Written Answers of 29 January 1998

PRIME MINISTER

  Departmental Publicity
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Prime Minister what has been the cost of media presentations and press conferences given by the Prime Minister, other than those held at No. 10 Downing Street. [25184]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 23 January 1998]: The Prime Minister has held press conferences outside Downing Street at a number of international events—the Summit of the Eight in Denver, European Councils, the launch of the UK Presidency and the Anglo French Summit, for example. Information about the cost of these events could only be provided at disproportionate cost to the taxpayer.

  Afghanistan
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it Government policy that no(a) assistance, (b) trade deals and (c) armament sales, be provided to Afghanistan while it remains in the control of the Taliban regime. [23982]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: In view of the continued fighting between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance trade between the UK and Afghanistan is negligible. There is an EU arms embargo on sales of military equipment to Afghanistan. At the instigation of the UK Presidency, the EU adopted a new Common Position on Afghanistan on 26 January which calls on Afghanistan's neighbours to halt the supply of arms to the factions and support the UN's peace efforts.

  MI5 Files
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  to ask the Prime Minister by what means an individual can establish whether he is the subject of an MI5 file in cases where the category of the file is no longer the subject of security service interest. [26228]

  The Prime Minister
  In order to safeguard the operational effectiveness of the Security Service it has been the policy of successive Governments not to disclose information about the operations of the Security Service including about whether the Service holds or has held files on any individual.

  Pay Review Bodies
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the reports and recommendations of the pay review bodies. [26729]

  The Prime Minister
  The 1998 reports of the five pay review bodies have been published today. Copies are available in the Vote Office and the Library of the House. I am grateful to the Chairmen and Members of the pay review bodies for the work they have put into them.
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  The Government have twin objectives: to run a stable economy in which inflation is low and there is long-term prosperity; and to reward the effort and dedication of those working in many of our most important public services, including schools, hospitals and the Armed Forces, while leaving as much money as possible for front line services.

  In the evidence the Government submitted to the pay review bodies, we stressed the need for their recommendations to be affordable to ensure that Departments can maintain the delivery of services within their agreed spending plans. We also made it clear that pay increases throughout the economy should be compatible with the Government's overriding economic objective of stable growth and long-term prosperity. Responsible decisions now on pay, in both the private and the public sectors, will help to secure jobs and prosperity in the future.

  Against this background, in considering the recommendations of the independent pay review bodies, the Government have sought to strike a balance between ensuring that the pay settlements for these important public sector groups are fair; that they are affordable within Departments' existing spending plans; that they are consistent with the Government's inflation target of 2.5 per cent; and that they are responsible in terms of the long-term stability of our economy.

  The main pay recommendations average some 3.9 per cent. The Government believe that this is high in relation to inflation, both the headline rate (3.6 per cent.) and the underlying rate (2.7 per cent.). It is also significantly higher than the average of 3.3 per cent. for last year's recommendations, which were introduced in stages by the previous Administration to accommodate the public expenditure costs.

  After careful consideration the Government have decided to accept this year's main pay recommendations in full. However, to ensure that Departments can accommodate the costs without damaging front line services and to ensure that these awards do not lead to unwelcome increases in pay pressures throughout the economy more generally, we have decided that it is essential to stage their introduction. Full implementation will therefore be achieved by December this year following a first-stage increase of two per cent. for each group from April.

  The main pay recommendations are as follows:
  The Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) has recommended increases of 3.75 per cent. in the basic military salary for all ranks and classes except Privates Classes I, II and III and Lance Corporals Class III, for whom they recommend increases of 4.2 per cent.
  The Review Body on Doctors and Dentists Remuneration (DDRB) has recommended general increases of 4.2 per cent. except for General Medical Practitioners, for whom they recommend increases of 5.2 per cent.
  The Review Body for Nursing Staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine (NPRB) has recommended increases of 3.8 per cent. in national pay scales.
  The School Teachers Review Body (STRB) has recommended increases of 3.8 per cent. in teachers' pay.

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  The Review Body on Senior Salaries (SSRB) has recommended:

  (a) increases of 3.5 per cent. in the minimum and maximum values of each of the pay ranges for the senior civil service. Within the ranges, Departments will determine individual salaries on the basis of performance.

  (b) new pay ranges for senior military officers within which the pay of individual officers will be determined according to job weight.

  (c) increases of 3.5 per cent. in judicial salaries.

  The effect of staging is that, on average, the rates to be paid from April 1998 are 3.3 per cent. higher than those paid from April last year, and the rates to be paid from December 1998 will be 3.9 per cent. higher than those paid from last December. The average first-year increase will be 2.7 per cent. in 1998–99, compared with the rates of pay in force at the end of 1997–98. But since those rates did not apply throughout the year, the more appropriate comparison is between the pay received in the corresponding months of each year. The Government believe this represents a fair deal for these hard working and dedicated public sector staff, on whom the whole country depends.

  In addition, the Government are separately taking action to improve training and development, and address concerns about recruitment and retention, in nursing and other professions allied to medicine. We are providing for an extra 1,300 training places for nurses this year, launching a national recruitment campaign and implementing more family-friendly employment policies.

  The staging arrangements will apply to all groups. They will extend to the recommended increases in the minima and maxima of the senior civil service pay ranges and the awards departments will determine for the senior civil service and senior military officers within the framework set by the SSRB recommendations.

  Pay increases for MPs and Ministers are linked to the pay ranges for the senior civil service, which means their awards will be treated in the same way as other groups. They will, therefore, receive an increase of 2 per cent. on 1 April. The balance of the 1998 recommendation will be paid on 1 April 1999; in the same way, 0.75 per cent. is due on 1 April 1998, resulting from the staging of last year's awards, which other groups received in December 1997.

  As agreed last year, Cabinet Ministers will in 1998–99 forgo, for a second year, the substantial increases recommended by the SSRB in 1996 to which they would be entitled.

  The Reports are substantial wide-ranging documents. This response addresses the main pay recommendations. Many other detailed recommendations will also be accepted, although some will require further consideration and discussion as necessary. In particular the NPRB recommendation for additional discretionary increments will need to be addressed as part of wider NHS pay discussions; and the DDRB recommendation for the enhancement of GMP's net remuneration will need to be considered and discussed as proposed.

  The Government have asked the SSRB to resume work, which had been temporarily deferred, on the pay of Lords Ministers outside the Cabinet.
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  The following table summarises the main pay recommendations of the Review Bodies.

  Main pay recommendations per cent.

  Paybill costs £ million

  AFPRB — Armed Forces

  Privates Classes I, II and III and Lance Corporals Class III

  4.2

  45

  basic military salary

  3.75

  179

  Total

  224

  DDRB—Doctors and Dentists

  General medical practitioners

  5.2

  80

  Other doctors and dentists

  4.2

  202

  Total

  282

  NPRB—Nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and professions allied to medicine

  3.8

  351

  STRB—School teachers

  3.8

  446

  SSRB—Senior Salaries

  Senior civil service

  13.5

  —

  Senior military

  0 to 3.5

  —

  Judiciary

  3.5

  6

  Total—all groups

  3.9

  1,309

  1 Increases in pay band minima and maxima. Recommendations for the senior civil service affect the pay framework within which Departments will set individual pay rates.

  Foreign Secretary's Private Office
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Prime Minister if(a) he or (b) his office were consulted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the possible appointment of Ms Regan to the Foreign Secretary's Private Office. [26308]

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Prime Minister if his office was consulted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the terms of the agreement which terminated Miss Bullen's appointment. [26317]

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the purpose of the Minister without Portfolio's recent visit to a coal mine. [25428]

  Mr. Mandelson
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 16 January 1998, Official Report, column 351.

TREASURY

  Civil Service Staff
  Mr. Rhodri Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of Civil Service staff of grade 5 and above within his Department,(a) have spent their entire civil service career within his Department, (b) have had secondments to (i) the private sector and (ii) other departments and (c) have come from other departments. [26023]
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  Mrs. Liddell
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: Of civil service staff at the equivalent of Grade 5 and above within the Treasury, 30 per cent. have spent their entire civil service career within the department, 19 per cent. have had secondments to the private sector, 52 per cent. have gone on loan to other departments and 45 per cent. have come from other departments.

  Asia
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the financial crisis in Asia; and if he will make a statement. [23871]

  Mrs. Liddell
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: The financial turbulence in Asia was discussed at length by European Finance Ministers at the ECOFIN meeting on 19 January, which the Chancellor chaired. HM Treasury, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Bank of England continue to monitor developments in the region very closely.

  Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the potential participants in the supplemental finance assistance package for Korea—the UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States—issued a statement on 24 December 1997, welcoming the Korean authorities' announcement of additional measures to strengthen macroeconomic policy and accelerate structural reforms, and the disbursement of US$5 billion by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

  The potential participants stated that they would be prepared to support action to advance by early January existing commitments of official finance, including the acceleration of IMF disbursements, and the disbursement of a substantial portion (US$8 billion) of the supplemental financial commitments made bilaterally—in the context of a significant voluntary extension of the maturities of existing claims by international banks on Korean financial institutions. The UK's share of this US$8 billion would be US$440 million.

  Following discussions between the major commercial banks involved, the IMF and the Korean authorities, I understand major commercial banks are generally rolling over their short term lending to Korea. Discussions are under way on a medium term agreement providing for a significant extension of the maturity of this debt. Bilateral official finance, including the UK's facility, has not yet been disbursed.

  The IMF also released a statement on 24 December, which welcomed Korea's intensification and acceleration of its macroeconomic policy adjustments and structural reforms, and indicated the IMF's intention to accelerate the resources available to Korea under the existing stand-by credit.

  Since these statements were made, the IMF disbursed US$2 billion on 30 December 1997, and a further US$2 billion on 7 January 1998. This brings the total IMF disbursement to US$13.1 billion.

  The financial turbulence in Asia is of global concern and requires a global response. As an open economy, the UK is deeply interested in economic prosperity in Asia.
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  The UK has worked closely with other G7 colleagues, especially Japan, and will work with the IMF and the World Bank to help resolve the current crisis.

  Her Majesty's Government are confident in Asia's long-term economic prospects. The factors which have led to the tremendous growth in the region are still there. Now what is needed is a strong commitment from countries throughout the region to necessary policy reforms in conjunction with IMF and World Bank, to restore confidence.

  Incomes
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the percentages of those in receipt of annual incomes of (i) between(a) £5,000 and £10,000, (b) £10,000 and £15,000, (c) £15,000 and £20,000, (d) £20,000 and £25,000, (e) £25,000 and £30,000, (f) £30,000 and £35,000, (g) £35,000 and £40,000, (h) £40,000 and £45,000, (i) £45,000 and £50,000, (j) £50,000 and £55,000, (k) £55,000 and £60,000, (l) £60,000 and £100,000 and (ii) over £100,000. [24740]

  Mrs. Liddell
  [holding answer 29 January 1998]: The percentage of taxpayers in 1998–99 by range of annual total income is given in the table.

  Range of annual total income (£)

  Percentage of taxpayers

  5,000–10,000

  28

  10,000–15,000

  23

  15,000–20,000

  17

  20,000–25,000

  11

  25,000–30,000

  6

  30,000–35,000

  4

  35,000–40,000

  2

  40,000–45,000

  1

  45,000–50,000

  under 1

  50,000–55,000

  under 1

  55,000–60,000

  under 1

  60,000–100,000

  1

  Over 100,000

  under 1

  Welfare Spending
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of government spending is allocated to the welfare state in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) each European Union country and (c) each G7 country. [23359]

  Mr. Darling
  [holding answer 19 January 1998]: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) regularly publishes the available statistics for member states. The latest edition of the OECD book "National Accounts", published in 1997, contains separate sections on each country to a consistent format. In each, Table 5 covers total government outlays by function and type. A copy is available in the Library of the House.

  Non-UK Resident Discretionary Trusts
  Mr. Lilley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the tax treatment of a United Kingdom resident beneficiary in respect of capital payments received by the beneficiary in the United
  313
  Kingdom from a non-UK resident discretionary trust of which the settlor has never been resident or domiciled in the United Kingdom. [25283]

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  [holding answer 26 January 1998]: I refer the right hon. Member to the last of my answers given to him on 10 December 1997, Official Report column 576.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Correspondence
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he will reply to the letters of 18 September, 23 June and 30 July 1997 from the hon. Member for Twickenham. [25219]

  Mr. Hoon
  The hon. Gentleman should by now have received a reply, dated 28 January, from my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor to his letter of 18 September which referred to letters to the Lord Chancellor from his constituent of 23 June and 30 July. The officials involved in handling correspondence are aware how seriously the Lord Chancellor regards complaints against the judiciary, and the consequent need to deal promptly and properly with such correspondence. Steps have been taken to avoid such delays in future.

  Solicitors (Negligence)
  Mr. Burnett
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the Law Society's ability to ensure that when a solicitor acting as a trustee has been negligent, those concerned will be compensated for resulting losses whenever they occur; and if he will make a comment. [24806]

  Mr. Hoon
  I have not made such an assessment. This is a matter for the Law Society. If the negligence or the quantum of the negligence is disputed, it would be a matter for the courts.

  Court Leaflets and Forms
  Mr. Burnett
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in what languages small claims leaflets and county court forms are printed. [24961]

  Mr. Hoon
  At present the small claims leaflets are available only in English and Welsh. By April 1998 they will also be available in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. Court forms are available only in English.

  Mr. Burnett
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps have been taken following the National Audit Office report, "Handling Small Claims in the County Courts" (HC 271, of Session 1995–96), to make the small claims procedure more accessible for(a) non-English speaking litigants and (b) the disabled. [24872]

  Mr. Hoon
  (a) A contract has been let to translate all seven small claims leaflets into the following languages:
  314
  Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. It is expected they will be available to court users from April 1998. (b) Court users are now asked to let the court know if they need special facilities so that arrangements can be made to accommodate them. Some courts have installed Minicom and loop systems and the Court Service will pay the cost of interpreters for deaf litigants and witnesses in civil hearings. A review will also commence in April 1998 which will look at disabled provision in all the courts to identify what needs to be done to improve access and facilities in line with the Disability Discrimination Act.

  Mr. Burnett
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of county courts provide(a) wheelchair access, (b) disabled toilet facilities and (c) facilities for persons with seeing and hearing disabilities. [24960]

  Mr. Hoon
  This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Burnett
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what interpreting facilities are provided in county courts for non-English speaking litigants. [24962]

  Mr. Hoon
  There is a National Register of Public Service Interpreters, which provides a list of qualified interpreters who adhere to a code of conduct and a standard of service delivery. Civil courts do not however, provide interpreters. It is for the parties to obtain, and pay for, any such requirements.

  Fixed -costs Regime
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he plans to announce his decision on the issue of fixed costs in personal injuries claims; and if he will make a statement. [25002]

  Mr. Hoon
  I intend to issue a consultation paper about costs in the fast track after Easter.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received in respect of the piloting of the fast track regime prior to any introduction of fixed costs; and if he will make a statement. [25003]

  Mr. Hoon
  Some support for the idea of piloting the fast track was expressed in response to the Working Paper "Judicial Case Management", published in July 1997. In line with Lord Woolf's recommendations hypothetical case studies are in hand but no final decision about the basis for a fixed-costs regime has yet been taken.

  Withheld Records
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the titles of those files from 1967 which were not released on the 1 January for public scrutiny(a) in whole and (b) in part. [26276]

  Mr. Hoon
  The documentation of withheld records kept by the Public Record Office, and in particular of withheld extracts from documents, is not in a form which would enable a listing of unavailable records from 1967 to be produced by their titles, within the time available and without disproportionate cost.

  Queen's Counsel
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will establish which common law jurisdictions have abolished the institution of Queen's Counsel. [25621]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  Detailed information is not readily available. But in general terms, only Her Majesty's Realms retain the institution of Queen's Counsel.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Millennium Commission
  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by what procedures the Millennium Commissioners are accountable to him with respect to those millennium projects experiencing financial problems. [24447]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  As Chairman of the Millennium Commission, I, in conjunction with my fellow Commissioners, have overall responsibility for monitoring the flow of grant to projects to ensure continued cost effectiveness and value for money. The Commission submits its annual report and accounts for Parliamentary scrutiny.

