesticides Safety Directorate, and the Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, the Central Science Laboratory and the Meat Hygiene Service. The most recent figures available are for 1 April 1997 and are as follows.

  Asian staff in post as at 1 April 1997

  Grade level1

  Staff of Asian origin2

  SCS

  0

  6

  2

  7

  8

  SEO

  5

  HEO

  316

  EO

  29

  AO

  62

  AA

  60

  Total

  182

  1 Grade level means grade and grade equivalent.

  2 Figures are collected via a voluntary questionnaire of which 96.6 per cent. of staff responded.

  3 Includes five individuals at the Central Science Laboratory Level 2.

  Foxes
  Mr. Hogg
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what discussions the Minister for Fisheries and the Countryside has had with the Forestry Commission with regard to banning foxhunting on Forestry Commission land; [595]
  166
  (2) what discussions the Minister for Fisheries and the Countryside has had with the Forestry Commission with regard to the control of foxes on Forestry Commission land. [598]

  Dr. John Cunningham
  We have asked the Forestry Commission for advice on fox hunting on Commission land and its effect on the control of foxes.

  Agriculture Council
  Mr. Michael John Foster
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 20 May; and if he will make a statement. [1098]

  Dr. John Cunningham
  I represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers held in Brussels on 20 May. I was accompanied by the Under-Secretary of State at the Scottish Office, Lord Sewel.

  I informed the Council of Ministers of the priority which the United Kingdom Government attaches in the field of food and agriculture to protecting the health and well being of the consumer and the environment. I also made clear my intention to work constructively with my European colleagues to bring about a lifting of the ban on UK beef exports in accordance with the Florence Agreement, and to achieve further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

  The Council unanimously adopted an important animal welfare measure concerning the protection of animals during transport, specifically the introduction of Community-wide criteria for staging points. I welcomed this proposal, but drew attention to the concerns of the United Kingdom, shared by Ireland and Denmark, not to jeopardise the high health status of breeding pigs when in transport and thus damage a valuable trade. The Council at my insistence agreed a declaration requesting the Commission to examine the possibility of special measures to deal with this issue, and to report to the Council as soon as possible.

  The Council also discussed the serious situation facing the EU beef market, and in particular the adequacy of the early marketing and calf processing schemes in reducing excess production. I stressed the urgency of bringing forward far-reaching proposals for reform of this sector, including reductions in support prices, and emphasised the distorting effects which these schemes were having on the UK market in particular. I pressed the Commission to review them as quickly as possible. In response, the Commission presented a detailed analysis of the current situation and prospects for the EU beef and veal market, and undertook to report further on the early marketing and calf schemes as a matter of urgency.

  The Commission reported on its negotiations with third countries, in particular the United States, for the conclusion of veterinary and plant health equivalence agreements. I urged the Commission to resolve outstanding matters with the United States as rapidly as possible.

  In the margins of the Council of Ministers, I held bilateral discussions with Commissioner Bonino and with several EU Ministerial colleagues. As the first member of the new Government to visit the European Parliament,

  167
  I also took the opportunity to hold talks with a number of MEPs, including Pauline Green, leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Party of European Socialists, and with the Chairmen of the Agriculture Committee and of the Temporary Committee inquiring into BSE. We discussed the UK Government's priorities for agricultural policy, and the particular issue of BSE.

  Tuberculosis
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations have been received from animal welfare organisations over the last three years on the transmission of TB by badgers. [1059]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Department has received representations from the following organisations:

  Castle Combe Badger Research Centre

  The Coalition for Badgers

  Dartmoor Badgers Protection League

  Dorset Badger Group

  Gloucestershire Badger Group

  The Mammal Society

  National Federation of Badger Groups

  New Forest Badger Group

  North East Essex Badger Group

  North Northants Badgers

  Nottinghamshire Badger Group

  Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

  Royal Society for Nature Conservation (the Wildlife Trusts)

  Somerset Trust Badger Group

  Shropshire Badger Group

  Surrey Badger Protection Society

  Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

  Wiltshire Badger Group

  Worcestershire Badger Society

  Yeovil and District Badger Group

  A joint proposal for action by MAFF was made in December 1995 by the RSPCA, The Mammal Society, The Wildlife Trusts and the National Federation of Badger Groups. This stated that:

  1. The "interim strategy" was no resulting in a decrease in the incidence of TB—his should be recognised.

  2. There should be a halt to the culling of badgers—the effect should be monitored.

  3. There should be improved compensation for farmers and a focusing of resources on alternative approaches to controlling the disease.

