Written Answers of 19 February 1998

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Office Costs Allowance
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the President of the Council how many hon. Members have used up all of their office costs allowance to date. [30307]

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To date, no Members have used up all of their Office Costs Allowance.

  Child Care
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the President of the Council what data she has collated concerning child care provision in other parliaments. [29849]

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  None.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Waste Management
  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he proposes to publish the revised guidance in WMP4; and if he will make a statement on its impact on rural areas. [29547]

  Angela Eagle
  Section 51 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 places a duty on waste disposal authorities (eg County Councils) to arrange for places to be provided at which persons resident in their area may deposit their household waste free of charge. The fulfilment of this duty is a matter for each authority.

  The previous Government initiated a consultation exercise on a proposal to amend the guidance in Waste Management paper No. 4 (WMP4) as it relates to the waste management licensing of sites provided under section 51 of the 1990 Act. These sites are known as "civic amenity sites". The effect of the proposal would be to give the Environment Agency, in England and Wales, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, in Scotland, discretion to license un-manned civic amenity sites in rural and remote areas in certain circumstances. The representations made in response to the consultation exercise are being considered and our conclusions on the proposal to amend WMP4 will be announced as soon as we are in a position to do so.

  Container Refuse
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to encourage a reduction in the amount of container refuse distributed by fast food outlets. [29701]
  768
  Angela Eagle
  Fast food outlets are likely to incur an obligation to contribute to the cost of disposing of the containers which they sell as a consequence of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 which came into force in March last year. The regulations place obligations on producers of packaging, from raw materials manufacturers to sellers, to recover and recycle specified tonnages of packaging waste based on the amount of packaging they handle. The targets set by these Regulations, taken from the EC Directive on packaging and packaging waste, will require the UK rate of packaging waste recovery to almost double to 50% by 2001 (it is currently around 27%).

  To be obligated, businesses must have a turnover of more than £5 million and handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging annually. In 2000, the former threshold will go down to £1 million. These Regulations therefore ensure that businesses that place packaging on the market, including fast food outlets, make a substantial contribution to the costs of disposal of these products and this obligation acts as an incentive to minimise the weight of packaging used.

  Drink Driving
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many road deaths were attributable to drink driving in the last year; and in how many of those cases the driver was above the 80 milligram limit by a factor of two or more. [29764]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  It is provisionally estimated that, in 1996, there were 540 deaths in a drink-drive accident, defined as a road accident in which at least one driver failed a breath or blood alcohol test, or refused to provide a test specimen. In drink-drive accidents where the driver was killed and subjected to a blood alcohol test, it is estimated that about half the drivers involved exceeded the 80 milligram limit by a factor of two or more. Information is not available on the extent to which drivers who were involved in fatal accidents but were not themselves killed, and who failed a breath test, exceeded the legal alcohol limit.

  Emergency Tugs
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the cost of providing all year round cover with emergency tugs for the Western approaches to the Pembrokeshire coastline. [29686]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  A table giving the estimate of costs for the provision of Emergency Towing Vessels is included in the Cost Benefit Analysis (paragraph 9), which was undertaken by the Coastguard Agency. A copy was placed in the House Library on 10 February 1998.

  Roads
  Mr. Blizzard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of the total land area of the United Kingdom is taken up by roads. [29808]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The land take of roads is estimated to be approximately 1.4 per cent. of the total land area of the United Kingdom.
  769

  Oil Spillages
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he is taking to ensure the continuation of monitoring and research into the long-term effects and impact of oil spillages on the British coastline. [29818]

  Angela Eagle
  The UK Government have recognised the need for a plan to minimise the effects of oil spills since 1967. This National Contingency Plan was developed in consultation with all interested parties and is operated by DETR's Marine Pollution Control Unit.

  In the event of a major spill, the Marine Pollution Control Unit establish, in consultation with the various authorities, whether to initiate sampling of sea water, sediments and flora/fauna over an extended period to determine the long-term fate of the oil and its consequences for the environment. They also recommend if resources need to be made available for longer-term ecological studies (including the shoreline) if appropriate.

  The Government have been alive to the need to develop a comprehensive view of the environmental impacts of major oil spills. Following the wreck of the Braer in 1993, the Government funded the work of the Ecological Steering Group on the oil spill in Shetland and is continuing to monitor and to research into the environmental effects. Following the grounding of the Sea Empress, we funded the work of the Sea Empress Environmental Evaluation Committee (SEEEC). The SEEEC report was published on 11 February.

  The Government are considering SEEEC's recommendation that an Environmental Impact Assessment Group should be established whenever a serious oil spill occurs. We are also considering what further monitoring and research should be set up to establish what the long-term effects of the Sea Empress spill are and what measures may be needed to alleviate any possible consequences.

  My Department continues to fund the Continuous Plankton Recorder operated by the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation. This was started in 1931 and provides a unique insight into the effects of all pollutants on these "indicator" species. More recently, the Department has funded a research contract into the biological fate of dispersed oil which assesses the nature, rate and extent of the biodegradation of oil droplets. The final report of this contract is expected shortly. In addition, monitoring of the long-term effects and impact of oil spillages (and other substances) on the British Coastline is carried out under the auspices of the Marine Pollution Monitoring Management Group.

  Assaults (Trains)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many Prosecutions have been brought and convictions secured for assaults committed on trains in each year since 1990. [29861]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The numbers of Prosecutions for assault on railway property, including trains, for the years 1991 to 1997 are provided in the table. I am unable to 770
  provide the number of convictions as the British Transport Police do not hold the figures in this form.

  Year

  Prosecutions

  1991

  903

  1992

  1,428

  1993

  459

  1994

  599

  1995

  616

  1996

  618

  1997

  543

  Airport Planning
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if his Department will review the appropriateness of the predict and provide approach to airport infrastructure planning and provision. [29931]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Integration between the Government's transport policies, including those on aviation, and the Government's environmental policies will be one of the central themes in the Integrated Transport White Paper.

  Compulsory Purchase Houses
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many houses his Department owns, by county, which were originally subject to compulsory purchase or otherwise acquired to facilitate road-building schemes which(a) have definitely been cancelled and (b) are subject to the present Trunk Roads Review. [30303]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  On 1 February, the Highways Agency owned the following residential properties which have been acquired by compulsory or discretionary purchase to facilitate road building schemes. Properties held for cancelled schemes will generally be sold over a three-year period, to avoid adversely affecting the local housing market and maximise benefits to the taxpayer.

  County

  (a) for schemes already

  (b) for schemes subject to the present trunk roads review

  Avon

  7

  0

  Bath

  1

  0

  Bedfordshire

  1

  65

  Berkshire

  2

  19

  Buckinghamshire

  12

  1

  Cambridgeshire

  4

  9

  Cheshire

  12

  4

  Cornwall

  0

  7

  Cumbria

  1

  0

  Derbyshire

  17

  1

  Devon

  8

  6

  Dorset

  21

  0

  East Sussex

  11

  8

  East Yorkshire

  0

  1

  Essex

  13

  5

  Greater Manchester

  201

  100

  Greater London

  217

  416

  Herefordshire

  0

  4

  Hertfordshire

  195

  21

  Kent

  27

  6

  Kingston-upon-Hull

  0

  5

  771

  County

  (a) for schemes already

  (b) for schemes subject to the present trunk roads review

  Leicestershire

  8

  0

  Lincolnshire

  22

  0

  North Yorkshire

  11

  11

  Northamptonshire

  0

  3

  Nottinghamshire

  28

  17

  Rutland

  3

  0

  Somerset

  1

  1

  Staffordshire

  11

  12

  Surrey

  15

  31

  Tyne and Wear

  0

  5

  Warwickshire

  13

  0

  West Midlands

  48

  23

  West Sussex

  140

  2

  West Yorkshire

  0

  17

  Wiltshire

  6

  3

  Worcestershire

  53

  0

  British Rail Land (Newhaven)
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 16 February 1998,Official Report, column 462, if he will take steps to ensure that the British Rail land for sale in Newhaven is sold only to a party with railway interests. [30408]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  No; that would effectively entail a subsidy by the taxpayer. But British Rail would welcome bids from railway interests.

  Departmental Child Care
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30011]

  Angela Eagle
  Child care provision enables staff to combine their work and domestic responsibilities and helps promote and sustain equal opportunities policies. My Department supports child care facilities in accordance with existing central guidance. Parents are required to make a contribution towards the costs but subsidies up to a maximum of 50 per cent. of the cost of places are provided. Child care vouchers are not currently made available to staff. Current support for places at inter-departmental nurseries is as follows:

  Location

  Number of Places

  Contractor

  Subsidy per week per place

  Westminster

  10 (divided between two nurseries)

  Westminster Children's Society

  £73 or £78 depending on nursery ie 50% subsidy

  Bristol

  3.5

  Acorn

  £38 for under twos ie 35% subsidy and £28 for over twos ie 29% subsidy

  Hastings

  4

  Kinderquest

  £32 ie 33% subsidy

  772
  Inter-departmental holiday play schemes are operated at various locations throughout the country including Westminster, Bristol, Birmingham and Bedford. Apart from the Westminster scheme, full details are not held centrally but subsidies are made available. The Westminster scheme details are as follows:

  Location

  DETR places

  Contractor

  DETR subsidy

  Westminster

  Varies—up to 15 places

  kinderquest

  £8.05 per child per day ie 50%

  Chief Executives are responsible for the implementation of equal opportunities policies in DETR agencies, including child care provision. Details are not held centrally.

  Public Interest Reports
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many district auditors' public interest reports were published last year; and on which local authorities. [30306]

  Mr. Raynsford
  I understand from the Audit Commission that during 1997 district auditors published a total of twenty public interest reports. The local authorities concerned were:

  Allerdale Borough Council

  Bassetlaw District Council

  Bristol City Council

  Bath and North East Somerset Council

  Coggeshall Parish Council

  Denbighshire County Council

  Doncaster MBC

  Hemsworth Town Council

  Hertfordshire County Council

  Lambeth LBC

  Middlesborough Borough Council

  Newark and Sherwood District Council

  Nottinghamshire County Council

  Redbridge LBC

  St. Neots Town Council

  Sheffield City Council

  Walsall MBC

  Waltham Forest LBC

  West Wiltshire District Council

  Whitworth Town Council.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Ian Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to release the report commissioned by his Department on the cost benefit analysis of reducing lead in drinking water. [30917]

  Mr. Meacher
  This report has now been published and I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. This is an interesting study which attempts to cost the health and non-health benefits associated with reducing levels of lead in drinking water to the 25 µg/1 and 10 µg/1 levels required by the new EC Drinking Water Directive.
  773
  The report indicates that in some circumstances it is cost-effective to replace lead water pipes, although if the cost of pipe replacement could be reduced the case for action would be clearer. It also concludes that it is cost-effective to introduce water treatment to reduce exposure even when benefits appear to be low.

  The report provides a useful input to the debate about the costs and benefits of reducing lead levels in water. However, this is a difficult area and further work will be necessary on the assumptions and approaches used.

  Genetically Modified Organisms
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 4 February 1998,Official Report, columns 641–42, if he will make a statement on the ethical and wider public interest considerations which he wishes to be taken into account in the revision of Directive 90/220/EEC on the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms; and if he intends to press for a requirement to show a need for the genetically-modified organism. [29712]

  Mr. Meacher
  The report of the 1997 National Biotechnology Conference published in September last year highlighted that some aspects of the development of biotechnology raise wider issues, including ethical concerns. These included concerns about the spread of genes into wild populations and the effects of the introduction of genetically modified crops into our natural and agricultural environment. Other concerns include whether social need justifies the risk being taken in developing a GMO and whether the technology employed is appropriate and the safest available. The Government are preparing their response to the report of the conference, which should be published shortly. In responding, we shall be considering both how best to address these concerns and the constraints on action and their relevance to the revision of the directive 90/220.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 4 February 1998,Official Report, columns 641–42, if he will list the Government's concerns about the current procedures relating to the marketing and release of genetically modified organisms as laid down in Council Directive 90/220/EEC. [29711]

  Mr. Meacher
  My concern has been partly over comitology and the lack of a timetable and transparency of the decision making process, but also about the failure for wider aspects of the public interest to be taken into account.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Montserrat
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which firms were invited to bid for the provision of pre-fabricated units for Montserrat. [29988]
  774
  Clare Short
  The following firms were invited to bid for the supply of pre-fabricated units for Montserrat:

  1. Davy Hill Modular Housing

  UK

  Conport Structures Ltd.

  Ecometal-Ecohome Ltd.

  Emergency Housing Int'l Ltd.

  Evotec

  ISO Homes

  Kalliope Ltd.

  Kudos 2000 Ltd.

  Landbase International Ltd.

  Multipurpose Int'l Ltd.

  PDQ Emergency Homes Ltd.

  Premier Transline Building Systems Ltd.

  Tilden Industries Ltd.

  US

  Horton Homes Inc.

  H. R. Lubben

  International Building Systems Inc.

  Sun Formula Inc.

  Universal Services Inc.

  Jamaica

  Areocon

  Quality Affordable Homes Ltd.

  West Indies Home Contractors Ltd.

  Canada

  Digigraph Inc.

  Germany

  MAGU Gmbh

  2. Temporary Schools

  UK

  Conport Structures Ltd.

  Ecometal-Ecohome Ltd.

  Evotec

  Kalliope Ltd.

  Kudos 2000 Ltd.

  PDQ Emergency Homes Ltd.

  Stonebridge Facilities

  Tilden Industries Ltd.

  US

  International Building Systems Inc.

  H. R. Lubben

  Horten Homes Inc.

  Sun Formula Inc.

  Universal Services Inc.

  Jamaica

  Quality Affordable Homes Ltd.

  West Indies Home Contractors Ltd.

  Canada

  ATCO Structures Inc.

  3. Government Offices

  UK

  Conport Structures Ltd.

  Denholm Coates and Co. Ltd.

  Ecometal-Ecohome Ltd.

  Elliott Group Ltd.

  Emergency Housing Int'l Ltd.

  775

  Evotec

  Horsfall International Ltd.

  John Reid and Sons Ltd.

  Kalliope Ltd.

  Kudos 2000 Ltd.

  Multipurpose International Ltd.

  PDQ Emergency Homes Ltd.

  Premier Transline Building Systems Ltd.

  Tilden Industries Ltd.

  US

  H. R Lubben

  Horton Homes Inc.

  International Building Systems Inc.

  Universal Services Inc.

  Canada

  ATCO Structures Inc.

  Netherlands

  Transmo Special Products

  4. Emergency Offices

  UK

  Conport Structures

  Kalliope Ltd.

  Tilden Industries

  US

  International Building Systems Inc.

  Austria

  Containex Gmbh

  Canada

  ATCO Structures Inc.

  Russia
  Sir Alastair Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance programmes her Department is currently funding in Russia. [30200]

  Clare Short
  The Department for International Development's programme of bilateral assistance to Russia is channelled via the Know How Fund. This strategic technical assistance is provided across a variety of sectors. We expect expenditure in the 1997–98 financial year to be approximately £28 million.

  The Department also contributes substantially to the support provided to Russia by the multilateral agencies, in financial terms most conspicuously via the European Union's TAC IS programme.

  Multilateral Agreement on Investment
  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what consultation she has held with relevant non-governmental organisations in advance of the signing of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment. [30229]

  Clare Short
  I met representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in July to discuss the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) and will be doing so again shortly, before the negotiations are concluded in April. My officials have been in contact with NGOs throughout the intervening period. My Department has also consulted with NGOs on our study of the development implications of the MAI.
  776

  Development Assistance
  Sir Alastair Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of programme bilateral developmental assistance, excluding emergency assistance, will go to(a) upper middle income groups, (b) lower middle income groups and (c) low income groups in (i) 1997–98 and (ii) 1988–99. [30195]

  Clare Short
  Expenditure for 1997–98 will be reported by the Department in British Aid Statistics around November 1998. Future allocations are currently being considered in the Department's resource allocation round. An objective is to re-direct more of the available resources to poverty elimination.

  Sir Alastair Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what percentage of bilateral programme development assistance will be devoted to(a) non-project technical co-operation, (b) CDC exchequer advances, (c) emergency aid, (d) mixed credits, (e) financial aid, (f)programme aid and (g)technical co-operation excluding mixed credits in (i) 1997–98 and (ii) 1998–99; [30196]

  (2) what percentage of her Department's budgets for (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000 will be devoted to (i) bilateral and (ii) multilateral assistance; [30202]

  (3) what percentage of programme developmental assistance will go to (a) Africa, (b) the Pacific, (c) America, (d) Europe and (e) Asia in (i) 1997–98 and (ii) 1998–99; [30197]

  (4) what are her Department's cash plans for (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99 and (iii) 1999–2000 in respect of (a) total DFID resources, (b) planning resources, (c) resource allocations for bilateral country programmes broken down by continent, (d) other bilateral allocations, (e) multilateral allocations, (f) aid administration, (g) running costs, (h) RTA and CDC and Crown Agents borrowing and (i) unallocated contingency reserves. [30203]

  Clare Short
  The Department's estimated outtum in 1997–98 will be published in the Departmental Report in late March. Plans for future years are currently being considered in the Department's resource allocation round.

  Ministerial Travel
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the engagements she undertook in the United Kingdom in the course of her duties during January indicating in each case which were accessed by(a) car, (b) train, (c) aeroplane and car, (d) aeroplane and train and (e)other means. [28944]

  Clare Short
  I had many engagements within my Department which required no transport. Those outside the Department are listed below.

  Date

  Engagement

  Locality

  Mode of Transport

  12 January

  Hilton Park Conference

  Sussex

  Car

  13 January

  World Aware Business Awards

  London

  Car

  14 January

  BBC Marshall Plan of the Mind

  London

  Car

  777

  Date

  Engagement

  Locality

  Mode of Transport

  20 January

  NGO's UK Presidency Project

  London

  Car

  22 January

  Reception for outgoing President of EBRD

  London

  Car

  28 January

  Lunch with African Development Bank

  London

  Car

  29 January

  Institute of Civil Engineers

  London

  Car

  Anti-corruption Assistance
  Sir Alastair Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which states her Department has assisted anti-corruption activities during the current financial year; and what are her plans for 1998–99. [30199]

  Clare Short
  I will write to the right hon. Member.

  Child Care
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what provision her Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if she will list the organisations used by her Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30007]

  Clare Short
  The Department for International Development operates holiday play schemes at both its locations in East Kilbride and London.

  In East Kilbride, the play scheme is operated by a partnership of DFID, the Inland Revenue and Scottish Nuclear. DFID does not subsidise the scheme, which costs £6.50 per day.

  In London the play scheme is operated by Kinderquest. The scheme costs £16.10 per day. Parents pay 50% of the costs.

  The Department does not provide nursery places nor does it make child care vouchers.

PRIME MINISTER

  Correspondence
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister how long on average it takes his Department to answer letters from hon. Members; what target date his Department sets; what percentage receive replies within the target date; and what assessment he has made of how long it takes to deliver a letter after it has been typed. [27044]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 2 February 1998]: It is not possible for me to deal personally with all of the letters I receive and I must therefore refer most of them to the Minister and Department with responsibility for the policy or matter in question.

  My office aims to acknowledge Members' correspondence within three working days and, where a reply is due from my office, to provide a substantive
  778
  response within 15 days. My office estimates that 98 per cent. receive acknowledgement within target and 45 per cent. receive substantive reply within target.

  We are aiming to improve the performance against the target for a substantive reply. The delays have been caused by the significant increase in the amount of correspondence received by my office. Currently, my office receives an average of some 8,000 letters a week compared with 3,000 before 1 May.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 3 February 1998,Official Report, column 582, for what reasons a record was not kept of the registered letter sent to him on 17 August 1997, and sent by fax that day at 10.52 am by Mr. Graham Horwood of 66 St. Andrews Road, Shoeburyness; and if he will review the procedures for dealing with mail from the general public. [29005]

  The Prime Minister
  My office currently receives some 8,000 letters per week. It is not physically possible to track each and every item once it has been sent to a Department for reply. As I said in my previous answer, on receipt of Mr. Horwood's later letter, further action was initiated and a response sent.

  Helms-Burton Act
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had with President Clinton regarding the effects of the Helms-Burton Act on United Kingdom citizens and their families. [29291]

  The Prime Minister
  I have raised US extraterritorial legislation with President Clinton on a number of occasions. My colleagues and I continue to take every opportunity to make it clear to the US Administration and Congress that we reject such legislation.

  Millennium Compliance
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Prime Minister if the year 2000 problem was discussed at the meetings between President Clinton and the Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement. [29504]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 13 February 1998]: I discussed the problem briefly in a private meeting I had with President Clinton. We agreed on the need to raise awareness of this problem and to co-operate internationally on efforts to solve it.

  Social Exclusion Unit
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to publish an annual poverty report to measure the performance of the Social Exclusion Unit. [29822]

  The Prime Minister
  The Government's annual report will include passages on what has been achieved in tackling poverty, and what more needs to be done. I have asked the Social Exclusion Unit to draw up key indicators of social exclusion and recommend how these can be tracked.
  779

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, (1) pursuant to his answer of 21 January 1998,Official Report, column 539, if he will publish the programme of Mrs. Derek Fatchett when she accompanied her husband to Australasia and the Pacific from 12 to 22 September 1997 at public expense; [25817]

  (2) if he will publish the programme of Miss Geraldine Daly when she accompanied the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson) to Luxembourg from 25 to 26 October at public expense. [25818]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  [holding answer 27 January 1998]: Mrs. Fatchett undertook a programme which included visits in the fields of healthcare and culture, as well as accompanying Mr. Fatchett to a number of official engagements. Miss Daly took part in the programme organised by the Luxembourg Presidency for partners of Ministers attending, which included cultural and social visits. It is normal practice and a courtesy to the host nation that those accompanying Ministers on visits take part in official programmes organised by the host country or the Embassy. This is in line with the previous Administration's practice.

  Departmental Entertainment
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral answer of the Prime Minister of 28 January 1998,Official Report, column 342, what was the expenditure of his Department on entertaining from (a) 1 May 1997 to 1 February 1998 and (b) the equivalent period in 1996–97. [26854]

  Mr. Fatchett
  [holding answer 2 February 1998]: The cost of official hospitality given by Foreign and Commonwealth Ministers from 1 May 1997 to 1 February 1998 was £157,850: the cost of such hospitality given from 1 May 1996 to 1 February 1997 was £163,474.

  Periodicals
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the expenditure of his Department on newspapers and magazines in(a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97, (c) 1997–98 to date and (d) 1997–98 full year; and if he will list the newspapers and magazines purchased or subscribed to on a regular basis. [26664]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  [holding answer 5 February 1998]: This Department purchases a range of newspapers and magazines. Expenditure on these was as follows:

  1995–96: £102,109

  1996–97: £115,322

  1997–98: £95,934: year to 31 December 1997

  1997–98: £119,000: full year estimate.

  China
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated regarding the Chinese judicial system; [30219]
  780
  (2) if he will make it his policy to encourage an independent judicial system in China. [30218]

  Mr. Fatchett
  My Department regularly monitors developments in the judicial system in China, such as the recent revision of criminal laws. Both we and the EU have training and exchange programmes for Chinese lawyers and judges which aim to assist in the development of the judicial system.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to encourage the Chinese Government to implement legislation to allow non-governmental organisations to operate legally without a permit from governmental departments. [30221]

  Mr. Fatchett
  We have no such plans. Nonetheless we value and support the work of NGOs in China.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to encourage the Chinese Government to strengthen the powers of the National People's Congress and local government in China. [30220]

  Mr. Fatchett
  We would welcome closer contact between British parliamentarians and the National People's Congress. The EU has agreed a programme of technical assistance which aims to support and develop China's system of village governance.

  Embassies
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that British embassies present an approachable and accessible profile to individuals and businesses seeking to develop better trade links. [30217]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Providing effective support to British business abroad is one of our key aims. 217 posts provide a global network of commercial services. We issued guidelines in October last year to posts on best practice. These include ideas on how best to provide an accessible service which meets the customer's needs. Our programme of attachments of business people to posts is also helping to create a more business-like culture.

  EU/Tibet Co-ordinator
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to secure during the British Presidency of the EU the appointment of the EU/Tibet co-ordinator proposed in the recent resolution adopted by the European Parliament. [30407]

  Mr. Fatchett
  A delegation of EU Troika Ambassadors and the European Commission will visit Tibet during the UK Presidency in order to make an assessment of the situation. Neither we nor our EU partners could realistically consider the appointment of a co-ordinator ahead of that visit.