  As Secretary of State I am responsible to Parliament for funds made available to the Commission, and have to satisfy myself that financial and other management controls applied by the Commission conform with the requirements of propriety, regularity and good financial management. The Accounting Officer of the Commission is accountable to the Accounting Office of my Department for the proper stewardship of the Commission's share of the National Lottery Distribution Fund.

  Cannes Film Festivals
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans Ministers in his Department have to visit the Cannes Film Festival in May. [25552]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 26 January 1998]: There are as yet no firm plans for a Minister from my Department to visit the Cannes Film Festival, but Ministerial attendance at this event is customary.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Housing (Voluntary Transfers)
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many local authorities have completed large-scale voluntary transfers of their housing stocks; and if he will list(a) those authorities and (b) those other authorities which have now expressed an interest in this process. [24818]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Sixty-one local authorities in England have completed sixty-five transfers comprising over 316
  252,000 properties since 1988. All but one of those transfers was to a Registered Social Landlord. A list of the authorities who have completed a full or partial stock transfer is at table A. Thirty-two authorities have either expressed an interest in transferring all or part of their stock or are in the process of completing a transfer. They are listed at table B.

  Table A

  Chiltern DC

  Sevenoaks DC

  Newbury DC

  Swale BC

  Broadland DC

  Bedford BC

  Medina DC (now part of Isle of Wight Unitary Authority)

  Rochester upon Medway CC

  South Wight (now part of Isle of Wight Unitary Authority)

  Mid Sussex DC

  East Dorset DC

  Tonbridge and Mailing BC

  Ryedale DC

  South Bucks DC

  Christchurch BC

  Suffolk Coastal DC

  Tunbridge Wells BC

  London Borough of Bromley

  London Borough of Lambeth1

  Surrey Heath BC

  Breckland DC

  East Cambridgeshire DC

  Hambleton DC

  West Dorset DC

  Havant BC

  Epsom and Ewell BC

  Hart DC

  South Shropshire DC

  Leominster DC

  South Ribble BC

  Hertsmere BC

  Penwith DC

  North Dorset DC

  Wychavon DC

  Mid Bedfordshire DC

  Thanet DC

  Vale of White Horse DC

  Cherwell DC

  Basingstoke and Deane BC

  Malvern Hills DC

  Maldon DC

  Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

  Kennet DC

  Rushmoor BC

  North Wiltshire DC

  Spelthorne BC

  East Hampshire DC

  Hastings BC

  Eastleigh BC

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  Wyre BC

  Walsall MBC

  Manchester CC1

  Stratford DC

  West Wiltshire DC

  Cotswold DC

  South Staffordshire DC

  Lichfield DC

  South Oxfordshire DC

  Eden DC.

  1Denotes partial transfer.

  Table B

  Allerdale BC

  Bath and North-East Somerset Unitary Authority

  Basildon DC

  Bradford CC

  London Borough Brent

  London Borough Bexley

  Congleton BC

  Coventry CC

  East Lindsey BC

  London Borough Hackney

  London Borough Hammersmith and Fulham

  Hyndburn BC

  Kerrier DC

  London Borough Lambeth

  Manchester CC

  London Borough Merton

  Oldham MBC

  Rother DC

  Sheffield CC

  St. Helens BC

  Stoke on Trent CC

  South Hams DC

  South Somerset DC

  Tameside MBC

  Tewkesbury BC

  London Borough Tower Hamlets

  West Devon BC

  West Somerset DC

  Winchester CC

  Wokingham DC

  Worthing BC

  Wrekin DC.

  Street Trees
  Ms Jenny Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on guidance given by his Department to utility companies which engage in trenching in urban areas, to encourage the preservation of mature street trees; and what monitoring takes place of the impact of trenching activities on mature trees. [24871]

  Angela Eagle
  The Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways, issued under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, advises utility undertakers executing street works to avoid damage to tree roots, where practicable. Practical guidance on how to minimise
  318
  damage to trees by utilities' works was issued subsequently by the National Joint Utilities Group in Guidelines for the Planning, Installation and Maintenance of Utility Services in Proximity to Trees (NJUG 10).

  No central monitoring of the impact of trenching activities on mature trees is undertaken.

  Business Rates
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimates he has of the numbers of(a) village stores and (b) sub-post offices in Lancashire which are likely to benefit from the 50 per cent. reduction in business rates. [24845]

  Mr. Raynsford
  We have insufficient data on which to make a reliable estimate of the numbers of general stores and post offices in Lancashire that will benefit from the 50 per cent. mandatory rate relief under the village shop rate relief scheme. Nationally we expect about 6,000 businesses to qualify for the new mandatory relief.

  Personal Files (Access)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from local authorities about the cost of satisfying requests for access under legislation relating to access to personal files; and if he will make a statement. [25448]

  Mr. Raynsford
  None.

  The Access to Personal Files (Housing) Regulations 1989 allow local authorities to charge a fee—of no more than £ 10—to respond to requests for access to information. Circular advice from my Department is that the amount charged in each case should reflect the costs incurred.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from local authorities about the cost of compliance with the Data Protection Act 1984; and if he will make a statement. [25447]

  Mr. Raynsford
  I have received no representations. I am aware that the Home Office have prepared a Compliance Cost Assessment estimating the financial implications to local authorities, amongst others, of the Data Protection Bill currently before Parliament. This estimates that there will be recurring costs of £29 million and non-recurring costs of £104 million for local government. The Government took all pressures on councils into account in the provisional local government finance settlement for 1998–99.

  Opencast Coal
  Mr. Healey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many responses his Department received to the consultation paper on the review of policy towards opencast coal; if he will list the respondents; and if he will place copies of the responses in the Library. [25330]
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  Mr. Raynsford
  My Department has received 396 responses to the consultation paper. I have placed a list of the respondents in the Libraries of the House. Copies of the responses will be available in my Department's library on Monday 9 February.

  Sewage Waste
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the discharge of sewage waste into coastal waters so as to make secondary treatment a mandatory minimum. [25256]

  Angela Eagle
  This matter is already under review. The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive sets secondary treatment as the norm for coastal discharges, unless it can be shown, through "comprehensive studies", that primary treatment only can be provided without any adverse environmental impact. The Environment Agency is responsible for certifying comprehensive studies. We have asked the Agency to ensure that the scientific basis for these studies is rigorously tested. We have also asked the Agency to keep us in touch with developments.

  Bridleways
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made for each relevant local authority in England of the number and length of bridleways(a) recorded on the definitive map, (b) under consideration for registration on the definitive map and (c) eligible for consideration for registration. [25324]

  Angela Eagle
  Information is available only on the length of bridleways, as follows:

  Highway authority

  Bridleways (km)

  Avon

  200

  Bedfordshire

  1,400

  Berkshire

  260

  Bolton

  2

  Buckinghamshire

  649

  Calderdale

  —

  Cambridgeshire

  430

  Cheshire

  124

  Cleveland

  200

  Cornwall

  522

  Cumbria

  1,878

  Derbyshire

  494

  Devon

  570

  Dorset

  1,600

  Durham

  573

  East Sussex

  678

  Enfield

  —

  Essex

  680

  Gloucestershire

  360

  Hampshire

  850

  Herefordshire

  358

  Worcestershire

  648

  Harrow

  —

  Hertfordshire

  576

  Humberside

  453

  Isle of Wight

  266

  Kent

  694

  Kingston on Thames

  —

  Kirklees

  —

  Lancashire

  388

  Leeds

  148

  Leicestershire

  584

  Lincolnshire

  770

  320

  Highway authority

  Bridleways (km)

  Norfolk

  443

  Northamptonshire

  600

  Northumberland

  1,295

  North Yorkshire

  1,609

  Nottingham

  799

  Oxfordshire

  970

  Shropshire

  795

  Solihull

  7

  Somerset

  927

  Staffordshire

  355

  Suffolk

  553

  Surrey

  1,045

  Tameside

  6

  Warwickshire

  460

  Waltham Forest

  —

  West Sussex

  1,006

  Wiltshire

  1,540

  Wirral MBC

  30

  28,795

  Total

  (17,882 miles)

  Countryside Commission data from 1991 and 1996 surveys; data for Cambridgeshire and Dorset are for 1998.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what level of funding he has allocated to(a) the maintenance of existing bridleways and (b) the creation of new bridleways and new bridleway links; and if he will make a statement. [25321]

  Angela Eagle
  A specific figure for the funding of the bridleway network is not available. Revenue expenditure for local authorities on public rights of way, including bridleways, is taken into account in the calculation of local authorities' standard spending assessments (SSAs), as used in the distribution of revenue support grant. It is not covered by a distinct SSA component, but is included together with expenditure on many other services within the district level sub-block—"All Other Services".

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made on modification of the definitive map of bridleways; when this is planned to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [25323]

  Angela Eagle
  The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 requires highway authorities to prepare and maintain a definitive map for their areas, showing all classes of public rights of way, including bridleways. They must keep their definitive maps under continuous review and modify them when appropriate.

  Cycle Routes
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Regions what is the current number of(a) exclusive cycle routes, (b) cycle routes combined with bridleways and (c) canal towpaths combined with bridleways in England and Wales; and what plans he has to increase that number. [25322]

  Angela Eagle
  I regret that information on the numbers of routes is not readily available. I will write to my hon. Friend about what is available. Local authorities should consider the provision of recreational facilities (including cycle routes) in drawing up their structure and local plans.

  Climate Change
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how the Government plan to ensure that the matter of global warming is addressed by the(a) WTO, (b) IMF, (c) G7 and (d) OECD. [25480]

  Mr. Meacher
  Global warming, or climate change, is already discussed at Ministerial and official meetings of the OECD, and was a feature of the G7 discussions in Denver last year. The Government are committed to taking forward further discussions regarding action arising from the Kyoto Protocol in these fora.

  The WTO Committee on Trade and Environment held useful and informative discussions with the secretariats of a number of multilateral environmental agreements last summer, and intends to repeat the exercise this year; we hope very much that the secretariat to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will be able to participate.

  The IMF aims for sustainable development for all of its members. It does not, however, have a specific mandate to deal with global warming.

  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the contribution of the draft European Union Energy Products Directive to the United Kingdom climate change strategy; and if he will make a statement. [25757]

  Angela Eagle
  The Energy Products Directive is still under discussion within Europe, and its final form, if agreed, is unlikely to be identical to the draft. It is, however, clear that the measures in the directive would make a small but significant contribution towards delivering the UK's climate change objectives.

  Environment Agency
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that the Environment Agency levies charges that recover fully the costs of its services to companies. [25519]

  Angela Eagle
  The Environment Agency's charges to companies are subject to annual Ministerial review. The Agency will shortly be submitting to Ministers charging proposals for 1998–99, following consultation with companies and their representatives. Ministers will examine the charges to see that they recover relevant costs in accordance with the legislation.

  Disabled Tenants
  Ms Atherton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what amounts were allocated to housing associations for aids and adaptations for disabled tenants in each of the last five years; and what will be the funding for 1998–99. [25803]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Allocations to housing associations for aids and adaptations for disabled tenants are made from the Housing Corporation's overall budget for works to existing properties, which is part of their Approved Development Programme. Eventual out-turn of both the overall works budget and the component for aids and adaptations may vary from initial allocations.
  322
  Initial allocations and out-turn figures for the last five years, where available, are:

  £ million

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  Initial

  allocations

  11.76

  13.51

  19.57

  13.69

  8.93

  Out-turn

  n/a

  12.36

  20.61

  16.75

  17.06

  1 Figures to end December 1997.

  The Approved Development Programme for 1998–99 will be announced shortly.

  Squirrels
  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to permit the use of Warfarin for the control of grey squirrels in areas where there are populations of reds; and if he will make a statement. [25640]

  Angela Eagle
  There are no plans to permit the use of Warfarin for the control of grey squirrels in any further areas than those which are currently being assessed as part of carefully controlled scientific research. I am aware of no plans to request a change to the current controls on the use of Warfarin for grey squirrel control.

  Builders
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he intends to take to tackle the problem of unreliable and ineffective builders. [25649]

  Mr. Raynsford
  I intend to work with all sections of the construction industry, its customers and consumer bodies, to develop a coherent package of measures aimed at improving consumer protection in this areas. I shall be issuing a discussion document shortly.

  Cemfuel
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimates he has made of the percentage of the ingredients of cemfuel which have their source in(a) Lancashire, (b) the rest of the United Kingdom and (c) overseas. [25620]

  Angela Eagle
  None. It is the role of the Environment Agency, rather than the Secretary of State, to regulate the import and use of waste for secondary liquid fuels. The Agency does this through the Waste Management Licensing and Integrated Pollution Control regimes, and also through UK and EC legislation on the transboundary movement of waste.

  The Agency has advised that it does not have the information to provide a breakdown of the geographical origins of secondary liquid fuels.

  Cattle Bones
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many tonnes of crushed and carbonised cattle bones for use in water treatment plants were imported from South Asia in the last year for which figures are available. [25834]
  323
  Angela Eagle
  During 1997, 243 tonnes of charcoal derived from carbonised cattle bones were used as filter media at water treatment plants in England and Wales.

  The charcoal is made from certified processed cattle bones imported only from India and Pakistan. It has been approved for use in the treatment of drinking water under the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989.

  Sanctuary Housing
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will commission an inquiry into the running of Sanctuary Housing, with particular relevance to its administration and financial controls; and if he will consult residents currently living in its West Country sheltered housing developments on the conduct of the present management. [25341]

  Mr. Raynsford
  [holding answer 26 January 1998]: As a registered social landlord, Sanctuary Housing Association is regulated by the Housing Corporation which monitors compliance with its regulatory standards.

  The Housing Corporation is investigating some matters relating to sheltered housing schemes in North Devon. I have asked the Chairman of the Housing Corporation to write to the hon. Member on completion of these investigations.

  Departmental Fuel Costs
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much(a) oil, (b) gas powering of accommodation occupied by his Department within the United Kingdom in each year since 1989–90; and what was the total cost in real terms for (a) to (c) in each year. [25790]

  Angela Eagle
  The answer is as follows:

  Oil

  Gas

  Electricity

  MWh

  £000

  MWh

  £000

  MWh

  £000

  1990–91

  67,967

  658

  94,776

  1,126

  86,566

  4,976

  1991–92

  52,543

  594

  95,086

  1,370

  85,902

  5,712

  1992–93

  29,393

  419

  101,132

  1,334

  86,907

  5,860

  1993–94

  24,971

  265

  100,918

  1,185

  84,615

  5,248

  1994–95

  17,528

  282

  83,549

  911

  65,774

  4,531

  1995–96

  18,667

  260

  83,063

  847

  67,686

  4,422

  1996–971

  17,729

  259

  69,571

  833

  66,362

  3,963

  1 Provisional outturn.

  The information covers former Departments of Environment and Transport and the Health and Safety Executive.

  Staff Travel Costs
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the total real terms value of(a) staff car mileage claims paid and (b) staff rail fares paid by his Department; for what amount of staff car mileage reimbursement was made, and what was the percentage change over the previous year for each year since 1989–90. [25789]

  Angela Eagle
  I regret that this information is not available.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many staff were employed by his Department; and what percentage of them were eligible to claim a care mileage allowance on 31 March in each year since 1990. [25792]

  Angela Eagle
  The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions came into existence on 16 June 1997. Figures for the numbers of staff employed by the former Departments since 1990 are not available, although a breakdown for each year covering the then structures of the former departments was set out in the Departmental Reports, which are available in the Library. All staff may claim car mileage allowance if they are required to travel on official business and otherwise meet the criteria.

  Sustainable Development
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. [25936]

  Angela Eagle
  The overarching Terms of Reference for DETR's CSRs include a requirement to take particular account of the policy aim of sustainable development. Individual CSRs are reflecting that, and other policy aims, in their work. One of the Department's CSRs is also looking specifically at environment policy.

  Green Ministers
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which Government Departments were not represented at Ministerial level at the last meeting of the Green Ministers. [25939]

  Mr. Meacher
  All Government Departments were represented at the last meeting of Green Ministers on 18 December. Most were represented at Ministerial level, but because of unavoidable other commitments the Lord Chancellor's Departments, the Home Office, the Departments of Trade and Industry and of Social Security and the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food were represented by officials.