  4. Research into the transmission of the disease should be undertaken and recommendations on farming practice should be promoted.

  5. Research into a vaccine should be continued to provide a long-term solution.

  Groups (listed above) affiliated to these organisations have written supporting this proposal.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence his Department has evaluated of TB being transmitted from badgers to cattle. [1058]
  168
  Mr. Rooker
  References for the evidence that has been evaluated are as follows.Evidence considered
  Benham, P. (1985). The inter-relationships between cattle and badger behaviour and farm husbandry practices and their relevance to the transmission of Mycobacterium bovis MAFF.
  Cheeseman C. L. & Mallinson, P.J. (1979). Handbook on Biotelemetry and Radio-tracking. Edited by C. J. Amlaner and D. W. Macdonald. Pergammon Press, Oxford.
  Cheeseman, C. L., Wilesmith, J. W. & Stuart, F. A. (1989). Tuberculosis, the disease and its epidemiology in the badger, a review. Epidemiology and Infection 103, p.113–125.
  Clifton-Hadley, R. S., Wilesmith, J. W & Stuart, F. A. (1993). Mycobacterium bovis in the European badger (Meles meles): Epidemiological findings in tuberculour badgers from a naturally infected population. Epidemiology and Infection 111, p. 9–19.
  Clifton-Hadley, R. S., Wilesmith, J. W., Richards, M.S., Upton, P. & Johnston. S. (1995). The occurrence of Mycobacterium bovis infection in and around an area subject to extensive badger (Meles meles) control, Epidemiology and Infection 114, p. 179–193.
  Dunnet, G.M., Jones, D.M. & McInerney, J.P. (1986). Badgers and Bovine tuberculosis—Review of Policy. HMSO, London.
  Francis, J. (1947). "Bovine tuberculosis",. Staples Press, London 220 pp.
  Gallagher, J. & Nelson, J. (1979). Causes of ill health and natural death in badgers in Gloucestershire Veterinary Record 105, p.546–551.
  Griffin, J.M. (1993). The role of bought-in cattle in herd breakdowns due to tuberculosis in part of county Cavan during 1989. Irish Veterinary Journal 46, p.143–148.
  Griffin, J.M. & Dolan, L.A. (1995). The role of cattle-to-cattle transmission of Mycobacterium bovis in the epidemiology of tuberculosis in cattle in the Republic of Ireland—A Review. Irish Veterinary Journal 48(6), p.228–234.
  Hancox, M. (1995). The great badgers and bovine TB debate. Biologist 42, p.159–161.
  Jubb, K.V.F., Kennedy, P.0 & Palmer, N. (1985). Pathology of Domestic Animals. 3rd ed. New York and London: Academic Press. 2: p. 493–504.
  Little, T.W.A., Naylor, P.F. & Wilesmith, J.W. (1982a). Laboratory studies of Mycobacterium bovis infection in badgers and calves. Veterinary Record III, p. 550–557.
  Little, T.W.A., Swan, C., Thompson, H.V. & Wilesmith, J.W. (1982b). Bovine Tuberculosis in domestic and wild mammals in an area of Dorset. Parts I, II & III.
  Maddock, E.C.G. (1933). Studies on the survival time of the bovine tubercle bacilli in soil, soil and dung, in dung and on grass. Journal of Hygiene Cambridge 33: p. 103–117.
  Maddock, E.C.G. (1936) Experiments on the infectivity for healthy calves of bovine tubercle bacilli discharged in dung upon pasture. Journal of Hygiene 36: p. 594–601.
  McFadyean, J. & Knowles, R. (1915). The diagnosis of tuberculosis in cattle by inoculation of guinea pigs with antiformined faeces. Journal of Comparative Pathology 28: P. 107–146.
  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (September 1984). A Review of Bovine Tuberculosis in Great Britain.
  Monaghan, M.L., Doherty, M.L., Collins, J.D., Kazda, J.F. & Quinn, P.J. (1994). The tuberculin test. Veterinary Microbiology 40, p. 111–124.
  Muirhead, R.H., Gallagher, J. & Burn, K.J. (1974). Tuberculosis in wild badgers in Gloucestershire: Epidemiology. Veterinary Record 95, p.552–555
  Neal, E. & Cheeseman, C.L. (1996) "Badgers" published by T. & A.D. Poyser Ltd. (ISBN 0–85661–082–8).