  Departmental Child Care
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday

  781
  play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30015]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  This Department currently subsidises nursery places for 23 children (aged three months to five years) of FCO staff as well as places at a holiday play scheme which are available to all staff.

  The Department subsidies places by 50 per cent. at two nurseries in London run by the Westminster Children's Society. It subsidises places at an in-house nursery in Hanslope Park by 30 per cent. and subsidises places at the Civil Service Westminster Holiday Play Scheme, run by Kinderquest Ltd, by 50 per cent.

  The provision of subsidised child care by this Department is one of a number of family policies designed to promote the retention of staff during their child caring years. The Department does not provide child care vouchers to staff.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Non-career Civil Servants
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to her Department since 1 May 1997. [25846]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  In the Northern Ireland office and the Northern Ireland Departments, the number of people appointed on fixed-term contracts or as casuals since 1 May 1997 is 1,335.

  Brazilian Mahogany
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what amount of Brazilian mahogany has been(a) acquired and (b) specified by her Department in (i) 1996 and (ii) 1997; and for what purpose. [28389]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The information for the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments is as follows:(i) Nil.
  (ii) Two pairs of fire doors and fire extinguisher cover boxes at Hillsborough Castle; sixteen computer workstations finished in mahogany to match existing suites of furniture as part of the Parliament Buildings refurbishment project; the replacement of one mahogany bookcase which was lost in a fire; and a suite of mahogany finished reproduction office furniture.

  All materials used were from sustainable sources.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how long on average it takes her Department to answer letters from hon. Members; what target date her Department sets; what percentage receive replies within the target date; and what assessment she has made of how long it takes to deliver a letter after it has been typed. [27032]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 2 February 1998]: When answering Ministerial Correspondence, a standard 10 day turn around target is set. Of the 2,603 Ministers cases dealt with in 1997, 1,684 were answered within the
  782
  target time which is an average success rate of 65 per cent. The main reasons for missing the target were the time taken for transmitting papers to and from the Minister/Minister not in NI and difficulties in obtaining information from various sources. No information is available regarding delivery times for letters.

  Sheep Dips
  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what monitoring of the impact of synthetic pyrethroid sheep dips on(a) the aquatic environment, (b) the soil environment and (c) fisheries (i) has been carried out and (ii) is planned by her Department; and if she will make a statement. [29730]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 16 February 1998]: The level of use of synthetic pyrethroid sheep dips in Northern Ireland has been low and there are no recorded incidents of environmental pollution from that source.

  DOE and DANI officials are aware of the particular risk posed to the environment by inappropriate disposal of synthetic pyrethroid sheep dips and are keeping the situation, particularly regarding levels of usage, under review. If appropriate, specific monitoring of the impact of those sheep dips on the environment will be arranged.

  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advice her Department gives to farmers on the disposal of synthetic pyrethroid sheep dips. [29729]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 16 February 1998]: The Department of Agriculture of Northern Ireland gives advice to farmers on the handling and disposal of sheep dips, including synthetic pyrethroid sheep dips, through booklets, TV and radio programmes, newspaper articles and farm visits. The current advice covers the circumstances in which used dip may be spread on suitable land at low application rates. As regards synthetic pyrethroid sheep dips, emphasis is given to the need for particular care in handling and disposal in view of the risk which that material poses for the environment.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants currently on the list of transfer applicants, have indicated Newry as their preferred location for employment. [29034]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 16 February 1998]: 124 non-industrial staff on the Northern Ireland Civil Service Central Transfer List have indicated Newsy as their first preference for relocation.

  HOME DEPARTMENT

    Fire Service Call-outs
    Mrs. Gorman
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the percentage of fire service call outs which were due to road traffic accidents in each of the last five years. [29548]
    783
    Mr. George Howarth
    The readily available information is given in the table.

    Road traffic and total incidents attended by local authority fire brigades, 1992–96 United Kingdom

    Thousands1

    Type of incident

    1992

    1993

    1994

    1995

    1996 4

    Fires2

    425.8

    451.5

    479.5

    604.1

    532.5

    Fire false alarms

    448.5

    455.8

    488.3

    506.8

    490.4

    Special service incidents3

    159.1

    164.7

    172.1

    199.1

    195.6

    Total

    1,033.5

    1,072.0

    1,139.8

    1,310.1

    1,218.5

    of which:

    Fires resulting from accidental vehicle crashes or collisions2

    1.2

    1.0

    1.1

    1.0

    1.0

    Road traffic accidents (no fire)3

    31.5

    31.5

    31.4

    34.4

    34.9

    Total

    32.7

    32.6

    32.5

    35.4

    35.9

    Percentage

    3%

    3%

    3%

    3%

    3%

    1 Figures are rounded and the components do not necessarily sum to the independently rounded totals.

    2 From 1994 includes "late" call and heat and smoke only incidents.

    3 Special service incidents (for example road traffic accidents and incidents of flooding or spilling of toxic substances) are counted for calendar years up to and including 1992 (England and Wales), 1993 (Scotland) and 1996 (Northern Ireland) and for financial years subsequently.

    4 Provisional.

    Emergency Services
    Mr. Beith
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average response time to emergency calls by the police, per police force covering(a) urban and (b) rural areas, in each of the last four years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [29776]

    Mr. Michael
    The latest complete year for which information is available on the performance of all forces in responding to emergency calls from the public is 1996–97. Details of that year's performance for all forces was published in the annual report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary in October 1997 and in the annual publication of the Audit Commission on local authority performance indicators in January 1998.

    Clearly, it is of great importance to the public that the police respond as promptly as possible to emergency calls, having established that the call is a genuine emergency. That is why I decided to keep it as a key objective for the police in 1998–99 to respond promptly to emergency calls from the public.

    One of the key performance indicators for this objective is the percentage of responses within the local target time to incidents requiring immediate response. Targets are set locally by individual forces to reflect local circumstances, such as traffic conditions. Some forces set separate targets for urban and rural incidents to take account of the different timescales within which it is possible to respond to such incidents.
    784
    Mr. Beith
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) fire officers and (b) retained fire officers were in post in each force, by sex and age group, in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [29814]

    Mr. George Howarth
    Information on the number of wholetime and retained firefighters in each fire brigade for England and Wales is published annually in the reports of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services, copies of which are held in the Library. The latest report, for 1996–97, Cm 3791, contains on page 12 a table giving the required information as at 1 January 1997. Details in respect of the age groups are not held centrally. Corresponding information for earlier years can be found in the annual reports for 1992 (Cm 2275—page 14), 1993–94 (Cm 2679—page 14), 1994–95 (Cm 2998—page 12) and 1995–96 (Cm 3493—page 14).

    Secure Training Centres
    Mr. Beith
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 4 December 1997,Official Report, column 299, if he will make it his policy to publish the average annual payment which will be paid to each private sector contractor for each child detained in a secure training centre when the contracts are confirmed; if he will list the criteria used to ascertain best value; and if he will make a statement. [29811]

    Mr. Michael
    Consideration will be given to making information available on the contract payments once all of the contracts for secure training centres have been awarded. In assessing best value, bids are evaluated on the basis of the quality, performance and safety of the design and construction and operating proposals; the quality of service relative to price, the adequacy and robustness of financing proposals; the deliverability of the whole project; and the degree of risk transfer.

    Police Manpower
    Mr. Beith
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the number of police officers per head of population in London relative to those in(a) New York and (b) Paris; and if he will make a statement. [29786]

    Mr. Michael
    I have not seen any generally helpful comparisons of the levels of policing between difference capital cities. There are such wide variations in the volume and type of crime and in the roles of police officers, civilians and other bodies that any comparisons have to be made with great caution.

    Money Laundering
    Mr. Beith
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there have been for offences related to money laundering in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [29789]

    Mr. Michael
    Available information is given in the table.
    785

    Number of offenders convicted of money laundering offences by type of offence, 1987–1996, England and Wales

    Legislation/Offence

    1987

    1988

    1989

    1990

    1991

    1992

    1993

    1994

    1995

    1996

    Drug Money Laundering Offence

    S49 Drug Trafficking Act 1994 (previously S14 Criminal Justice (International Co-operation Act 1990)—Concealing or transferring the proceeds of drug trafficking

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    —

    —

    —

    1

    —

    —

    S50 Drug Trafficking Act 1994 (previously S24 Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986)3—Assisting another person to retain the benefit of drug trafficking

    2—

    2—

    2—

    2—

    2—

    2—

    4

    4

    3

    2

    S51 Drug Trafficking Act 1994 (previously S23A Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 as inserted by S16 Criminal Justice Act 1993)— Acquisition, possession or use of other proceeds of drug trafficking

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    —

    —

    3

    S52 Drug Trafficking Act 1994—Failure to disclose knowledge or suspicion of money laundering

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    —

    —

    —

    S53 Drug Trafficking Act 1994—Disclosure of information likely to prejudice an investigation ("Tipping off")

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    —

    —

    —

    Offence of Laundering Proceeds of other Crime

    S93A Criminal Justice Act 19884 as inserted by S29 Criminal Justice Act 1993—Assisting another to retain the benefit of criminal conduct

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    —

    —

    2

    S93B Criminal Justice Act 19884 as inserted by S30 Criminal Justice Act 1993—Acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of criminal conduct

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    —

    —

    6

    S93C Criminal Justice Act 19884 as inserted by S31 Criminal Justice Act 1993—Concealing or transferring proceeds of criminal conduct

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    —

    —

    —

    S93D Criminal Justice Act 19884as inserted by S32 Criminal Justice Act 1993—Disclosure of information likely to prejudice an investigation ("Tipping off")

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    1—

    —

    —

    —

    1 Not applicable.

    2 Not applicable.

    3 Court proceedings data prior to 1993 cannot separately identify offences under S24 Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 (since consolidated and replaced by S50 Drug Trafficking Act 1994) from other drug offences. For the years 1993, 1994 and 1995, a special exercise was undertaken to identify this specific offence. However as a 100 per cent, response from the courts was not achieved 'estimates' for these three years were made.

    4 Sections 93A to 93D Criminal Justice Act 1988 came into force in February 1994.

    Private Finance Initiative
    Mr. Beith
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for which of the private finance initiative contracts entered into by his Department and its agencies there was a public sector comparator; if he will indicate whether the comparator was calculated before or after private sector bids were received; and if he will make a statement. [29788]

    Mr. Straw
    My Department and its Agencies have prepared public sector comparators for the following private finance initiative (PFI) contracts:

    Contract

    Comparator calculated before or after bids received

    Coldingley Prison workshop

    Before

    Prisons

    Bridgend

    After

    Fazakerly

    After

    Lowdham Grange

    Before

    United Kingdom Passport Agency: dealing with applications and printing passports

    After

    786

    Contract

    Comparator calculated before or after bids received

    Immigration and Nationality caseworking project1

    Before

    Secure Training Centre: Cookham Wood1

    After

    1 In both cases, comparison could only be made in respect of part of the contract content, and constituted a test for value for money, but not a full public sector comparator.

    A comparison with the estimated public sector cost of delivering a similar product, taking account of risk transferred in a Private Finance Initiative deal, is made wherever it is realistic to do so. It is used to test whether competitive bids offer value for money.

    Alcohol (Smuggling)
    Mrs. Lait
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licences have been withdrawn from pubs, hotels, restaurants, cafes and off licences for selling bootlegged or smuggled alcohol in each of the last three years. [30419]

    Mr. George Howarth
    This information is not collected centrally.
    787

    Countryside Rally (Policing)
    Mr. Gordon Prentice
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the anticipated cost of policing the Countryside Rally in London on 1 March. [29860]

    Mr. Michael
    The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that the basic policing cost for the Countryside Alliance Protest March on 1 March 1998 is expected to be £187,239. In addition, there may be some overtime and support services costs which cannot be calculated until after the event.

    Animal Procedures Committee
    Mr. Baker
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the occasions on which the Animal Procedures Committee has met groups or individuals opposed to(a) xenotransplantation and (b) vivisection; and if he will make a statement. [30302]

    Mr. George Howarth
    Since May, the Animal Procedures Committee has formally met with representatives of one such group. In January 1998, members of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) made a presentation to the Committee.

    In addition, there is a range of opinion on the Committee concerning the use of animals in scientific procedures, including xenotransplantation.

    Departmental Child Care
    Mr. Barnes
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30010]

    Mr. Straw
    Provision is made for spending £380,000 on subsidised child care in the current financial year for Home Office staff (including the Agencies) at various locations. This makes available 164 nursery day care places for children under 5 years of age and around 170 holiday play scheme places for children aged between 5 to 12 years. These arrangements involve a subsidy of up 50% of the contractual running costs depending on local circumstances. Subsidised child care provision is provided only if it can be justified on value for money grounds.

    The Department uses the following contractors to provide child care: Beehive Nurseries; Buffer Bean Limited; Jancett Group of Day Nurseries; Kids Unlimited; Kinderquest Limited; Nurseryworks Limited; and the Westminster Children's Society.

    The Department does not provide child care vouchers to staff.

    Probation Services (Birmingham Prisons)
    Mr. Burden
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the changes in the level of delivery of probation services in Birmingham prisons in the last two years; and what plans he has for further changes. [29871]
    788
    Ms Quin
    The numbers of probation staff at Birmingham prison in the last two years were:1996–97: 1 Senior Probation Officer and 6 Probation Officers
    1997–98: 1 Senior Probation Officer and 4 Probation Officers (including one funded by the West Midlands Probation Service)

    The level for 1998–99 has not yet been set. The Governor recognises the value and importance of the work done by the Probation Service, while nonetheless having to prioritise other important demands within his overall budget.

    Sex Offenders
    Mr. Burden
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to provide additional funding for sex offenders' treatment programme courses. [29872]

    Ms Quin
    During the financial year 1997–98, an additional £1 million was provided by the Prison Service for accredited offending behaviour programmes, which include the sex offender treatment programme.

    My right hon. Friend has now made available a further £112 million for the Prison Service in addition to its existing budget for 1998–99. Part of these funds will be used for the provision of regime activities, including the sex offender treatment programme.

    Mr. Burden
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the criteria for selection of sex offenders' treatment programmes for prisoners; [29873]

    (2) what account is taken of previous convictions in providing convicted sex offenders with access to sex offenders' treatment programme courses. [29874]

    Ms Quin
    The basic criteria for the selection of prisoners for the sex offender treatment programme are:the prisoner is currently serving a sentence for a sexual offence, or has a previous conviction for a sexual offence and has asked for treatment, or is a life sentence prisoner who may not have been convicted of a sexual offence, but whose criminal behaviour involves a sexual element;
    the prisoner is willing to participate in the programme; and is serving a sentence long enough in which to complete it.

    Life sentence prisoners who have a current or previous conviction for a sexual offence, or whose criminal behaviour involves a sexual element, are required to undertake treatment in order to progress towards release.

    A risk assessment is made on all convicted sex offenders entering prison. Those who are considered to be high risk and who satisfy the other criteria will be given priority for a place. Information about previous convictions will inform the risk assessment made of each sex offender.

    Mr. Burden
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the reoffending rates for prisoners who have previously completed sex offenders' treatment programme courses. [29875]

    Ms Quin
    The long-term effects of the sex offender treatment programme are not yet known, but similar programmes in the United States and Canada have reduced the rate of reoffending by about 25%.
    789

    Over-lenient Sentences
    Mr. Fabricant
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the appeals procedure in respect of over-lenient sentences. [28782]

    Mr. Michael
    We are in discussion with colleagues about the best way to implement our manifesto commitment to extend the Attorney-General's powers to refer cases to the Court of Appeal for review where it appears to him that the sentence is unduly lenient.

    Trials (Juries)
    Mr. Gordon Prentice
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to judges on whether a case coming to trial could be heard by a judge without a jury. [28784]

    Mr. Michael
    No such guidance has been issued, since in England and Wales a judge has no power to conduct a criminal trial without a jury. A consultation paper published on 16 February to which I referred in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Dr. Palmer), on 16 February 1998,Official Report, column 475, canvasses four alternatives to traditional jury trial in serious and complex fraud cases, one of which is trial by a judge sitting alone, but we have made it clear that we have a genuinely open mind about which option would be best and about whether such a change should go ahead.

    Lotteries (Frequent Draws) Bill
    Mr. Sanders
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list of the submissions received in response to the publication of the draft Lotteries (Frequent Draws) Bill and place in the Library copies of those submissions that are marked as being for publication. [30305]

    Mr. George Howarth
    When reporting on the outcome of the consultation, we will place in the Library a list of submissions and copies of those submissions whose authors did not object to publication.

    Ashford Remand Centre
    Mr. Wilshire
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the future of the site of the former Ashford (Middlesex) Remand Centre. [30261]

    Facilities

    Subsidy

    Organisation used

    Cabinet Office (OPS)

    The Westminster holiday playscheme

    50%

    Kinderquest Ltd

    Civil Service College

    Nursery places

    Subsidy varies between nil and £35 per week depending upon grade

    Edith Rose Day Nursery Ltd

    Central Office of Information

    The Westminster holiday playscheme

    50%

    Kinderquest Ltd

    Property Advisers to the Civil Estate

    Nursery places for staff in Leeds

    39%

    Peter Bennett Nursery

    The Westminster holiday playscheme

    50%

    Kinderquest

    The Buying Agency

    Holiday playscheme

    100%

    MOD Kidz Club

    790
    Ms Quin
    Prisoner population pressures continue to require the construction of new establishments. The Prison Service owns the site of the former Ashford Remand Centre and has planning consent for the construction of a new prison. Consideration is currently being given as to how this should be taken forward. I will write to the hon. Member when a decision has been made.

  MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO

    Millennium Experience
    Mr. Edward Davey
    To ask the Minister without Portfolio how the eight year old consultant on the Millennium Dome was appointed; how many other applicants were considered; and what criteria were used for the appointment. [28027]

    Mr. Mandelson
    I understand that Work, one of the eleven design companies contracted to the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) to develop the content of the Millennium Experience Dome, occasionally ask an eight year old boy to comment on their plans in order to gauge the level of their appeal to young people.

    In the next few months, the NMEC have established its own network of Regional Junior Boards (in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the nine English regions) each comprising about twenty 9–16 year olds nominated by local education establishments and agencies. The intention is that one member of each Regional Junior Board, together with representatives from the major national youth organisations and agencies, will form a National Junior Board. These boards will ensure that advice and the views of young people on the Millennium Experience project are directly and regularly considered.

  DUCHY OF LANCASTER

    Departmental Child Care
    Mr. Barnes
    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30012]

    Mr. Kilfoyle
    The child care facilities provided in the department, Agencies and other areas which fall to the Cabinet Office Vote are as follows:
    791

    Facilities

    Subsidy

    Organisation used

    Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency

    None

    —

    —

    Security Facilities Executive

    None

    —

    —

    Government Car and Despatch Agency

    None

    —

    —

    Child care vouchers are not available to staff.

    Public Appointments (Ethnic Minorities)
    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mrs. Ballard) of 4 February 1998,Official Report, column 703, on public appointments, what progress has been made by the public appointments unit towards increasing the proportion of individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds who are appointed to public bodies. [30174]

    Dr. David Clark
    The Public Appointments Unit is keen to maintain the progress which has already been achieved, with 3.6% of appointments being held by members of the ethnic minorities in 1997 compared with 2% in 1992.

    The Unit actively promotes equal opportunities in public appointments through its various programmes of work, which have included a series of regional seminars to encourage more members of the ethnic minorities to participate in public life.

    The Unit is currently drawing together individual Departmental plans designed to increase the representation of women and members of the ethnic minorities on public bodies. The plans will cover the period 1998–2001 and will be made publicly available.

    Freedom of Information
    Mr. Baker
    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what restrictions will be placed on Ministers' powers to withhold information relating to themselves under the terms of the Official Secrets Acts by the forthcoming legislation on freedom of information. [30300]

    Dr. David Clark
    It is not intended that the proposed Freedom of Information Act should amend the provisions of the Official Secrets Act 1989.

  TREASURY

    Inheritance Tax
    Mr. Gordon Prentice
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the minimum requirements concerning public access which have to be satisfied before a landowner can be granted conditional exemption from inheritance tax. [27978]

    Dawn Primarolo
    The law requires owners of conditionally exempt assets to provide reasonable public access. Each case is considered on its own merits, and the factors taken into account include the extent and nature of any existing access. The Inland Revenue's booklet, "Capital taxation and the national heritage", IR67 (available in the House of Commons Library), provides general guidance on matters relating to public access.
    792

    Ministerial Transport
    Mr. Malcolm Bruce
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost of(a) Ministerial cars and drivers and (b) the Department's bill for taxis in (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97, (iii) 1997–98 to date and (iv) 1997–98 full year. [27726]

    Mrs. Liddell
    [holding answer 5 February 1998]: Over these years, expenditure on Ministerial cars and drivers, and on taxis, is as follows:

    £000

    Ministerial cars and drivers

    Taxis

    1995–96

    295

    58

    1996–97

    360

    59

    1997–98 (year to date)

    364

    76

    1998–99 (full year)

    397

    83

    Income Tax
    Mr. Evans
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are currently paying income tax at(a) the basic rate and (b) higher tax rates in each county of England and Wales. [29480]

    Dawn Primarolo
    The table shows estimates of the number and percentage of basic and higher rate taxpayers by county in England and unitary authority in Wales 1995–96, the latest year for which there is information.

    '000

    Number of basic rate taxpayers

    Number of higher rate taxpayers

    North East

    Cleveland

    170

    10

    Durham

    161

    13

    Northumberland

    107

    12

    Tyne & Wear

    309

    22

    North West & Merseyside

    Cheshire

    310

    39

    Cumbria

    177

    14

    Greater Manchester

    735

    58

    Lancashire

    416

    29

    Merseyside

    361

    29

    Yorkshire & The Humber

    Humberside

    275

    23

    North Yorkshire

    244

    31

    South Yorkshire

    367

    21

    West Yorkshire

    613

    51

    East Midlands

    Derbyshire

    308

    21

    Leicestershire

    306

    33

    Lincolnshire

    199

    13

    Northamptonshire

    204

    24

    Nottinghamshire

    298

    26

    793

    '000

    Number of basic rate taxpayers

    Number of higher rate taxpayers

    West Midlands

    Hereford & Worcester

    255

    30

    Shropshire

    151

    17

    Staffordshire

    354

    34

    Warwickshire

    157

    20

    West Midlands

    755

    58

    Eastern

    Bedfordshire

    194

    19

    Cambridgeshire

    232

    29

    Essex

    480

    79

    Hertfordshire

    335

    77

    Norfolk

    239

    23

    Suffolk

    159

    18

    London

    2,100

    374

    South East

    Berkshire

    260

    58

    Buckinghamshire

    259

    52

    East Sussex

    207

    28

    Hampshire

    551

    83

    Isle of Wight

    44

    1—

    Kent

    501

    60

    Oxfordshire

    203

    37

    Surrey

    341

    95

    West Sussex

    210

    34

    South West

    Avon

    315

    34

    Cornwall

    129

    13

    Devon

    328

    25

    Dorset

    204

    23

    Gloucestershire

    185

    19

    Somerset

    154

    13

    Wiltshire

    201

    23

    Wales

    Aberconwy and Colwyn

    27

    2

    Anglesey

    1—

    1—

    Blaenau Gwent

    1—

    1—

    Bridgend

    58

    1—

    Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire

    31

    1—

    Caerphilly

    39

    1—

    Cardiff

    72

    11

    Cardiganshire

    14

    1—

    Carmarthenshire

    48

    4

    Denbighshire

    19

    1—

    Flintshire

    55

    5

    Merthyr Tydfil

    1—

    1—

    Monmouthshire

    26

    3

    Neath and Port Talbot

    35

    1—

    Newport

    47

    1—

    Pembrokeshire

    31

    1—

    Powys

    46

    1

    Rhondda, Cynon, Taff

    59

    1—

    Swansea

    44

    5

    Torfaen UA

    27

    1—

    Vale of Glamorgan

    31

    5

    Wrexham

    40

    1

    1 Sample size too low to make reasonable estimate.

    Technology Companies
    Mr. Gibb
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total quantity of agreed(a) trading tax losses and (b) capital losses in (i) technology companies and (ii) biotechnology companies, in the last year for which figures are available. [29411]
    794
    Mr. Geoffrey Robinson
    I regret that the tax records held centrally by the Inland Revenue do not categorise companies to the industries requested.