  Countryside (Access)
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the consultation paper on measures to increase public access to the countryside will be published. [25930]

  Mr. Meacher
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Wirral, West (Mr. Hesford) and for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 22 January 1998,Official Report, column 614.

  Scottish Executive
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 20 January 1998,Official Report, column 465, (1) when discussions began in his Department concerning

  325
  the non-statutory agreement with the Scottish Executive; on what dates discussions took place; and who was present at such meetings; [25581]

  (2) if he will publish the most recent drafts of non-statutory agreements with the Scottish Executive; when he proposes to publish the final document; and if the agreement will operate in the first instance for a trial period; [25582]

  (3) in what areas a non-statutory agreement between his Department and the Scottish Executive will give the lead role in policy formation to his Department; to what extent it will include mechanisms to harmonise policy between Scotland and his Department on devolved matters; and if he will make a statement; [25583]

  (4) what representations he has received from other government departments concerning the format and aims of a non-statutory agreement between his Department and the Scottish Executive; if he will list the number of representations from each department; and if he will make a statement. [25584]

  Mr. Prescott
  [holding answer 27 January 1998]: Discussions are being held between departments, both at official level and Ministerial level, on all matters relating to non-statutory agreements between the UK Government and the Scottish Executive. In most cases, these discussions are in their early stages in the light of the fact that such agreements cannot be finalised until the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive are established. Parliament will be kept informed of progress on these matters.

  Sewage Outfall (Yaverland)
  Dr. Brand
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has evaluated on, and with which bodies his Department has discussed, the high dispersal classification of the proposed Yaverland, Isle of Wight, long raw sewage outfall. [25478]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: Under the terms of the EC Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, Areas of High Natural Dispersion (HNDAs) were identified by the Secretary of State in 1994, on the basis of recommendations by the then National Rivers Authority, using criteria agreed following public consultation.

  The Environment Agency has recently reviewed HNDA designations, as required by the Directive and has submitted preliminary recommendations to the Department.

  The proposed outfall at Yaverland will receive a minimum of primary treatment, subject to the outcome of a comprehensive study into the impact of the discharge on the receiving waters. The Environment Agency is responsible for assessing the comprehensive study. This process includes consultation with the Isle of Wight Council, Bembridge Harbour Company, Southern Sea Fisheries Committee, English Nature and MAFF/CEFAS.
  326
  Copies of the study are available for public inspection at the Environment Agency's Isle of Wight office. We have asked the Agency to ensure that the scientific basis for these studies is rigorously tested. We have also asked the Agency to keep us in touch with developments.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each local authority with responsibility for education the amount by which the increase in revenue support grant adjusted for changes in nursery voucher funding and increased NNDR differs from the amount that has been passported through the capping regime to raise standards in schools; and what is the total figure for all local authorities. [25981]

  Mr. Raynsford
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: I have placed the figures requested in the Library of the House. It is not possible to adjust revenue support grant in isolation from national non domestic rates, so the figures are expressed in terms of the sum of revenue support grant and non domestic rates, adjusted for changes in nursery voucher funding.

  Civil Service Staff
  Mr. Rhodri Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of Civil Service staff of grade 5 and above within his Department(a) have spent their entire civil service career within his Department or its predecessor Departments, (b) have had secondments to (i) the private sector and (ii) other Departments and (c) have come from other Departments. [26024]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: There are currently 264 staff in the Senior Civil Service (grade 5 and above) in the DETR and its Agencies. Of these, fewer than 10 per cent. have spent their entire careers in the Departments or its predecessors. Some 63 per cent. have had experience outside the civil service either before they joined the Department or as a secondment. In addition, some 70 per cent of the staff in the senior civil service have had loans to, or have worked in, other Government Departments. There are currently two senior civil servants on loan to DETR from other Government Departments.

  Lake Windermere
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he intends to take in relation to speed limits on Lake Windermere. [26221]

  Angela Eagle
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr. Robertson) on 12 January 1998,Official Report, column 14.

  Passenger Ships
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library a copy of the compliance cost assessment and the EU Fiche D-impact relating to the intended proposal for a council directive for the registration of persons sailing on passenger ships. [26311]
  327
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  A Fiche D'impact was included in the European Commission's document 12395/96 which proposed a Council Directive on the registration of persons sailing on board passenger ships. A copy of this Document has already been placed in the House Library.

  A copy of the UK's draft compliance costs assessment will be placed in the House Library.

  Wychavon Local Plan
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will call in the Wychavon Local Plan for determination; and if he will make a statement. [26217]

  Mr. Caborn
  The Wychavon Local Plan has already been determined. It was adopted by the Council on 21 January 1998 and the Secretary of State cannot now intervene. We gave careful consideration to the plan proposals throughout each stage of the process leading to adoption and we are satisfied that there was no justification for intervention by the Secretary of State.

  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions how many recent representations he has received from residents of Fernhill Heath, Worcestershire concerning the Wychavon Local Plan; and if he will make a statement. [26216]

  Mr. Caborn
  Recently, one representation, dated 23 December 1997, was received from the hon. Member on behalf of one of his constituents in respect of Fernhill Heath. Prior to this, eight representations have been received, all during 1996. The Wychavon Local Plan was adopted by the district Council on 21 January 1998. We gave careful consideration to the plan proposals throughout each stage of the process leading to adopt and we are satisfied that there was no justification for intervention by the Secretary of State.

  Leasehold Valuation Tribunal Service
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the cost of the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal Service has been in each year since its establishment, at 1997 prices. [25778]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The cost of Leasehold Valuation Tribunals is not separately identifiable within the overall cost of Rent Assessment Panels. The estimated cost of the Panels in 1997–98 is £5.5 million.

  Leasehold Enfranchisement
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact on the rated enfranchisement of the establishment of the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service. [25779]

  Mr. Raynsford
  It is difficult to assess what impact the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service, and its successor organisation, the Leasehold Advisory Service have had on the rate of enfranchisement. In many cases enfranchisement is achieved by agreement, even where statutory rights are invoked, and no central record of such transactions exists. However, in the period from February 1994 until June 1997 the Leasehold Advisory Service responded to 11,399 queries relating to enfranchisement.
  328
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the cost of the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service in each year since its inception. [25780]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service received funding from my Department through the special grants programme from April 1993 to December 1996. Grant paid to them in each year was as follows:

  £

  1993–94

  27,575

  1994–95

  75,000

  1995–96

  78,711

  1996 (April-December)

  83,748

  In January 1997 the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service was relaunched as the Leasehold Advisory Service with a remit extended to providing advice on any aspect of residential long leasehold. Since January 1997 they have received grant of £269,537 under section 94 of the Housing Act 1996.

  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to evaluate the effectiveness of the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service; and if he will make a statement. [25781]

  Mr. Raynsford
  A programme of work, with performance indicators where appropriate, is agreed with the Leasehold Advisory Service each year to assist in evaluating their effectiveness against their objectives.

  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government policy towards leasehold enfranchisement. [25782]

  Mr. Raynsford
  We are committed to simplifying the rules governing the purchase of freeholds by leaseholders and we intend to bring forward a new package of reforms to assist leaseholders. We are currently considering the scope and practicability of possible new measures. We expect to make an announcement about our proposals and invite comments from interested parties in the Spring.

  Sellafield
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his present estimate of the limit of capacity for storage of intermediate level nuclear waste at Sellafield; and what criteria are used to assess this capacity. [25065]

  Mr. Battle
  [holding answer 23 January 1998]: I have been asked to reply.

  The current capacity of intermediate level waste storage facilities at Sellafield is 45,000m3 of modern store and 46,000m3 of other stores.

  I understand that BNFL does not expect to need storage facilities in addition to those currently in existence or for which planning permission currently exists.

MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO

  Disney World
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio how many journalists accompanied him on his recent visit to Disney World in the United States; and what was the total cost to public funds of their accompanying him. [26179]

  Mr. Mandelson
  My recent visit was covered by a number of journalists. They were not invited by me, and there was no cost to public funds.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the costs over the last year, for each Government Department, of satisfying requests for access by the public to information under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; what estimate he has made of the costs for each Department over the same length of time of satisfying such requests under his freedom of information proposals; and if he will make a statement. [25444]

  Dr. David Clark
  Costs of dealing with requests under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information are not monitored centrally. Based on experience in my Department an the total number of registered Code requests for 1996 (2033), I estimate that the total cost to Government Departments of operating the Code is in the order of £2 million per annum.

  There is no precise method of quantifying the estimated cost of FOI—it will clearly be dependent on the number of requests—but using comparators such as the costs of FOI overseas, the costs of the Code of Practice and the estimated costs of the new Data Protection regime, I estimate that the total public sector costs (including provision for an appeals mechanism) would be £26.5 million 'start-up' costs, and an annual cost of £23.5 million thereafter.

  The factual and background information on the development of the White Paper, which I intend to publish shortly, will contain a more detailed account of how these estimates were arrived at.

  Sustainable Development
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. [25897]

  Dr. David Clark
  The Comprehensive Spending Review for the Office of Public Service is being conducted within terms of reference that were announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 July 1997. A set of the Terms of Reference for all departmental spending reviews may be found in the Libraries of the House.

  Civil Service Staff
  Mr. Rhodri Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of Civil Service staff of grade 5 and above within his Department(a) have spent their entire civil service career within his Department, (b) have had secondments to (i) the private sector and (ii) other Departments and (c) have come from other Departments. [26034]

  Dr. David Clark
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: Eighteen per cent. of Civil Service staff of grade 5 and above have spent their entire civil service within my Department and seventy four per cent. have come from other Government Departments. Figures detailing secondments by staff of grade 5 and above to either the private sector or other Departments are not centrally held.

  Public Services
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will reach a decision on the establishment of a panel for consulting people about pubic services; and if he will make a statement. [26914]

  Dr. David Clark
  I have today decided to set up a Panel to consult people about public services, and appointed MORI and the School of Public Policy at the University of Birmingham to set up and run it. The People's Panel will be used to find out what members of the public think about the services for which they pay for and use every day.

  We want to put people first as we develop our Better Government programme to modernise public services. The Panel will be consulted on a range of matters relating to public services, such as service delivery, the use of IT, awareness of the Charter programme, and complaints handling procedures. We will make the results public.

  This is a unique development, and one which underlines the Government's commitment to providing better government through listening to the views of people in all walks of life about their experiences of public services.

  Civil Service Statistics 1997
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when Civil Service Statistics 1997 will be published. [26915]

  Dr. David Clark,
  Civil Service Statistics 1997 was published today and copies have been placed in the Library. This publication highlights key trends in Civil Service staffing for the period up to 1 April 1997.

  Agenda Database
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what will be the level of public access to the contents of the database Agenda. [26220]

  Dr. David Clark
  The Agenda system, which is designed to replace the existing CAB-E-NET, will be an inter-Departmental strategic media information tool. The system will handle and store information based upon confidential communications between Departments; it will not, therefore, be available for access by the public.

CABINET OFFICE

  Club of Three Meetings
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio in what capacity he attended Club of Three meetings in September; what public expenditure was incurred by his participation; and if he will make a statement. [25928]

  Mr. Mandelson
  I attended the Club of Three meetings in Munich in my Ministerial capacity following an official visit to Bonn. The cost to public funds of my visit to Germany was approximately £535.

WALES

  Farm Incomes
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met representatives of the farming industry to discuss income levels; and if he will make a statement. [25317]

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  My right hon. Friend and I, either together or individually, met farmers' leaders in Wales on several occasions last month and this month, most recently on 20 January, to discuss matters of mutual interest concerning agriculture in Wales, including farm incomes.

  Environmental Health Officers
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many environmental health officers(a) are in post currently and (b) were in post in each year since 1990. [25311]

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  This information is not held centrally. Chief Environmental Health Officers are listed in the Municipal Yearbook. Copies of the 1990 edition onwards are available in the Library of the House.

  School Standards
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he has taken to raise standards in schools in Wales. [25310]

  Mr. Hain
  Our broad and vigorous standards agenda was set out in "Building Excellent Schools Together" (BEST), the Education White Paper for Wales, published in July last year.

  We have introduced legislation to realise our objectives. The Schools Standards and Framework Bill proposes the legislative measures necessary to raise standards at primary and secondary level in both Wales and England. Amongst other things it provides for smaller infant classes, places a duty on local education authorities to support schools in raising educational attainment standards and secures the basis upon which these authorities will act to support schools in setting and meeting targets for continuous improvement. The Teaching and Higher Education Bill (currently in the House of Lords) will give teachers scope to lift professional standards through a General Teaching Council for Wales. The legislation proposed will also allow local education authorities LEAs and further education
  332
  institutions to make provision for post-16 students jointly to better meet students' needs and to reduce duplication of courses.

  We have set out a range of challenging new all-Wales targets through BEST aimed at raising standards in schools in Wales across the board. Working in partnership with ACCAC and OHMCI the Welsh Office is also implementing an all-Wales strategy to raise levels of achievement in literacy and numeracy. We are providing additional resources to support schools in this work—£50.267 million for recurrent costs in schools within the 1998–99 local government revenue settlement, and £65 million of capital funding over the lifetime of this Parliament for much needed school renovation and repair work. We will also be making nearly £30 million available in 1998–99 through the Grants for Education Support and Training (GEST) programme.

  Long-term Care
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the yearly costs to the NHS of meeting the nursing costs of long-term care. [25912]

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  None, but the costs of long term care are a matter of concern to this Government and one of our manifesto commitments was the establishment of a Royal Commission to work out a fair system for funding long term care of the elderly across the UK. The Commission was established last December and will report in 12 months.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Voluntary Grammar Schools
  Mr. Donaldson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the proposed changes to the formula funding arrangements for voluntary grammar schools in Northern Ireland were subjected to a policy appraisal and fair treatment analysis; and what were the results. [22252]

  Mr. Worthington
  Before reaching decisions on the changes to be introduced next year, the implications for each school of a number of models were examined, and I am satisfied that there is no unjustified re-distribution of resources. The longer-term objective of full commonality will ensure equity of treatment in funding for all schools, regardless of the area or the school sector in which they are located, and is therefore in line with policy appraisal and fair treatment principles.

  Pigmeat
  Mr. Robert McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the impact on pig prices of the importation of pigmeat from countries where(a) meat and bone meal is not banned as pig food and (b) sow stalls and tethers will be legal after 1 January 1999. [22904]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  It is not possible to calculate the impact on pig prices of the importation of pigmeat from countries where(a) meat and bone meal is not banned as pig food and (b) sow stalls and tethers will be legal after 1 January 1999.

  Bone Meal
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the number of inspections of plants of manufacturers of animal meal to detect the use of banned bone meal, the results of these inspections and the number of prosecutions. [25019]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The inclusion of the mammalian meat and bone meal in livestock feed has been prohibited since 29 March 1996, and since that date a total of 2,430 visits have been made to feedmills for the purpose of taking samples of ruminant feed for testing for the presence of mammalian protein.

  Of a total of 3,394 samples taken, five samples have given apparently positive results. On further investigation, one positive sample was in material imported from another member state, and the authorities were informed. It was established that the positive results in three samples were not due to the presence of mammalian protein, and the other positive sample proved negative on retesting.

  There have therefore been no prosecutions.

  Nursery Units
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria are used in approving the establishment of nursery units to new or existing primary schools. [25021]

  Mr. Worthington
  Recent expansion of nursery provision has occurred under the aegis of the "making Belfast work" and Londonderry regeneration initiatives and, more recently, the EU special support programme for peace and reconciliation. Nursery provision approved by the Department of Education under these initiatives must:be sited where it will have maximum educational impact, through targeting areas of greatest social and educational need;
  create access for as many children as possible; and
  represent good value for money.

  Under the Government's planned expansion of pre-school education provision, new nursery provision will only be approved if it is included in an education and library board's pre-school education development plan. These plans will target places initially on children from socially disadvantaged circumstances and the oldest four-year-olds—those with July and August birthdays.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Crime and Disorder Bill [Lords]
  Liz Blackman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will place in the Library a paper summarising the responses to the consultation exercise on the Drug Treatment and Testing Order provisions in the Crime and Disorder Bill[Lords]. [26730]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The paper summarising the responses to the consultation exercise has now been placed in the Library.