  169
  Neil, S.D., Hanna, J., O'brien, J.J. et al. (1988). Excretion of Mycobacterium bovis by experimentally infected cattle. Veterinary Record 123(13): p. 340–343
  Neill, S.D., Hanna, J., Mackie, D.P. et al (1992) Isolation of Mycobacterium bovis form the respiratory tracts of skin test—negative cattle. Veterinary Record 131, p.45–47.
  Neill, S.D., Cassidy, J., Hanna, J. et al. (1994). Detection of Mycobacterium bovis infection in skin test-negative cattle with an assay for bovine interferon-gamma. Veterinary Record 135, p. 134–135.
  Stamp, J.T. (1944). A reviw of the pathogenesis and pathology of bovine tuberculosis with special reference to practical problems. Veterinary Record, 56, p.443–446.
  Stamp, J.T & Wilson, A. (1946). Veterinary Record. 58, p.11–15.
  Stenhouse-Williamson, R & Hoy, W.A. (1930). The viability of B. tuberculosis (Bovinus) on pasture land, in stored faeces and in liquid manure. Journal of Hygiene (Cambridge) 30: p.413–419.
  Wilesmith, J. W. & Williams, D.R. (1986) Tuberculosis lesions in reactor cows Veterinary Record 119 (2), p.51.

  Zuckerman, Lord. (1980) Badgers, Cattle and Tuberculosis. HMSO, London.

  My officials have also visited the Republic of Ireland to consider a study conducted in East Offaly.

  A further independent scientific review is currently under way, under the chairmanship of Professor John Krebs.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations have been received from veterinary organisations over the last three years on the transmission of TB by badgers. [1060]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Department has received representations from the following veterinary organisations:

  British Veterinary Association

  Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

  Both organisations have expressed support for the policy of restricted culling introduced following the Dunnet Report, but they see the need for more vigorous control of those badgers which have been implicated in cattle TB breakdowns.

  Water Quality
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will make regulations formally to transpose into UK legislation the EC directives concerning the quality required of shellfish waters and the quality of fresh waters needing protection or improvement in order to support fish life. [1295]

  Angela Eagle
  I have been asked to reply.

  Regulations concerned with the quality of waters for fresh water fish and for shellfish in England and Wales were laid in Parliament today. Together with Directions issued to the Environment Agency, they will replace the non-legislative mechanisms by which the requirements of the Freshwater Fish Directive and the Shellfish Waters Directive have been implemented since the early 1980s. The Directives prescribe certain mandatory minimum water quality requirements.
  170
  The new instruments follow consultations with interested parties in October 1995 and January 1997. The existing arrangements for protection of waters will continue in place. However, the Regulations are the first step in a process to initiate a review of implementation policy. The Department will consult further on aspects of implementation, including the designation of relevant waters.

HEALTH

  Patient Episodes
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of ordinary and day care episodes for each specialty for each UK health authority in each year since 1990. [22]

  Paul Boateng
  The information that is readily available is for National Health Service trusts (rather than health authorities) and is published annually in "Ordinary and day case admissions for England", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Information about health services in other parts of the United Kingdom are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland, respectively.