    Working Families Tax Credit
    Mr. Lilley
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households currently in receipt of family credit would experience a shift in net income to the principal wage earner if family credit were replaced by a working families tax credit payable through the pay packet to the principal earner. [29187]

    Dawn Primarolo
    [holding answer 12 February 1998]: The current system of Family Credit involves a declaration by the man and the woman in a household. If the Working Family Tax Credit replaced Family Credit, the Government would ensure that the family could elect to whom the tax credit was paid—to the woman or the man in the household.

    Abortions
    Mr. Peter Bottomley
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people each week in the United Kingdom contribute to conceptions that are terminated legally and deliberately in the United Kingdom. [29673]

    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. Peter Bottomley, dated 19 February 1998:
    The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me, as Director of the Office for National Statistics, to reply to your recent question on the number of people in the United Kingdom who contribute to conceptions that are terminated legally and deliberately in the United Kingdom.
    Over the period July 1996 to June 1997, the latest 12 months for which information is available, there were an average of 3,460 abortions each week notified as being performed in Great Britain on residents of the United Kingdom.
    The Abortion Act 1967 applies to England, Wales and Scotland. The Act does not apply to Northern Ireland, where less than a hundred legal abortions are performed each year on medical grounds in health service hospitals under case law, as was the legal situation in England and Wales before the 1967 Act.

    Tax Allowances
    Mr. MacShane
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of revalorising the non-aged personal allowance; and what increase in(a) the non-aged married couple's allowance and (b) the additional personal allowance could be achieved for such a sum. [28986]

    Dawn Primarolo
    [holding answer 13 February 1998]: Indexing the non-aged personal allowance is estimated to cost £850 million in 1998–99. The same amount could be spent on increasing the non-aged married couple's allowance, the additional personal allowance and the widow's bereavement allowance by £590.

    Duty Free Sales
    Mr. Blunt
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the employment consequences in the United Kingdom of the ending of the European duty free trade on 1 January 1999. [29922]
    795
    Dawn Primarolo
    No estimate has been made of the possible consequences of the abolition of intra EU duty free trade. It is due to be abolished on 30 June 1999.

    Departmental Expenditure
    Mr. Swinney
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on(a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available. [30095]

    Mrs. Liddell
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The Treasury's total expenditure on hospitality, stationery and travel in the UK in 1996–97 was £112,000, £289,000 and £217,000, respectively. A regional breakdown of procurement would mean each invoice would have to be examined. This could be carried out only at disproportionate cost.

    Departmental Child Care
    Mr. Barnes
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30017]

    Mrs. Liddell
    The Treasury participates in the Westminster Holiday Play Scheme which provides child care for children between the ages of five and twelve during school holidays. A 61 per cent. subsidy is provided to staff. The current provider is Kinderquest Ltd. Nursery places are not provided nor are child care vouchers offered.

    Professionals (Income Tax Changes)
    Mr. Bermingham
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the proposed income tax changes for professionals referred to in an Inland Revenue press statement of 22 December 1997 will result in banisters being liable to pay income tax to the Government on fees due to the barrister by the Legal Aid Board before those sums have been received by the barrister from the Legal Aid Board. [30397]

    Dawn Primarolo
    The precise effects of the proposal to withdraw the cash basis practices available to professionals will depend on the individual circumstances and the final detail of the proposal. It has been the subject of a consultation process which ended on 14 February 1998. We are now reviewing the proposal in the light of the comments received. The final shape of the proposed legislation will not be announced in advance of my right hon. Friend's Budget.

    Mr. Bermingham
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely acceleration in the income tax and national insurance paid by persons affected by the proposed income tax changes for professionals referred to in an Inland Revenue press statement of 22 December 1997 and of the amount of additional income tax and national insurance which will be so accelerated. [30395]

    Dawn Primarolo
    The purpose of consultation was to enable those affected to voice their concerns. The consultation process ended on 14 February 1998. We are now reviewing the proposal in the light of the comments 796
    received. The final shape of the proposed legislation will not be announced in advance of my right hon. Friend's Budget.

    Mr. Bermingham
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Government plan to require one-off payments to be made in respect of the acceleration in the income tax and national insurance paid by persons affected by the proposed income tax changes for professionals referred to in an Inland Revenue press statement of 22 December 1997. [30396]

    Dawn Primarolo
    The proposal to withdraw the cash basis practices available to professionals has been the subject of a consultation process which ended on 14 February 1998. We are now reviewing the proposal in the light of the comments received. The final shape of the proposed legislation, including the phasing of its implementation, will not be announced in advance of my right hon. Friend's Budget.

    Mr. Bermingham
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to introduce relief for professionals affected by the proposed changes parallel to the cash accounting scheme for VAT consequent upon proposed income tax changes for professionals referred to in an Inland Revenue press statement of 22 December 1997. [30398]

    Dawn Primarolo
    The proposal to withdraw the cash basis practices available to professionals is the subject of a consultation process which was started by the issue of an Inland Revenue Press Release on 22 December 1997. Comments were invited by 14 February 1998. Now we are in the process of reviewing the proposal in the light of the comments received. The outcome of that review will not be announced before my right hon. Friend's Budget.

    Mr. Bermingham
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of income tax which the Treasury will receive on a professional's profits over the course of a professional's career under the proposed income tax changes for professionals referred to in an Inland Revenue press statement of 22 December 1997 relative to the current procedures. [30401]

    Dawn Primarolo
    The proposal to withdraw the cash basis practices available to professionals does not affect the total amount of income chargeable to income tax, but changes the timing of when it has to be returned for income tax purposes. Estimates of the effect on Treasury receipts from year to year will depend on the final detail of the proposal. It has been the subject of a consultation process which ended on 14 February 1998. We are now reviewing the proposal in the light of the comments received. The final shape of the proposed legislation will not be announced in advance of my right hon. Friend's Budget.

    Customs Information System
    Mr. Timms
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Government have designated a competent authority to have direct access to the Customs Information System as referred to in Article 29(2) of EC Regulation 515/97 on mutual administrative assistance. [30915]
    797
    Dawn Primarolo
    I have designated HM Customs and Excise as the competent authority to have direct access to the Customs Information System.

  WALES

    Lost and Stolen Items
    Mr. Malcolm Bruce
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those items valued at more than £25 stolen or lost from his Department since 1 May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [27738]

    Mr. Ron Davies
    [holding answer 5 February 1998]: No items valued at more than £25 have been stolen or lost from the Department since 1 May 1997.

    Welsh Development Agency
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will place in the Library the guidelines and terms of reference issued by his Department to the consultants who assisted with the recruitment of the Chief Executive of the Welsh Development Agency; [28990]

    (2) how many applicants there were for the post of Chief Executive to the Welsh Development Agency when the present incumbent was appointed; how many were interviewed; and how many of those interviewed withdrew their application prior to an appointment being made. [28991]

    Mr. Hain
    The appointment of the present Chief Executive was made by the Board of the Welsh Development Agency with the consent of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. I have asked the Chairman of the Agency to write to the right hon. Member, and will arrange for a copy of his reply to be placed in the Library of the House.

    Correspondence
    Mr. Alan Williams
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the normal practice in his Department in relation to consulting the author of a private and confidential letter to his Department about giving copies of it to third parties. [29232]

    Mr. Ron Davies
    My Department's normal practice is to comply with the requirements of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, and the advice given in the Guidance on Interpretation, Second Edition (1997).

    Optec DD
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the Optec DD factory at Buckley will close and with how many redundancies; and if he will make a statement. [29435]

    Mr. Hain
    The company have not yet announced the actual date when the factory will close. However, there will be 76 redundancies.

    The Welsh Development Agency is working closely with Flintshire County Council and is exploring a number of options. We are content that everything possible is being done to help the company and its employees.
    798
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives (i) he and (ii) the Welsh Development Agency will take to find a new tenant for the current Optec DD factory at Buckley, Flintshire; and if he will make a statement. [29434]

    Mr. Hain
    The Welsh Development Agency, the TEC and Flintshire County Council are aware of the closure and have discussed the matter fully with the company. Following the discussions it has been agreed that the Council, through its Economic Development Department, will take the lead on giving advice to the company and its employees. The Welsh Development Agency is in regular contact with the local authority and is currently considering a number of options.

    We are happy that everything possible is being done to help the company and its employees.

    Manufacturing Redundancies
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of manufacturing redundancies announced in 1998 to date; and if he will make a statement. [29432]

    Mr. Hain
    No reliable estimates of manufacturing redundancies in Wales are available. Information on redundancies generally is available from the quarterly Labour Force Survey, which estimates the number of people who were made redundant in the three months prior to the survey. However, data for the first quarter of 1998 will not be available until late summer. The Spring 1997 survey estimated that 11,000 people in Wales were made redundant in the three months prior to interview. The Summer 1997 survey gave an estimate below 10,000 (the Labour Force Survey threshold for publication).

    Beef and Lamb Prices
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the difference between the carcase price for beef and lamb paid to farmers and the price charged by retailers. [29591]

    Mr. Win Griffiths
    This issue has been raised in recent discussions between my right hon. Friend and the farming unions. The Welsh Affairs Committee has also taken an interest in this matter and the Welsh Office provided a memorandum to the Committee on 14 January 1998. I subsequently gave evidence to the Committee on 16 February.

    National Assembly for Wales
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to be able to announce the locations of regional centres within Wales at which there may be held meetings of the regional committees of the National Assembly and occasional full committee meetings or plenary sessions of the National Assembly; and if these centres will be equipped with video conferencing equipment in time to be fully operational by May 1999. [29596]

    Mr. Ron Davies
    I will announce in due course the location of the regional offices where the public will be able to gain access to the National Assembly proceedings. Subject to the relevant technology being available and affordable, I would want these offices to have operational
    799
    video conferencing facilities by May 1999. It will be for the National Assembly members to determine the location of regional centres where they might wish to meet.

    Rural Roads
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what evaluation he has made of the dangers of driving on narrow, winding, rural roads and the possibility of reducing speed limits on such roads. [29593]

    Mr. Hain
    The Department has not undertaken any formal evaluation but, together with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, we have commissioned extensive research on road safety and the particular problems on rural roads. This shows that few drivers exceed the national speed limit in these areas, and that accidents tend to be the result of speed which is inappropriate for road conditions. Local Highway Authorities already have powers to lower speed limits on roads where appropriate.

    Class Sizes
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money released by the abolition of the assisted places scheme will be used to reduce class sizes in infant schools in the next school year. [29803]

    Mr. Hain
    All the savings in 1998–99 from the abolition of the Assisted Places Scheme, which are expected to amount to £1.35 million, are to be used for the reduction of infant class sizes.

    Departmental Child Care
    Mr. Barnes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30021]

    Mr. Ron Davies
    My Department is a partner in a public sector consortium which provides a 60 place nursery for staff. The Consortium covers the cost of rent, rates and utility charges which currently amounts to approximately £700 per place per annum. An Easter and summer play scheme is supported by a financial contribution of some £100 per place per annum. Parents using these child care schemes are required to make a contribution towards the costs which mainly cover the management costs involved in running and staffing the schemes.

    The Nursery is managed on behalf of the Consortium by Cardiff City Council under contract. The play scheme is an open scheme run by SPICE for Cardiff City Council and the Department contracts for places on the scheme.

    Child care vouchers are not made available to staff.

    My Department considers the provision of child care arrangements as important to the promotion of equality of opportunity for all staff.

    Further Education
    Mr. Dafis
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on(a) the (i) recurrent and (ii) capital funding and (b) target student numbers for
    800
    further education in Wales set out in (1) December 1996 and (2) December 1997; and if he will make a statement on the efficiency gains per student in real terms over this period. [30269]

    Mr. Hain
    In December 1996, the further education recurrent provision for the financial year 1997–98 was £162.547 million; capital provision was £14.477 million; and the target full-time equivalent student number was 58,500. In December 1997, recurrent and capital provision for further education was combined giving a total sum available of £172.541 million for the financial year 1998–99, against target full-time equivalent student numbers of 63,000.

    The forecast outtum for 1997–98 is £179.475 million, funding 62,400 full-time equivalent students. Against the resources to be made available in 1998–99 and the student target for that year, the projected efficiency gain per student, in real terms, over this period is 7.3 per cent.

    Mr. Dafis
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to alter the level of funding for further education in(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000. [30250]

    Mr. Hain
    I have already announced an increase in funding for further education of £5.4 million over the plans set out by the previous administration. Decisions on the funding to be made available for the sector in 1999–2000 will be taken in the light of the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

    Mr. Dafis
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many colleges of further education in Wales are categorised as(a) financially unsatisfactory, (b) marginal and (c) satisfactory; and what were the equivalent figures in February 1997. [30249]

    Mr. Hain
    Currently within the further education sector in Wales, eight colleges are categorised by the FEFCW as financially unsatisfactory, eight as marginal and 13 as satisfactory. The corresponding figures in February 1997 were four, seven and 18 respectively.

    Health Service Funding
    Mr. Gareth Thomas
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has reached a decision concerning the allocation of resources to health authorities in Wales for 1998–99. [30914]

    Mr. Ron Davies
    I announced on 10 December 1997,Official Report, columns 580–83 that I would be providing an additional £113 million for the NHS in Wales in 1998–99. This will bring total spending to £2,455 million. £1,725 million of this will be used to fund the Hospital, Community and Family Health Services.

    Hospital, Community and Family Health Services will receive an additional £77 million in revenue resources-a cash increase of 4.9 per cent. Within this amount, the five health authorities, GPs and GP fundholders will receive revenue funding of £1,585 million-£71 million, or 4.7 per cent., more than in 1997–98 plans. In real terms, this is an overall increase of 1.9 per cent. Within these resources, I have been able to give health authorities an extra £62 million, which represents a 4.3 per cent. cash increase on discretionary purchasing power, and £4 million to cash limited General Medical Services, which is a 7.8 per cent. cash increase.
    801
    I am expecting health authorities and trusts to continue to generate efficiency savings and in 1998–99 these should amount to at least 2.4 per cent. This will release some £34 million which, together with the new money, will be available to meet inflationary and other pressures, and to increase investment in patient care.

    Health authorities and trusts will also receive £97 million to fund capital development. Included with this is £2.7 million to fund estimated capital costs in the first year of the replacement of the linear accelerators at Velindere NHS Trust, a scheme that will cost £4.4 million over the next three years. In addition, I have made available an extra £3.5 million for Trust minor discretionary capital expenditure to support the maintenance and replacement of equipment and estate. This is an increase of 8.1 per cent. or 5.3 per cent. after taking account of inflation.

    The settlement also provides £5 million for new developments, most notably £2.4 million for the support and expansion of cancer services through the Cancer Service Co-ordinating Group, £0.5 million to tackle prescription fraud and £0.8 million to meet the cost of implementing Calman Specialist Registrars.

    A table of provisional NHS Trust External Financing Limits (EFLs) follows:

    Provisional trust external financing limits 1998–99

    £000

    North Wales

    Clwydian Community

    (68)

    Glan Clwyd

    7,620

    Gwynedd Community

    1,540

    Gwynedd Hospitals

    (946)

    Wrexham Maelor

    (601)

    Dyfed Powys

    Carmarthen and District

    (779)

    Ceredigion and District

    154

    Pembs Derwen

    (358)

    Llanelli/Dinefwr

    (439)

    Powys

    (287)

    Morgannwg

    Bridgend

    (374)

    Glan-Y-mor

    (1,109)

    Morriston

    (1,695)

    Swansea

    (937)

    Bro Taf

    Cardiff Community

    (393)

    East Glamorgan

    18,552

    Llandough

    (1,854)

    North Glamorgan

    (1,376)

    Rhondda

    (346)

    University Dental Hospital

    3,285

    UHW

    13,509

    Velindre

    2,564

    Gwent

    Glan Hafren

    3,174

    Gwent Community

    326

    Nevill Hall

    (613)

    Ambulance

    North Wales

    (535)

    West Wales

    96

    Mid Glamorgan

    383

    SEWAT

    (509)

    Total Trusts

    37,984

    802

    Welsh Development Agency
    Mr. Gareth Thomas
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy regarding the appointment of members to the Board of the enhanced Welsh Development Agency; and if he will make a statement. [30918]

    Mr. Ron Davies
    I am today announcing that Mr. David Rowe-Beddoe will be Chairman and Mr. Brian Willott the Chief Executive of the new organisation when it is established in the Autumn of this year, subject to the passage of the Government of Wales Bill.

    I intend to make further appointments to the Board at a later date. The existing Board of the Welsh Development Agency (WDA), the Development Board for Rural Wales (DBRW) and the Land Authority for Wales (LAW) have made a valuable contribution to economic development in Wales and I applaud their achievements. I am, however, keen that the opportunity to serve on the Board of the new Powerhouse agency is canvassed as widely as possible in line with the guidance from the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. I therefore intend to advertise these appointments so that the composition of the Board following the merger will benefit from a blend of new talent as well as the experience of existing members. The terms of office of existing Board members will be extended until the merger.

  CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

    Correspondence
    Mr. Steinberg
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make it his policy that he and his Ministers personally read the letters sent to them by hon. Members on constituency matters. [27667]

    Mr. Chris Smith
    It is already my policy that my fellow departmental Ministers and I read all correspondence from hon. Members.

    Periodicals
    Mr. Malcolm Bruce
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is his estimate of the expenditure of his Department on newspapers and magazines in(a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97, (c) 1997–98 to date and (d) 1997–98 full year; and if he will list the newspapers and magazines purchased or subscribed to on a regular basis. [26629]

    Mr. Tom Clarke
    [holding answer 5 February 1998]: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport spent £20,033 on newspapers and magazines in 1993–94, £34,806 in 1994–95, £22,000 in 1995–96, and £25,863 in 1996–97. To date, the Department has spent £20,269 in 1997–98 and expects to spend £26,770 in the 1997–98 full year. The Department purchases a range of publications.

    Market Research
    Mr. Malcolm Bruce
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what expenditure has been incurred by his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies(a) in 1996–97 and (b) since 1 May 1997 on (i) opinion polling, (ii) focus groups and

    803
    (iii) other forms of market research; if he will list the surveys commissioned and the purpose of each; and if he will make a statement. [26625]

    Mr. Tom Clarke
    [holding answer 5 February 1998]: The totals of expenditure relating to the Department, its agencies and Non Departmental Public Bodies are in the following table.

    £

    Opinion Polling1

    Focus Groups2

    Other Forms of Market Research3

    Total

    1996–97

    Department

    0

    0

    6,241

    6,241

    Agencies

    0

    15,360

    307,581

    322941

    NDPBs

    247,669

    307,581

    1,719,839

    2,275,089

    From 1.5.97

    Department

    0

    0

    0

    0

    Agencies

    0

    5,000

    69,578

    74,578

    NDPBs

    256,931

    524,673

    1,383,472

    2,165,076

    1 Opinion Polling: This was usually carried out through interviews or surveys carried out by the NDPB or contracted out to an opinion polling organisation.

    2 Focus Groups: This was usually carried out in small groups discussing specific aspects of the NDPB or Agency.

    3 Other Forms of Market Research4: Various types of research— questionaires, interviews detailed studies, etc carried out either in-house or through market research organisations.

    4 Some forms of the market research may use opinion polling and/or focus group techniques.

    I have placed details of the Department, its agencies and NDPBs information on expenditure on the types of surveys requested for the periods specified in the Libraries of the House.

    Public Opinion Research
    Mr. Duncan
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many contracts for public opinion research his Department has awarded since 1 May; if he will indicate the(a) purpose, (b) cost, (c) value and (d) duration of each contract; and which companies (i) bid for and (ii) were awarded each contract. [28867]

    Mr. Tom Clarke
    [holding answer 10 February 1998]: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has let only one contract for public opinion research since 1 May. The details relating to purpose, cost, duration and bidding companies are set out. With regard to the value of the research, its main benefit has been to provide a factual background to address some of the problems of the British Film Industry in the light of the major Film Policy Review.

    Contract purpose

    Contract cost

    Duration

    Bidding companies

    Film Review: Consumer research study to provide data for the Film Policy review

    Commercial in confidence

    2 months

    SRU Ltd.(Sucessful Company) Research Surveys GB L&R Consultancy Hydra Associates Ltd. David Graham Associates HPI Research Group

    804

    Grants
    Mr. Swinney
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many grants of a value greater than £10,000 were made to bodies in(a) London, (b) the South East of England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland by his Department in the last year; and what was the total value of such grants in each area; [30062]

    (2) how many institutions in (a) London, (b) the South East of England and (c) England receive funding from his Department; and what is the total level of funding for institutions in each area. [30063]

    Mr. Tom Clarke
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Details of non-departmental public bodies and other bodies sponsored by my Department are contained in the DNH 1997 Annual Report Cm: 3611.

    Non-governmental Agencies
    Mr. Swinney
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the financial support he provides to non-government agencies. [30065]

    Mr. Tom Clarke
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: My Department has provided support to the following bodies during the current financial year:

    £000

    1997–98

    Royal Geographical Society

    54

    Royal National Institute for the Blind

    200

    National Manuscripts Conservation Trust

    70

    Arts and Entertainment Training Council

    30

    Business in the Arts

    25

    Theatres Trust

    55

    Access for Disabled people to Arts Premises Today

    43

    British Chess Federation

    49

    Churches Conservation Trust

    2,479

    British Screen Finance Ltd.

    2,000

    European Film Co-production

    2,000

    British Film Commission

    850

    Note

    Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Executive Agencies, Public Corporations and bodies sponsored on an ad-hoc basis have been excluded.

    Departmental Expenditure
    Mr. Swinney
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's expenditure on(a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available. [30084]

    Mr. Tom Clarke
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: My Department is based in London. The available information for the financial year 1996–97 is in the following table:

    £

    Hospitality

    41

    Stationery

    87

    Travel and subsistence

    242

    805

    Departmental Buildings
    Mr. Swinney
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings. [30083]

    Mr. Tom Clarke
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: My Department occupies the four following properties:

    2–4 Cockspur Street

    London SW1Y 5DH;

    Grove House

    2–6 Orange Street

    London WC2H 7ED;

    6th Floor

    Haymarket House

    London SW1Y 4EE;

    Novello House

    2 Sheraton Street

    London W1V 4BH

    The running costs set out in the table cover all the above properties together as the figures cannot easily be broken down.

    Expenditure

    1996–97

    Rent

    1,654,016.06

    Rates (CILOR)

    1,193,966.80

    Service Charges

    165,922.01

    Fuel and Utilities

    37,498.18

    Maintenance

    224,083.07

    Security

    234,517.09

    Central Services

    872,418.70

    Departmental Employees
    Mr. Swinney
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill(a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings. [30082]

    Mr. Tom Clarke
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The total paybill and average number of staff in post within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and agencies in 1996–97 are shown in the table:

    1996–97 paybill £ million

    Average number of staff in post in1996–97

    DCMS

    10.75

    361

    Historic Royal Palaces

    10.645

    518

    The Royal Parks

    7.324

    257

    Extracting historic information from the Chessington Payroll Centre on London allowances and weightings can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. DCMS consolidated the Inner London Weighting Allowance of £1,776 into basic pay with effect from 1 November 1996. Local Pay Additions continue to be paid as a separate allowance. The Agencies currently continue to pay separate London weighting and allowances.
    806
    The offices of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and agencies are all London based.

    Departmental Child Care
    Mr. Barnes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30018]

    Mr. Tom Clarke
    As part of an overall Equal Opportunities Policy, the provision of child care facilities within my Department is two-fold: (i) one nursery place for a child aged between 6 months and 5 years at the Stepping Stones Nursery, based at Napier Hall, Pimlico. The Department subsidises the cost of this place by 50 per cent.

    (ii) DCMS staff can also use places at the Westminster Holiday Playscheme which caters for children between 5 and 12 years old and which operates during all the main school holidays at various locations in Whitehall and Victoria. The Department again meets half the cost of any places taken up on this scheme.

    Child care vouchers are currently not available to staff.

  HEALTH

    NHS White Paper
    Mr. Maples
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his White Paper on the NHS if he will make a statement describing the proposed role of local authorities in the NHS structure. [29062]

    Mr. Milburn
    Local authorities are indispensable partners to the National Health Service in the tasks of improving health and delivering high quality services. The White Paper "The New NHS" sets out how health authorities and local authorities will be expected to work together.

    Cannabis and Ecstasy
    Mr. Timms
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has conducted into the effect on health of long-term use of(a) cannabis and (b) ecstasy. [30153]

    Ms Jowell
    The Department has commissioned two reviews of research, one on cannabis and one on ecstasy. No primary research has been commissioned.