  Immigration and Nationality Directorate
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates for staff reductions were included in the business case for the new computer system at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate; and what revisions have been made to take account of the delays in the programme for installation. [26074]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The estimated savings projected in the business case were based on staff reductions of 898 by 2001–2002. The business case estimated the benefit of the Programme to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate by balancing the savings against the charges which would be payable to Siemens Business Services. The majority of these charges are directly geared to the savings and do not become payable until the new computer system is operational. No revision to the business case will be made until revised dates for the installation and piloting of the solution have been agreed.

  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 1998,Official Report, column 633, on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, how many compulsory redundancies he expects to be required at the Directorate offices at Croydon in the years 1998–99 and 1999–2000. [26075]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I do not expect any in the sense that they are planned. While it is not possible at this stage to rule out the need for compulsory redundancies, present indications are that compulsory redundancies are very unlikely.

  Security Service
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that the destruction of files by MI5 will not(a) destroy material of historical importance and (b) prevent instances of error by MI5 from emerging. [26277]

  Mr. Straw
  I rely on the Director General of the Security Service to ensure the proper operation of the Service's record management system, including the system for reviewing files in accordance with the criteria described in my reply to the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) on 20 January 1998,Official Report, column 519–20.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to complete his review into providing information relating to the number of individuals on whom MI5 holds files. [26280]

  Mr. Straw
  I have nothing to add to my letter of 23 December 1997 in which I informed the hon. Member
  335
  that, for the present, I proposed to continue the practice of successive Governments in not disclosing such information but that I was reviewing the matter and that it might be that we should, in due course, feel able to provide some information on the subject. I shall keep the matter under review and, if there are to be any changes to the present arrangements, I shall make an announcement.

  Telecommunications (Interception)
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will amend Section 10(1) of the Interception of Communications Act 1985 to require a separate warrant for each line intercepted. [26279]

  Mr. Straw
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his question on 4 December 1997,Official Report, column 299, where I said that the question whether to amend the legislation relating to Interception of Communications beyond the measures required to comply with the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, and if so what the amendments should comprise, was under consideration. That remains the case.

  Table 1: Asylum applications1 received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, initial decisions1 2 3 on applications, and removals1 4, 1996 and 1997 by month, nationals of Czech Republic5

  Applications

  Decisions

  Removals

  Total decisions

  Grants of asylum

  Grants of ELR

  Total refusals6

  1996

  January

  *

  *

  —

  —

  *

  5

  February

  5

  5

  —

  —

  5

  *

  March

  10

  —

  —

  —

  —

  *

  April

  10

  *

  —

  —

  *

  5

  May

  *

  5

  —

  —

  5

  5

  June

  5

  5

  —

  —

  5

  5

  July

  —

  *

  —

  —

  *

  5

  August

  5

  5

  —

  —

  5

  5

  September

  5

  5

  —

  —

  5

  10

  October

  5

  5

  —

  —

  5

  5

  November

  5

  5

  —

  —

  5

  5

  December

  5

  5

  —

  —

  5

  5

  Total (1996)

  55

  50

  —

  —

  50

  55

  1997

  January

  5

  5

  —

  —

  5

  *

  February

  10

  10

  —

  —

  10

  5

  March

  5

  10

  —

  —

  10

  *

  April

  *

  *

  —

  —

  *

  *

  May

  5

  5

  —

  —

  5

  —

  June

  15

  15

  —

  —

  15

  15

  July

  30

  20

  —

  —

  20

  5

  August

  30

  35

  —

  —

  35

  15

  September

  15

  5

  —

  —

  5

  *

  October

  85

  20

  —

  —

  20

  30

  November

  20

  60

  —

  —

  60

  15

  December

  15

  25

  —

  —

  25

  10

  Total (1997)

  240

  210

  —

  —

  210

  100

  1 Figures rounded to nearest five with * = 1 or 2. 1997 data are provisional.

  2 Information is of initial decisions and excludes the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.

  3 Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same time period.

  4 Includes voluntary departures apart from those made by in-country applicants prior to the initiation of enforcement action.

  5 Removals data include persons recorded as nationals of the former Czechoslovakia.

  6 Includes safe third country refusals and refusals made on grounds of non-compliance.

  Ethnic Minorities
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of Section 11 funding to support the teaching of English. [24215]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, South (Mr. Marshall) on 16 December 1997,Official Report, columns 86–87.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Roma people from the Czech and Slovak republics have sought asylum in the United Kingdom in each month since January 1996; and of these(a) how many have been granted asylum, (b) how many were held in detention and (c) how many have been removed from the United Kingdom. [26018]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: Czech and Slovak Roma are not separately identifiable in the statistics. The available information on all asylum applications lodged in the United Kingdom by nationals of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and on removals of such persons, is given in tables 1 and 2. Information on the number of Czech and Slovak asylum seekers detained, as at selected dates during 1996, 1997 and 1998, is given in table three.

  337

  Table 2: Asylum applications1 received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, initial decisions1 2 3 on applications, and removals1 4, 1996 and 1997 by month, nationals of Slovakia

  Principal applicants

  Applications

  Decisions

  Removals

  Total decisions

  Grants of asylum

  Grants of ELR

  Total refusals5

  1996

  January

  *

  *

  —

  —

  *

  —

  February

  *

  *

  —

  —

  *

  —

  March

  10

  15

  —

  —

  15

  —

  April

  5

  15

  —

  —

  15

  —

  May

  —

  5

  —

  —

  5

  *

  June

  5

  10

  —

  —

  10

  —

  July

  *

  5

  —

  —

  5

  —

  August

  5

  10

  —

  —

  10

  *

  September

  5

  *

  —

  —

  *

  —

  October

  5

  20

  —

  —

  20

  *

  November

  10

  15

  —

  —

  15

  5

  December

  10

  10

  —

  —

  10

  5

  Total (1996)

  55

  110

  —

  —

  110

  15

  1997

  January

  *

  *

  —

  —

  *

  5

  February

  *

  5

  —

  —

  5

  *

  March

  5

  15

  —

  —

  15

  5

  April

  5

  10

  —

  —

  10

  10

  May

  15

  15

  —

  —

  15

  10

  June

  25

  25

  —

  —

  25

  5

  July

  20

  25

  —

  —

  25

  5

  August

  50

  45

  —

  —

  45

  15

  September

  55

  10

  —

  —

  10

  5

  October

  85

  75

  —

  —

  75

  10

  November

  20

  120

  —

  —

  120

  25

  December

  15

  30

  —

  —

  30

  20

  Total (1997)

  305

  375

  —

  —

  375

  105

  1 Figures rounded to nearest 5 with * = 1 or 2. 1997 data are provisional.

  2 Information is of initial decisions and excludes the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.

  3 Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same time period.

  4 Includes voluntary departures apart from those made by in-country applicants prior to the initiation of enforcement action.

  5 Includes safe third country refusals and refusals made on grounds of non-compliance.

  Table 3: Number of person recorded as detained, who have sought asylum at some stage, as selected dates in 1996 and 19971, nationals of the Czech Republic and Slovakia2

  Detained as at

  Number detained

  31 January 1996

  4

  29 February 1996

  3—

  29 March 1996

  10

  30 April 1996

  12

  31 May 19964

  6

  27 June 1998

  6

  31 July 19965

  6

  4 September 1996

  5

  1 October 1996

  —

  5 November 1996

  5

  11 December 1996

  3

  31 January 19976

  —

  27 March 1997

  —

  30 April 1997

  —

  31 May 1997

  —

  30 June 1997

  3

  31 July 1997

  3—

  29 August 19977

  11

  30 September 1997

  14

  31 October 1997

  39

  28 November 1997

  38

  5 January 19988

  25

  1 No figures are available for August 1996, February 1997 or December 1997.

  2 Includes persons recorded as nationals of the former Czechoslovakia.

  338
  3 Indicates 1 or 2 because in order to protect confidentiality we cannot disclose individual numbers.

  4 Ports figures obtained 7 June 1996. After entry figures obtained 31 May 1996.

  5 Ports figures obtained 2 August 1996. After entry figures obtained 30 July 1996.

  6 Ports figures obtained 3 February 1997. After entry figures obtained 31 January 1997.

  7 Ports figures obtained 29 August 1997. After entry figures obtained 3 September 1997.

  8 Ports figures obtained 6 January 1998. After entry figures obtained 5 January 1998.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate how many asylum seekers are at addresses not known to the authorities. [25947]

  Mr. Michael
  Approximately 14,000 asylum applicants, excluding dependants, are currently recorded as having breached the conditions of their temporary admission, temporary release, or restriction order, or having lost contact with the Home Office.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the current weekly cost to the Exchequer of those in the United Kingdom whose asylum appeals are outstanding. [25950]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Information on the costs to the
  Exchequer during 1997 of all asylum seekers is not yet available. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to
  339
  the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 13 November 1997, Official Report, columns 652–53, which gave the available information for 1996.

  I regret, however, that it is not possible to separate the cost sof specific groups of asylum seekers.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of asylum seekers whose addresses are unknown to the authorities who are claiming and receiving state benefits. [25949]

  Mr. Michael
  I regret that it is not possible to establish the number of these persons who may be in receipt of state benefits.

  Mr. Matins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to take to discover the whereabouts of asylum seekers whose whereabouts in the United Kingdom are not known to the authorities. [25948]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Measures being taken to deal with the problem of absconding include the use of dedicated enforcement teams throughout the country; working in co-operation with the police and other government agencies; the use of intelligence for the effective targeting of resources; the establishment of a full time Port Absconder Tracing Team working in the Metropolitan Police Area; and the speeding up of Home Office procedures to reduce the potential for absconding.

  Immigration (Carriers Liability)
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to recover the sums outstanding under the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 1987. [25945]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Sums due as a result of charge liabilities under the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987 (ICLA) are public moneys owed to the Consolidated Fund of Her Majesty's Treasury. The Ports Directorate of the Immigration Service is responsible for recovering amounts owed by carriers under the ICLA and pursues a pro-active debt recovery strategy aimed at reducing the amounts outstanding as quickly as possible.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the amount of charges(a) levied and (b) recovered under the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 1987 in relation to offences under that Act at each airport in the United Kingdom for each of the last 10 years. [25952]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  These figures are available only for 1997 and are set out in the table. Figures before 1997 could be produced only at disproportionate cost. It must be made clear that some of the incurred charges may have been paid since these statistics were compiled or may be about to be paid under an agreement negotiated with the Home Office.

  Airport

  Incurred (£)

  Paid (£)

  Aberdeen

  4,000

  0

  Belfast

  14,000

  16,000

  Birmingham

  60,000

  14,000

  Bournemouth

  0

  0

  Bristol

  8,000

  10,000

  Brize Norton

  0

  0

  340

  Airport

  Incurred (£)

  Paid (£)

  Cambridge

  0

  0

  Cardiff

  0

  0

  East Midlands

  4,000

  4,000

  Edinburgh

  28,000

  20,000

  Gatwick North

  728,000

  1,090,000

  Gatwick South

  1,720,000

  1,103,000

  Glasgow

  54,000

  42,000

  Heathrow 1

  1,388,000

  1,358,000

  Heathrow 2

  2,004,000

  1,544,000

  Heathrow 3

  3,250,000

  2,642,000

  Heathrow 4

  1,358,000

  1,442,000

  Humberside

  20,000

  32,000

  Leeds/Bradford

  2,000

  2,000

  Liverpool

  0

  0

  London City

  92,000

  50,000

  Luton

  108,000

  50,000

  Manchester 1

  194,000

  172,000

  Manchester 2

  112,000

  130,000

  Mildenhall

  0

  0

  Newcastle

  18,000

  18,000

  Norwich

  4,000

  4,000

  Plymouth

  0

  0

  Prestwick

  0

  0

  Southend

  0

  0

  Stansted

  142,000

  192,000

  Swansea

  0

  0

  Teeside

  0

  0

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy to allow airlines which owe charges under the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 1987 to continue to use United Kingdom airports. [25944]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  There is no power under the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 1987 to refuse or prevent carriers who owe moneys under the Act from continuing to use United Kingdom airports.

  There is, however, an active debt recovery programme operated by the Carriers' Liaison Section of Immigration Service Headquarters and litigation is considered in cases where a carrier unduly procrastinates or refuses to pay any debt, or where a carrier is in default of any agreement to settle charges.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what charges were outstanding under the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 1987 on 1 January in each of the past 10 years. [25946]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The figures requested are as follow:

  Date

  Outstanding debt £

  1 January 1988

  2,361,000

  1 January 1989

  4,368,000

  1 January 1990

  10,170,000

  1 January 1991

  15,653,000

  1 January 1992

  19,440,000

  1 January 1993

  25,775,000

  1 January 1994

  22,003.000

  1 January 1995

  24,527,000

  1 January 1996

  18,746,000

  1 January 1997

  15,065,996

  1 January 1998

  11,399,073

  Firemen
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received about the pay and conditions of service and age of retirement for firemen; and what is his Department's policy on these matters. [25277]

  Mr. George Howarth
  My right hon. Friend has received three such letters from individual members of the public. Matters relating to pay and conditions of service (including age of retirement) are dealt with by the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Fire Brigades. It is for the employers to ensure that pay settlements are affordable through improvements to efficiency and other economies.

  Naltrexone
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce the compulsory taking of naltrexone for criminals who are drug addicts; and if he will make a statement. [25951]

  Mr. George Howarth
  None. Deciding which drugs to prescribe in the treatment of drug misuse is a matter for the clinical judgement of the medical staff providing the treatment.

  Witness Protection Scheme
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people sought relocation in 1997 under the Metropolitan Police's witness protection scheme; and how many were successfully rehoused, by borough. [25261]

  Mr. Michael
  The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that 158 people sought relocation under the Metropolitan Police's witness protection scheme. He tells me that due to the sensitivities of those seeking assistance it is not the policy of the Metropolitan Police to publish more detailed information. This is an operational matter for the Commissioner.

  Young Remand Prisoners
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the adult prisons used for the accommodation of 15 and 16 year olds on remand. [25512]

  Ms Quin
  The following establishments hold both adult prisoners and young offenders and can be used to hold 15 and 16-year-olds on remand. However, young offenders are normally accommodated separately from adults.

  Altcourse

  Cardiff

  Chelmsford

  Doncaster

  Dorchester

  Exeter

  Gloucester

  Hull

  Low Newton

  Norwich

  342

  Parc

  Rochester

  Swansea

  15 or 16-year-old females cannot normally be remanded to prisons. However, in the exceptional circumstance of being committed from a Magistrates' Crown to a Crown Court for sentence, a 15 or 16 year old female young offender would be remanded to a female prison. In such a case, allocation to a prison would be made on the basis of the individual's circumstances.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in respect to the Compliance Cost Assessment associated with the Data Protection Bill [Lords], he will (a) place in the Library, in the form which respects commercial confidentiality, copies of the questionnaire telephone scripts used to assess the costs of compliance and all the responses used to assess the costs of compliance and all the responses received, (b) indicate the total number of individuals contacted during the consultation process, and the number of respondents with specialist knowledge of data protection matters, (c) list the organisations involved in providing information for the Assessment and (d) publish an updated version of the 1994 paper, "Costs of Implementing the Data Protection Directive". [25450]

  Mr. George Howarth
  I am placing in the Library a copy of the questionnaire, which we sent to 84 organisations. We received responses from six local authorities; one representative educational organisation; five charities; four large manufacturers; three small manufacturers; ten financial and other service organisations; eight large organisations involved in marketing; and nine retailers. We assured participants of anonymity and it would not be appropriate to make the individual returns available, or list names. We did not ask about the depth of their data protection knowledge.

  Estimated costs to Government Departments were assessed separately.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the practice of enforced subject access in respect of the provisions of the Data Protection Bill (Lords). [25600]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The Government have made public their opposition to the practice of enforced subject access. We are considering how best to deal with the matter in the context of the Data Protection Bill.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the purpose of the First Data Protection Principle in Part 1, Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Bill (Lords). [25599]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The purpose of the first data protection principle is to ensure that personal data are processed fairly and lawfully. The principle, as elaborated in Part II of Schedule 1 and Schedules 2 and 3 gives effect to articles 6.1, 7, 8, 10 and 11 of the 1995 European Communities Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC).