  Psychiatric and Geriatric Care
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were available for psychiatric and geriatric care in North Cumbria in each year since 1993. [24]

  Alan Milburn
  Provision for the care of psychiatric and geriatric patients in North Cumbria is a matter for the North Cumbria Health Authority. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Mr Ian Can, Chairman of the authority, for details.

  Multiple Sclerosis
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many persons with relapsing or remitting MS have been prescribed Beta Interferon in each health authority in England at the latest date for which figures are available. [264]

  Alan Milburn
  The information requested is not available, but following the issue of guidance to the National Health Service in November 1995, I am asking for a general report from each health authority on local policies for prescribing beta-interferon, and will write to my hon. Friend when these are available.

  NHS Beds
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of beds in the(a) acute and (b) supra-area specialties in each UK health authority in each year since 1990. [21]

  Alan Milburn
  Bed numbers for particular specialties are planned locally. The information held centrally is collected by broad ward type rather than clinical specialty and is contained in "Bed Availability for England", copies of which are available in the Library. Data on the total
  171
  number of beds in other health authorities in the United Kingdom are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland, respectively.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the advantages of the publication of bed occupancy rates in the NHS. [23]

  Alan Milburn
  It is intended to publish this information in future. Figures for 1996–97 should be available later in the year.

  Civil Service (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to increase the number of employees from ethnic minorities within his Department. [234]

  Ms Jowell
  Of the Department's total workforce of 3,909, 13.3 per cent. come from the ethnic minorities. Little external recruitment is taking place at the present time. When posts are advertised they are subject to the Civil Service Commission procedures which ensure fair and open competition. The Department's commitment to equal opportunities is stated in all job advertisements. The Department is a strong participant in the Windsor Fellowship scheme which provides work experience for undergraduates from the ethnic minorities.

  E. Coli and Listeria
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the national incidence of(a) E. coli and (b) listeria has been in each of the last three years. [46]

  Ms Jowell
  The incidence of food poisoning is indicated by the number of isolations of pathogens made from samples from patients submitted to the Public Health Laboratory Service. The figures for the last three years are given in the table:

  Listeria and E. coli 0157 isolates

  England and Wales annual totals

  1994

  1995

  1996

  E. coli 01571

  411

  2792

  3660

  Listeria

  112

  91

  3116

  Source:

  Public Health Laboratory service.

  Notes:

  1 Before 1995 laboratories examined only bloody diarrhoeal stools for E. coli 0157, since 1995 they have examined all diarrhoeal stools.

  2 PHLS do not routinely examine diarrhoeal stools for other E. coli.

  3 Provisional figures.

  Treatment Costs
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost of NHS treatment per patient in England. [648]

  Alan Milburn
  The average cost of National Health Service treatment per patient for primary healthcare in England is not available centrally. For secondary healthcare the provisional 1995/96 average cost per episode, for cases using a bed, is £1,103 in England.

  Health Visitor Service (Cambridge and Huntingdon)
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure on the health visitor service as a percentage of(a) the total health budget and (b) the public health budget in the Cambridge and Huntingdon health authority in the last year for which figures are available. [601]

  Alan Milburn
  In 1996–97, Cambridge and Huntingdon Health Authority spent 1.4 per cent. of their hospital and community health services budget on health visitor services. Information relating to the public health budget is not available centrally and my hon. Friend may wish to contact Mrs. Margaret Scott, chairman of Cambridge and Huntingdon Health Authority.

  Cancelled Operations
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations(a) by district health authority, (b) by regional health authority and (c) overall, were cancelled on the day of, or the day after, admission to hospital for the fourth quarter of 1996–97; and how many of those patients were not readmitted within a month. [778]

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations in the Portsmouth and south-east Hampshire area were cancelled on the day of, or the day after, admission to hospital for the fourth quarter of 1996–97; and how many of those patients were not re-admitted within a month. [1215]

  Mr. Boateng
  The information will be placed in the Library shortly.