    Brain-damaged Children
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from(a) parents and (b) doctors concerning a possible link between vaccinations, antibiotics and brain damage in children. [29259]

    Ms Jowell
    We have not received any representations from doctors about a possible link between vaccinations, antibiotics and brain damage and have recently received correspondence from one parent on this subject. The United Kingdom health departments' memorandum
    807
    "Immunisation against Infectious Disease" states in paragraph 7.6 that treatment with antibiotics is not a contraindication to immunisation.

    We are not aware of any concern among the medical profession about this matter, nor of any scientific evidence about such a link. The incidence of adverse reactions following immunisation have been found to be the same in children with or without the following mild illnesses: upper respiratory tract infection; diarrhoea or otitis media (an ear infection). It seems likely that some of the children in these studies were taking antibiotics around the time of immunisation.

    Departmental Child Care
    Mr. Barnes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30006]

    Ms Jowell
    The Department has made provision for subsidised nursery places and an on-site holiday play scheme in London, and an on-site nursery and a holiday play scheme, funded jointly with the Benefits Agency, in Leeds.

    The Department provides subsidies as follows:

    (a) 50 per cent. of the cost of 25 nursery places in London and £30 per place per week for staff using a 30 place on-site nursery in Leeds;

    (b)£10.68 per place per day at a 24 place holiday play scheme in its headquarters building in London;

    around £6 per place per day at a 40 place holiday play scheme jointly funded by the Department of Health and the Benefits Agency in Leeds;
    £6 per place for National Health Service Pensions Agency staff at a holiday play scheme in Fleetwood.

    The following organisations are used by the Department of Health for child care:

    Parents at Work1

    Kinderquest Ltd.

    Nurseryworks Ltd.

    Radius Educational Services Ltd.

    Childcare Partners Ltd.

    Westminster Children's Society

    1 information service.

    Child care vouchers are available to staff in the South and North Thames Regional Offices of the NHS Executive.

    Drug Users
    Mr. Simon Hughes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the NHS expenditure on services to drug users in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [30246]

    Mr. Milburn
    Health authorities purchase drug services from general Hospital and Community Health Service allocations. Funding for drug services is also provided under a special allocation, which is a contribution, not a cash limit. Health authorities can draw 808
    on general allocations for further money if they so decide, and will also fund treatment from other budgets. Health authorities are not required to return records of their total expenditure on drug services and a total figure for annual National Health Service expenditure on drug services is not held centrally.

    In each of the east five years, the special allocation for drug services was as follows:

    Year

    £ million

    1997–98

    37.19

    1996–97

    33.39

    1995–96

    26.75

    1994–95

    25.50

    1993–94

    24.37

    As part of its contribution to the Cross-Departmental Review of Illegal Drugs, the Department is working with the Substance Misuse Advisory Service to commission a survey of health and local authority expenditure on drug services in the financial year 1996–97. The results of the survey will inform the development of the new Anti-Drugs Strategy.

    Nursery Education
    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues concerning the ratio of staff to pupils expected in(a) private and (b) local authority nursery classes for three to five year-olds. [30432]

    Mr. Boateng
    Early years settings registered with local authority social services departments under the Children Act 1989 to provide day care are expected to comply with the adult to child ratios set out in Guidance and Regulations issued by the Department. These recommend an adult to child ratio of 1:4 for children aged 2–3 years and 1:8 for children aged 3–8 years regardless of whether they are managed by the private sector or the local authority.

    Under the Children Act 1989, where half the staff in these settings are qualified teachers (as recognised by department for Education and Employment) and support is provided by nursery assistants with qualifications in child care and education (and the setting is open during the school term to provide nursery education for 3–5 year olds), nurseries may apply a ratio of 2:26. I understand from my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment that the Department of Education Circular 2/73 on nursery education in maintained schools recommends an adult to child ratio of 2:26 for nursery classes attached to primary schools where one adult is a qualified teacher and the other a qualified nursery assistant. It also suggests reception classes should make provision for 4 year olds comparable to that found in nursery classes. There are no recommended adult to child ratios for schools in the independent sector.
    809
    DfEE and the Department of Health will shortly issue a joint consultation document which tackles the current diverse arrangements for the regulation of early education and child care, including the issue of adult to child ratios. We intend to introduce a more uniform system of regulation following this consultation.

    NHS Trusts (Dismissals)
    Mr. Streeter
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the names of the appointees to NHS trusts who have been dismissed in the last three years and the reasons for their dismissals; and if he will make a statement. [30410]

    Mr. Milburn
    No National Health Service trust chairmen or non-executives have been removed from office in the last three years.

    Ministerial Travel
    Mr. Baker
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the engagements he undertook in the United Kingdom in the course of his duties during January indicating in each case which were accessed by(a) car, (b) train, (c) aeroplane and car, (d) aeroplane and train and (e) other means. [28935]

    Mr. Dobson
    [holding answer 10 February 1998]: I undertook seven engagements by car (all within London); four engagements by train; there were no other engagements by any other mode of transport. In addition, I made daily trips to and from my office by car.

    Buildings Refurbishment
    Mr. Malcolm Bruce
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the cost of buildings refurbishment carried out by his Department in(a)1995–96, (b)1996–97, (c) 1997–98 to date and (d) 1997–98 full year; and if he will make a statement. [26603]

    Ms Jowell
    [holding answer 5 February 1998]: Total Departmental expenditure, including agencies, on refurbishment of its buildings, building fabric and building services is £3.63 million (1995–96), £4.73 million (1996–97), £0.93 million (1997–98 to December 1997) and £3.56 million (1997–98 full year estimate). Prior to 1 April 1996, some refurbishment costs were met directly by Property Holdings, Department of Environment. The costs quoted represent the total expenditure on our building services and fabric excluding routine maintenance work and repairs. The expenditure represents many individual projects, some large, some small, spread across the whole Departmental estate rather than a single project in one particular building.

    Periodicals
    Mr. Malcolm Bruce
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the expenditure of his Department on newspapers and magazines in(a) 1995–96,(b)1996–97, (c) 1997–98 to date and (d) 1997–98 full year; and if he will list the newspapers and magazines purchased or subscribed to on a regular basis. [26602]
    810
    Ms Jowell
    [holding answer 5 February 1998]: Estimates for the Department of Health expenditure on newspapers and magazines for the years requested are given in the table:

    Year

    £000

    (a) 1995–96

    354

    (b) 1996–97

    1368

    (c) 1997–98 to date (31/1/98)

    309

    (d) 1997–98 full year

    320

    1 Regional Offices became part of the Department of Health in 1996; their expenditure on newspapers and magazines has been included in the Department's costs for 1996–97 and subsequent years.

    Copies of a list of newspapers and magazines purchased or subscribed to on a regular basis by the Department of Health have been placed in the Library.

    Nurses
    Mr. Paterson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many quqlified nurses are currently registered as unemployed and seeking work(a) in England and (b) North Shropshire. [29970]

    Mrs. Liddell
    I have been asked to reply.

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

    Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Owen Paterson, dated 18 February 1998:
    I have been asked to reply, as Director of the Office for National Statistics, to your recent question on how many qualified nurses are registered as unemployed and seeking work.
    The information you have requested can only be derived from the monthly claimant count of people claiming unemployment-related benefits (i.e. Jobseekers Allowance or National Insurance credits). Essentially, all people who were claiming these benefits on the count day are counted.
    The information requested is given in the table:

    Number of nurses claiming unemployment benefit by occupation, January 1998

    1Sought

    2Usual

    North Shropshire PC

    0

    0

    England

    1,180

    1,308

    1 Sought occupation: a claimant has to specify the occupation in which they are seeking work.

    2 Usual occupation: a claimant does not have to provide details of usual or previous occupation.

  TRADE AND INDUSTRY

    Radio Communications Agency
    Mr. Breed
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the promotion criteria within the Radio Communications Agency; what probation term successful candidates have to complete before they are eligible for promotion; what changes in this policy there have been since agency status was established; and what consultations were held with the trade unions on these policies. [29677]
    811
    Mrs. Roche
    In order to secure promotion, a candidate must satisfy the Selection Panel that he/she has the skills and experience required for the post at the higher range/grade and is the best candidate for the post.

    A probation term must be progressing satisfactorily in order that the probationer may be considered for another post. "The Guide" to employment in the DTI provides that a probationer may complete his/her probation period (normally 12 months) in a higher grade where the officer is promoted through normal promotion procedures while on probation.

    Since achieving agency status in 1990. the Agency's promotion procedures have changed three times, on which consultations were held with the trade unions. The position of probationers has arisen only in the last few months and has been the subject of discussions with the trade unions. Revised procedures for the filling of vacancies in the Agency are currently being discussed with the trade Unions.

    Mr. Breed
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many claims for unfair dismissal from the Radio Communications Agency have been taken before industrial tribunals; what were the outcomes; and what compensation has been paid. [29676]

    Mrs. Roche
    One claim for unfair dismissal was taken before an Industrial Tribunal. The case was dismissed and therefore no compensation was paid.

    Export Licences
    Mr. Drew
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licences have been granted for the export of military, security or police equipment to Kenya in the last two years. [25133]

    Mrs. Roche
    The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated and the results are as follows. Between 1 January 1996 and 12 January 1998, 79 standard individual licences and 37 Open Individual Licences were issued for the export to end users or consignees in Kenya of goods controlled by Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of goods (Control) Order (the so-called "Military List"). The entry in the legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating.

    Number of individual licences issued for exports to Kenya covering goods on the Military List

    Rating

    Standard individual export licences

    Open individual export licences

    ML1

    23

    0

    ML2

    2

    0

    ML3

    13

    0

    ML4

    4

    2

    ML5

    2

    3

    ML6

    8

    2

    ML9

    1

    0

    ML10

    7

    12

    ML11

    8

    2

    ML13

    1

    4

    ML15

    2

    0

    ML18

    0

    1

    ML22

    0

    1

    812

    Number of individual licences issued for exports to Kenya covering goods on the Military List

    Rating

    Standard individual export licences

    Open individual export licences

    PL5001

    1

    1

    PL5002

    0

    1

    PL5017

    1

    2

    PL5018

    5

    0

    PL5021

    3

    0

    Individual export licences often cover a range of goods, controlled under several entries in the legislation. Where this is so the licence is included in the Table in the total shown against each of the relevant ratings.

    This information should be considered in light of my answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) on 30 October 1997, Official Report, columns 870–71.

    Dr. Tonge
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the countries to which goods covered by Category PL5001 under Export of Goods (Control) orders have been exported since 1 May 1997. [28001]

    Mrs. Roche
    The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated, and the following results were obtained. Between 2 May 1997 and 12 January 1998, individual export licences covering goods controlled under entry PL5001 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order are recorded as having been issued to the following countries: Australia, Canada, Cyprus, France, Germany, Jamaica, Jordan, Malaysia, the Republic of Ireland, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America.

    However, this information should be considered in light of the answer I gave on 30 October 1997 to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint), Official Report, columns 870–71.

    Mobile Telephones
    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations she has received on the cost of the use of mobile telephones. [30190]

    Mrs. Roche
    I have received very few representations on the cost of the use of mobile telephones; these are normally made to the Director General of Telecommunications. In March 1997, following concerns over prices expressed by consumers, OFTEL published a Consultative Document on the Price of Calls to Mobile Phones. This report sought views on the proposal that the price to consumers of calling mobile phones on the Vodaphone and Cellnet networks was too high. OFTEL is considering the responses it received to the consultation and is expected to announce its conclusions shortly.

    Medical Research Council
    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade when representatives from her Department last met the Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council. [30473]
    813
    Mr. Battle
    I met Professor Radda, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council (MRC) at the end of January. The Director General of the Research Councils, Sir John Cadogan, and the Director of the Science and Engineering Base Group attended the February meeting of the MRC Council. Sir John Cadogan also holds regular monthly meetings with the Chief Executives of all seven Research Councils, most recently on 12 February.

    Transco
    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade when officials from her Department last met the General Manager of Transco East Midlands. [30187]

    Mr. Battle
    My officials have not met the General Manager of Transco East Midlands, but regularly meet national Transco officials as I did recently.

    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she last met the Chief Executive of Transco. [30186]

    Mr. Battle
    Ministers meet the Chief Executive of BG plc (of which Transco is part) from time to time (as I did recently).

    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the effect of the Monopolies and Mergers' Commission inquiry on the operation of Transco. [30189]

    Mr. Battle
    Assessment of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report into the Transco price control is a matter for the Director General of Gas Supply to whom the report was submitted.

    EU Structural Funds
    Mr. Burns
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the future of the KONVER programme; and what alternative funding the Government will make available to help those made redundant from defence related industries when the KONVER programme ends.[27539]

    Mrs. Roche
    [holding answer 5 February 1998]: The current framework for Structural Fund Community Initiatives is due to expire at the end of 1999. In its communication, "Agenda 2000" published on 16 July 1997, the European Commission outlined its approach to a new regulatory framework for the Structural Funds for the period 2000–06. The Commission has proposed that a new Objective 2 should replace current Community Initiatives that address industrial restructuring, such as KONVER, and it expected to publish the new draft Structural Funds regulations in March or April. In negotiating these regulations, the UK will press for an Objective 2 which allows Member States to target funds effectively at areas of need—such as those which have been subject to industrial restructuring. The Government are currently undertaking regional consultations with interested parties to hear their views on the implications in the UK of Structural Fund reform.

    Consultants
    Mr. Malcolm Bruce
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is her estimate of the expenditure of her(a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies on external consultants in (i) 1995–96,
    814
    (ii) 1996–97, (iii) 1997–98 to date and (iv) 1997–98 full year; and if she will also estimate the cost savings resulting from the employment of such consultants for each of the above years. [26593]

    Mrs. Beckett
    [holding answer 5 February 1998]: The value of contracts let centrally to external consultants for 1995–96 was £4.37 million, for 1996–97 was £1.13 million, and for 1997–98 to date is £1.21 million. The estimated forecast for the full year 1997–98 is £4.54 million.

    It is not possible to identify separately any cost savings resulting from the engagement of external consultants, whose work typically contributed to broader consultation exercises.

    Information in respect of expenditure by non-departmental public bodies on external consultants is not kept centrally and could not he compiled without disproportionate cost.

    The above information excludes external consultancies let independently by the Department's Executive Agencies. I have asked Agency Chief Executives to reply separately.

    Letter from Peter Joyce to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 19 February 1998:
    The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question about the estimated expenditure on external consultants and the estimated cost savings resulting from their employment by the Insolvency Service.
    The costs of external consultants engaged by The Service are as follows:

    £

    1995–96

    1996–97

    1997–98 (to date)

    Forecast 1997–98 (full year)

    Shreeveport Ltd

    460,492

    —

    —

    —

    Bevan Ashford

    35,653

    —

    —

    —

    Bond Pearce

    6,392

    —

    —

    —

    Ernst & Young

    7.284

    —

    —

    —

    Ibbotson Twigg

    84,890

    —

    —

    —

    Bowrings

    2,937

    —

    —

    —

    Impact

    122,311

    —

    —

    —

    Psychological Services

    —

    13,512

    12,128

    16,240

    Birmingham Tec

    —

    —

    2,562

    5,000

    Kathy Beavers

    —

    —

    7,612

    10,200

    Beamans Management Consultants

    —

    23,427

    7,593

    11,353

    TQM International

    —

    —

    2,514

    7,914

    The expenditure in 1995–96 was principally in respect of The Service's contracting out study. Ministers decided that the administrative work of Official Receivers should remain in-house, and in 1996–97 a saving of 8% on the unit cost of case administration, representing some £2 million that year (and subsequently), was achieved.Expenditure in 1995–97 and in the current year principally relates to The Service's commitment to the achievement of IIP accreditation and to the introduction of a new grading and pay system for Service staff.
    Letter from Dr. Seton Bennett to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 19 February 1998:
    The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory to your question about expenditure on external consultants.

    815
    The last consultant employed by this Agency was in 1995/96, at a cost of £3,800. No consultant has been employed by us in the two subsequent years. The 1995/96 consultancy was a rather small exercise and the resultant cost savings cannot readily be estimated.

    Letter from Roger Louth to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 19 February 1998:
    1. Margaret Beckett, President of the Board of Trade, has asked me to reply on behalf of the Radiocommunications Agency to your Parliamentary Question about expenditure on external consultants.
    2. Agency expenditure is as follows:

    £

    Financial year

    Expenditure

    1995/96

    256,000

    1996/97

    860,831

    1997/98 to date

    1,478,698

    1997/98 full year

    2,359,819

    3. All the expenditure involves the provision of strategic advice. Savings resulting from decisions taken in response to such advice will not be quantifiable for some time. When engaging external consultants "value for money" is the Agency's prime consideration.

    Letter from John Holden to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 19 February 1998:
    I have been asked to reply to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of Trade on consultancy contracts; the information you require is as follows:

    Expenditure on external consultants

    £000

    Year

    Expenditure

    1995/96

    130

    1996/97

    1,000

    1997/98 to date

    900

    1997/98 full year estimate

    1,200

    (year to date—9 months grossed up)

    Consultants have only been employed—principally in the field of IT—where they represented the most cost-effective, and in some cases the only, solution to deliver a defined business benefit in excess of their cost.

    Letter from P. R. S. Hartnack to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 19 February 1998:
    I am replying for the Patent Office to your Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of trade about use of external consultants.
    In 1995/6 the Patent Office spent £138,000 on external consultants and in 1996/7 £124,000. So far it has spent £39,000 in 1997/8 and that is likely to be the total spend. There have been reductions in staff and accommodation costs and efficiency gains through streamlined work practices consequent on these consultancy studies. It is difficult to quantify savings in each and every case but reductions in accommodation needs have, for example, led to continuing annual savings of nearly £140,000 from 1995/6.

    Letter from Ian Jones to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 19 February 1998:
    I have been asked by the President of the Board of trade to reply, in respect of the Employment Tribunals Service (ETS), to your question about expenditure on external consultants.
    The ETS did not assume responsibility for letting its own contracts until it gained agency status on 1 April 1997. Expenditure on external consultants in the financial year 1997/98 has so far amounted to £64,250.30. The figures you requested for expenditure in earlier years are covered by replies from the Department for Education and Employment (for the former Employment Department) and the Department of Trade and Industry. Planned expenditure for this financial year in full is estimated at £72,250.30.
    816
    Savings resulting from decisions taken in response to consultancy work will not be quantifiable for some time. When engaging external consultants "value for money" is the Agency's first consideration.
    I hope that this is helpful.

  ATTORNEY-GENERAL

    Serious Fraud Office
    Mr. Lock
    To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the steps being taken by the Serious Fraud Office to tackle fraud in the City. [28779]

    The Attorney-General
    The Serious Fraud Office aims to deter fraud and maintain confidence in UK business and financial institutions through effective investigation and Prosecution of serious and complex fraud. Since 5 April 1997, the SFO has prosecuted 36 defendants, of whom 34 have been convicted.

    Crown Prosecution Service
    Mr. Dismore
    To ask the Attorney-General what is the present position concerning the review of the Crown Preosecution Service; and if he will make a statement. [28780]

    The Attorney-General
    I refer the hon. Member to my oral answer today to the hon. Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. Thomas).

    Mr. Ian Bruce
    To ask the Attorney-General what has been the trend in the time it takes the Crown Prosecution Service to bring criminal cases before the courts over the last six months; and what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken. [28781]

    The Attorney-General
    Data relating only to the Crown Prosecution Service are not available. However, the Lord Chancellor's Department collects data on the time between offence and completion of magistrates courts proceedings.

    The latest available figures from offence to completion show that, in June 1997, the average time for defendants in indictable cases (including triable either way cases) was 136 days. This is a rise from 133 days in June 1996 and 132 days in June 1995.

    Data collected by the Court Service show that the average time between committal and arraignment or start of the first main hearing in the Crown Court in 1997 was 12 weeks. This is a fall from 13 weeks in 1996 and 16 weeks in 1995.

    The Government are determined to tackle delays in the criminal justice system as a whole. It will achieve this through the measures contained in the Crime and Disorder Bill, which will be reinforced by the extension of the statutory time limits regime.

    Iraq
    Mr. Dalyell
    To ask the Attorney-General what representations from international lawyers he has received as to the legality of a preventive war against Iraq. [28783]
    817
    The Attorney-General
    I have received no such representations. The Government are aware of the requirements of international law.

    Departmental Child Care
    Mr. Barnes
    To ask the Attorney-General what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30023]

    The Attorney-General
    The provision made by my Departments is as follows:

    The Treasury Solicitor's Department and the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers
    The Treasury Solicitor's Department makes provision, also open to staff in my own office, for the children of its staff to use the Westminster Holiday Playscheme. This scheme is run on behalf of the Cabinet Office. The Department meet half the daily cost of attendance.
    No subsidy is provided for nursery places nor are child care vouchers made available.

    The Government Properly Lawyers
    The Government Property Lawyers Agency avails itself of similar arrangements. The children of staff are able to use a holiday play scheme organised and run by Crown Departments in Taunton. Child care vouchers are not made available.

    The Serious Fraud Office
    The Serious Fraud Office does not provide child care facilities or subsidies. However, if parents are required to make a temporary change to their normal working routine, for example, if an investigator is required to be away from home overnight or for a more protracted period, the practice is to reimburse them for the additional cost of child care.

    The Crown Prosecution Service
    The Crown Prosecution Service provides no child care facilities or creches at any of its premises. Financial support, through subsidies, is provided to staff who meet certain eligibility criteria towards the cost of:

    (a) child care for infants below school age; and

    (b) school age children attending after-school clubs and holiday play schemes.

    These facilities are provided by numerous organisations throughout the Service's Areas.
    The amount of the subsidy, up to a maximum of 50%, is calculated by reference to the individual's salary and the level of costs incurred. Child care vouchers are not currently provided.

  AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

    Beef Ban
    Mr. Townend
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will assess the advantages of withdrawing the ban on T-bone steaks and oxtails. [28752]

    Dr. John Cunningham
    The scientific evidence is kept under regular review.

    Beef Consumption
    16. Mr. Hanson
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what initiatives he is supporting to promote the consumption of British beef. [28760]
    818
    Mr. Rooker
    The Government have continued to support various initiatives to help promote consumption and restore consumer confidence in beef. As a result, we have seen significant improvements in the level of beef consumption, indicating the return of consumer confidence.

    Unpasteurised Milk
    Mr. David Heath
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his policy with regard to the sale and consumption of unpasteurised milk and milk products. [28761]

    Mr. Rooker
    We are reviewing policy in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in respect of unpasteurised cows' drinking milk. We are also currently undertaking microbiological surveillance of other unpasteurised milk for drinking, and of certain raw milk products, and will consider the policy implications in the light of the results.

    Livestock Farming
    Mr. Gray
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the elected President of the National Farmers Union to discuss livestock farming. [28762]

    Dr. John Cunningham
    I met the newly elected President of the NFU on 10 February and we discussed a number of issues including livestock farming.

    Arable Area Payments
    Sir Teddy Taylor
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much was paid in area payments in the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and what is the policy objective of making these payments. [28763]

    Mr. Morley
    Payments in the UK under the 1997 Arable Area Payments Scheme are estimated to be £1,216 million. The European Union introduced the Scheme to compensate arable farmers for the reduction in support prices arising from the 1992 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

    Pesticides
    Ms Moran
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice his Department gives farmers on the safe use of pesticides. [28764]

    Mr. Rooker
    The statutory Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Pesticides on Farms and Holdings, known as the "Green Code", provides comprehensive guidance to farmers.

    Fisheries
    Mr. Wilkinson
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure that vessels of applicant countries for membership of the EU are not allowed to fish within 200 nautical miles of the British coast or within the median line with neighbouring states if closer than this following their entry into the EU. [28765]

    Mr. Morley
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 4 February 1998,Official Report, column 686.
    819

    Farm Assurance Schemes
    Mr. Kidney
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the advantages to farmers of farm assurance schemes. [28767]

    Mr. Morley
    I very much welcome the initiative of the food industry, including farmers, in tackling consumer concerns on food through the creation of farm assurance schemes. To command the confidence of consumers, such schemes must have measurable standards acceptable to all and be subject to independent third party verification to internationally recognised standards. My officials have been advising, and will continue to advise, the industry on these issues.

    Food Standards Agency
    Mr. Lansley
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the role of the Food Standards Agency in advising the public on nutrition. [28768]

    Mr. Rooker
    Our proposals on the Food Standards Agency are set out in the White Paper "The Food Standards Agency: A Force for Change" (Cm 3830) which was published for consultation on 14 January.