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Data Protection Commissioner with respect to
  343
  (a) enforcement of the right of data subjects under Article 12(c) of the Data Protection Directive and (b) serving of information notices; and if he will make a statement. [25601]

  Mr. George Howarth
  We have received no representations from the Data Protection Registrar about the enforcement of article 12(c) of the 1995 European Communities Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC). The Registrar has written welcoming the new power for the Commissioner to issue information notices but expressing a preference for the power to be modelled on those in other regulatory legislation.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for regulations relating to the processing of personal data which(a) contain a general identifying number and (b) are subject to Clause 28(4) of the Data Protection Bill [Lords]. [25451]

  Mr. George Howarth
  No firm decisions have yet been made about the use of the Secretary of State's power under paragraph 4 of Part II of Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Bill to prescribe conditions applying to general identifiers; or of that in clause 28(4) to make exemptions from the subject information and non-disclosure provisions.

  Police Road Blocks
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which the police can carry out a road block. [25047]

  Mr. Michael
  Police powers to carry out road checks are set out in legislation. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 provides that the police may establish a road check to deal with persons unlawfully at large or where there is a serious arrestable offence involving those travelling or considered to be travelling in a vehicle. Section 13A of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989, as inserted by section 81 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, also created a new power for the police to stop and search vehicles for the purposes of preventing terrorism.

  In addition, section 163 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended) provides that a person driving a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road must stop the vehicle on being required to do so by a constable in uniform.

  Crown Servants
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions his Department has consulted competitors of an employer making an offer of employment to an official from his Department, for the purpose of compliance with the Civil Service Management Code rules on the acceptance of outside appointments by Crown servants, in each year for which the rules have applied; and if he will make a statement. [25862]

  Mr. Straw
  Since the introduction of the revised Business Appointment Rules with effect from 1 April 1996, there has been no occasion for the Department to consult competitor companies in these circumstances.344
  Information for each of the years preceding for which the rules have applied could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Deparment if he will publish the information collected for the purpose of compliance with the Civil Service Management Code rules on the acceptance of outside appointments by Crown Servants, in each year for which the rules have applied; and if he will make a statement. [25896]

  Mr. Straw
  Since 1 April 1996, when the Business Appointment Rules in their current form came into effect, 24 members of staff across the Department and its agencies have reported offers of employment. These resulted in 19 applications for approval under the Rules.

  Staff are made aware, on appointment, of their obligations under the Business Appointment Rules and again, on leaving. General reminders are issued from time to time but it is the responsibility of the individual to comply with the requirements.

  There is no fully effective comprehensive mechanism for monitoring compliance with the Rules once individuals have left Crown employment. The emphasis is on ensuring that staff are fully aware of their obligations under the Rules before they leave, and on giving the individual the opportunity to discuss the matter and, if they wish, to make representations in cases where conditions are imposed.

  Any failure to comply with the Rules could come to the Department's notice in any number of ways. Any condition which prohibits a former member of staff from dealing with the Department on behalf of an outside employer would, of course, be monitored.

  Animal Experiments
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's policy on maximum time allowable for journeys of non-human primates to United Kingdom laboratories; and if he will make a statement. [25751]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The Home Office does not currently specify maximum journey times. Information collected by the Home Office on the transportation of non-human primates from overseas sources, including the total journey times between centres of origin and receiving establishments, is currently being analysed. The results will be presented to the primate sub-committee of the Animal Procedures Committee for their advice on future policy concerning the suitability of overseas breeding and supplying centres.

  Fire Rescue Unit (Euston)
  Ms Ryan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents in the London Borough of Enfield the Fire Rescue Unit based at Euston has attended since the Fire Rescue Unit based at Finchley was removed. [25837]

  Mr. George Howarth
  This information is not available in the form requested. The London Borough of Enfield is served by three fire stations which collectively cover the whole borough (except the Hadley Wood area) and small parts of the boroughs of Barnet and Haringey.
  345
  Information on fire calls is collected on a fire station basis. The Fire Rescue Unit at Finchley was removed on 1 February 1997. I understand from the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority that, for the period from that date until 31 December 1997, the Unit based at Euston was mobilised to the relevant area on 164 occasions.

  CS Gas
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times during 1997 CS gas was used by police in the Metropolitan Police area. [25435]

  Mr. Michael
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that during 1997 the Metropolitan Police used CS incapacitant spray on 190 occasions.

  Police Complaints
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of complaints about the police in(a) Kingston upon Thames and (b) Richmond upon Thames have been (i) upheld, (ii) dismissed and (iii) dropped by the complainant during the last year for which figures are available. [25526]

  Mr. Michael
  The Commissioner has provided the following provisional figures for the period 1 January 1997 to 31 December 1997.

  Upheld

  Dismissed

  Dropped1

  Twickenham Division

  0

  43

  51

  Kingston Division

  6

  58

  53

  1 Includes complaints resolved informally.

DEFENCE

  Atomic-Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the chemical technology division at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, was set up; what is the purpose of this division; how many series of technical papers or reports are currently being produced by this division; and what are the names of each series. [24509]

  Mr. Spellar
  The chemical technology division of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, was set up in about 1959. It ceased to exist as a separate division in 1991. Its purpose was to develop materials for use in warheads, to conduct research into the chemical properties of such materials and to design chemical engineering processes for their manufacture. It also operated certain associated chemical plant. During its existence two largely classified series of reports were produced dealing with materials and technical matters entitled, (i) Reports/ Laboratory Reports/Materials Reports and (ii) Technical Memoranda 1959–90.

  Armed Forces (Allowances and Charges)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have been made since February 1997 to the armed forces allowances and charges package which 346
  indicate progress towards greater equity of treatment between married and single personnel; and if he will make a statement. [25759]

  Dr. Reid
  The previous Government published on 20 February 1997,Official Report, column 721, an information document "The Armed Forces of the Future—a Personnel Strategy", which included outline details of changes to the allowances and charges package for personnel in the armed forces. These changes were implemented on 1 December 1997.

  The rationale underpinning the changes was, and continues to be, predicated on targeting these allowances where they are most needed to assist with recruitment and retention, and to compensate for the extra costs and disadvantages of Service life.

  We have no plans at present to make further changes, although the situation is, of course, kept under review.

  Aircraft Requirements
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 January 1998,Official Report, column 415, for what reasons Airbus has been invited to tender for the RAF's heavy lift requirements; and when the competition will commence for this project. [25624]

  Mr. Spellar
  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 31 July 1997,Official Report, column 466, we will join partners in issuing a request for proposals to Airbus Military Company for the future large aircraft. We are also inviting our partners to join us in seeking bids from other aircraft manufacturers. The request for proposals has been issued to Airbus, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Alenia and FLABEL on a provisional basis pending the formation of Airbus Military Company. We are still discussing with our partners when requests for proposals will be issued to other potential suppliers. A procurement decision will be made in the light of the conclusions of the Strategic Defence Review and responses to requests for proposals.

  Civil Service Staff
  Mr. Rhodri Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of civil service staff of grade 5 and above within his Department(a) have spent their entire civil service career within his Department, (b) have had secondments to (i) the private sector and (ii) other Departments and (c) have come from other Departments. [26033]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: Of civil service staff of grade 5 and above currently within the Department:

  (a) 53.3 per cent. have spent their entire Civil Service Career within the Department.

  (b)

  (i) 7.6 per cent. have had secondments to the private sector.

  (ii) 34.4 per cent. have had secondments to other Government Departments.

  (c) 7.6 per cent. have come to the MOD from other Government Departments.

  Submariners (Exposure to Radiation)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many former and serving submariners on nuclear submarines have been diagnosed as suffering from exposure to harmful radiation. [26284]

  Mr. Spellar
  The Ministry of Defence conforms with national legislation on ionising radiation and holds all those records which it is required to keep on classified radiation workers, including submariners. With regard to mortality from cancer among submariners, an examination conducted under the auspices of the Medical Research Council has concluded that working in submarines was not associated with any increased cancer mortality.

  Tornados (Gulf Military Operations)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the role of the RAF Tornados based in Saudi Arabia in respect of military operations in the Gulf. [26283]

  Mr. George Robertson
  RAF Tornados based in Saudi Arabia contribute to coalition operations over the southern no fly zone above Iraq, monitoring Iraqi compliance with UN resolutions.

  Meat
  Charlotte Atkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used to determine the source of the meat eaten by British armed forces in the United Kingdom [25112]

  Mr. Spellar
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) on 19 January Official Report, columns 415–16.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Swine Fever
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what additional steps he has taken to protect pigs in the United Kingdom from swine fever in Germany. [25270]

  Mr. Rooker
  The potential problems associated with classical swine fever in Germany are not new. There has been an on-going problem with CSF in the Community for 10 years, but the disease has not spread to the UK.

  European Community legislation lays down control measures, including movement restrictions, to prevent the spread of CSF. The situation is kept under continuous review by the EC Standing Veterinary Committee on which the UK is represented. The SVC may adopt additional controls on an ad hoc basis as and when the need arises. In the past few days, the SVC has imposed a prohibition on exports of pigs and pig semen from specified areas in the region of MecklenburgVorpommem in Germany.

  In the UK, those connected with the pig industry have been alerted to keep a careful watch for any sign of the disease spreading to the UK from the continent. There are some requirements laid down in Community legislation for the cleansing and disinfection of vehicles used for the transport of pigs in infected countries. Hauliers and those
  348
  involved in the export of pigs and also other livestock and horses to the continent from Great Britain have been reminded of the need to follow good practice by properly cleaning and disinfecting all empty vehicles to minimise the risk of introducing the disease to Great Britain.

  European Funding
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action the Government will take to ensure those sectors of the British economy previously benefitting from European Structural Funding will continue to benefit under the new Agenda 2000 and CAP reform proposals, with particular reference to objective 5b funding. [25764]

  Mr. Rooker
  [holding answer 27 Janaury 1998]: The European Commission has yet to put forward formal proposals for regulations implementing the ideas contained in its Agenda 2000 documents. In the negotiations on those proposals, which we expect to be published shortly, we will seek to achieve the best possible outcome for the United Kingdom.

  Compensation
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list(a) by sector and (b) in total, the maximum amount of compensation the Government are empowered to distribute to the agriculture sector in the United Kingdom in the current financial year in respect of the appreciation of the pound; what percentage of each available amount would by paid by (i) the EU and (ii) the United Kingdom; what percentage of the total amount available for each sector will be paid to farmers in the current financial year; and if he will make a statement. [26001]

  Mr. Rooker
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: The maximum total aid which could currently be paid in the UK this year is £464 million. The breakdown of the maximum which could be paid to each eligible sector is as follows: cereals £143.5 million; dairy £221.5 million; beef and veal £77 million; sugar beet £22 million. The UK can reclaim in full from the EU budget any spending up to half the £464 million maximum aid. In practice, however, the UK Exchequer would bear around 71 per cent. of the cost of the EU reimbursed expenditure.

  My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced on 22 December a package of aid to the livestock sector worth £85 million.

  BSE
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will extend the remit of the BSE inquiry to include events up to 31 December. [25614]

  Mr. Rooker
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: No. BSE and nvCJD are on-going problems. Current events are less suitable for study by an inquiry. Any extension of the period would add greatly to the inquiry's scope and the time it would take.

  Agri-monetary Compensation
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what factors govern the limits set in agri-monetary compensation. [25670]
  349
  Mr. Rooker
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: Council regulation 724/97 lays down common rules for establishing the maximum levels of agrimonetary compensation which may be paid in member states which have undergone "appreciable" revaluations of their green rate.

  Sugar Beet Research and Education Committee
  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the Sugar Beet Research and Education Committee. [26806]

  Mr. Morley
  The Sugar Beet Research and Education Committee has been the subject of a non-departmental public body prior options review. Departments are asked to look at the functions the body carries out; to assess whether they are still needed; and to decide whether the current arrangements provide the best way of carrying them out.

  The SBREC has carried out its functions well, and I am very grateful to its past and present chairman and members, who have given valuable service to the industry over the years. Although the committee has no statutory basis, its work is linked to certain statutory arrangements which date back to 1938 and require my Department to be closely involved with the research programme. I believe there is no need for the Government to be so closely involved in these arrangements, but that there is a case for industry-funded research and education to continue, and that it would be more appropriate, if the industry agrees, for these to be under the aegis of a development council for sugar beet. My Department is therefore consulting interested parties on a proposal to establish such a council to take on the functions currently undertaken by the SBREC.

  In deciding whether to establish a development council, Ministers have to follow the procedures in the Industrial Organisation and Development Act 1947. In particular, they need to be satisfied that its establishment is desired by a substantial number of persons engaged in the industry.

  Cattle Cull
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 15 January 1998,Official Report, column 294, in what circumstances firms would be permitted to contract privately with farmers to incinerate over thirty month cattle carcases without reference to the Intervention Board executive agency. [26246]

  Mr. Rooker
  Compensation for farmers disposing of cattle over thirty months old, apart from those suspected of having BSE for which separate arrangements apply, is available only through the over-30-months scheme run by the Intervention Board. Incineration of OTMS carcases is permissible only under the control and supervision of the board at premises contracted for the purpose.

  The Intervention Board has terminated the restricted stage of its tender as far as the incineration only element is concerned so that it can pursue options more likely to meet its large scale disposal requirements. However, it will continue to contract, as and when the need arises, with incinerator operators who have properly authorised
  350
  and licensed facilities for the disposal of carcases of animals slaughtered on farm and offered to the scheme as casualties, usually via the helpline run for the board by the Licensed Animal Slaughterers and Salvage Association.

  Mink Farming
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to set a date for the prohibition of the farming of mink for their fur. [26278]

  Mr. Morley
  The Government remain committed to implementing their pre-election pledge to prohibit fur farming as soon as practicable. Last year, I reviewed the various options available to achieve this objective and a public consultation letter seeking comments on the way I proposed to proceed was issued on 5 August 1997. I am currently considering how the intention to prohibit fur farming can best be implemented and an announcement will be made as soon as possible. There will be public consultation on any proposals for legislation to ban fur farming.

  Beef Imports
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by weight the countries from which beef has been imported into the United Kingdom since 1 January. [25677]

  Mr. Rooker
  Official overseas trade statistics on the quantities and country of origin of beef imported into the United Kingdom are available only for complete calender months. Statistics for January 1998 are not yet available.

  Imported Meat
  Charlotte Atkins
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what tests are carried out on imported meat to ensure that substances banned for use on United Kingdom meat are identified. [25043]

  Mr. Rooker
  Member states are required to test meat for a wide range of veterinary drugs, including banned substances and are responsible for implementing and policing the relevant directives in respect of their own national production. Veterinary experts from the Commission may make on-the-spot checks to ensure that they are being uniformly applied in all member states.

  Any third country wishing to export fresh meat to the European Union must submit residue testing plans to the Commission. These describe the residue testing programme to be undertaken in respect of their meat production and must provide guarantees which are at least equivalent to the requirements of the Community on EC producers in respect of the banned substances.

  Any third country which permits the use of growth promoting hormones, banned in the European community since 1988, is required to guarantee that no animals and no meat coming from animals to which they have been administered will be exported to the Community. Imports must be certified accordingly, and Commission inspectors verify compliance with all the requirements when they carry out periodic checks on third-country slaughterhouses authorised to produce meat for export to the Community.
  351
  Port health authorities, or local authorities in their absence, are responsible under directive 90/675/EEC for checking 1 per cent. of all imported meat and meat products for residues of veterinary medicines and the banned substances.

  Charlotte Atkins
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what checks have been carried out on imported beef and sheep meat to ensure it meets United Kingdom health standards since 1 January; how much imported meat has been denied access; and what was its origin. [25041]

  Mr. Rooker
  All consignments of animal products imported directly into the United Kingdom from outside the European Union are subject to checks at designated border inspection posts, including checks on the certification requirements on specified risk materials introduced under the Specified Risk Materials Order 1997. Single market rules only permit random spot checks at destination on animal products traded within the Community. Consistent with those rules, a daily sample of randomly selected consignments fro EU member states are subject to documentary checks by Ministry officials for conformity with the new unilateral controls relating to specified risk material.

  Data on the number, type and results of veterinary checks on beef consignments at border inspection posts, most of which are operated by local authorities, and the number of outcome of the random documentary spot-checks on beef consignments arriving from or via other EU member states are being collated on a monthly basis from 1 January 1998, the date when the Specified Risk Materials Order came into force. No data are yet available. They will be published in the Ministry's BSE enforcement bulletin which is placed in the Library of the House.