  Mobile Telephone Transmitter Towers
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the possible effect on health of living or working in close proximity to mobile telephone transmitter towers. [1021]

  Ms Jowell
  The Department of Health is currently supporting the following initiatives:

  (1) the review of possible health effects of electromagnetic fields, including mobile phone (microwave) frequencies, being undertaken by the Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiations to the National Radiological Protection Board;

  (2) the World Health Organisation study of electromagnetic fields and;

  (3) the Department's own radiation protection research programme.

  In addition, a European Commission Expert Group, has recommended a programme of scientific research to address the subject of mobile telephony and human health.

  Field strengths of electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile phone transmitters, at locations to which the public would normally have access, are below the limits of exposure recommended by the National Radiological Protection Board published in "Documents of the NRPB, vol. 4, No. 5, 1993", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Cancer
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by his Department on(a) publicity, (b) research and (c) treatment relating to cancer in the last year for which figures are available. [963]

  Mr. Boateng
  In 1995–96 (latest available figures), the Department allocated(a) approximately £200 thousand to publicity, and (b) £9 million to research relating to cancer.

  Information about expenditure on treatment relating to cancer is not available centrally.

  Mixed-sex Wards
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the statistics held by his Department on the extent of(a) mixed-sex wards, (b) mixed-sex bays and (c) mixed-sex bathing and toilet facilities in hospitals, by region. [777]

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects mixed-sex wards to be abolished in the Queen Alexandra and St. Mary's hospitals in Portsmouth; what action he proposes to assist this process; and if he will make a statement. [1216]

  Alan Milburn
  Information about health authorities target dates to meet the previous Government's three objectives for reducing the incidence of mixed-sex hospital accommodation will be available shortly. I shall arrange for copies to be sent to the hon. Members.

  General Practitioner Fundholding
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy on GP fundholding; and if he will make a statement. [850]

  Alan Milburn
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave the hon. Member for Romsey (Mr. Colvin) on 20 May at columns 495–96.

  Private Health Insurance
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the implications of the removal of tax relief on private health insurance plans. [862]

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the extra cost to the NHS from having to care for elderly patients unable to continue subscribing to private patients insurance schemes, because of the loss of tax relief on their premiums. [1109]

  Alan Milburn
  Tax relief has not been removed from private health insurance premiums.

  Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of(a) the safety of the MMR vaccines and (b) the links the vaccines have with the development of autism in children; what representations he has received from abroad about the potential link with autism; what assessment he has made of the regulatory action which has been taken by other countries; and if he will make a statement. [1026]
  174
  Ms Jowell
  Before measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination was introduced into the United Kingdom's immunisation programme in 1988, there was extensive long-term experience of its use in many other industrialised countries. The United States had been using MMR vaccine routinely since the early 1970s and around 100 million doses have been administered. Prior to the introduction of MMR in the UK a study involving 10,000 children was conducted to look at the safety of the vaccine. By the time of the UK introduction of a two-dose programme in 1996, there was extensive experience of two-dose programmes in many other countries. A two-dose programme of MMR in place in Finland since 1982 has led to the elimination of these diseases from that country. The vaccine was reported to have an excellent safety record. All the relevant data were considered by the independent expert advisory group, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the UK Secretaries of State for health on vaccination matters, before it made its recommendations for the introduction of MMR and subsequently the introduction of the second dose of MMR.

  The Department of Health and other international authorities are not aware of any scientific evidence supporting a link between MMR vaccine and autism. We have received no representations from abroad on this matter, although we are aware that the Danish authorities have looked at the possibility of a link in the past, but found no evidence to support it. Similarly, the Institute of Medicine in the US reviewed more than 7,000 abstracts and read over 2,000 books and articles on adverse reactions to vaccines and found no work which suggested a link between MMR vaccine and autism. We are not aware of any regulatory action taken by other countries on this issue.

  A study conducted in Gothenburg, Sweden, looked at the incidence of autism over a ten-year period during which MMR vaccine was introduced into the childhood immunisation programme. The incidence of autism was unaffected by the introduction of MMR vaccine.