    BSE
    Judy Mallaber
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will allow officials in his Department to volunteer their own evidence to Lord Justice Philip's inquiry into BSE. [28769]

    Mr. Rooker
    Certainly. The Permanent Secretary has already informed all members of the Department that they should feel entirely free to make representations directly to the Inquiry.

    Mr. Pike
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his current estimate of the total cost to(a) his Department, (b) the farming industry and (c) the meat processing industry of the BSE crisis. [28771]

    Mr. Rooker
    The estimated cost to the Department of the BSE crisis is £3.7 billion over the period 1996/97 to 1999/2000. The Department has commissioned an independent study with the aim of providing a comprehensive assessment of the economic impact of BSE across the whole UK economy and within particular regions. It is intended for publication soon.

    Common Fisheries Policy
    Mrs. Browning
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the Government's priorities with regard to reform of the common fisheries policy. [28772]

    Mr. Morley
    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson) on 22 January 1998,Official Report, column 675.

    Cattle Traceability Scheme
    Mr. Lock
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the cattle traceability scheme to be operational. [28773]
    820
    Mr. Rooker
    During the summer. This will be well in advance of the EU deadline of 31 December 1999.

    Beef Export Ban
    Mr. Laurence Robertson
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made towards achieving a lifting of the beef export ban. [28774]

    Mr. Rooker
    I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rochdale (Ms Fitzsimons) earlier today about the Export Certified Herds Scheme.

    We have also submitted proposals to the Commission for a Date Based Export Scheme to permit the export of UK beef from cattle born after 1 August 1996. The Scientific Steering Committee has given a positive response to the principle of this scheme. Following further discussion with the Commission, officials formally responded, on 29 January, to the Scientific Steering Committee's opinion. We await the Commission's response.

    Countryside Access
    Sir David Madel
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultation has taken place with the farming community with regard to the Government's proposed countryside access legislation. [28770]

    Mr. Morley
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Reigate (Mr. Blunt) on 22 January 1998,Official Report, column 682.

    Departmental Child Care
    Mr. Barnes
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30022]

    Mr. Morley
    Staff in the Department, including the Agencies, now have access to 130 nursery places at six sites throughout the country and to holiday play schemes at 11 sites. Subsidies for both nurseries and play schemes vary depending upon local circumstances but are generally in the range 25 to 50 per cent. A proportion of the child care places are in inter-departmental nurseries where the Department is not the lead Department and has not therefore awarded the contract. Organisations with which the Department has its own contracts for nursery provision are Childcare Enterprise Ltd. and Kinderquest Ltd. Child care vouchers are not available to staff.

    Days-at-Sea Allocations
    Mr. Steen
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will institute an appeals system for fishermen dissatisfied with their days at sea allocation. [30428]

    Mr. Morley
    No, such a system would not be relevant to the present situation. In discussions with the fishing industry, the Government have invited Producer Organisations in the beam trawl and pelagic segments to manage their own fishing effort to meet MAGP IV targets.
    821
    Under these arrangements, it will be for Producer Organisations themselves to determine the basis on which this is done. I shall be announcing further details shortly.

    Mr. Steen
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will permit beam trawlers operating in Area 7 to fish for non-pressure stocks when their annual days at sea allocation has been exhausted; and if he will make a statement.[30427]

    Mr. Morley
    No. The effort allocations for the beam trawl segment in 1998, further details of which I shall be announcing shortly, apply to all fishing activity by the vessels concerned.

    Beam Trawler Effort Limitation Scheme
    Mr. Steen
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will meet the hon. Member for Totnes and representatives of the Brixham Beam Trawler Fleet to discuss the Beam Trawler Effort Limitation scheme. [30425]

    Mr. Morley
    I am planning to meet industry representatives, including the Chief Executive of the South Western Fish Producers' Organisation, during my visit to the South West next week. I shall be happy to discuss this or any other matters of current concern with them.

    Mr. Steen
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has had from(a) the Dutch Government, (b) the Spanish Government and (c) the French Government regarding the Beam Trawler Effort Limitation scheme. [30426]

    Mr. Morley
    None. Under Council Decision 97/413/EC, it is for individual Member States to decide, subject to Commission approval, the means by which to achieve their objectives under the fourth Multi-Annual Guidance Programme (MAGP IV).

    Meat Imports
    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 13 February 1998,Official Report, column 436, on meat imports, if he will provide a breakdown by country of the imports listed as other. [30459]

    Mr. Rooker
    Overseas Trade Statistics shows that small values of beef, sheep meat, pig meat (including bacon and ham) and poultry meat were dispatched for import into the UK between January and October 1997 from the countries in the table. The values are provisional and subject to amendment. They will be subject to a degree of statistical error. The overall level of errors will be low, but these errors will have a much greater proportional effect on countries with small values of trade. Therefore, great care is needed when interpreting the data in the tables as they will inevitably include a number of errors.

    £000

    Country

    Value

    Beef

    Paraguay

    192

    Uganda

    84

    Romania

    40

    South Africa

    40

    822

    £000

    Country

    Value

    Greece

    22

    Japan

    21

    Malaysia

    21

    Canada

    11

    Belize

    4

    Finland

    2

    Sweden

    2

    Total

    440

    Pig meat

    Argentina

    650

    Hungary

    528

    Finland

    288

    Austria

    260

    Greece

    104

    South Africa

    13

    New Zealand

    1

    Total

    1,843

    Sheep meat

    Iceland

    314

    Brazil

    207

    USA

    147

    Denmark

    96

    South Africa

    55

    Austria

    37

    China

    36

    Singapore

    22

    Finland

    18

    Italy

    9

    Total

    941

    Poultry meat

    Uruguay

    385

    Hungary

    278

    Greece

    83

    USA

    56

    Singapore

    40

    Norway

    25

    Sweden

    8

    Finland

    5

    Portugal

    2

    Hong Kong

    1

    New Zealand

    1

    Total

    884

    Departmental Contracts
    Mr. Salmond
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many contracts of a value greater than £10,000 his Department has with companies in(a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area. [30100]

    Mr. Rooker
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    Departmental Employees
    Mr. Salmond
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill(a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings. [30097]
    823
    Mr. Rooker
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The tables set out the numbers of staff in the Department and its Agencies by region. Gross salaries (basic salary plus any pay additions and specialist allowances) have been used for the wage bill.

    The Farming and Rural Conservation Agency has not been in existence for a 12 month period so it is not possible to provide salary data on an annual basis. In the month to 31 December 1997, the gross salaries amounted to £1,122,500.

    In core-MAFF and its Agencies, London Weighting and the London Allowance no longer exist as separate allowances. On 1 April 1997, both allowances were consolidated into the basic pay of those staff receiving them.

    Government Office Region

    Total staff

    Gross salaries (£)

    Core MAFF

    Eastern

    449

    6,130,100

    E. Midlands

    358

    4,651,300

    Merseyside

    2

    39,900

    North East

    93

    1,228,500

    North West

    600

    7,180,000

    Scotland

    83

    2,342,900

    London

    1,790

    39,024,000

    South East

    1,099

    18,965,200

    South West

    966

    11,927,200

    Wales

    132

    2,250,500

    W. Midlands

    328

    4,251,500

    Yorks/Humberside

    732

    9,984,600

    Total

    6,632

    107,975,700

    Pesticides Safety Directorate

    Yorks/Humberside

    208

    3,883,300

    Total

    208

    3,883,300

    Veterinary Medicines Directorate

    South East

    110

    2,403,300

    Total

    110

    2,403,300

    Veterinary Laboratories Agency

    Eastern

    33

    574,900

    E. Midlands

    38

    616,700

    North East

    24

    342,900

    North West

    50

    758,100

    Scotland

    24

    470,500

    South East

    768

    11,912,200

    South West

    56

    1,028,000

    Wales

    33

    562,300

    W. Midlands

    67

    1,009,900

    Yorks/Humberside

    30

    458,800

    Total

    1,123

    17,734,300

    Central Science laboratory

    Eastern

    134

    1,894,700

    Yorks/Humberside

    448

    8,806,700

    Total

    582

    10,701,400

    Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science

    Eastern

    313

    5,725,200

    North West

    3

    56,100

    South East

    64

    1,059,300

    South West

    63

    1,032,300

    Wales

    22

    433,600

    Total

    465

    8,306,500

    824

    Region1

    Total staff

    Gross salaries (£)

    North

    275

    6,468,000

    Scotland

    168

    3,871,000

    South and East

    214

    5,323,000

    South West

    180

    4,151,000

    Wales

    149

    3,518,000

    Central

    182

    4,347,000

    Yorks/Humberside

    46

    1,254,000

    Total

    1,214

    28,932,000

    Farming & Rural Conservation Agency

    Eastern

    157

    not known

    Northern

    179

    not known

    Western

    143

    not known

    Wales

    82

    not known

    London

    29

    not known

    Total

    590

    not known

    1 Regional boundaries differ from Government Office Regions.

    Genetically Modified Soya
    Mr. Singh
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the percentage of baby food products sold in the United Kingdom in 1997 which contained unlabelled genetically modified soya. [30417]

    Mr. Rooker
    This information is not recorded. However, the Food Manufacturers Federation, the British Retail Consortium and the Institute of Grocery Distribution announced in November 1997 that their members, which include all the major food manufacturers and retailers, would be labelling products containing genetically modified soya or maize from January this year.

    Slaughterhouses
    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what(a) studies and (b) evaluations have been carried out by his Department into (i) the microbiological standards of the finished product from slaughterhouses and cutting plants and (ii) the scores achieved by those plants under his hygiene assessment system. [30214]

    Mr. Rooker
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: No studies or evaluations have been carried out by the Ministry with the sole objective of measuring the microbiological standards of the finished product from slaughterhouses and cutting plants, against their hygiene Assessment System (HAS) scores. However, as part of a wider MAFF funded research project, Bristol University has published results (Veterinary Record (1996) 139, 587–589, W. R. Hudson, G. C. Mead, M. H. Hinton) of a study which concluded that HAS scores are a useful tool in predicting the ability of an abattoir to produce carcases to sound microbiological status, especially the categories concerned with slaughter and dressing, and personnel and practices.

    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what microbiological tests are made during the assessment of slaughterhouses and cutting plants under his hygiene assessment system. [30213]

    Mr. Rooker
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: Microbiological testing does not form part of the assessment of slaughterhouses and cutting plants under

    825
    the Hygiene Assessment System (HAS) whose scores are a general guide to long-term hygiene performance at meat plants.

    Quarantine
    Mr. Hesford
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he plans to implement changes in the quarantine requirements for animals coming into this country before the end of 1998; and if he will make a statement. [29743]

    Mr. Rooker
    The Advisory Group on Quarantine is expected to report by late Spring, after which we plan to hold a full public consultation. Even if the assessment shows that changes to the current quarantine rules appear justified, it is unlikely that any new arrangements could be in place before the end of 1998. It is also possible that any changes could be introduced by EU, rather than national, legislation.

    Beef Exports
    Mrs. Ballard
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department has conducted into the relationship between the incidence of BSE in foreign countries and(a) the export of meat and bonemeal from Britain for use in animal feed and (b) the use of similar procedures in the production of meat and bonemeal for animal feed in those countries. [29722]

    Mr. Rooker
    The Department is not undertaking any such research as it is up to individual countries to conduct their own research. Alternatively, in the case of BSE in EU Member States, the Commission may carry out research centrally.

    In a report of a Commission Mission to France between 17 and 21 March 1997, the French authorities are quoted as attributing at least 18 of their BSE cases to consumption of meat and bonemeal of UK origin.

    Sheep Dip
    Mr. Charles Kennedy
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence he has assessed of damage to the(a) aquatic and (b) soil environments from synthetic pyrethroid sheep dips; where this damage has occurred; what assessment he has made of its implications for fisheries and wildlife; and if he will make a statement. [29728]

    Angela Eagle
    [holding answer 16 February 1998]: I have been asked to reply.

    The Environment Agency is responsible for monitoring of, and assessing any damage to the environment in England and Wales. The Agency has initiated a monitoring programme to determine whether there is evidence of widespread impact on the aquatic environment from all types of sheep dipping compounds, including synthetic pyrethroids. A full report of the findings will be published by the Agency later this year. There has been no specific assessment of effects on soil.
    826

  DEFENCE

    Iraq
    Mr. Mackinlay
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support he has received from Poland in respect of the United Kingdom's stance in relation to the crisis with Iraq. [30559]

    Mr. George Robertson
    I took the opportunity to exchange views with Dr. Janusz Onyszkiewicz, the Polish Defence Minister, during his visit to the UK, from 10 to 12 February, on the crisis in Iraq which has been caused by Saddam Hussein's failure to comply with Security Council resolutions and to cooperate with UNSCOM.

    The Government and Poland are clear that the highest priority must be on a diplomatic solution to the crisis. However, the Polish Government support the UK's position that, in the last resort, it may be necessary to consider military action. In that event, the Polish Government have indicated that they would be prepared to make a military contribution, and would be ready to deploy chemical defence specialists to the region.

    Dr. Onyszkiewicz and I issued a joint press statement to this effect on 11 February.

    Poland is one of a growing number of countries which has either deployed forces to the Gulf to operate alongside US and UK forces or is planning to do so. The precise details of national contributions are properly a matter for the countries concerned, but we understand that Australia already has tanker aircraft and an advance party of troops in the Gulf; that warships from Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium are en route; that New Zealand is planning to deploy troops and surveillance aircraft; and that Denmark, Argentina, Romania, Poland and Norway have indicated they would make military contributions to the coalition. This list is expected to grow.

    In addition, many of the Gulf Cooperation Council States and Turkey, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Hungary and the Czech Republic are either providing basing and support for coalition forces or have offered to do so.

    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to define the objectives of any possible military action against Iraq. [29578]

    Mr. George Robertson
    The objectives of any possible military action against Iraq have been carefully defined and are as presented:Our aim is to prevent Saddam from maintaining or developing a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) capability that would threaten the region and international order.
    We seek to achieve this by ensuring Saddam's full compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions, including restoration of a fully effective UNSCOM.
    We wish to secure his compliance by diplomatic means if possible; but, if these fail, we should be ready to use armed force.
    The aim of any military action would be to diminish significantly Saddam's military capabilities, including his ability to deploy, conceal and recreate his WMD capability or threaten his neighbours.
    Military action would significantly set back Saddam's WMD programmes, whether or not UNSCOM was immediately reinstated. This would be a better outcome than a "gutted" UNSCOM.
    Saddam would be held at continuing risk of further military action if he attempted again to recreate his WMD capability.
    827

    Polish Minister of Defence
    Mr. Mackinlay
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his discussions with Poland's Minister of Defence. [30558]

    Mr. George Robertson
    I was delighted to be able to welcome my colleague Dr. Janusz Onyszkiewicz to the UK during his visit of 10 to 12 February. I am pleased to say that we enjoyed a frank and open discussion, which touched on a wide range of issues of mutual interest.

    Naturally, wetook the opportunity to exchange views on the crisis in Iraq. Dr. Onyszkiewicz agreed that, while the highest priority must be to find a diplomatic solution, neither the British nor the Polish Government would shrink from the task should it become necessary in the last resort to consider the military option. In that event, Dr. Onyszkiewicz declared Poland's readiness to make a military contribution and that they would be prepared to deploy a team of chemical defence specialists to the region.

    Regarding NATO enlargement, we exchanged views on Poland's preparation's for membership of the Alliance and the future role she might play once she is a member. Britain has been a strong supporter of Poland's NATO candidature and our bilateral defence relationship is excellent. I took the opportunity to reinforce our desire to help Poland integrate into the Alliance as smoothly as possible and to explore new avenues for cooperation between the armed forces of Britain and Poland.

    We spoke also of the rapidly evolving trilateral UK/Poland/Ukraine defence relationship, which continues to gain momentum. Following the great success of last year's airborne exercise "Cossack Steppe" in the Ukraine, involving British, Polish and Ukrainian forces, we hope to repeat the exercise this year in the UK during May. During our talks, I suggested to Dr. Onyszkiewicz that he visit me again during May so that we might view the exercise together with our colleague General Olexsandr Kuzmuk, the Ukrainian Defence Minister.

    Army Messing Contracts
    Mr. Key
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where NAAFI files and records are currently located which relate to the publicly funded messing contract. [29288]

    Mr. Spellar
    My Department's files on this issue are held by the Naval Bases and Supply Agency at Bath. NAAFI files and records are a matter for that company, but I understand that files relating to their former contract with my Department are held in more than one location.

    Army Medal Office
    Mr. Nicholls
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received about the performance of the Army Medal Office; what is the average time for dealing with applications concerning campaign medals; if he will make extra staffing resources available to the Army Medal Office; if he will introduce a fast track procedure for the processing of applications which takes account of the age and health of the applicant; and if he will make a statement. [29785]

    Mr. Spellar
    During the period commemorating the end of the Second World War there was a considerable upsurge in requests to the Army Medal Office (AMO).
    828
    This led to a backlog and a delay of more than 12 months in processing applications. As a consequence my Department received a number of letters from MPs and the public regarding the delay. I have investigated this with the AMO and major efforts are being made to reduce the waiting time which I am pleased to report now stands at 8 months. We are working to ensure a further reduction. My Department has considered, but decided against, employing extra staff to reduce the waiting time as it would take six months to train new staff fully and would divert experienced staff from their primary task of assessing medal entitlements. The Army Medal Office already has a policy in place for processing applications from those ex-Servicemen over the age of 90 or those who are terminally ill. These cases are processed immediately and normally completed within three weeks of receipt.

    Mr. Bernard Grey
    Mr. Keith Simpson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Special Adviser, Mr. Bernard Grey signed the Official Secrets Act. [30257]

    Mr. George Robertson
    The most recent occasion on which Mr. Bernard Grey signed a declaration acknowledging the provisions of the Official Secrets Act was 6 November 1997.

    Drug Smuggling
    Mr. Wilshire
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedure has to be followed when a commanding officer of the West Indies guard ship and the United States Coast Guard officers on board wish to obtain permission to board a vessel they suspect of being involved in drug smuggling. [30259]

    Dr. Reid
    Permission must be sought from UK HQ FLEET and the US Coastguard Authority before the West Indies Guard Ship can stop, and her US Law Enforcement Detachment can board and search, a suspect vessel. It is for the US Coastguard Authority to confirm that the flagged state to which the suspect vessel belongs is content for the operation to be undertaken.

    Mr. Wilshire
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list(a) the number of requests to board vessels suspected of being involved in drug smuggling made by the commanding officer, (b) the number of requests agreed to, (c) the number of occasions when evidence of drug smuggling was found and (d) the quantities and types of drugs found in respect of the West Indies guard ship for each of the past three years. [30260]

    Dr. Reid
    I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

    Collaborative Projects
    Mr. Key
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list defence equipment collaborative projects involving the United Kingdom at 1 April 1997 by country and by projects(a) in production or in service, (b) in the development phase and (c) in the study phase categorised as (i) naval equipment, (ii) land equipment, (iii) missiles, (iv) air systems and (v) other equipment. [29450]
    829
    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 16 February 1998]: The information requested is contained in the table, which shows those collaborative projects for which a signed Memorandum of Understanding between the participating nations existed at 1 April 1997. One other co-operative project, which is conducted under the auspices of an MOU, has been omitted under exemption 1 (Defence, security and international relations), of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

    Collaborative Projects Involving the UK at 1 April 1997

    Projects in Production or in Service

    Naval Equipment

    Sea Gnat Decoy System: Denmark/ USA

    NATO Ships Inertial Guidance System: Canada/ Netherlands/Spain

    Barra Sonobouy: Australia

    Land Equipment

    FH 70 Howitzer: Germany/ Italy

    M483A1 Artillery Shell: Netherlands/ Turkey! USA

    Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked): Belgium

    Multiple Launch Rocket System Phase I: France/ Germany/ Italy/ USA

    Multiple Launch Rocket System Phase II: Germany

    M3 Amphibious Bridging System: Germany

    Missiles

    Sidewinder Air-to-Air: Germany! Italy! Norway

    Milan Anti-Tank (including improvements): France/ Germany

    Sea Skua Support: Germany

    Air Systems

    Jaguar: France

    Lynx: France

    Puma: France

    Gazelle: France

    Tornado: Germany/ Italy

    Harrier AV8b/GR5/7: USA

    EH101 Merlin Helicopter: Italy

    RTM322 Helicopter Engine: France

    Joint Tactical Information Distribution System: USA

    Other Equipment
    Naystar Global Positioning System (GPS): Belgium/ Canada/ Denmark/ France/ Germany/ Greece/ Iceland/ Italy! Netherlands/ Norway/ Portugal/ Spain/ Turkey/ USA

    Projects in the Development Phase

    Naval Equipment

    Intercooled Recuperated (ICR) Gas Turbine Engine: USA

    Co-operative Outboard Logistics Update (COBLU): USA

    Land Equipment

    COBRA (Counter Battery Radar): France/ Germany

    Aimed Controlled Effect Anti-Tank Mine: France/ Germany

    Missiles

    Long Range TRIGAT (Third Generation Anti-Tank Guided Weapon): France/ Germany

    Medium Range TRIGAT (Third Generation Anti-Tank Guided Weapon): Belgium/ France/ Germany/ Netherlands

    Air Systems

    Eurofighter: Germany/ Italy/ Spain

    Joint Strike Fighter: USA

    Other Equipment

    Universal MODEM for Satellite Communications: USA

    Allied Data Systems Interoperability Agency—NATO Procedural Interoperability Standards: France/ Germany/ Netherlands! Norway/ Spain/ USA

    830

    Projects in Study Phase

    Naval Equipment

    HORIZON: France/ Italy

    Surface Ship Torpedo Defence System: USA

    NATO Improved Link Eleven: Canada/ France/ Germany/ Italy/ Netherlands/ USA

    NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS): France! Italy/ Norway/ USA

    1.25MW Complex Cycle Gas Turbine Generator: Netherlands

    Trimaran Demonstrator: USA

    Land Equipment

    Future Tank Main Armament:

    France/ Germany/ USA

    Very Short Range and Short Range Air Defence System Programme:

    France/ Germany/ Italy/ Netherlands/ Norway/ Turkey/ USA

    Electro Magnetic Launcher: USA

    Missiles

    Principal Anti-Air Missile System: France! Italy

    Air Systems

    Allied Standards Avionics Architecture Initiative:

    France! Germany/ USA

    Active Electronically Scanned Radar for Airborne Multimode Solid-State Actine-Array Radar: France/ Germany

    Advanced Aeroengine Technology: France

    ASRAAM P31: USA

    CONDOR—Covert Night/Day Operation: USA

    Other Equipment

    Next Generation IFF: France! Germany/ Italy! USA

    Communications Systems Network Interoperability: Canada/ France/ Germany/ Italy/ Netherlands! Norway/ Portugal/ Spain/ USA

    Future Military Satellite Telecommunications Systems, TRIMILSATCOM (SKYNET 5): France/ Germany.

    Dockyard Workers
    Mrs. Ewing
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what research he has evaluated into the incidence of cancer in nuclear dockyard workers; [29453]

    (2) how many (a) past and (b) present Rosyth Dockyard employees have had a full medical check under the Government's health check scheme; [29439]

    (3) what action he has taken to investigate the health of workers involved in nuclear work at Rosyth dockyards. [29452]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 16 February 1998]: My Department takes careful account of national and international epidemiological studies concerning radiation workers and of the professional advice of the National Radiological Protection Board. The Ministry of Defence is a major contributor to the National Registry of Radiation Workers, which provides source data for national epidemiological studies.

    The numbers of past and present Rosyth Dockyard employees who have received full medical checks cannot be determined without disproportionate cost. Before 1986, all Classified Radiation Workers at Naval Dockyards were given medical examinations before taking up employment and at least every 14 months thereafter, as the law then required. Since the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985 came into force, annual health reviews by Appointed

    831
    Doctors have been mandatory for all Classified Radiation Workers; these annual reviews include medical examinations if the Appointed Doctors consider them necessary. Some former and present Rosyth Dockyard radiation workers have sought and received medical counselling, under the scheme available to all Dockyard radiation workers (both classified and unclassified) since 1990 or under the extended scheme which I announced in June 1997.

    Nuclear Dosage Records
    Mrs. Ewing
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what actions he has taken to speed up the handling of requests for nuclear dosage records held by his Department; [29454]

    (2) how many nuclear dosage records in his Department are (a) known to be missing and (b) known to be incomplete. [29455]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 16 February 1998]: The law requires my Department to keep radiation dose records for Classified Radiation workers for 50 years (formerly 30 years). There is no reason to believe that any are incomplete or missing.