  Bull Calves (Identity Tags)
  Charlotte Atkins
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present backlog on the production of secondary yellow plastic tags for bull calves; and what is the deadline set by the Intervention Board for acceptance of bull calves wearing only one identity tag. [25042]

  Mr. Rooker
  Information from eartag manufacturers suggest that supply is likely to take around six weeks. Because of the supply difficulties, the Intervention Board has not currently set a deadline for acceptance of bull calves wearing only one identity tag.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Environmental Implications
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the President of the Council what mechanisms have been established since 1 May to ensure that the environmental implications of new legislation are considered before being presented to Parliament. [25909]

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  The Government are committed to integrating environmental considerations into decision-making at all levels across Government. Thus the policy on which any new legislation is based takes into 352
  account environmental considerations. Proposals for new legislation have to include details of significant costs or benefits to the environment. Since 1 May 1997, the Government have set up a Cabinet Committee on the Environment, a network of Green Ministers and a Sustainable Development Unit within the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The House has also agreed to the Government's proposal to establish a select committee on Environmental Audit, which met for the first time on 25 November 1997.

HEALTH

  Republic of Ireland Patients
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients from the Republic of Ireland had operations in the United Kingdom paid for by the Irish Department of Health in each of the last three years; and how many of these were transplant operations. [22538]

  Ms Jowell
  Under European Community Social Security Regulations 1408/71 and 574/72 there were 263 (1994), 225 (1995) and 199 (1996) patient referrals to National Health Service hospitals in England, Scotland and Wales, from the Republic of Ireland.

  The Republic of Ireland participates in the same organ sharing scheme as the United Kingdom. Data from the UK Transplant Support Service Authority show there were 3 (1994), 8 (1995) and 17 (1996) residents of the Republic of Ireland who had solid organ transplants carried out in hospitals in the UK.

  Information from the Hospital Episode Statistics for England shows there were 204 (1993–94), 218 (1994–95) and 216 (1995–96) finished consultant episodes, in which an operation or procedure was recorded and where the patient's address was shown to be within the Irish Republic. These figures include patients who paid privately for their treatment in NHS hospitals. Information about residents of the Irish Republic who had operations carried out in NHS hospitals in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland would be for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland.

  Cosmetic Surgery
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cosmetic surgery operations performed on the NHS were to rectify damage resulting from cosmetic surgery procedures performed by the private sector in the last year for which figures are available. [23006]

  Mr. Milburn
  We do not hold data centrally. A survey carried out in 1995 by the British Association of Plastic Surgeons concluded that there were only a very small number of occasions when National Health Service hospitals had to deal with patients presenting with complications arising from private cosmetic surgery.

  NHS Boards
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the names of(a) new and (b) existing members of (i) Tees Health, (ii) South Tees Acute Hospital NHS

  353
  Trust, (iii) Cleveland Ambulance NHS Trust and (iv) South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust, stating their terms of office in each case. [24515]

  Mr. Milburn
  The current non-executive board members of the different bodies and their terms of office are as follows:

  Position

  Name

  From

  To

  Tees Health Authority:

  Chairman

  Thomas O'Connor

  1 April 1996

  31 March 1998

  Member

  Mark Roy Williamson

  1 April 1996

  31 March 1998

  Member

  Graham Prest

  1 April 1996

  31 March 1998

  Member

  Kathleen Taylor

  1 April 1996

  31 March 2000

  Member

  Helen Pickering

  1 April 1996

  31 March 2000

  Member

  Ann O'Hanlon

  1 April 1996

  31 March 2000

  Cleveland: Ambulance National Health Service Trust:

  Chairman

  Alistair Thomson

  1 December 1996

  31 October 1998

  Director

  Susan Bush

  1 December 1994

  30 November 1998

  Director

  Terry Weastell

  1 December 1994

  30 November 1998

  Director

  Elizabeth O'Donnell

  1 December 1997

  30 November 2001

  Director

  Kenneth Hall

  1 December 1997

  30 November 2001

  South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust:

  Chairman

  Robert Murray

  1 November 1996

  31 October 1998

  Director

  Elizabeth Hutchison

  1 November 1996

  31 October 2000

  Director

  Eleanor Young

  1 November 1996

  31 October 2000

  Director

  Geoffrey Crispin

  1 November 1996

  31 October 2000

  Director

  David Becker

  24 November 1997

  31 October 2000

  Director

  Michael John Carr

  24 November 1997

  31 October 2001

  South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust:

  Chairman

  John Robert Foster

  16 December 1997

  30 November 2001

  Director

  Sheila Argument

  16 December 1997

  30 November 2001

  Director

  Dorothy Sigsworth

  16 December 1997

  30 November 2001

  There are currently three vacancies for non-executive directors at the South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust which will be filled as soon as possible.

  Funding (Leeds)
  Mr. Truswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional funding, above that planned by the previous Government, the Government have allocated to Leeds Health Authority for the years 1997–98 and 1998–99. [25027]

  Mr. Milburn
  For 1997–98 we have allocated £3.1 million winter pressure moneys and an additional £145,000 for breast cancer services to the Leeds Health Authority over the allocation made by the previous administration.

  The increase in funding for 1998–99 of £1 billion for the National Health Service in England more than doubles the increase planned by the previous Government. Leeds HA were allocated £339.9 million. This represents an increase of £15.9 million (£4.90 per cent). This is above the England average increase of 4.70 per cent.

  GPs (Pharmaceutical Dispensing)
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on differences in practice between(a) England and Wales and (b) Scotland in respect of the capacity of general practitioners to dispense pharmaceuticals directly to their patients; and if he will assess the advantages of adopting the Scottish regime in England and Wales. [25441]
  354
  Mr. Milburn
  Pharmaceutical services are provided to patients in both England and Wales and in Scotland mainly by pharmacists. However, general medical practitioners in all three countries may dispense medicines to patients who would otherwise have difficult access to them. In England and Wales patients must be resident in a designated rural area more than one mile from a community pharmacy, otherwise they must satisfy the health authority that they would have serious difficulty obtaining medicines. In Scotland, Health Boards instruct doctors to provide such services where they conclude that patients would not have access to a pharmacy. It is not clear that the Scottish system offers any major advantages over that operating in England and Wales.

  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the use of regulations providing for general practitioners to dispense drugs directly in rural areas, by practices in market towns to dispense to patients in surrounding villages. [25811]

  Mr. Milburn
  The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1992 allow dispensing doctors to dispense to patients living more than a mile from the nearest pharmacy, within a controlled locality (designated by the health authority). We have received a number of representations from pharmacists about doctors dispensing medicines to patients in outlying areas from a surgery located in a market town or adjacent to a community pharmacy.

  Hospital Consultants (Distinction Awards)
  Dr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of non-white hospital consultants who receive distinction awards; [25406]

  (2) if he will make a statement on the criteria used to decide which hospital consultants receive distinction awards. [25326]

  Mr. Milburn
  Officials have recently had discussions with the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) regarding the disparity in the numbers of awards granted to consultants from ethnic minorities. A number of measures are being introduced in the 1998 awards round to secure better data, monitoring of outcomes, and representation of ethnic minority consultants on awards committees. Some changes to the criteria for awards were also suggested by the CRE, and accepted for implementation in the 1998 awards round. The revised criteria are set out in the published Guide to the NHS Consultants' Distinction Awards Scheme, copies of which are available in the Library. These measures have been welcomed by the CRE. We are considering what further action might be taken to assist in addressing this issue.

  NHS Staff
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the ratio of women to men among(a) medical students, (b) house officers, (c) senior house officers, (d) registrars, (e) senior registrars, (f) consultants, (g) full-time general practitioners and (h) part-time general practitioners in the NHS. [25527]
  355
  Mr. Milburn
  The latest available information is shown in the table:

  Male

  Female

  Ratio Male : Female

  (a) Medical Student

  11,330

  11,540

  1.0 : 1

  (b) House Officer

  1,670

  1,550

  1.1 : 1

  (c) Senior House Officer

  8,160

  5,620

  1.5 : 1

  (d) Registrar

  3,520

  1,680

  2.1 : 1

  (e) Senior/Specialist Registrar

  3,770

  1,870

  2.0 : 1

  (f) Consultant

  15,520

  3,750

  4.1 : 1

  (g)full-time GPs

  18,710

  5,990

  3.0 : 1

  (h) part-time GPs

  1,120

  3,130

  0.4 : 1

  Notes:

  All figures are rounded to the nearest ten.

  Ratios are calculated on unrounded figures.

  (a) Undergraduate Medical students studying in 1995–96.

  Data source: Higher Education Statistics Agency.

  (b) to (f) Hospital medical staff in England by grade as at 30 September 1996.

  Data source: Department of Health's Medical and Dental Census.

  (g) to (h) These figures exclude 175 London Initiative Zone (LIZ) assistants for which commitments are unavailable.

  Data source: Department of Health General Medical Services Census 1 October 1996.

  Health Screening (Men)
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for health screening for men, with particular reference to high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and prostate cancer. [25520]

  Ms Jowell
  The National Screening Committee, chaired by the Chief Medical Officer, advises the Government about implementing national population screening programmes and reviewing the effectiveness of new and existing population screening programmes in the light of emerging evidence. After taking its advice, we decided that the National Health Service should not routinely offer screening for prostate cancer as the risks outweigh the benefits.

  The National Screening Committee will be considering a number of new research studies this year, and it is likely these will include one about selective screening for stroke and the treatment of high blood pressure.

  We are aware that, compared to women, men are often reluctant to use health care services. Our aim is to increase awareness amongst men of the health and lifestyle factors that can affect their health and encourage them to access medical services.

  Long-term Care
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the yearly cost to the NHS in(a) England and (b) Great Britain of meeting the nursing costs of long-term care. [25914]

  Mr. Milburn
  We have made no separate assessment centrally of the nursing costs of long term care in England. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales, for Scotland and for Northern Ireland will reply on behalf of their respective parts of Great Britain. As part of our evidence to the Royal Commission we have identified this issue for their consideration on the funding of long term care.

  Sustainable Development
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. [25901]

  Mr. Milburn
  The Comprehensive Spending Review in the Department is considering how best to contribute to all the Government's commitments and objectives including the promotion of sustainable development.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Official Functions
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what occasions she has held official receptions in her Admiralty flat; and at what cost to public funds. [23707]

  Mrs. Beckett
  Since May 1997 I have held official receptions at my Admiralty House Flat for the General Council of the TUC, the President's Council of the CBI and other businessmen, and regional businesses at a cost of some £3,350.

  Official Engagements
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list,(a) the official engagements undertaken by the Minister with responsibility for small and medium businesses between 1 December 1997 and 15 January 1998 and (b) the number of days she has been in the Department between 1 December 1997 and 12 January 1998. [24375]

  Mrs. Roche
  [holding answer 20 January 1998]: During the period in question I undertook an extensive programme of official engagements.

  Nuclear Waste (Reprocessing)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of spent nuclear fuel, from which(a) countries and (b) utilities, is stockpiled at Sellafield awaiting reprocessing; and what information she has received from British Nuclear Fuels in regard to when it will be reprocessed. [25062]

  Mr. Battle
  The Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (Thorp) has a total of 7,000 tonnes of fuel to be reprocessed during the Baseload (first ten year) period. I understand that, as at end of 1996–97, there were over 6,000 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel awaiting reprocessing at Thorp and approximately 550 tonnes of spent magnox fuel, awaiting reprocessing at the magnox reprocessing plant. This fuel is owned by utilities in the United Kingdom and in overseas countries, including Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. Decisions relating to the timing of reprocessing of the contracted quantities of spent nuclear fuel owned by individual utilities are an operational matter for BNFL.

  Nuclear Reactors
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the occasions since 1980 when nuclear reactors have been shut down for safety reasons,
  357
  indicating in each case the date of shut down, the reason for the shut down and the date on which power generation recommenced. [24775]

  Mr. Battle
  [holding answer 22 January 1998]: Information on the occasions since 1980 when civil nuclear reactors have been shut down for safety reasons, their dates and reasons for shut down and the dates when power generation recommenced is not recorded centrally. To provide the information requested for 35 currently operating civil power reactors in England and Wales and Scotland and nine which are now under-going decommissioning over a 18 year period could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  In addition to outages ie. a shutdown for re-fuelling, maintenance and repair on a schedule agreed by the regulator—the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII)—there are other occasions when reactors have to shut down ("trip"). The substantial in-built redundancy of safety systems at all nuclear generating sites ensure a trip if there is a fault in one of the many back-up systems on the reactor. Also, a significant proportion of the trips are not related to the safety of the reactor, but to failure in the ancillary equipment for example turbines or National Grid transmission faults.

  However, any incidents of significance or potential significance for the health and safety of the workforce or the public at all UK civil nuclear installations, including nuclear electricity generating sites, are reported in the Health and Safety Executive's "Quarterly Statement of Incidents at Nuclear Installations" published since 1976. Copies of the most recent statements are available in the Library of the House. I am asking HSE to ensure copies of all statements, dating back to 1976, are placed there.

  In addition, civil nuclear operators are also required by their nuclear site licence conditions to keep records of all incidents, events and other deviations from normal operations, thee are reviewed carefully by the NII. Since 1987, details of all such incidents have also been published in site newsletters, copies of which are circulated to Local Members of Parliament, Local Liaison Committees, the local media and to the Library of the House.

  Political Advisers (Support Staff)
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many secretarial and support staff work full-time in support of his political advisers. [25188]

  Mrs. Beckett
  [holding answer 23 January 1998]: Two.

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many overseas visits have been made by her Department's political advisers at public expense since 1 May. [25164]

  Mrs. Beckett
  [holding answer 23 January 1998]: Six.

  Dietary Supplements
  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she received the letter dated 22 December 1997 from two United States of America senators concerning the relationship between MAFF's proposed universal ban 358
  on the general sales of dietary supplements containing more than 10 mg of vitamin B6 and international agreements; what consultations she had with other Government Departments; and what reply she plans to make. [25618]

  Mr. Battle
  The letter was received on 16 January: a reply will be sent shortly. The proposed controls on the level of vitamin B6 in dietary supplements sold under food law are being formulated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in consultation with other interested Government Departments. They are based on recommendations made by two UK committees of independent experts following a review of the scientific data on the safety of vitamin B6: MAFF will be issuing a consultation paper on their proposals in the near future. Measures designed to protect human health are permitted under EC and international trade rules.

  Gas Industry
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations she has received on selling techniques within the gas industry. [25802]

  Mr. Battle
  My Department has received a number of representations from consumers and companies operating in the gas industry. I welcome the introduction of a new gas suppliers' licence condition, expected to come into force this week, which will enhance consumer protection in this area.

  National Scientific Achievements
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the action taken by the Minister for Science, Energy and Industry to ensure that the Treasury takes full account of national scientific achievements in determining the level of support for the scientific base. [25606]

  Mr. Battle
  The future level of support for the Science and Engineering Base will be determined through the Comprehensive Spending Review. This review is taking full account both of the nation's past scientific achievements and our future capability for supporting research of world class standing.

  Foreign Shareholder Limits
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if she will make a statement on the linkage between recent applications made by Rolls-Royce and British Aerospace for launch aid and the outstanding decision on the foreign shareholder limits as they affect these two companies; [25666]

  (2) what assessment she has made of the impact on British Aerospace and Rolls-Royce of the restrictions placed on potential overseas investors by the present foreign shareholder limits; and when she expects to be able to announce her decisions on the adjustment of those limits; [25497]

  (3) when she received representations from British Aerospace and Rolls-Royce about changes to foreign shareholder limits; what requirements have still to be met before she is able to make a decision on this matter; and when an announcement will be made; [25496]
  359
  (4) from which Government Departments she is awaiting views on the proposals relating to foreign shareholder limits affecting British Aerospace and Rolls-Royce. [25495]

  Mr. Battle
  [holding answer 27 January 1998]: I received a request from British Aerospace and Rolls-Royce last July for the Government's consent to certain changes to the companies' articles of association. These proposals are being considered carefully by the relevant Government Departments, and this has included an assessment of the present foreign shareholder limits on the activities of those companies. I hope that the Government will be able to respond to this request relatively soon.

  Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she will reply to the letter of 5 January from the hon. Member for Buckingham regarding the sale of the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe's BP shareholding. [25824]

  Mrs. Beckett
  [holding answer 27 January 1998]: I replied on 27 January, having been overseas from 10 until 21 January.

  Emergency Telephone Calls
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what measures she is taking to improve the percentage of emergency calls answered by electricity companies; [26239]

  (2) if she will list the regulations which govern the answer of emergency telephone calls by electricity companies. [26238]

  Mr. Battle
  Under Condition 9A of the new Public Electricity Supply Licence, the Licensee shall establish and operate an inquiry service for use by any person for the purpose of receiving reports and offering information, guidance or advice about any matter or incident that causes danger or requires attention or affects the maintenance of the security, availability and quality of service of the licensee's Distribution System.

  The inquiry service shall ensure that all reports and enquiries are processed in a prompt and efficient manner and be available to receive and process telephone reports and inquiries at all times on every day of each year and be operational no later than 31 March 1998.

  OFFER is currently looking at the steps taken by the Public Electricity Suppliers (PES) to deal with the aftermath of the recent storms. The investigation includes the difficulties that customers experienced when trying to contact the PES to report loss of supply and obtain information about likely restoration times, and see what lessons can be learned. I have asked to see their conclusions.

  Electricity Cables
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will introduce measures to require the annual inspection of electricity cables. [26240]
  360
  Mr. Battle
  Inspections of a sample of electric lines and plant belonging to each Public Electricity Supplier are carried out annually under the provisions of section 30(2)(a) of the Electricity Act 1989 by the Department's Engineering Inspectorate.

  The last annual inspection of electric lines and plant belonging to NORWEB plc took place in the Bolton/Wigan/Skelmersdale area on 26 and 27 August 1997.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will introduce legislation to penalise electricity companies that fail to repair damaged cables within 24 hours. [26241]

  Mr. Battle
  Under Sections 39 and 40 of the Electricity Act 1989 the Director General of Electricity Supply has powers to set standards of performance in connection with the provision of electricity supply services by public electricity suppliers to tariff customers in individual cases and standards of overall performance by public electricity suppliers. He has used these powers to introduce in July 1991 Guaranteed Standards of Performance which cover a wide range of services, including one on restoring electricity supplies after faults. These Standards were revised in 1993 and 1995. Currently the Guaranteed Standard of Performance for restoring electricity supplies after faults lays down that customers are entitled to claim a payment if the electricity supply is not restored within 24 hours of a fault being reported. The payment is £40 for domestic customers and £100 for non-domestic customers for the first 24 hours and a further £20 for every additional 12 hour period during which the supply remains off. Customers are required to submit a claim in writing. The Director is currently consulting on a number of further changes which could lead to increased payments.

  Football World Cup
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the position under European competition law of the ticket allocation system for the 1998 Football World Cup; and if she will make a statement. [26265]

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  The investigatory body for European competition cases is the Competition Directorate of the European Commission (DGIV), which has the powers to gather the information necessary to assess a particular case, and to terminate infringements. It is to open parties which claim a legitimate interest in an alleged breach of the rules to make a formal complaint to the Commission. In addition DGIV, on being made aware of an alleged breach, may launch an investigation at its own initiative.

  Press Conferences
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list those who are allowed to attend her Department's press conferences. [25825]

  Mrs. Beckett
  [holding answer 28 January 1998]: It is the normal practice to invite only the media to DTI press conferences.

  Gas and Electricity Deregulation
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps she has taken to ensure that the deadline for the introduction of a competitive market in domestic electricity supply of 1 April is met. [24324]

  Mr. Battle
  [holding answer 21 January 1998]: This Government have made clear their full commitment to the successful delivery of supply competition in electricity. I have sought and obtained three reports from the Director General of Electricity Supply on the programme's progress and held meetings with industry chief executives. As a result companies are now committed having spent resources to ensuring that competition is a success and have agreed to licence modifications binding them to deliver their parts of their programme.

  The Director General has now reported that market opening should commence in the middle of September 1998. However customers will benefit not only from the new price controls which are due to come into effect on 1 April 1998 but also from penalties which will take effect from the end of April.

  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the level of commercial losses to private sector firms arising from the delay in implementation of electricity deregulation; and if they will be compensated. [26181]

  Mr. Battle
  None. Customers including commercial customers will benefit from new price controls to take effect from 1 April 1998 and from penalties which the public electricity suppliers will incur after the end of that month.

  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she intends to implement simultaneous and reciprocal deregulation of domestic gas and electricity supplies; and if she will make a statement. [26180]

  April to June 1997

  July to September 1997

  Prison

  Tests done

  Opiate positive

  Cannabis positive

  Tests done

  Opiate positive

  Cannabis positive

  Aberdeen

  64

  13

  19

  60

  4

  22

  Barlinnie

  376

  44

  30

  368

  39

  26

  Cornton Vale

  46

  3

  1

  49

  4

  2

  Edinburgh

  226

  30

  91

  222

  22

  62

  Glenochil

  125

  30

  30

  125

  26

  12

  Glenochil YOI

  49

  1

  4

  50

  0

  4

  Low Moss

  117

  13

  23

  106

  14

  25

  Perth

  135

  19

  45

  140

  17

  49

  Polmont

  153

  10

  39

  146

  3

  33

  These figures include prisoners who tested positive for both opiates and cannabis in the one test.

  Nutrition Standards
  Mr. Sarwar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans the Government have for improving nutrition standards in Scotland. [25642]

  Mr. Galbraith
  "Eating for Health: A Diet Action Plan for Scotland" was published in July 1996. The Plan, which covers a 10 year period, makes 71 recommendations for action by those interests who most influence our diet—from those who produce, manufacture and retail food and food products through to central and
  362
  Mr. Battle
  The proposed timetables for the deregulation of domestic gas and electricity supply markets have been published by OFGAS and OFFER respectively.

  Anti-competitive Practices
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the impact of the Competition Bill[Lords] on the examination of anti-competitive practices within the newspaper industry. [24433]

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  The Competition Bill introduces general prohibitions against anti-competitive agreements and abuses of market dominance. These prohibitions will apply to the newspaper industry as to other sectors of the economy. Under the Bill it is the responsibility of the Director General of Fair Trading, the Competition Commission, and ultimately the courts, to examine whether particular behaviour is caught by the prohibitions. The purpose of the Bill is to set in place a new framework of law against which the competition effects of individual cases may be assessed by these bodies.

SCOTLAND

  Prisoners (Drug Testing)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the results of random mandatory drug testing of prisoners for April to June 1997 and July to September 1997, showing for each establishment the number of tests done, the number of prisoners testing positive for opiates and the number of prisoners testing positive for cannabis for the nine Scottish prisons at which willing anonymous salivary HIV/Hepatitis B surveillance studies were conducted during 1991 to 96. [25054]

  Mr.McLeish
  The information is as follows:

  local Government. Implementation of the Plan is now being taken forward in the Government's drive to improve Scotland's diet.

  Long-term Care
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the yearly cost to the NHS of meeting the nursing costs of long-term care. [25913]

  Mr. Galbraith
  The cost to the NHS in Scotland of nursing people in long-term care was £286.6 million in 1996–97.

  Medical Records
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received on extending patients' rights of access to medical records held by hospitals and general practitioners. [25678]

  Mr. Galbraith
  The Scottish Office Department of Health receives many inquiries from patients about rights of access under the provisions of the Access to Health Records Act 1990.

  It is not possible to distinguish those which are concerned with extending rights of access, since a clear explanation of current rights usually satisfies the correspondent.

  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the rights of patients to gain access to medical records held by hospitals and general practitioners. [25679]

  Mr. Galbraith
  Under the provisions of the Access to Health Records Act 1990 individuals have the right to access personal health information in health records kept on manual files recorded after November 1991. The 1990 Act does not prevent access to records made before 1991 but it is for the relevant health professional to decide to allow access on an informal, voluntary basis. The Data Protection Act 1984 gives an individual the right of access to personal information in health records which are held on computer. With both of these Acts access can be denied or restricted only in certain specified circumstances such as where access to the information may cause serious physical or mental harm to the individual.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  EU Development and Assistance Programme
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take action during the United Kingdom Presidency to ensure that the EU development assistance programme procedures include full consultation with and participation of those involved throughout the project cycle. [25887]

  Clare Short
  Stakeholder participation and involvement in the planning and implementation of programmes is central to sustainable development. The European Commission's own internal project cycle management guidance stresses the importance of adequate stakeholder consultation and involvement in the project cycle, but continuing efforts are required to ensure this is always fully reflected in the design and implementation of projects and programmes. During the UK Presidency, we will continue to promote the greater use and development of adequate stakeholder participation through dialogue with Commission officials in Brussels and in delegations, and through our participation in the Commissions Management Committees. We have also seconded a Social Development adviser to work in the Commission to use his expertise to assist the Commission in this area.

  Cameroon
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will commission during the United Kingdom Presidency an environmental and social impact assessment of the EC decision to fund the upgrading of roads in the rainforests of Cameroon. [25886]

  Clare Short
  The EC will be assessing the environmental and social aspects of the proposed road maintenance project as part of its standard project preparation procedures. The project will be considered by the European Development Fund Committee on which my Departments sits. There are no plans to commission a separate assessment.

  Non-career Civil Servants
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to her Department since 1 May 1997. [25851]

  Clare Short
  The number of people appointed to the Department for International Development on fixed term contracts or as casuals since 1 May 1997 is 88.

  Civil Service Staff
  Mr. Rhodri Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of Civil Service staff of grade 5 and above within her Department(a) have spent their entire civil service career within her Department or its predecessor Departments, (b) have had secondments to (i) the private sector and (ii) other Departments and (c) have come from other Departments. [26038]

  Clare Short
  Of the 52 Senior Civil Service staff currently employed by DFID:

  (a) Approximately 10 per cent. have spent their entire civil service career within the Department;

  (b)

  (i) approximately 8 per cent. have had secondments to the private sector;

  (ii) over 70 per cent. to other Government Departments or institutions;

  and

  (c) over 30 per cent. joined DFID from other Departments.

  Non-governmental Organisations
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many projects funded under the UK aid programme are administered by non-governmental organisations. [23781]

  Clare Short
  About 1,800 UK NGO development projects are funded through the Joint Funding Scheme. A list giving details of these projects by country is available in the Library.

  Indonesia
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on assistance given by her Department to Indonesia. [23780]

  Clare Short
  I refer the hon. Member to my answer given to the right hon. Member for Eddisbury (Sir A. Goodlad) on 21 January 1998,Official Report, columns 560–61.

  Kenya
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what training has been provided to the Kenyan military, security and police units in riot control or internal security; and which private companies have been licensed to provide such training in the last three years. [25130]

  Clare Short
  A project to provide training from UK development assistance to the Kenyan Police was approved in 1995. The project has funded the training of trainers and helped to develop the syllabus for a Senior Command Course which is being delivered by Kenyan police trainers in Kenya. The syllabus includes a section on the management of civil disturbances based on the philosophy of minimum force and the rule of law. The first course was evaluated by an independent consultant in September 1997. Course participants were invited to submit recommendations to the Commissioner of Police following the course. A key theme identified by the trainees was the need to change from a police 'force' to a police 'service'. This was reinforced by recommendations for the wider introduction of community policing and a less confrontational approach to the management of civil disturbances.

  In 1996, as part of the International Commanders Programme, three Kenyan Police Officers attended the Hounslow training centre for half a day to observe UK training methods in public order management. The objective was for the overseas officers to observe how the police response in this country is governed by the principles of minimum use of force within the context of policing by consent. This visit was complemented by a presentation by Bramshill Police Training College on the UK's approach to conflict resolution by peaceful means.

  In 1997, an Assistant Commissioner of Police from Kenya attended the Strategic Command Course at Bramshill. This course focuses on the strategic management and leadership of a police service including a component dealing with the management of public order and civil disasters.

  No training in riot control or internal security has been provided under development assistance to the Kenyan military or security units. No new financial commitments for police training in Kenya have been made under the development assistance programme since 1 May 1997.

  International Development Association
  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps have been taken to lift the procurement restrictions placed on the International Development Association Interim Trust Fund following the US Administration's clearance of their arrears to the tenth replenishment of the IDA. [26916]
  366
  Clare Short
  Under the arrangements agreed by the International Development Association (IDA) Deputies in February 1997, it was agreed that the use of uncommitted resources of SDR700 million ($1 billion) under the Interim Trust Fund would be determined following consideration of decisions by the United States authorities on the payment of the amount needed to clear the United States' arrears to the IDA tenth replenishment, and the first tranche of its pledge to the IDA eleventh replenishment.

  The United States Foreign Appropriations Act, which became law on 26 November 1997, provides $1,034.5 million for IDA to clear IDA-10 arrears and for the first tranche of IDA-11 contributions. IDA Executive Directors therefore approved, on 23 December 1997, a recommendation from the World Bank's President to amend the Resolution establishing the Interim Trust Fund to lift the procurement restrictions against SDR700 million ($1 billion) of uncommitted ITF funds. Any credits funded from the SDR700 million will now be open to procurement from countries with the IDA contributors (including the US) and eligible borrowers.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  New Deal Pathfinders
  Mr. Hutton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the progress of the new deal pathfinder in Barrow and Furness. [24200]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  It is, of course, early days for this ambitious undertaking, but I am encouraged by the impressive start to New Deal Pathfinders including the one in Cumbria. In the first three weeks, 3,000 young people have had Gateway interviews including 166 in Cumbria. The response from young people and employers alike has been extremely positive and over 440 employer agreements have been signed in the Pathfinder Districts.

  Mr. Rammell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of the New Deal in Pathfinder areas. [24216]

  Mr. Blunkett
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr. Dawson).

  Ms Atherton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what stage preparations have reached for the private sector-led New Deal Pathfinder areas. [24187]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Private sector lead organisations have been selected for each area. Detailed delivery arrangements are now being developed in discussion with local partners, including the Employment Service. New Deal delivery will commence shortly in both of the localities involved.

  Learning Disabilities
  Mr. Rhodri Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps will be taken to ensure that young people with learning disabilities will be able to take advantage of the New Deal. [24201]

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  We are committed to ensuring that the New Deal meets the individual needs of all young people including those with learning and other disabilities. They are eligible for early entry, specialist help through tailored Gateway provision and support throughout the New Deal option of their choice.

  Young Unemployed
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assistance New Deal participants aged over 25 years and unemployed for more than two years will receive during the period before their six month placement begins. [24202]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  My right hon. Friend and I are currently considering arrangements to ensure that long term unemployed people receive help to prepare for the New Deal. We will announce details as soon as possible.

  Dr. Brand
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people aged between 18 and 24 years and unemployed for over six months, will benefit from the new deal. [24203]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  It is not possible to provide precise estimates of the total numbers of young people who will require help from the New Deal. We will offer help to every 18 to 24-year-old who becomes eligible for the New Deal, and sufficient places will be available to meet this commitment. In October 1997, just over 120,000 18 to 24-year-olds had been claimant unemployed for six months or more; every month about 15,000 to 20,000 young people reach six months' unemployment.

  Grammar Schools
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if consultations about grammar school status will include those parts of the schools catchment area outside the education authority area. [24204]

  Mr. Byers
  Under the School Standards and Framework Bill, the detail of the mechanisms for ballots on the future admission arrangements of grammar schools, including which parents will be eligible to vote in any ballot, are to be set out in regulations which we will be preparing later this year.

  Literacy and Numeracy
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what support he will give local authorities to meet literacy targets. [24205]

  Ms Stuart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what support he will give to local authorities to meet literacy targets. [24214]
  368
  Mr. Byers
  Local Education Authorities have already been advised of the level of expenditure which has been approved in the Standards Fund for 1998–99 to support the implementation of the National Literacy Strategy. The level of support across LEAs totals £59 million for all literacy-connected grants.

  In addition we have appointed Regional Directors to work with LEAs, and are funding the development of distance leaning materials to support teachers professional development.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he plans to take to ensure that newly qualified teachers are properly trained in literacy and numeracy. [24207]

  Mr. Byers
  From this September all primary trainees, on all courses of Initial Teacher Training (ITT), must follow a core national training curriculum in English and mathematics. The curriculum specifies the essential core of knowledge, understanding and skills which all trainees must be taught in relation to primary English and mathematics.