  All reported adverse reactions to vaccines are carefully monitored both by the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation which advise the UK health departments. No vaccine is issued in the United Kingdom unless it passes the highest standards for quality, and parents should have confidence that the vaccines that are provided are both safe and efficacious. MMR immunisation remains the safest way for parents to protect their children against these diseases.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish a review of(a) the effectiveness of and (b) side effects arising from the most recent national MMR vaccination campaign. [865]

  Ms Jowell
  The effectiveness of, and side effects arising from, the 1994 measles/rubella (MR) school-based immunisation campaign have been carefully reviewed. Copies of "One Year On", a review of the MR campaign published in November 1995, are available in the Library.

  The campaign was very successful. Around 7 million children between the ages of 5 and sixteen were targeted and 92 per cent. were immunised. The predicted epidemic was averted. Since the campaign measles has become

  175
  rare. The number of notified cases of measles fell from between 10,000 and 20,000 per year between 1990 and 1994 to 7,768 in 1995 and 5,878 in 1996. Notified cases have been tested to confirm whether they are true cases of measles using a salivary testing technique developed by the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS). In 1996, 3,274 of the 5,878 notified cases were tested and measles was confirmed in 63 (1.9 per cent.) of those tested. The number of confirmed notifications of measles in 1996 was the lowest recorded. (PHLS "Communicable Disease Report" (Vol. 7, No. 6, 7 February 1997)). There are good grounds to believe that a sizeable proportion of the few confirmed cases arise from importations. As a consequence of the MR campaign, indigenous measles is now close to elimination.

  Suspected adverse reactions to the MR vaccine were reported by doctors to the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) under the voluntary 'yellow card' reporting system. Doctors were reminded on three separate occasions by the Chief Medical Officer to report all suspected adverse reactions to MR vaccine. The Committee on the Safety of Medicines carefully reviewed all the reports received and reports of serious adverse reactions following the MR campaign were very rare (0.007 per cent. of all those immunised). Full information on suspected adverse reactions reported as a consequence of the campaign were published in the MCA's "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance" (Vol. 21, November 1995), copies of which are available in the Library.

  Mr. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission a study to evaluate the possible links between the administration of MMR vaccines and the incidence of Crohn's disease in children. [964]

  Ms Jowell
  The United Kingdom health departments are advised on all matters concerning immunisation by the independent expert advisory committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI has already studied the putative association between Crohn's disease and measles on three recent occasions and members of the Committee have met the researchers who have suggested such an association. The Committee was of the view that work suggesting such an association was not convincing and increasing evidence was becoming available that there was not an association between exposure to measles virus or MMR vaccine and Crohn's disease. The World Health Organisation also has seen the published research and rejects the theory that there is a link.

  This issue will be kept under review by the JCVI.

  A list of references showing work done around the world not supporting the theory of a link between measles and Crohn's disease has been placed in the Library.

  Long-term Care for the Elderly
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the local government associations to discuss the provision of long-term care for the elderly; and if he will make a statement. [849]

  Paul Boateng
  I met the Local Government Association on 12 May to discuss a range of issues including the priority we will give to improving provision of long-term care for the elderly.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) by what means those merchant banks which offered their services to his Department in connection with the private finance initiative between 2 May and 20 May made themselves known:[1132]

  (2) pursuant to his oral answer of 20 May, Official Report, columns 503–04, how many merchant banks contacted his Department to offer their services in connection with the private finance initiative between 2 May and 20 May; [1131]

  (3) which merchant banks approached his Department to offer their services in connection with the private finance initiative between 2 May and 20 May. [1133]

  Alan Milburn
  Since the 2 May the Minister of State and officials at the Department of Health have met all the principal financiers involved in the two most advanced whole-hospital private finance initiative schemes (those at the Dartford and Gravesham National Health Service Trust and the Norfolk and Norwich Health Care NHS Trust). All these financiers have reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of the private finance initiative and the projects at these two trusts. They also fully support the NHS (Private Finance) Bill, which aims to ensure that NHS trusts have the statutory power to enter into PFI contracts, and the urgent review of the PFI process in the health sector we have announced. This review will seek to identify how the current gridlock can be eliminated and to ensure that much needed schemes are completed quickly. During the review Ministers will listen to the views of all those closely involved with the PFI—from both the public and the private sectors.