    The law requires radiation records for non-classified radiation workers, with annual doses limited to 15 mSv, to be kept for two years only. My Department still holds many, but not all, of their records.

    Classified Radiation Workers' records are maintained by Approved Dosimetry Services at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (Aldermaston) and at DERA Radiation Protection Services (Alverstoke). Most are held in computer formats which can normally be searched rapidly: some are held on microfiche or microfilm which take a little longer to search.

    These Approved Dosimetry Services also hold the records of some non-classified radiation workers. But, many of their records are held locally in paper form. Searching for the local records has been a difficult process up to now. To reduce delays, I have instigated a programme to store digital images of these records and to index them on a computer database. The pilot for this project, involving all the local records for former Chatham Radiation Workers, has been completed. By the end of this financial year, I expect the project to incorporate local records from the other Naval nuclear establishments will be covered as soon as possible thereafter.

    If an investigation into an incident finds that an employee has been significantly exposed to radiation, the law requires it to be entered into his record. Investigation reports relating to the overexposure of individuals are required to be kept for 50 years (formerly 30 years). This has always been MOD's practice. However, it is impossible to be certain that every minor incident was recorded.

    Research Programme
    Mr. Key
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current value of the defence corporate research programme; and if he will list its technology groups and their research objectives and related technical areas, defined in terms of equipment and technology capabilities. [29522]
    832
    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: Expenditure on the MOD's Corporate Research Programme for the current financial year (1997–98) will be about £150 million. The programme is divided into 12 Technology Groups and beneath that into a number of Research Objectives, the majority of which are as listed:

    (0) Overarching Strategy Studies

    Management

    Strategic Studies

    (1) Acoustics, Magnetics and Hydrodynamics

    Technology Group Management

    Technology Group Plans

    Acoustics

    Magnetics

    Hydrodynamics

    Chemical and Biological Defence and Medical

    Technology Group Management

    Technology Group Strategy

    Hazard Assessment

    Detection

    Tri-service Medical

    (3) Propulsion, Aerodynamics and Guidance

    Technology Group Management

    Technology Group Strategy

    Propulsion

    Aerodynamics

    Control of Fixed and Rotary Wing Aircraft

    Precision Guidance

    Seekers

    System Aspects

    (4) Materials and Structures

    Technology Group Management

    Technology Group Strategy

    Non Metallics

    Metallics and Ceramics

    Functional Materials

    Batteries and Fuel Cells

    Structural and Hazard Assessments

    (5) Human Sciences and Effectiveness

    Technology Group Management

    Technology Group Strategy

    Integration

    Individual Performance and Survivability

    Military Human Resources and Training Effectiveness

    Leadership, Decision Making and Collective Performance

    Systems and Synthetic Environments

    (6) Energetic Materials and Terminal Effects

    Technology Group Management

    Technology Group Strategy

    Synthesis

    Formulation Studies

    Characterisation

    Fundamental Science of Energetic Materials

    Explosives Detection

    Terminal Effects Modelling

    Weapon/Target Applications

    833

    (7) Electronic Device Technology

    Technology Group Management

    Technology Group Strategy

    Electronics Technology for Sensors and Devices

    Electronics Devices for Systems

    Electronics Reliability, Maintainability and Survivability

    (8) Infra-red and Visible Technology

    Technology Group Management

    Technology Group Strategy Sensor Technology

    Systems Applications

    (9) Radio Frequency Technology

    Technology Group Management

    Technology Group Strategy and Special Topics

    Surveillance and Target Acquisition Techniques

    Electronic Warfare Techniques

    Radio Frequency Military Communications Technology

    Radio Frequency Component Technology

    (10) Computing and Information Technology

    Technology Group Management

    Technology Group Strategy

    Signal Processing Technology

    Image Processing and Interpretation Technology

    Information Processing and Fusion Technologies

    Synthetic Environment Technology

    Human-Machine Interaction, Speech and Visual Technologies

    CIS and Decision Support Technology

    (11) Operational Analysis

    Technology Group Management

    Technology Group Strategy

    Methodology/Technique Development.

    There are a large number of detailed technical areas which support these Research Objectives. I am withholding details of these, and of several Research Objectives which do not appear in the above list, under exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information relating to defence, security and international relations.

    Mr. Key
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the companies which through(a) the DERA Pathfinder process and (b) other briefings, have shared in his Department's evaluation of defence technological and research priorities; and if he will list those priorities. [29515]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The companies who attended the Pathfinder 1997 conference are as follows:

    Advanced Composites Group Ltd

    AEA Technology plc

    Allied Signal Ltd

    Alvis Logistics Ltd

    Alvis Unipower

    Anite Systems Ltd

    Applied Visuals Ltd

    Avimo Ltd

    Avon Technical Products Ltd

    AVPRO

    834

    Babcock Defence Systems

    BAe

    BASYS Marine Ltd

    CAE Invertron

    Cambridge Algorithmica

    Century Dynamics Ltd

    Chelsea Instruments Ltd

    Chemring Group plc

    Cogent Defence Systems

    Corda Ltd

    Crew Services Ltd

    CRL

    Data Sciences (UK) Ltd

    Delta Communications Ltd

    Det Norske Veritas

    Devonport Management Ltd

    Dowty Aerospace

    DSAC

    Earth Observation Science Ltd

    EDS Defence Ltd

    EEV Ltd

    EG&G AEP Division

    Electronics Ind Ltd

    Elettronica (UK) Ltd

    EM Technology

    EPSRC

    ERA Technology Ltd

    ESYS Ltd

    Fairey Hydraulics Ltd

    FEI

    Ferranti Technologies Ltd

    Filtronic Components Ltd

    GEC

    GKN

    GM

    GMCIS

    Graseby Dynamics Ltd

    Hi-Q Systems Ltd

    Human Engineering Ltd

    Hunting Engineering Ltd

    HVR Consulting Services Ltd

    Hymatic Engineering Co Ltd

    Impact Sciences Ltd

    InterAction of Bath Ltd

    Interglossa Ltd

    ITT Defence

    JJB Consultancy Ltd

    John Crane Signature Management

    Kidde-Graviner Ltd

    Laboratory Impex Systems

    Laser-Scan Ltd

    Litton Data Systems

    Lockheed Martin

    Logica UK Ltd

    Lucas Aerospace Ltd

    835

    Mackenzie Tribbeck Associates

    Magnetic Systems Technology Ltd

    Marconi Radar and Control Systems

    Matra BAe Dynamics (UK) Ltd

    Matra Marconi Space UK

    Nangia Aero Research

    NPL

    NNC

    Normalair Garret Ltd

    Nortel plc

    PC201

    Pilkington Optronics

    Power Magnetics and Electrical Systems

    PS Industry Group Ltd

    Quintec Associates Ltd

    Racal

    Raytheon Cossor Electronics

    Redifon Mel Ltd

    Resource Calculations (UK)

    Roke Manor Research Ltd

    Rolls-Royce and Associates

    Rolls-Royce plc

    SEA Ltd

    Safe Training Systems

    Science Systems (Industrial) Ltd

    SERCO Ltd

    Shorts Missile Systems Ltd

    Siemens Plessey Systems

    Signal Computing Ltd

    Silicon Graphics Ltd

    SIRA Ltd

    Slingsby Aviation Ltd

    Slingsby Engineering Ltd

    Smith System Engineering

    Smiths Industrial Aerospace

    Soft System Developments

    Sonardyne International Ltd

    St. Bernard Composites Ltd

    Stirling Dynamics Ltd

    Strachan and Henshaw Ltd

    Systems Consultants Services

    Systems Engineering and Assessment

    Systems Studies Ltd

    TA Consultancy Services Ltd

    TA Group Ltd

    Telcon Ltd

    Tenet Systems Ltd

    The Advance Composites Group

    The Hymatic Engineering Co Ltd

    The Welding Institute

    Thomson

    Thorn Microwave Devices Ltd

    Transtech Parallel Systems

    Trident Data Systems

    TRL Technology Ltd

    Ultra Electronics

    Vickers Defence Systems

    Vosper Thornycroft (UK) Ltd

    836

    W and J Tod

    W. L. Gore and Associates (UK) Ltd

    Wallop Defence Systems

    Westland System Assessment Ltd

    W.S. Atkins

    WSAL.

    As a normal part of Departmental business, there is a wide range of interactions between officials and companies which contribute to the evaluation of defence technological and research priorities. These working level contacts are not recorded centrally.

    Mr. Key
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by (i) subject and (ii) current value the projects supported by his Department's applied research programme in 1997 indicating work(a) let with the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency and (b) work carried out by industry through extramural contracts let by DERA. [29518]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: During 1997, applied research to the gross value of about £420 million, of which over 99.5 per cent. by value was placed with DERA, was authorised to support the following Technology areas:

    Structural Materials and Structural Effects Analysis

    Signature Related Materials and Materials for Smart Structures

    Electronic Materials

    Photonic/Optical Materials and Devices

    Energetic Materials

    Chemical and Biological Materials

    Computing Technologies

    Computer Applications & Information Processing

    Human Sciences

    Operating Environmental Issues

    Lethality & Platform Protection

    Propulsion & Powerplants

    Design Aspects—Platforms and Weapons

    Electronic Warfare

    Signature Control and Signature Reduction

    Sensor Systems

    Guidance and Control Systems

    Simulators, Trainers and Synthetic Environments

    Integration and Other System Issues

    Communications and CIS related Technologies

    Personnel Protection Measures

    Manufacturing Processes/Design Tools/Techniques.

    I am withholding the more detailed information requested under exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information relating to defence, security and international relations.

    Mr. Key
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when the balance and scope of his Department's applied research programme was last received by the Defence Research Council; [29520]

    (2) if he will list the members of the Defence Research Council. [29519]
    837
    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The membership of the Defence Research Committee (DRC) is made up of individuals holding the following posts:

    Chief Scientific Adviser: Chairman

    Vice Chief Defence Staff

    Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Systems)

    Deputy Under Secretary of State (Science and Technology)

    Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Programmes and Personnel)

    Deputy Under Secretary of State (Resources Programmes and Finance)

    Deputy Chief of Defence Procurement (Operations)

    Deputy Chief of Defence Procurement (Support)

    Director Intelligence Scientific and Technical.

    Representatives from Her Majesty's Treasury, the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency and the Chairman of the Defence Scientific Advisory Council are normally also invited to attend each meeting.

    The DRC meets twice a year to review the totality of the non-nuclear defence research programme, including the applied research programme. The Committee last met on 5 November 1997.

    Mr. Key
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has established a national programme to bring together industry, both civil and defence, the academic community and the DERA on collaborative research projects of common interest; what percentage of project costs are made from Government sources; and what the programme's current budget is. [29513]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: MOD plays a leading part in the Government's Foresight initiative which seeks, inter alia, to bring industry, academia and Government together for their mutual benefit. Specifically, MOD is heavily involved in the Foresight Defence and Aerospace Panel, DASP.

    DASP Technology Working Parties were set up in eight technology areas which MOD, industry and academia jointly regard as high priority. Their task was to consider the best way forward on a national basis in those technologies. Six have reported already and a further two are expected by mid-1998. A common theme to be found in each of the working party reports is the need for some better means of harmonising technology priorities between Government, industry and academia. A proposal has been made that National Advisory Committees be set up to achieve this aim, under DASP oversight. The MOD fully supports this initiative and is working within the DASP to devise a 5 year plan for the appropriate development of these Committees.

    MOD sees considerable value in fostering dialogue and networking, where there are areas of common interest, among those communities within Government, industry and academia that formulate the requirements for, and deliver, research programmes. MOD also makes a small, but significant, contribution to Foresight panels other than the DASP and is supporting the Society of British Aerospace Companies' Foresight Action initiative through programme alignment.

    These activities will also be appropriately aligned with National Defence Industry Council initiatives.
    838
    Mr. Key
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the individuals, with their qualifications, who currently review the defence corporate research programme to identify areas of potential pullthrough into the applied research programme. [29516]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: Pullthrough from the Corporate Research Programme, CRP, to the Applied Research Programme, ARP, and other programmes is actively encouraged at all levels. Pullthrough takes different forms depending on circumstances. For example, where a CRP project becomes sufficiently applied that it is deemed to be suitable for Applied Research funding, an agreed pullthrough plan will be drawn up between the respective CRP and ARP customers. Continuous dialogue between CRP customers, their stakeholders and Operational Requirements military customers and their supporting scientific staffs identify and agree technology areas and timescales for such pullthrough.

    Secondary pullthrough also occurs within the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, where a common research team might typically work on both generic long term CRP projects and shorter term ARP projects. In this instance, technology and knowledge continually feeds directly from the CRP to ARP via the research scientist involved.

    Information on the individuals involved in pullthrough activity, both informally and formally, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    Mr. Key
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for the defence corporate research programme(a) scientists from his Department and academic institutions who are currently involved in peer review and(b) the functions of the customer advisory groups, together with current membership and qualifications. [29517]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: Peer review forms a vital component in the selection of quality and relevant projects forming the Corporate Research Programme. Review occurs at various stages within the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, DERA, where senior scientists select projects from sectors within DERA to form a portfolio of bids. Final peer review typically involves detailed assessment of proposal quality, military relevance, value for money and collaborative opportunities, including wealth creation.

    The peer review teams differ between DERA technology groups but would normally include; two or three eminent academics with a long association with MOD research programmes, often from the Defence Science Advisory Council, MOD representatives from the central scientific, operational requirements and procurement areas; other MOD HQ scientific staff; DERA scientists, and, if applicable, representatives from DTI and industry. Individuals are selected on the basis of their track record and particular knowledge and expertise in the specific subject areas. Information on the very large number of individuals involved is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    Customer Advisory Groups exist to provide guidance on the longer-term focus of research, to ensure that the products of the research are in line with the requirements expressed by the stakeholders. As such, their composition

    839
    varies as a function of the specific technology group. Composition would typically comprise staff from central scientific and technical intelligence, operational requirements and procurement areas. Operational Requirements representation would include those with Applied Research Programme customer responsibilities to maximise future pullthrough opportunities.

    Mr. Key
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what(a) national and (b) international collaboration has been achieved under the defence research programme's Beacon fund. [29514]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The Beacon Fund is aimed at encouraging research collaboration between DERA and industry or academia. It was set up in 1996 as a subset of the Corporate Research Programme, with a £2 million annual budget planned for worthwhile proposals. Such has been the demand that this budget was raised to £4 million in 1997.

    There are currently 23 active Beacon projects spanning nearly all areas of DERA's work. The total committed cost to MOD of these projects is around £12 million; industry and academia are committed to nearly twice as much. About three-quarters of this is from national initiatives, with the remainder from international initiatives.

    Departmental Child Care
    Mr. Barnes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30014]

    Mr. Spellar
    My Department and its agencies currently provide 13 workplace nurseries offering some 500 fulltime places, as well as a number of holiday play schemes. This is in line with Civil Service policy to establish child care support arrangements for staff where there is a business case and value for money justification. This enables us to help many of our staff to combine their working lives with family responsibilities. Child care vouchers are not issued to MOD staff. Parents are required to make a contribution to the running costs of child care facilities. Details of the Department's expenditure on child care support are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Organisations currently providing child care services to the MOD are:

    Busy Bees Nurseries Ltd.

    Childcare Enterprises Ltd.

    Going Solo Ltd.

    Kinderquest Ltd.

    Little Darling Childcare

    Mini Mariner Nursery

    Pixieland Daycare Nurseries

    Yeovilteenies Nursery.

    Defence Technology Strategy
    Mr. Key
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the activities and costs of his Department's defence technology strategy; and if he will make a statement. [29523]
    840
    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The Department's technology strategy is carried forward by a programme of research and technology demonstration incorporating, wherever possible, collaborative work with industry, academia or allies.

    The programme consists of three principle elements:
    1. An Applied Research Programme, ARP, valued at about £420 million. This programme aims to provide technical options at quantified cost and risk for the formulation of operational requirements that best meet the needs of UK armed forces. It applies to equipment planned to enter service over the next 20 years.
    2. A Corporate Research Programme, CRP, valued at about £150 million, whose primary purpose is to sustain and develop the defence technology base by building on world-wide science and technology. The research includes technologies needed to underpin the systems-oriented work of the ARP; generic technologies which have wide applications across many environments or users; and innovative research which is speculative in nature aimed at MOD's future capabilities. It also provides the means by which the potential military utility of emerging technologies can be investigated and demonstrated at an early stage.
    3. A Technology Demonstration Programme valued at about £50 million which is primarily intended to reduce areas of high technical risk associated with the known requirements for future equipment, through establishing design options. It is largely driven by procurement pull rather than technology push, and is generally in support of identified equipment or systems applications. It is for the most part let competitively with industry.

    There are, in addition, some small elements valued at about £17 million in total directed towards collaborative work with academia (joint grants scheme) and Europe (European transonic wind tunnel).

    Contracts
    Mr. Swinney
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts of a value greater than £10,000 his Department has with companies in(a) London, (b) South East England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, (e)Wales and (f)Northern Ireland; and what is the total value of such contracts for each area. [30073]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The information requested is not available in precisely the format requested. The number and value of current prime contracts valued in excess of £10,000 in Financial Year 1996–97 in the following locations is listed below:

    Number of contracts

    Value of contracts (£)

    (a) London

    4,122

    3,010,656,875

    (b) the South East of England

    13,337

    24,966,057,325

    (c) England

    44,340

    62,777,373,141

    (d) Scotland

    3,036

    3,191,535,617

    (e) Wales

    1,142

    511,535,442

    (f) Northern Ireland

    342

    564,437,755

    This information should be regarded as indicative as it relates only to current defence prime contracts valued in excess of £10,000 in Financial Year 1996–97. It does not include defence sub-contracts or contracts placed by Trading Fund Defence Agencies as this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    Mr. Swinney
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of current research contracts of a value greater than £10,000 sourced at sites in(a) London, (b) the South East of England, (c) England,

    841
    (d) Scotland, (e)Wales, and (f)Northern Ireland; and what is the forecast expenditure on such projects in each area. [30129]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The information requested is not available in precisely the format requested. The number of current research contracts valued in excess of £10,000 in Financial Year 1996–97 in the following locations are listed:

    Number of contracts

    (a) London

    105

    (b) The South East of England

    330

    (c) England

    844

    (d) Scotland

    36

    (e) Wales

    5

    (f) Northern Ireland

    2

    This information should be regarded as indicative as it relates only to extant defence research prime contracts valued in excess of £10,000 in Financial Year 1996–97. It does not include defence sub-contracts or contracts placed by Trading Fund Defence Agencies, except for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, as this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    Information regarding the forecast expenditure on such research projects in each area is not held centrally. However, the latest figures available from the Defence Analytical Services Agency for the breakdown of defence research and development expenditure by region are contained in Section 1.6 of the UK Defence Statistics 1997, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

    Mr. Swinney
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many companies based in(a) London, (b) the South East of England, (c) England, (d) Scotland, Wales and (f)Northern Ireland currently supply his Department with armaments; and what was the value of such supplies in each area in the last year for which figures are available. [30130]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The information requested is not available precisely in the form requested. The number of defence contractors with current prime contracts in the following locations in Financial Year 1996–97 is as in the table:

    No of contractors

    (a) London

    1,526

    (b) The South East of England

    3,492

    (c) England

    10,518

    (d) Scotland

    1,022

    (e) Wales

    427

    (f) Northern Ireland

    105

    This information should, however, be regarded as indicative as it relates only to extant prime contracts with defence contractors in Financial Year 1996–97. It does not include defence sub-contracts or contracts placed by Trading Fund Defence Agencies as this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
    842
    The latest figures available for the value of suppliers in each area are for the Financial Year 1995–96 and are contained in Section 1.9 of the UK Defence Statistics 1997, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

    Departmental Employees
    Mr. Swinney
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of his Department's employees by UK region, indicating the wage bill(a) in total and (b) by region in the last year for which figures are available and separately identifying the costs of London allowances and weightings. [30070]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 18 February 1998]: The following is a breakdown of Ministry of Defence Civilian Personnel by region as at 1 January 1998:

    Region

    Number of staff

    London

    10,189

    South East

    24,760

    Eastern

    6,736

    South West

    24,098

    West Midlands

    8,471

    East Midlands

    2,819

    Yorkshire and Humberside

    3,265

    Merseyside

    969

    North West

    1,653

    North East

    600

    Wales

    5,165

    Scotland

    10,203

    Northern Ireland

    3,264

    Other locations1

    7,752

    Total

    109,944

    1 Including UK-based staff overseas and at sea.

    Note:

    The figures include full-time, part-time and casual staff.

    The Department does not hold the information requested on the wage bill by Regions and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Figures for civilian staff are available for London and National areas, for the financial year 1996–97 and are as follows:

    £

    Gross salaries

    London element

    London

    371,586,880

    17,735,370

    National

    1,628,929,789

    Nil

    Periodicals
    Mr. Malcolm Bruce
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the expenditure of his Department on newspapers and magazines in(a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97, (c) 1997–98 to date and (d) 1997–98 full year; and if he will list the newspapers and magazines purchased or subscribed to on a regular basis. [26636]

    Mr. Spellar
    [holding answer 5 February 1998]: There is no central record of expenditure on newspapers and magazines, or of individual titles of commercial publications purchased by the Department and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
    843

  EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

    Departmental Child Care
    Mr. Barnes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30009]

    Dr. Howells
    DfEE is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for its staff and supports child care facilities which help staff to balance family and working life.

    The Department currently supports holiday play scheme facilities on all of the Department's four HQ sites. It also provides nursery facilities on its Runcorn and Sheffield sites. Facilities are often shared with other government organisations, in particular with the Employment Service HQ in Sheffield and with the Office of National Statistics in Runcorn.

    The Department meets approximately half of the full cost of nursery provision through making premises available and by a contribution to the provider's management fees. The exact level of subsidy varies according to occupancy and has fluctuated between 45–60 per cent. during the current contract. For play scheme provision, the Department normally meets approximately half the cost.

    The organisations the Department uses for child care are Early Years plc and Kinderquest Ltd.

    The Department does not issue child care vouchers to staff.

    Tuition Fees
    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what administrative arrangements he plans to implement for the introduction of contributions towards tuition fees for higher education. [30431]

    Dr. Howells
    From 1998–99, most new entrants to full-time higher education will be eligible for assistance with their contribution to tuition fees if they are from a lower income family. The amount of assistance from public funds will be assessed by the student's local education authority in accordance with regulations which will be laid before Parliament in due course. The assessed amount will be paid direct to the student's institution in due course. Where the applicant is an EU national seeking assistance with fees only, the Department will assist his authority in making the assessment in 1998–99 and from 1999/2000 will be directly responsible for providing assistance in accordance with regulations to be laid in due course.

    The student will pay the balance of the contribution to fees, if any, personally to the institution. It will be for institutions themselves to decide on the arrangements for collecting private contributions from students. I have no doubt that universities and colleges will want to ensure that students are not prevented from taking up a place because they are unable to pay the full fee in a single lump sum; for example, by taking account of individual students' circumstances in allowing the fee to be paid in more than one instalment.
    844

    Student Grants
    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he proposes to alter the existing arrangements for the assessment and administration concerned with student grants currently operated by local education authorities. [30430]

    Dr. Howells
    The reform of student support arrangements will require some changes to the existing arrangements for assessment and administration carried out by local education authorities in respect of new entrants to higher education.

    For the academic year 1998–99, new entrants will be liable to contribute to tuition fees. Local education authorities will assess the support from public funds for fees and how much maintenance grant is payable, taking account of the students' own income and that of their parents or spouse. The Mandatory Award Regulations to be laid in due course will set out the relevant conditions. Local education authorities will pay the fee support direct to the higher education institution and will pay any maintenance grant direct to the student in the same way as now. Where the applicant is an EU national seeking assistance with fees only, the Department will assist his authority in making the assessment in 1998–99 and from 1999–2000 will be directly responsible for providing assistance in accordance with regulations to be laid in due course.

    For the academic year 1999–2000, new students and those who started in 1998–99 will receive support for living costs solely through loans which will be partly income-assessed. These arrangements will be administered by a scheme involving local education authorities, the Student Loans company and a central unit within the Department. Local education authorities will have an important role in determining the eligibility of `home' applicants for fees, loans and grants and for carrying out the means test. I am planning to review the current means testing arrangements to allow the system to be simplified wherever possible.

    A detailed review will look at the best way of administering higher education student support in the long term. This review is due to be completed in 2000 once the new system of HE student support has bedded down.