  Breast Screening
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the result of the pilot study on extending the breast screening programme to older women to be completed. [1201]

  Paul Boateng
  The results of the pilot studies on the feasibility of extending the routine call/recall element of the breast screening programme to women aged 65 to 69 years are expected to be available by the year 2001.

  Dentistry (Shrewsbury)
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure the establishment of NHS dentistry provision in the Shrewsbury area; and over what time scale. [1063]

  Alan Milburn
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 20 May at columns 501–02.

  GP Fundholding
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health over what time scale he plans to introduce changes of policy in respect of GP fundholding. [1066]

  Alan Milburn
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave the hon. Member for Romsey (Mr. Colvin) on 20 May at column 495.

  Lactose (Babies)
  Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Helath what estimate he has made of the number of babies born in any given year who are allergic to lactose; and what percentage of the total number of babies born this figure represents. [1108]

  Ms Jowell
  We have made no estimate of the number of babies or children who are intolerant to lactose, nor are we aware of any such estimate having been made by any outside organisation.

  Tobacco Advertising
  Dr. Stoate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has undertaken into the compliance of the tobacco industry with the voluntary code on advertising and the effectiveness of the code. [1143]

  Ms Jowell
  The operation of the voluntary agreement on tobacco advertising and promotion is monitored by the Committee for Monitoring Agreements on Tobacco Advertising and Sponsorship, which is composed of equal numbers of representatives of the Government Departments and the tobacco industry under an independent Chairman.

  In 1995–96 the Committee commissioned independent consultants to investigate how three aspects of the agreement were being adhered to, namely an analysis of progress towards the industry's undertaking to remove all permanent shopfront advertising material by 31 December 1996, an audit of compliance with the undertaking to place no poster advertising within a 200 metre radius of schools and other places of education for people under 18, and a survey of compliance with the provisions of the Cigarette Sampling Code. In all cases, a high level of compliance was found.

  The Committee also arranges for the investigation of complaints submitted by the public. In 1995–96, the Committee received 69 letters of complaint giving details of 119 items thought to be in breach of the voluntary agreement on advertising and promotion. The Committee concluded that 15 items were in breach of the voluntary agreement.

  Dental Services (Lancashire)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists in the general dental service practised in Lancashire in each year since 1992. [1103]

  Alan Milburn
  The table shows the number of dentists on the Lancashire Family Health Services Authority/Health Authority list on 30 September for the years 1992 to 1995. Equivalent information is not available for 30 September 1996 because of the reorganisation of health authorities. The table gives the number of dentists in the three health authorities covering Lancashire for 30 September 1996.
  178

  General dental service: Number of principals, assistants and vocational trainees in Lancashire family health service authority at 30 September 1992 to 30 September 1995

  Family health services authority

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  Lancashire

  421

  428

  438

  442

  General dental service: Number of principals, assistants and vocational trainees in Lancashire health authorities at 30 September 1996

  Health authority

  1996

  East Lancashire

  157

  North West Lancashire

  159

  South Lancashire

  83

  1. The figures represent the number of dentists (principals) on the Family Health Services Authority/Health Authority list and their assistants and vocational trainees.

  2. Some dentists have a contract with more than one FHSAMA. these dentists are counted only once.

  3. The figures exclude salaried, hospital and community dentists.

  Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research
  Mrs Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an announcement about the future of the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research. [1427]

  Ms Jowell
  It has become clear for a number of reasons that this would be an advantageous time to review the role of the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research. Views are being invited from any interested parties by means of an advertisement in Government Opportunities and by a direct approach to key organisations and individuals. The views of the management and staff of the Centre are also being sought.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trusts failed to meet the 14 March 1997 deadline to agree contracts with their purchasers; and how many are now expected to go to arbitration. [790]