    New Deal (Environmental Placements)
    Mr. Matthew Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 26 January 1998,Official Report, column 89, on environmental placements under the New Deal, if he will publish the guidance relating to those New Deal tenders including an element to cover the cost of materials. [27280]

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

    Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Matthew Taylor, dated February 1998:
    The Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply to your question about the guidance relating to New Deal tenders under the Voluntary and Environment Task Force Option.

    845
    Guidance relating to New Deal tenders, which includes guidance on the cost of materials, has been distributed widely to organisation who have expressed interest in tendering for the Environment Task Force and Voluntary Sector options and a copy has been placed in the Library.
    I hope this is helpful.

  LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

    Legal Aid
    Jacqui Smith
    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals the Government has to(a) review the administration of legal aid in Northern Ireland, with particular reference to the difference between the administration arrangements for legal aid in Great Britain and in Northern Ireland and (b) extend to Northern Ireland reforms of legal aid which are proposed for England and Wales. [30797]

    Mr. Hoon
    The Lord Chancellor and I have instructed my officials in the Northern Ireland Court Service to:(a) undertake a review into arrangements for the administration and provision of legal aid in Northern Ireland, bringing forward recommendations for change where necessary; and
    (b) consider in the Northern Ireland context the proposed reforms to legal aid in England and Wales.

    My Officials will be available to hear views from interested parties on these important matters.

    A Green Paper will be published for full consultation purposes in due course. In the meantime, I would encourage all those with an interest in these matters to meet with my officials and contribute their views at an early stage.

    Periodicals
    Mr. Malcolm Bruce
    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his estimate of the expenditure of his Department on newspapers and magazines(a) in 1995–96, (b) 1996–97, 1997–98 to date and (d) 1997–98 full year; and if he will list the newspapers and magazines purchased or subscribed to on a regular basis. [26671]

    Mr. Hoon
    The Lord Chancellor's Department purchases a range of publications. The estimated expenditure on newspapers and magazines by the Department, including the Court Service, is as follows:

    (a) 1995–96: £57,500

    (b) 1996–97: £59,500

    (c) 1997–98 to date: £58,800

    (d) 1997–98 full year: £60,200.

    Statutory Declaration Fee
    Mr. Boswell
    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the £5 fee for making a statutory declaration was last amended; and if he will make a statement. [30308]

    Mr. Hoon
    The fee for making a statutory declaration in the Magistrates' Court was increased to eight pounds on 1 April 1992, by the Magistrates' Courts Fees (Amendment) Order, SI 842/1992. I am considering whether to conduct a major review of all civil fees in the Magistrates' Courts.
    846

    Gibraltar (Records)
    Dr. Marek
    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list those Government records of the 1960s relating to Gibraltar that have not been released after 30 years; and if he will indicate the reasons for not releasing them. [30399]

    Mr. Hoon
    Public records of the 1960s relating to Gibraltar are likely to appear, among the records of a number of Departments, including those of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its predecessor Departments, of the Ministry of Defence and its predecessors, of the Cabinet Office and of the Prime Minister's Office. There is no pre-existent list of records of this period relating to Gibraltar, and currently no automated means of generating one.

    As well, the documentation of withheld records that is maintained by the Public Record Office, and in particular the documentation of withheld extracts from records, is by document reference alone, and not by subject description, so that it is not in a form which would enable a listing of unavailable records of the 1960s relating to Gibraltar to be produced, without disproportionate cost. The catalogues available to the public in the Public Record Office note whole items which are closed or retained, but not the fact of a withheld extract, but because there is no pre-existent list of Gibraltar records, the catalogues could not be used to list closed records on this subject, except at similarly high cost.

    Departmental Child Care
    Mr. Barnes
    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30020]

    Mr. Hoon
    At present, the Department provides subsidised child care places at 13 nurseries and 15 play schemes. The subsidy varies, depending on individual business cases and value for money justification. The child care organisations used by the Department are listed. Child care vouchers are not generally made available to staff, although they have been made available on a temporary basis in exceptional circumstances.

    Nurseries

    Westminster Children's Society (2 nurseries)

    Nurseryworks Ltd.

    Buffer Bear Nurseries Ltd. (6 nurseries)

    Kinderquest Ltd.

    Aston Students' Guild

    Acorns Nurseries

    Crown House Childcare Scheme (Benefits Agency)

    Play schemes

    Kinderquest (Westminster Holiday Playscheme)

    Jancett Group of Day Nurseries (Croydon Playscheme)

    DNS Durham Kids Club

    MOD Holiday Playscheme, Liverpool

    DFEE Holiday Playscheme, Leeds

    DFEE Coventry Holiday Activity Scheme

    DSS Bristol Holiday Playscheme

    847

    Birmingham Holiday Club

    Court Service Peterborough Holiday Playscheme

    Busy Bees (Manchester)

    DFEE Holiday Playscheme, Darlington

    DSS Rascals Holiday Playscheme, Northampton

    DSS Exeter Holiday Playscheme

    Land Registry Plymouth Holiday Playscheme

    Prescription Pricing Agency Holiday Playscheme, Gateshead.

    Market Research
    Mr. Malcolm Bruce
    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what expenditure has been incurred by his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies(a) in 1996–97 and (b) since 1 May 1997 on (i) opinion polling, (ii) focus groups and (iii) other forms of market research; if he will list the surveys commissioned and the purpose of each; and if he will make a statement. [26667]

    Mr. Hoon
    The figures are as follows:

    Lord Chancellor's Department and associated offices

    Project

    Cost £

    1996/97

    (i) Opinion polling

    MORI survey of court users to assess extent to which non-professional users would prefer to appear in court either on Saturday morning or on a weekday evening

    19,975

    (ii) Focus groups

    None

    —

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    (1) Research by Professor John Baldwin into the effect of the rise in the Small Claims Limit

    24,788

    (2) Research by De Montfort University into take-up of Magistrates Courts Inspectorate information leaflets

    70

    Since 1 May 1997

    (i) Opinion polling

    None

    —

    (ii) Focus groups

    None

    —

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    (1) Research by Professor John Baldwin into the effect of the rise in the Small Claims Limit

    11,205

    (2) Research by Central Office of Information on ways to create a broader base of applicants to the magistracy

    38,000

    Court Service

    Project

    Cost £

    1996/97

    (i) Opinion polling

    None

    —

    (ii) Focus groups

    None

    —

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    (1) ONS Omnibus Survey into public awareness of the Small Claims procedure

    2,645

    (2) Public attitude Survey for Sheffield Combined Court's pilot user survey

    5,052

    Since 1 May 1997

    (i) Opinion polling

    None

    —

    (ii) Focus groups

    None

    —

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    (1) ONS Omnibus Survey into public awareness of the Court Service

    3,600

    (2) British Market Research Bureau: staff opinion survey into Investors in People

    25,591

    848

    Land Registry

    Project

    Cost£

    1996/97

    (i) Opinion polling

    Customer Service Survey to identify areas for improvement in the delivery of the Registry's services

    3,541

    (ii) Focus groups

    None

    —

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    None

    —

    Since 1 May 1997

    (i) Opinion polling

    (1) Independent Customer Service Survey to provide independent verification of customers' satisfaction with the delivery of services and identify areas for improvement

    13,285

    (2) Consultation Paper on a proposal to restore "Price Paid" to the Land Register

    3,191

    (ii) Focus groups

    Customer Service. Discussions with key customers on areas for improvement in delivery of services

    790

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    Interviews with key customers on specific areas of service improvement

    500

    Northern Ireland Court Service

    Project

    Cost £

    1996/97

    (i) Opinion polling

    Community Attitudes Survey—the public's attitudes to law, order, and security issues

    5,920

    (ii) Focus groups

    None

    —

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    None

    —

    Since 1 May 1997

    (i) Opinion polling

    None

    —

    (ii) Focus groups

    None

    —

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    Contribution towards a survey on Divorce commissioned by the Office of Law Reform

    10,000

    Public Record Office

    Project

    Cost £

    1996/97

    (i) Opinion polling

    None

    —

    (ii) Focus groups

    None

    —

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    —

    Since 1 May 1997

    (i) Opinion polling

    None

    —

    (ii) Focus groups

    None

    —

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    None

    —

    Public Trust Office

    Project

    Cost £

    1996/97

    (i) Opinion polling

    None

    —

    (ii) Focus groups

    None

    —

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    None

    —

    Since 1 May 1997

    (i) Opinion polling

    None

    —

    (ii) Focus groups

    None

    —

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    None

    —

    849

    Legal Aid Board

    Project

    Cost £

    1996/97

    (i) Opinion polling

    MORI poll into public awareness of legal aid in general, and franchising in particular

    7,050

    (ii) Focus groups

    none

    —

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    none

    —

    Since 1 May 1997

    (i) Opinion polling

    MORI poll into public awareness of legal aid in general, and franchising in particular

    7,050

    (ii) Focus groups

    MORI focus groups to review promotional material in support of public awareness of franchising

    2,115

    (iii) Other forms of market research

    None

    —

    Ministerial Travel
    Mr. Baker
    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the engagements he undertook in the United Kingdom in the course of his duties during January indicating in each case which were accessed by(a) car, (b) train, (c) aeroplane and car, (d) aeroplane and train and (e) other means. [28937]

    Mr. Hoon
    [holding answer 10 February 1998]: The official engagements I undertook in January 1998, other than routine meetings within Whitehall, together with the mode of transport used to access each, are as follows:

    Wednesday 7 January

    Visit: Relate National, Rugby (Own car)

    Thursday 8 January

    Speaking engagement: Judicial Studies Board Seminar. Cheltenham (Car)

    Wednesday 14 January

    Visit: African Caribbean Family Mediation Service, Brixton (Car)

    Thursday 15 January

    Visit: Leigh Day & Co. Solicitors, London (Car)

    Monday 19 January

    Visit: National Childcare Strategy Conference, London (On foot)

    Thursday 22 January

    Speaking engagement: Conference on the structure and governance of magistrates' courts, Birmingham (Car)

    Visit: 7 Fountain Court chambers, Birmingham (Car)

    Visit: McGrath & Co. solicitors, Birmingham (On foot)

    Monday 26 January

    Reception: Official opening of the Legal Resource Training Centre, London (Car)

    Speaking engagement: Uxbridge Magistrates' Courts, Uxbridge (Car)

    850

    Wednesday 28 January

    Visit: Registry Trust Ltd. London (Car)

    Speaking Engagement: Central and South Middlesex Law Society, Ealing (Car)

    Thursday 29 January

    Visit: Official Opening of Walsall CAB (Car).

    Violent Parents
    Mr. Öpik
    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to amend the law relating to the rights of access to their children of violent and abusive parents; and if he will make a statement. [29700]

    Mr. Hoon
    When the courts determine an application for contact, under section 8 of the Children Act 1989, they must treat the child's welfare as their paramount consideration. Among the specific factors they have to consider is"any harm which" the child "has suffered or is at risk of suffering".

    There are no plans to amend the legislation.

    Official Accommodation
    Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what options were considered in selecting the furniture for the official accommodation. [30232]

    Mr. Redwood
    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will provide a breakdown of the costs of the refurbishment of the Lord Chancellor's rooms in the Palace of Westminster. [30460]

    Mr. Baker
    To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what is his policy in respect of the use of the Official Secrets Act 1911 to cover contracts for refurbishment work; [30296]

    (2) how many contractors undertaking work on the Lord Chancellor's accommodation have been required to sign a contract which refers to the Official Secrets Act and for what purpose; and when this policy was begun; [30297]

    (3) what were the specifications for (a) the bed, (b) the dining table, (c) the curtains and (d) the carpets ordered for the Lord Chancellor's accommodation in the Palace of Westminster. [30301]

    Mr. Hoon
    All questions affecting the building and internal decoration of the House of Lords are matters for the authorities of the House of Lords, in particular the House of Lords' Offices Committee and its sub-committees on Administration and Works and on Finance and Staff. I refer the right hon. and hon. Members to the answer given in the Other Place by The Noble Lord, Lord Boston of Faversham on 17 February 1998,Official Report, House of Lords, column 23.
    851

  SCOTLAND

    Police
    Mr. Charles Kennedy
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the cost to public funds of each special constable; what is the average length of service of a special constable; what percentage of special constables are subsequently employed by the police; and if he will make a statement. [29241]

    Mr. McLeish: This information is not held centrally.

  Queen's Counsel
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 9 February 1998,Official Report, column 22, what assessment he has made of the factors underlying the disparity in the proportion of the Scottish Bar who are QCs as against those in (a) the Northern Ireland Bar and (b) the Bar in England and Wales. [29428]

  Mr. McLeish
  No assessment has been made.

  Prisoners
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prisoners in Scottish prisons are currently studying for(a) a higher education qualification, (b) a further education qualification and (c) higher grade or standard grade examination qualifications. [29027]

  Mr. McLeish
  [holding answer 12 February 1998]: The information requested is:

  a. A higher education qualification: 35

  b. A further education qualification: 1,470

  c. A higher or standard grade qualification: 89.

  There is some double counting as a small number of prisoners are studying for a higher or standard grade qualification as well as a further education qualification.

  Dounreay
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will ask the Chairman of COMARE to re-open his inquiry into the causes of leukaemia near Dounreay following the disclosure of a second subterranean shaft containing nuclear waste at Dounreay. [29282]

  Mr. Galbraith
  COMARE is continuing to keep the incidence of leukaemia near Dounreay under review as part of its work programme, including the need for further advice to the Government as additional information becomes available.

  Epilepsy
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many registered epileptics there are in Scotland in each health board area. [29944]

  Mr. Galbraith
  Information on the number of registered epileptics in Scotland is not available centrally.
  852
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what resources his Department makes available for the treatment of epilepsy, broken down by health board area; and if he will express the figures as a percentage of each health board's expenditure. [29948]

  Mr. Galbraith
  Resources are not made available to the NHS in Scotland for specific treatments. It is for individual Health Boards to determine their priorities, in the light of local circumstances, from the resources made available.

  Legal Aid
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of cases granted legal advice and assistance in 1996–97 proceeded to court. [30148]

  Mr. McLeish
  The information is not available.

  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the categories of case in which civil legal aid was(a) refused and (b) refused after offers in 1996–97. [30150]

  Mr. McLeish
  An analysis of full applications where no legal aid was granted at the first instance is published by court on page 22 of the Board's Annual Report for 1996–97. However this information cannot be broken down into case type.

  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many cases in 1996–97 in(a) the Sheriff Court and (b) the Court of Session, were all parties in the action funded by the Scottish Legal Aid Board; and if he will break down these cases by type. [30152]

  Mr. McLeish
  This information is not available.

  Prison Officers
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the hours of time off in lieu owed to prison officers for each month of 1997, indicating what percentage of those hours are owed for more than(a) one month, (b) three months and (c) six months; and if he will make a statement. [29940]

  Mr. McLeish
  Information on the hours of time off in lieu (TOIL) owed only to prison officers is not available since the data held by the Scottish Prison Service cover both prison officer and supervisor groups. The table sets out the TOIL owed jointly to these staff groups during 1997, but information on the periods of time for which TOIL hours are owed to members of staff is not held centrally.

  Hours of Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) owed to prison officers and supervisors in 1997

  Hours

  January

  87,031

  February

  89,308

  March

  99,068

  April

  98,406

  May

  102,194

  June

  101,066

  July

  102,753

  August

  108,088

  September

  108,135

  853

  Hours of Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) owed to prison officers and supervisors in 1997

  Hours

  October

  109,143

  November

  115,802

  December

  115,188

  Breast Cancer
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have suffered radiotherapy injuries after breast cancer in Scotland, by health board area. [29939]

  Mr. Galbraith
  There are no statistics available on the number of people who have suffered radiotherapy injuries after treatment for breast cancer in Scotland.

  Legal Aid Board
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the activities which relate to the term professional fees as it appears in Notes to the Accounts, No. 11 of the Scottish Legal Aid Board Annual Report, 1996–97. [30151]

  Mr. McLeish
  The activities are as noted:

  Legal Fees: £30,127

  judicial review

  instructing counsel, and obtaining opinions from counsel

  fees for hearings and motions

  Non-legal fees: £148,134

  consultancy fees

  translation fees

  EEC-related fees: £700

  VDU eyetests

  Fees relating to quality issues: £19,844

  consultancy fees

  membership and subscription fees

  launching "vision and values" initiative

  Grand Total: £198,805

  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the Scottish Legal Aid Board's expenditure in the year 1996–97 was attributable to judicial reviews of its decisions; and how many such judicial reviews took place. [30149]

  Mr. McLeish
  0.31 per cent. of the Scottish Legal Aid Board's administrative expenditure in year 1996–97 was attributable to judicial review of its decision. Six petitions for judicial review were served on the Board although no judicial reviews by the court actually took place.

  Prison Population
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what projections he has made of the prison population of Scotland in each year to 2003; and if he will indicate the basis on which the projections are made. [29942]
  854
  Mr. McLeish
  The latest projections of the prison population which are being used by the Scottish Prison
  Service for planning purposes are (April to March years):

  1997–1998: 6,200

  1998–1999: 6,350

  1999–2000: 6,500

  2000–2001: 6,600

  The methodology for projecting future prison population is based on an analysis of historical trends (calculated by linear regression) of receptions into custody from courts. The trends are projected forward for future years. The specific variables considered in the analysis are age of offender, main offence type, sentence length and time served in custody. In addition, any policy or legislative changes which may impact on future prisoner numbers are factored in as necessary. The figures are slightly lower than those contained in the Scottish Prison Service's Corporate Plan, published in July 1997.

  0rthoptics
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from(a) Glasgow Caledonian University and (b) others regarding the continuation of the orthoptic degree course at Glasgow Caledonian University. [29971]

  Mr. Galbraith
  The Scottish Office has received a number of letters from staff at Glasgow Caledonian University and from hospital consultants and orthoptic students regarding the continuation of the orthoptic degree course at Glasgow Caledonian University.

  The Scottish Office is currently engaged in an exercise to determine the need for a Scottish University to provide a degree in orthoptics.

  Mental Health Services
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish his spending plans for mental health services in Scotland in the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [29928]

  Mr. Galbraith
  Mental Health is a national priority for the NHS in Scotland. I expect Health Boards to develop their spending plans for mental health services to reflect that priority and to take into account the principles set out in the framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland, published in September 1997, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the budget available to mental health services in Scotland in the(a) current and (b) previous financial year. [29866]

  Mr. Galbraith
  £421 million is available for mental health services in Scotland for 1997–98, with a further £15.3 million provided for the State Hospital service.

  The position for 1996–97 was that £405 million was spent on mental health services and an additional £18.4 million on the State Hospital service (including the last tranche of substantial capital expenditure).

  These resources do not include the additional costs of primary care services provided for this client group, which are not separately identifiable.
  855

  Drug Courts
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to introduce US-style drug courts; and if he will make a statement. [30048]

  Mr. McLeish
  No. Courts can already take account of drug misuse by offenders by, for example, attaching a condition to a Probation Order requiring the offender to address his drug habit. It is also intended that Scottish courts will be able to impose drug treatment and testing orders, provision for which is contained in the Crime and Disorder Bill presently before Parliament. Under these orders serious offenders with drug dependency problems will be placed on specialist treatment programmes aimed at reducing or eliminating their dependency.

  Health (Glasgow)
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to improve health in the City of Glasgow; and if he will make a statement. [29791]

  Mr. Galbraith
  In August 1997 I asked all Health Boards to begin preparing Health Improvement Programmes (HIPs) in collaboration with Trusts and General Practitioners. Greater Glasgow Health Board is close to finalising its HIP. This will set out specific measures to deliver care over the next 5 years effectively and efficiently in a way which puts the interests of patients first. Additionally, the HIP will set out a programme to tackle health inequalities in Glasgow and the causes of poor health in the people of Glasgow.

  The Green Paper "Working Together for a Healthier Scotland" on tackling inequalities in health was published on 5 February with a consultation period that runs until 30 April. Strategies for action will be formulated after the outcome of the consultation is known.

  The Glasgow Regeneration Alliance has been given direct financial support of £500,000 for 1998–99 to help to provide a staff support team to develop and implement a long-term strategy for the regeneration of the city. This strategy will be a comprehensive city-wide plan for the renewal of Glasgow and will involve all the partners in the Alliance.

  School Closures (Glasgow)
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about school closures in the City of Glasgow; and if he will make a statement. [29794]

  Mr. Wilson
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of letters, principally from School Boards and parents. The provision of schools in Glasgow is a matter for the Council.

  M74 (Glasgow)
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about the completion of the M74 in the City of Glasgow; and if he will make a statement. [29795]

  Mr. McLeish
  Since taking office, we have received 13 written representations on this subject, including correspondence from my hon. Friend. In addition, I am aware that, subsequent to the publication of The 856
  Strathclyde Regional Council (M74 West Fullarton, Kingston Bridge to Fullarton Road) Compulsory Purchase Order 1995, 37 Statutory and 4 non-statutory objections were received within the statutory period.

  Although it is not a trunk road scheme, the size and importance of the M74 northern extension is such that it is appropriate to consider the scheme within the current strategic trunk roads review and the joint promoters of the scheme, the City of Glasgow and South Lanarkshire Councils, have agreed to this. Studies of aspects of the scheme, including its design and economic development function, are nearing completion and will inform the trunk roads review. If the scheme were to be taken forward as a trunk road, rather than by the present promoters, a decision on whether or not to go ahead would be informed by the findings of the roads review and would depend on a variety of factors, including the resources available and competing priorities.

  Health Service
  Mr. Syms
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the number of NHS trusts in existence(a) on 1 May 1997 and (b) at present. [29855]

  Mr. Galbraith
  On 1 May 1997 there were 47 NHS Trusts in Scotland. This remains the current position. The recently published White Paper "Designed to Care" sets out our proposals for a reduction in the number of Trusts operating within the NHS in Scotland.

  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to announce proposals for restructuring health boards and trusts in Scotland. [29951]

  Mr. Galbraith
  The recently published White Paper "Designed to Care" sets out the Government's proposals for restructuring the NHS in Scotland. Detailed proposals for the configuration of NHS Trusts will be the subject of public consultation starting soon in the light of the principles set out in the White Paper.

  Stracathro Hospital
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future status of Stracathro Hospital with particular reference to future service and staff levels. [29952]

  Mr. Galbraith
  There are no current plans to reduce services at Stracathro Hospital. I understand however that Tayside Health Board will be reviewing acute service provision throughout the Health Board area. The outcome of the review may affect the services provided at Stracathro.

  Departmental Child Care
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision his Department makes for child care facilities for staff; what subsidy is provided for(a) nursery places and (b) holiday play schemes; if he will list the organisations used by his Department for child care; and if child care vouchers are made available to staff. [30019]

  Mr. Dewar
  The Scottish Office have two work-place nurseries in Edinburgh. The service is provided by Marilyn Morris Nurseries under contract to The Scottish Office. Nursery places are not subsidised although accommodation is provided free by the Office.
  857
  Subsidised places at holiday play schemes are offered to staff in Edinburgh and Glasgow (at a total cost of £968 in 1997–98). These operate during the Easter and summer school holiday periods. The play schemes are run by Customs and Excise in Edinburgh and by Kidcare Ltd. in Glasgow.

  The Scottish Office does not participate in a child care voucher scheme.

  Number of adult and child patients lapsed by health board

  Financial Year 1994–95

  Financial Year 1995–96

  Health board

  Adult

  Child

  Total

  Adult

  Child

  Total

  Ayrshire & Arran

  34,393

  12,226

  47,159

  30,260

  10,591

  40,851

  Borders

  7,253

  1,955

  9,208

  6,572

  1,771

  8,343

  Argyll & Clyde

  39,244

  14,865

  54,109

  36,311

  13,754

  50,065

  Fife

  28,406

  9,410

  37,816

  28,678

  9,500

  38,178

  Greater Glasgow

  93,523

  32,641

  126,164

  89,567

  31,260

  120,827

  Highland

  16,195

  7,239

  23,434

  16,196

  7,240

  23,436

  Lanarkshire

  46,429

  16,158

  62,587

  45,503

  15,836

  61,339

  Grampian

  42,495

  13,560

  56,055

  40,575

  12,947

  53,522

  Orkney

  1,556

  175

  1,731

  818

  92

  910

  Lothian

  65,202

  20,442

  85,644

  64,968

  20,369

  85,337

  Tayside

  33,498

  9,825

  43,323

  33,580

  9,849

  43,429

  Forth Valley

  22,788

  7,678

  30,466

  21,973

  7,404

  29,377

  Western Isles

  2,801

  438

  3,239

  2,359

  369

  2,728

  Dumfries & Galloway

  11,367

  4,819

  16,186

  10,456

  4,434

  14,890

  Shetland

  1,830

  102

  1,932

  1,997

  111

  2,108

  Scotland

  447,520

  151,533

  599,053

  429,814

  145,526

  575,340

  Note

  1. Child data are estimated for all financial years.

  2. The information which forms the reply shows the number of patients whose registration has lapsed under the old registration system and is not directly relevant to what will happen when the new shorter registration period of 15 months begins to affect registration levels.