  Alan Milburn
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list by(a) health authority, (b) region and (c) nationally the number of patient waiting to be admitted at NHS hospitals at the end of March 1997, as reported by (i) NHS providers (ii) English health authorities; and how many had waited for (i) 0–11 months, (ii) 12–17 months, and (iii) more than 18 months; [791]

  (2) if he will list (a) by health authority, (b) by region and (c) nationally the total number of patients waiting to be admitted at NHS hospitals at the end of March; and how many had waited for (i) 0 to 11 months, (ii) 12 to 17 months and (iii) more than 18 months. [1025]

  Alan Milburn
  Provisional waiting times figures at regional level for the quarter ended 31 March 1997 will be published on a provider and resident basis at 9.30 am on Thursday 22 May. Final figures at National Health Service trust and health authority levels will be published some six to eight weeks later.

  NHS Repair and Maintenance
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the outstanding repair and maintenance backlog at NHS facilities by regional health authority in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [792]

  Alan Milburn
  The outstanding repair and maintenance backlog by regional health authority is shown in the attached table. The information is available only from 1989–90.

  The figures include estimated costs for maintenance on all properties in the National Health Service due to be replaced, not used for patient care, awaiting planned preventive maintenance and awaiting disposal. They also include an element for meeting statutory and safety standards.

  Backlog maintenance estimates (£000s) by region 1989–90 to 1992–93

  Region

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  Northern

  98,766

  97,109

  1,38,672

  1,42,129

  Yorkshire

  1,22,422

  98,988

  1—

  1,25,987

  Trent

  119841

  1,02,170

  1,20,375

  1,19,383

  East Anglia

  67,772

  66,156

  1—

  83,462

  Oxford

  1,22,566

  81,961

  1—

  89,925

  North-west Thames

  75,234

  70,934

  1—

  84,049

  North-east Thames

  2,57,386

  3,00,500

  3,29,303

  3,31,467

  South-east Thames

  1,41,324

  1,08,939

  2,40,789

  2,64,256

  South-west Thames

  1,96,121

  1,50,222

  1,78,099

  1,76,176

  Wessex

  '62,060

  1,07,539

  86,088

  1,11,461

  South Western

  1,21,008

  1,12,878

  1,53,415

  1,23,605

  West Midlands

  2,42,276

  2,80,554

  3,20,737

  3,07,229

  Mersey

  80768

  50,148

  46,553

  64,310

  North Western

  95,048

  1,04,911

  1,26,373

  1,44,011

  1 Data incomplete

  180

  Backlog maintenance estimates (£'000's) by region 1993–94 to 1995–96

  Region

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  Northern and Yorkshire

  321103

  393068

  369388

  Trent

  132983

  129252

  200193

  Anglia and Oxford

  243135

  186912

  222923

  North Thames

  503381

  483518

  514398

  South Thames

  378527

  334987

  327671

  South and West

  230419

  263322

  243891

  West Midlands

  382500

  310541

  290490

  North—west

  198950

  222978

  243472

  HIV and AIDS
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent in the last year for which figures are available on(a) publicity, (b) research and (c) treatment of HIV and AIDS. [990]

  Ms Jowell
  In 1996–97, health authorities in England were allocated a total of £185.7 million for treatment and care services for people with HIV and AIDS. These funds are not ring-fenced and it is up to health authorities, taking account of local needs assessment and priorities, to determine their total expenditure. Health authorities were also given ring-fenced funds of £51.3 million for local HIV prevention work including testing services, infection control and health education. In addition, the Department spent £4.2 million in 1996–97 on public health initiatives, education campaigns and helpline services for HIV and AIDS. An estimated further £13.7 million was spent in 1996–97 in the UK on HIV and AIDS research. This figure includes expenditure by the Medical Research Council, the Department of Health and other Government Departments. Relatively little HIV and AIDS research is funded from sources such as charities.

  Landmines
  Landmines
  Childcare Facilities in the House of Lords
  Childcare Facilities in the House of Lords
  British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997: Fees
  British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997: Fees