  Data for the financial years 1992–93 and 1993–94 are not available within the timescales requested.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Households Below Average Income
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will obtain a copy of the Households Below Average Income data of 1961–91, from the Data Archive at Essex. [30304]

  Mr. Field
  A copy of the Households Below Average Income 1961–91 data is currently held by this Department.

  Benefit Integrity Programme
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to allow individuals whose benefits are suspended under the Benefit Integrity Programme to continue to receive payments until an appeal is satisfactorily determined. [30445]

  Mr. Denham
  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced last week, it is important that decisions on entitlement should be fair and be seen to be fair. From 9 February, no decision to reduce or remove someone's benefit under the Benefit Integrity Project will be taken solely on the basis of the information provided by the claimant—there will always be additional evidence to support the decision.
  858

  Dental Services
  Mrs. Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in each Scottish health board area were removed from NHS dentists' registers as a result of missing a registration period in each year since 1992. [29369]

  Mr. Galbraith
  The information requested is listed in the table for financial years 1994–95 to 1996–97:

  Payments of Disability Living Allowance are made where an adjudication officer has determined that entitlement exists and has awarded benefit at the rate and for the period appropriate to the claimant's circumstances. If an adjudication officer subsequently decides, whether as a result of the Benefit Integrity Project or not, that the person is no longer entitled to the amount of benefit in payment, there is no legal basis for leaving benefit payments unchanged.

  Universal Benefits
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will define a universal benefit; and if her definition covers a benefit which is taxed or means-tested. [30446]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  A "universal benefit" is generally understood to be one payable to all who satisfy specified entitlement conditions, regardless of their level of income or National Insurance Contribution record. Whether such a benefit is taxable or not is irrelevant.

  Benefits Agency Medical Service
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on the outsourcing of the Benefits Agency Medical Service. [31017]
  859
  Mr. Keith Bradley
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security announced on 31 July how we would proceed with a number of projects for the use of the private sector which were in the pipeline and which we had inherited from the previous administration.

  As we have previously said:
  "this would be a government of ideas and ideals but not of outdated ideology, what counts is what works;
  it would reject the dogmatic view that services must be privatised to be of high quality, but equally, we see no reason why a service should be delivered directly if more efficient means are available."

  We reviewed the projects against

  our objectives for modernising the Social Security system;

  our commitment to work within the announced spending totals for the first two years of Government;

  our aim of getting best value for public money and of reducing the burden on taxpayers;

  the scope to apply private sector expertise, discipline and economies of scale in procuring public services and the ability to secure increased investment from the private sector;

  the need for continuing flexibility for Government to make future changes to services;

  the opportunities for improving the quality of service for customers; and

  the implications for staff.

  In support of our clear commitment to a quality Social Security service, we have established a minimum quality of service threshold against which we have assessed all bids from the private sector. If a supplier failed to reach this threshold, we would not expect to award them a contract no matter how low their prices.

  We also required greater evaluation and feedback on performance against the new quality standards. We have made clear our commitment to take account of the needs of staff in considering the involvement of the private sector. We have therefore placed greater emphasis on management of people when evaluating the contracts; we have carefully evaluated suppliers' management of past staff transfers.

  I can today announce that all three contracts for BAMS will be awarded to the Sema Group for five years with an option to extend the contracts for two years.

  Their proposals have been carefully considered in the light of our criteria.

  The contracts have been awarded on the basis that Sema will:

  bring enhanced management expertise to BAMS, with investment in new technology,

  will deliver service improvements to customers, ensuring speedier appointments and reducing waiting time,

  will maintain and improve quality of service,

  will provide good value for money for the taxpayer.

  Sema will provide medical advice to support the delivery of incapacity and disability benefits. Payments made to Sema for the service they will provide will not be related in any way to the outcome of individual medical examinations.

  The contract award is not part of the welfare reform programme. The responsibility for the overall service and for the determination of entitlement to benefits remains with the Department. This announcement makes no change to the rules for entitlement to benefits and the
  860
  rights to customers will not be changed in any way. Rigorous procedures will be put in place to ensure that we continue to receive independent, objective medical advice.

  The value of the contracts over five years will be £305 million.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many Child Support Agency clients have applied to the Independent Case Examiner since she began work in April 1997; how many of these cases were accepted as under her jurisdiction; how many cases have been determined; and how many complaints have been upheld. [30123]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The Agency is committed to reducing the number of complaints about its handling of cases and improvements in customer service are a high priority.

  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 18 February 1998:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Independent Case Examiner for the Child Support Agency.
  The Office of the Independent Case Examiner commenced work in April 1997.
  Between 1 April 1997 and 31 January 1998, 853 customers of the Child Support Agency made applications to the Independent Case Examiner. Of these, 686 have been accepted with-in the Independent Case Examiners jurisdiction (from a live and assessed caseload of 724,540 at 31 January 1998).
  In the same period the Independent Case Examiner has completed her investigation in 132 cases. Of these, the complaint has been fully upheld in 42 cases, partially upheld in 60 cases and not upheld in 7 cases. A further 23 complaints have been settled by mediation (with the complainant's agreement) and have not therefore been the subjects of full investigations by the Independent Case Examiner.
  The Agency's Business Units adopt a case study approach with cases referred to the Independent Case Examiner whereby the Business Unit Manager and staff involved with the case identify lessons learnt, introduce improvements and good working practices and regularly liaise with the office of the Independent Case Examiner.
  I am very conscious that there are still far too many justified complaints about the standards of basic customer contact and the service we provide, and we recognise that doing things right first time is the key to preventing complaints. It is an Agency priority to improve the way in which complaints are handled; we have revised our training for all staff who deal with complaints and have introduced a new Complaints Guide, which sets out our policy and procedures for swift, effective complaints handling. We are aware that as we further tackle our backlog of cases from the Agency's first two years, there is potential for the volume of complaints to rise in the short term.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of CSA assessments are due to be paid via the CSA; and how many of these accounts relate to parents with care on income support and family credit. [30163]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  One of our key aims for the Child Support Agency is to ensure that more absent parents pay the maintenance they owe. The regular payment of
  861
  maintenance is central to our strategy as recognition of fathers' continuing responsibilities to their children; to help lone mothers move off Income Support into work; and to get more money to children in low income working families.

  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 18 February 1998:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency maintenance assessments.
  Details on payment methods are available through a 5% scan of the Child Support Computer System undertaken by the DSS Analytical Services Division. At 30 November 1997, of the 616,300 full maintenance assessments recorded as the Agency's live and assessed caseload, the appropriate method of payment for the absent parent in 504,600 cases (82%) was payment via the Agency's collection service. These cases include absent parents who are in receipt of Income Support.
  Of the 504,600 cases where the appropriate method of payment was via the Agency collection service 433,340 (86%) were in respect of parents with care in receipt of Income Support, Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the outcome of the research commissioned by her Department on customer satisfaction with the CSA; and when the customer satisfaction target will be re-introduced. [30166]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  One of our key aims for the Child Support Agency is to ensure that more absent parents pay the maintenance they owe. The regular payment of maintenance is central to our strategy as recognition of fathers' continuing responsibilities to their children; to help lone mothers move off income support into work; and to get more money to children in low income working families.

  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 18 February 1998:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about research on customer satisfaction with the Child Support Agency.
  On Departmental advice and in line with other DSS Agencies, the Child Support Agency re-focused its customer research away from large-scale, national surveys of overall satisfaction to more in-depth customer research.
  In-depth research identifies specific, priority improvements required by the customer, enables the Agency to target its efforts and resources to greater effect and therefore provides greater value for money. As the Agency's objective is to provide the service customers need, it will continue with in-depth customer research. It has no plans to re-introduce the national, general survey that is needed to support an overall customer satisfaction target.
  The full report of the independent in-depth customer research commissioned by the Agency in December 1996, will be published in early spring as part of the DSS Research Series.
  The research shows that customers have five priority improvements:
  quicker completion of assessments
  862
  absent parents targeted equally to ensure more regular and reliable payments
  better, more customer-friendly information on the child support process and assessment
  correspondence and complaints dealt with quicker
  easier and more convenient telephone access with a more `one-stop' service.
  The Agency is already working towards these by dealing with more child support applications, collecting more money and by putting more resources into the telephone service and reviewing key Agency literature. Further improvements are included in the Agency's plans for the next four years to achieve a step change in the customer service we provide. These include the setting up of local stakeholder groups in each of the Agency's 6 Business Units (a process which we have started) and continuing to work closely with our established National Stakeholder Group which has representatives from key customer groups.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many Child Support Agency cases each quarter (i) since April 1993 an alleged absent parent has disputed paternity of a qualifying child, (ii) the absent parent subsequently admitted to paternity without resorting to court action or DNA testing, (iii) since May 1995 paternity has been established or disproved by a discounted DNA test, (iv) since September 1995 paternity has been established or disproved by a CSA-funded DNA test and (v) paternity remains unresolved. [30164]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 18 February 1998:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security concerning Child Support Agency paternity cases.
  Details of the cases where an alleged absent parent has disputed the paternity of a qualifying child are shown in table 1 below.
  Separate information on the number of cases where the absent parent admits paternity prior to any court action or DNA testing has only been collected in the current financial year, and this is shown in table 2 below.
  The result of DNA paternity testing is virtually conclusive as the chance that two people have the same pattern is extremely low. A detailed breakdown of DNA tests in 1995/96 is not available, but a total of 1,377 cases were referred for discounted DNA testing between July 1995 and March 1996. Figures for 1996/97 and 1997/98 are shown in table 3 below. In 1996/97, paternity was established in 89% of cases referred for DNA testing. In the current year, to the end of January, the figure is 87%. This represents the overall percentage in establishing paternity; a breakdown into each type is not available. Once paternity has been established the Agency will pursue any arrears of maintenance that have accrued.
  At the end of January 1998, the Agency had 9,141 paternity cases referred for DNA testing awaiting processing, and a further 626 where action had been suspended. Thus, there were 9,767 cases where the question of paternity remained unresolved.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Table 1: Cases of disputed paternity received by the Agency since inception

  Quarter 1

  Quarter 2

  Quarter 3

  Quarter 4

  Total

  1993–94

  160

  756

  995

  995

  2,906

  1994–95

  2,434

  2,589

  2,276

  2,798

  10,097

  1995–96

  6,883

  5,910

  4,734

  5,122

  22,649

  1996–97

  4,251

  4,490

  4,382

  4,884

  18,007

  1997–98

  5,451

  5,082

  5,589

  n/a

  16,122

  863

  Table 2: Cases where the absent parent admitted paternity prior to any court action or DNA testing

  Quarter 1

  Quarter 2

  Quarter 3

  Quarter 4

  Total

  1997–98

  399

  426

  444

  n/a

  1,269

  Table 3: Cases referred for discounted DNA testing

  Quarter 1

  Quarter 2

  Quarter 3

  Quarter 4

  Total

  1996–97

  CSA paid court referral

  541

  412

  373

  318

  1,644

  CSA paid

  645

  694

  796

  1,098

  3,233

  Alleged absent parent paid

  191

  141

  120

  91

  543

  1997–98

  CSA paid court referral

  343

  442

  488

  n/a

  1,273

  CSA paid

  1,098

  1,187

  1,364

  n/a

  3,649

  Alleged absent parent paid

  84

  90

  96

  n/a

  270

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what have been the total arrears attributable to child support maintenance assessments, excluding category A interim maintenance assessments, at each quarter since November 1995. [30121]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 18 February 1998:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about uncollected maintenance assessed by the Child Support Agency.
  The Agency's Financial Management System was enhanced from April 1997 to provide more detailed information on category A interim maintenance assessments and other assessments—prior to April 1997 this information is not available. The cumulative amount of arrears outstanding, excluding category A interim maintenance assessments, as at each quarter end to date during 1997/8 and the position at 31 January 1998 are shown in the table attached.
  Of the £652,870,713 which is attributable to maintenance assessments excluding Category A interim maintenance assessments, approximately £309 million is the subject of agreements for repayment by instalments, which are closely monitored by the Agency. this leaves approximately £344 million of full maintenance assessment debt to be pursued.
  I hope this is helpful.

  £

  Month

  Uncollected maintenance attributable to maintenance assessments excluding Category A interim maintenance assessments

  June 1997

  560,507,426

  September 1997

  596,516,697

  December 1997

  635,522,889

  January 1998

  652,870,713

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for each year since the CSA began operation, how much of the total child support maintenance paid by absent parents has been(a) retained by the Secretary of State in lieu of benefits and (b) if paid to the person with care, has reduced her state benefit. [30168]
  864
  Mr. Keith Bradley
  Regular payments of maintenance can transform the lives of lone mothers and their children, providing a stable income that can help them off Income Support and into work.

  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Faith Boardman to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 18 February 1998:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security concerning the effect of child support maintenance on benefits.
  Where maintenance is paid through the Agency collection service and the full Income Support payment continues, money is retained by the Secretary of State to offset the benefit payment. The figures since Agency inception are shown at table 1.
  Where maintenance is paid direct by the absent parent to the parent with care, income support payments are reduced where appropriate, and count towards the benefit savings recorded by the Agency. These savings are known as Net IS Reducers, and include those savings identified from arrangements made before the Agency was launched, as well as from maintenance arranged by the Agency. Details are given in table 2, together with the amounts of maintenance arranged for direct payment by the Agency. (A direct pay figure for the first year of operation is not available.)
  It is also likely that in some direct pay cases there will be reductions in Family Credit/Disability Working Allowance; these benefit savings are calculated from a computer scan which does not differentiate between direct pay and collection service cases. It is not therefore possible to attribute a figure for reduced FamC/DWA to direct pay. The overall FamC/DWA benefit savings are given in table 3.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Table 1—money retained by the Secretary of State to offset the benefit payment

  £ million

  Total collected

  Amount retained by SoS

  1993–94

  12.57

  6.08

  1994–95

  76.40

  50.32

  1995–96

  164.59

  72.44

  1996–97

  246.59

  100.02

  1997–98 (to 31.12.97)

  249.71

  94.66

  Table 2—benefit saviivgs recorded by the Agency—known as Net IS Reducers

  £ million

  Total arranged for direct pay

  Net IS Reducers

  1993–94

  n/a

  177.00

  1994–95

  111.00

  133.28

  1995–96

  136.91

  126.78

  1996–97

  153.29

  112.56

  1997–98 (to 31.12.97)

  149.11

  75.12

  Table 3—benefit savings recorded by the Agency—Family Credit/ Disability Working Allowance

  £ million

  1993–94

  28 00

  1994–95

  12.84

  1995–96

  39.96

  1996–97

  48.07

  1997–98 (to 31.1.98)

  39.68

  Bahrain: Detentions
  Lord Avebury
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether they have received any information from the British Embassy in Bahrain about the detention, after the end of their sentences, of Majid Milad, Nizar Al-Qarea, Hussain Al-Tattan, Abbas Al-Ardi, Raed Al Khawajah, who were given prison sentences of three years by the State Security Court in early 1995; and whether, in accordance with the Foreign Office Mission Statement, they will make representations to the Government of Bahrain concerning the detention of persons. [HL546]

  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)
  Our Embassy in Bahrain have no information about these five detainees but will make enquiries of the Bahraini authorities. In all our contacts with the Bahraini government, we have expressed concern about the high number of detainees in Bahraini prisons and have urged them to either charge or release all those being held. We will continue to do so.

  Ascension Island: Civilian Flights
  Lord Beaumont of Whitley
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  How soon they expect Ascension Island to be open to civilian flights and what civilian flights they expect to use the facility when it opens. [HL554]

  Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
  Negotiations to open up Wideawake airfield on Ascension to civilian aircraft are continuing with the United States, which operates the airfield under the Bahamas Agreement of 1956. The next round of negotiations is scheduled to take place in Washington before Easter. We cannot at present estimate when civilian flights might begin. Once Ascension is open to civilian air traffic, we expect charter and cargo flights to be the initial civilian users of the airport.

  Nuclear Weapons: Professor Booth's Report
  Lord Judd
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether they have studied Nuclear Weapons: Britain's Role in the Transition from a MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) to a SANE (Security After Nuclear Elimination) World published by the International Security Information Service in 1997; and to what extent they endorse the analysis and conclusion by its author, Professor Ken Booth. [HL548]
  WA 52
  Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
  I am aware of the International Security Information Service report to which the noble Lord refers.

  Her Majesty's Government wholeheartedly endorses Professor Booth's goal of a nuclear weapons-free world and his acceptance that this cannot be achieved overnight.

  We need to proceed towards our goal in a practical and realistic way, which is why we are examining all aspects of our nuclear policy in the Strategic Defence Review and elsewhere.

  Light Weapons: UN Control
  Lord Judd
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  In the light of the experience in Africa, Central America, former Yugoslavia and elsewhere, what steps they are taking, together with fellow members of the United Nations Security Council, to ensure that the collection and destruction of light weapons are given high priority in peacekeeping and conflict resolution; and what specific lessons have been learned from Mali in 1995–96. [HL550]

  Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
  The UN works closely with fellow members of the UN Security Council to ensure that demobilisation and disarmament are included, where appropriate, in the mandate of UN peacekeeping operations authorised by the Security Council, as for example, was recently done in Angola (MONUA) and Guatemala (MINUGUA). The UK has also endorsed the report of the UN panel of experts on small arms, encouraged the recently appointed Under Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs to give a high priority to a reduction in the illicit trade in small arms, and played a leading role in developing an EU project to combat the illegal trafficking of light weapons in Southern Africa.

  The example of Mali shows that a 'security first' approach, based on building the capacity of local police, and strengthening border controls and demobilisation, has an important role to play in establishing a firm foundation for economic growth and development. This approach now forms an integral part of HMG's overall development policy.

  Iraq
  Lord Kennet
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether they believe the credibility of the United Nations would be enhanced by an attack on Iraq by one or two of its members without a new Security Council resolution explicitly authorising it; and to what would any United Kingdom/United States attack on Iraq be "proportionate", as the Geneva conventions require. [HL585]

  Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
  It would not be sensible at this stage to speculate on the possible circumstances of any military action against Iraq.
  WA 53
  We and other members of the Security Council continue to pursue by diplomatic means the objective of total Iraqi compliance with the Council's demands.

  Northern Ireland Asset Register
  Baroness Denton of Wakefield
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Why the National Asset Register does not contain the assets of the Northern Ireland Civil Service and where these are available. [HL572]

  Lord McIntosh of Haringey
  As the Northern Ireland Civil Service is administered separately from the civil service in Great Britain it was decided that the assets of the Northern Ireland departments should be published by the Northern Ireland Department of Finance and Personnel as a separate document which would complement the National Asset Register published by the Treasury. The Northern Ireland Asset Register was issued on 9 December 1997. Copies can be obtained from the Department of Finance and Personnel, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast.

  Millennium Experience: Child's Advice
  Baroness Denton of Wakefield
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether they approve the choice of a boy to vet the contents of the Millennium Dome. [HL571]

  Lord McIntosh of Haringey
  I understand that Work, one of the 11 design companies contracted to the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) to develop the content of the Millennium Experience Dome, occasionally asks an eight year-old boy to comment on its plans in order to gauge the level of their appeal to young people.

  In the next few months, the NMEC will have established its own network of Regional Junior Boards (in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the nine English regions) each comprising about twenty 9–16 year-olds nominated by local education establishments and agencies. The intention is that one member of each Regional Junior Board, together with representatives from the major national youth organisations and agencies, will form a National Junior Board. These boards will ensure that advice and the views of young people on the Millennium Experience project is directly and regularly considered.

  Tobacco Smuggling
  Lord Hardy of Wath
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether disparity in the rates of duty is a reason for the illegal or improper importation of tobacco; and, if so, what action they will take in this matter. [HL561]
  WA 54
  Lord McIntosh of Haringey
  Rates of duty are reviewed each year before the Budget. In addition the Government have recently completed a review of alcohol and tobacco smuggling and fraud. The findings of the review are also being considered in the run-up to the Budget.

  Farmers' Demonstrations at Welsh Ports
  Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  How much money they withheld from the December aid package for farmers as a result of the farmer' demonstrations at Stranraer, Fishguard and Holyhead. [HL466]

  The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Donoughue)
  None.

  Chinese Family Planning Association: Report
  Lord Braine of Wheatley
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the report commissioned by them on the Chinese Family Planning Association. [HL651]

  Lord Whitty
  A copy of the report was placed in the Libraries of the House in November 1996. A further copy is being provided.

  Northern Ireland: Legal Aid Review
  Lord Orme
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether they have any proposals: (a) to review the administration of legal aid in Northern Ireland in light of the difference between the administration arrangements in Great Britain and in Northern Ireland; and (b) to extend to Northern Ireland any of the reforms to legal aid which are proposed for England and Wales. [HL697]

  The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)
  I have instructed my officials in the Northern Ireland Court Service to:

  (a) undertake a review into arrangements for the administration and provision of legal aid in Northern Ireland, bringing forward recommendations for change where necessary; and

  (b) consider in the Northern Ireland context the proposed reforms to legal aid in England and Wales.

  My officials will be available to hear views from interested parties on these important matters.

  A Green Paper will be published for full consultation purposes in due course. In the meantime I would encourage all those with an interest in these matters to meet with my officials and contribute their views at an early stage.

  Mahogany for RN Ships: Source
  Lord Beaumont of Whitley
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether they have established that the mahogany purchased to refurbish Royal Navy ships, as reported in the Observer of 1 February, did not come from an illegal source. [HL605]

  The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert)
  It is our policy to purchase all the mahogany that we require from sustainably grown sources and we require specific certification to this effect from our contractors. The Brazilian mahogany to which the article in the Observer of 1 February 1998 referred was purchased on this basis and we hold certificates of conformity provided by our contractor from his suppliers assuring us that the timber was from a legal source. We have seen no evidence to substantiate or support the allegations in the Observer article, but, should such evidence come to light, we would take the matter up with the contractor concerned.

  Right to Roam: Urban Areas
  Lord Patten
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Whether their policies on the right to roam will extend to urban areas. [HL601]

  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Baroness Hayman)
  The Government plan shortly to issue a consultation paper setting out proposals for increasing access to open countryside. We do not envisage that these proposals will encompass land in urban areas.

  Salisbury Transport Study
  Lord Berkeley
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Hayman on 27 January (WA 20), what are the terms of reference of the Salisbury Transport Study.[HL603]

  Baroness Hayman
  The terms of reference for the Salisbury Transport Study are as set out in a newsletter (Issue No. 1) published by the Government Office for WA 56
  the South West in December 1997, a copy of which will be placed in the Library.

  National Bus Company Pension Fund
  Baroness Turner of Camden
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  When they will reply to a request from the National Bus Company (NBC) Pension Trustees Ltd for funds to commence a legal action on the National Bus pension fund following a decision by the Pensions Ombudsman.

  Baroness Hayman
  After fully considering the legal advice and the relevant background, we have authorised the Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions to reply to NBC Pension Trustees Ltd offering to meet the trustees' costs with respect to a legal action on the National Bus Pension Fund.

  This offer is consistent with our hope that all outstanding legal matters concerning the former National Bus Company pension funds are satisfactorily resolved as soon as possible.

  Lead in Drinking Water
  Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe
  asked Her Majesty's Government:

  What plans they have to release the report commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions on the cost benefit analysis of reducing lead in drinking water.

  Baroness Hayman
  This report has now been published and we have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. This is an interesting study which attempts to cost the health and non-health benefits associated with reducing levels of lead in drinking water to the 25 µg/1 and 10 µg/1 levels required by the new EC Drinking Water Directive.

  The report indicates that in some circumstances it is cost effective to replace lead water pipes, although if the cost of pipe replacement could be reduced the case for action would be clearer. It also concludes that it is cost effective to introduce water treatment to reduce exposure even when benefits appear to be low.

  The report provides a useful input to the debate about the costs and benefits of reducing lead levels in water. However, this is a difficult area and further work will be necessary on the assumptions and approaches used.