  We have also asked the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) to develop a national training curriculum in ITT for secondary English and mathematics. The TTA will shortly be undertaking a widespread consultation on these documents.

  Truancy
  Mr. Bradshaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures he is taking to tackle truancy in schools. [24208]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  I refer my hon. Friend to oral answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Dr. Stoate).

  Tertiary Education Funding
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the impact of proposed changes in funding for tertiary education on students from outside the United Kingdom attending United Kingdom establishments. [24209]

  Dr. Howells
  Overseas students from outside the European Union generally pay the full cost of their tuition and will be unaffected by the proposed new arrangements for the payment of tuition fees. Students from other EU countries will continue to be treated on the same basis as home students as far as fees are concerned.

  Class Sizes (Macclesfield)
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the average class sizes of(a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in the Macclesfield constituency. [24210]
  369
  Mr. Byers
  In January 1997 the average class size of primary schools in the Macclesfield constituency was 207.9; the corresponding figure for secondary schools was 21.0.

  National Year of Reading
  Ms Moran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on his objectives for the National Year of Reading; and if he will make a statement. [24212]

  Mr. Byers
  The National Year of Reading starts in September 1998. The aim of the Year is to transform the nations' s attitude to reading. The Secretary of State today launched the logo for the year and guidance on the planning of local activities around the country. Tomorrow I will host a National Year of Reading conference involving local authorities, major publishers and booksellers, librarians, the media, special needs groups and literacy organisations.

  Scottish Devolution
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what discussions he has had with the Scottish Office on the impact of the Government's devolution proposals on the higher education sector. [24213]

  Dr. Howells
  Officials of the Department are in regular touch with their colleagues in the Scottish Office on a wide range of matters, including the implications of the Government's devolution proposals for the higher education sector.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Edward Davey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to allow students involved with non-graduate performing arts courses to have access to student loans. [24217]

  Dr. Howells
  The Department for Education and Employment is currently working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to develop funding arrangements for talented dance and drama students from autumn 1999. All options for funding will be considered as part of that process.

  Long-term Unemployed
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his estimate of the number of the New Deal places; and what percentage he estimates will be available to the long-term unemployed. [24218]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  It is not possible to provide precise estimates of the numbers of young people aged 18 to 24 or the numbers of long-term unemployed people aged 25 and above who will benefit from the New Deal. We will offer help to everyone who becomes eligible for the New Deal. We will announce detailed arrangements for long-term unemployed people aged 25 and over as soon as possible.

  Tuition Fees
  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if students who decided to defer entry to university to 1998, by notifying the institution itself and not UCAS prior to 1 August 1997, will have to pay tuition fees in 1998. [24211]

  Dr. Howells
  The gap year exemption scheme will apply to all students who made the necessary deferment arrangements on or before 1 August 1997, irrespective of whether they made them through UCAS or direct with the institution.

  Class Sizes
  Mr. Truswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on progress to date on achieving maximum class sizes of 30 for five to seven-year-olds; and what steps will be taken over the next six months. [25026]

  Mr. Byers
  The Government are on course to deliver its class size pledge to the electorate by the end of this Parliament. The Education (Schools) Act 1997, which phases out the Assisted Places Scheme, received Royal Assent in July last year. The first £22 million savings from the Scheme will become available from April to reduce class sizes in authorities from September. The School Standards and Framework Bill at present before Parliament, includes a range of provisions to give effect to our policy.

  Higher Education (Agency Staff)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to allow the extension of the use of agency staff to higher education institutions; and if he will make a statement. [24190]

  Dr. Howells
  Higher education institutions are independent bodies and it is for them to appoint staff and determine their pay and conditions of service in the light of their own particular needs and requirements. The Government have no role in such matters.

  English Teachers
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of teachers currently teaching English in secondary schools who do not have a first degree in that subject. [26076]

  Mr. Byers
  There were about 14,600 full and part-time teachers in secondary schools teaching English to years 7–13 at November 1996 who did not have a first or higher degree (excluding PGCE) which included English.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Rural Poverty
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what indices the Government intend to use to measure poverty in Britain, with particular reference to rural poverty. [21894]
  371
  Mr. Keith Bradley
  Our priority is a national programme to tackle benefit dependency and worklessness. We have also set up a Social Exclusion Unit to co-ordinate action across Government to find new and more integrated ways of tackling the worst problems. Various indicators are used in considering issues of low income and social exclusion.

  After School Clubs
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what funds are available under the Government's welfare to work programme for the establishment and maintenance of after school clubs for under eights. [22592]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  We will invest an extra £300 million in childcare over the next five years. this will provide an out of school childcare place for up to one million children.

  This is a crucial step towards fulfilling our manifesto commitment to a National Childcare Strategy to enable parents to balance their work and family responsibilities.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is(a) the total administrative cost, (b) the administrative cost for each £50 payment and (c) the administrative cost for each £20 payment, under the Winter Fuel Payment Scheme. [23349]

  Mr. Denham
  The administration of Social Security Benefits is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Peter Viggers, dated 28 Janaury 1998:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what is (a) the total administrative cost, (b) the administrative cost for each £50 payment and (c) the administrative cost for each £20 payment, under the Winter Fuel Payment Scheme.
  The information is not yet available in the detail requested. It is estimated that almost ten million payment will be made with a total value of around £200 million.
  The planning assumptions are that the total administrative cost of this winter's payments is to be in the region of £20 million which compares well with similar exercises.
  I am sorry that I cannot be more helpful at this stage.

  Interest Rate Calculation
  Barbara Follett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will change the way the standard interest rate used to make mortgage payments for unemployed home-owners is calculated to include large mortgage lenders which have converted to banks. [24399]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Mr. Efford) on 30 October 1997,Official Report, column 856.

  Disability Benefits
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advice, and in what form, on the possibility of therapeutic earnings is provided to new claimants of disability and incapacity benefits. [24351]
  372
  Mr. Denham
  Specific advice about therapeutic work is provided to all new Incapacity Benefit recipients by leaflet IB40 "Notes About Incapacity Benefit". Advice is also provided on request by leaflet IB202 "Incapacity Benefit" which is available from Social Security offices.

  New Severe Disablement Allowance recipients are advised to let their Social Security office know if they intend to undertake any work by leaflet SDA28 "Information about Severe Disablement Allowance" and leaflet NI252 "Severe Disablement Allowance". The local Social Security office will then advise the recipient of the therapeutic work provisions. The Severe Disablement Allowance leaflets will be reviewed to consider bringing the information provided into line with the Incapacity Benefit versions.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on the consultation process to be followed in the review of disability benefits, with particular reference to(a) the groups to be consulted and (b) the timetable for consultation. [24654]

  Mr. Denham
  When we have identified specific proposals for disability benefits we will consult disabled people, their organisations and others with an interest. At that point we will make decisions about the details of the consultation exercise, including the timetable. We will not make any changes without consulting on them.

  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if she will make a statement on the amount spent on disability living allowance for people aged 65 years or over; [24868]

  (2) if she will make a statement on the number of those aged 65 years or over who have received disability living allowance for each year since 1992. [24865]

  Mr. Denham
  The information requested is given in the tables.

  People aged 65 or over in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA)

  Thousands

  Year

  Number

  1992–932

  226

  1993–942

  258

  1994–952

  294

  1995–962

  333

  1996–972

  373

  Source

  1. Analytical Services Division: 5 per cent. data.

  Notes:

  1 Figures relate to people being paid the benefit and exclude those where payment is suspended.

  2 Figures relate to the end of February.

  373

  Estimated proportion of disability living allowance expenditure going to those aged 65 or over

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  Proportion of DLA expenditure going to those aged 65 or over (per cent.)

  17

  17

  19

  19

  20

  21

  Amount (cash terms £ million)

  340

  480

  580

  730

  870

  1,020

  Amount (real terms 1997–98 prices £ million)

  380

  530

  630

  770

  900

  1,020

  Source:

  1. The Government's Expenditure Plans 1997–98 to 1999–2000, DLA caseload statistics (5 per cent. sample) for the end of August in each year except 1992–93. February 1993 caseload data are the earliest available.

  Notes:

  1. Expenditure rounded to nearest ten million, percentages to nearest one per cent.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate she has made of the savings in(a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02 from (a) discontinuing with and (b) taxing child benefit for those single parents or couples with salaries of (1) £20,000, (2) £25,000 and (3) £30,000 and over. [24440]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  No such estimate has been made.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current media strategy of the Child Support Agency; what is its(a) current and (b) planned budget; who is responsible for the current strategy; and which media companies the Agency has employed in the strategy. [24471]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  All children are entitled to the support of both parents wherever they live. We are looking closely at all aspects of the child support scheme to see where improvements can be made. We aim to bring forward proposals by the summer. The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Derek Wyatt, dated 28 January 1998:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the media strategy of the Child Support Agency.
  As Chief Executive of the Agency, I am responsible for Agency's media strategy. This strategy uses the most cost effective means to:
  provide a prompt, accurate and responsive service to media requests for information;
  correct inaccurate or misleading information which appears in the media;
  and promotes a better understanding of Child Support matters.
  Total expenditure on media activity for 1997–98 is £149,384. £83,472 of this expenditure relates to the staff who are delivering the strategy. The budget for 1998–99 has yet to be agreed.
  No media companies have been employed in developing and implementing the current strategy. However, some services such as the provision of press cuttings and the distribution of press releases are provided by outside contractors. The costs of these services are met from the media budget.
  I hope this is helpful.

  War Pensions
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of(a) men and (b) women who are at present in receipt of a war pension. [24526]

  Mr. Denham
  The information is set out in the table.

  Number of war pensions in payment at 31 December 1997

  Total

  Men

  Women

  War Disablement Pensions

  261,560

  1252,300

  19,260

  War Widows Pensions

  58,211

  —

  —

  War Widowers Pensions

  7

  —

  —

  1 Estimate based on a 5 per cent, sample.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Vauxhall (Kate Hoey) of 16 January 1998,Official Report, column 344, what is the cost to the Exchequer of the measures announced regarding the level of national insurance contracting-out rebates. [25123]

  Mr. Denham
  The cost of increasing the age related rebates for holders of Appropriate Personal Pensions for the tax year 2000/2001 is £140 million1.

  Note:

  1. Figure rounded to the nearest 10 million.

  Attendance Allowance
  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if she will make a statement on the number of those who have received attendance allowance in each year since 1992; [24864]

  (2) if she will make a statement on the amount spent on attendance allowance in each year since 1992. [24869]

  Mr. Denham
  The information requested is given in the tables.

  Thousands

  Year

  Number

  1992–932

  890

  1993–942

  962

  1994–952

  1,046

  1995–961

  1,108

  1996–971

  1,166

  Source:

  1. 5 per cent. data and figures relate to end of February.

  2. 100 per cent. data with adjustments to reflect the extent to which live cases were overstated. Figures relate to end of March.

  Notes:

  1. Figures relate to people being paid the benefit and exclude those where payment is suspended.

  375

  Attendance allowance expenditure 1992–93 to 1997–98

  £ million

  1992–93 (outturn)

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  11996–97

  21997–98

  AA expenditure in cash prices

  1,553

  1,795

  1,963

  2,194

  2,421

  2,704

  AA expenditure in real terms (1997–98 prices)

  1,760

  1,977

  2,129

  2,317

  2,487

  2,704

  Source:

  1. The Government's Expenditure Plans 1997–98 to 1999–2000.

  Notes:

  1. Estimated outtum.

  2. 1997–98 plan.

  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of claims for attendance allowance resulted in (i) an award at(a) the lower rate and (b) the higher rate, and (ii) no award in each year since 1992. [24815]

  Mr. Denham
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Claims for attendance allowance1

  Thousands

  Decisions made

  Year

  All decisions made

  Percentage awarded lower rate

  Percentage awarded higher rate

  Percentage not awarded

  1992–93

  498,753

  44

  32

  24

  1993–94

  456,281

  39

  31

  29

  1994–95

  481,330

  37

  32

  31

  1995–96

  465,971

  37

  34

  29

  1996–97

  457,060

  37

  33

  30

  Source:

  Analytical Services Division: 100 per cent. data.

  Note:

  Due to rounding the percentages do not always sum to 100.

  Claims, reviews and appeals for attendance allowance

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Claims refused

  119,298

  132,785

  146,924

  134,568

  137,162

  Review decisions1 2

  100,588

  119,263

  110,044

  126,995

  118,315

  Reviews that are successful2 3

  62,274

  79,503

  77,569

  87,466

  73,724

  Appeals decisions2 4 6

  4,556

  5,674

  5,351

  3,185

  4,967

  Appeals that are successful2 5

  —

  —

  —

  2,122

  2,900

  Source:

  1. Analytical Services Division: 100 per cent data.

  Notes:

  1 Includes both reviews for claims refused and also reviews of existing awards.

  2 May include decisions made about claims which were refused in a previous year.

  3 Includes both successful reviews of claims which were refused and existing awards where the value of awards was increased.

  4 Includes both decisions about claims which were refused and decisions about existing awards.

  5 Includes both successful reviews of claims which were refused and existing awards where the value of the award was increased.

  6 figures prior to 1995–96 include appeals withdrawn or not decided pending further information.

  Pensioner Incomes
  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in which years since 1968 the state retirement pension has been uprated by(a) the higher of average earnings or prices, (b) prices and (c) neither. [25136]

  Mr. Denham
  Prior to 1974 there was no statutory obligation to uprate benefits. Increases in Retirement Pensions occurred occasionally on an ad hoc basis. From 1974 to 1979 Retirement Pension was uprated by the higher of earnings or prices. Since 1980 and every subsequent year upratings have been in line with prices.
  376
  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion and number of claimants whose claim for attendance allowance had been refused asked for a review; what proportion and number were successful for each year since 1992; and what proportion and number of those who were unsuccessful at review successfully appealed. [24968]

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

  Statistics collected for Attendance Allowance reivews do not distinguish between customers who ask for reviews because their claims were refused and those seeking reviews of existing awards because, for example, of deteriorating conditions. Similarly, the statistics collected for appeals do not distinguish between customers who appeal following unsuccessful reviews where claims have been refused and those appealing against unsuccessful reviews of existing awards. Such information as is available is given in the table below.

  Welfare Budget
  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list the cost and proportion of GDP accounted for by(a) UK and (b) EU welfare benefits in each of the last 10 years. [25260]

  Mr. Field
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information that is available is shown in the tables "Cost and Proportion of Gross Domestic Product", copies of which have been placed in the Library, and a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend.
  377
  Comparisons of expenditure on social protection in European Union countries are made by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. The

  Cost and proportion of Gross Domestic Product Social Protection Expenditure as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product at market prices

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Belgium

  30.8

  29.9

  29.3

  29.4

  29.0

  27.7

  26.7

  26.9

  27.4

  27.0

  27.0

  Denmark

  30.1

  28.6

  27.8

  26.7

  27.4

  28.9

  29.9

  29.8

  30.9

  32.1

  33.3

  Germany1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  28.8

  30.1

  31.0

  Germany2

  28.9

  28.5

  28.4

  28.2

  28.6

  28.5

  27.6

  26.9

  26.4

  26.8

  27.7

  Greece

  13.8

  14.6

  15.4

  15.5

  16.1

  15.7

  16.4

  16.1

  15.3

  14.9

  15.8

  Spain

  19.3

  19.3

  19.9

  19.6

  19.7

  19.8

  20.1

  20.7

  21.8

  23.0

  24.5

  France

  28.3

  28.7

  28.8

  28.5

  28.1

  28.0

  27.5

  27.6

  28.4

  29.2

  30.9

  Ireland

  23.9

  23.4

  23.6

  23.1

  22.4

  21.2

  19.4

  19.4

  20.5

  21.3

  21.5

  Italy

  22.9

  22.0

  22.6

  22.4

  22.9

  22.9

  22.7

  23.6

  24.1

  25.5

  25.7

  Luxembourg

  27.2

  25.8

  23.1

  22.1

  23.1

  22.5

  21.8

  22.5

  23.6

  23.9

  24.6

  Netherlands

  33.4

  32.3

  31.7

  31.3

  32.0

  31.7

  31.0

  32.2

  32.3

  32.9

  33.4

  Portugal

  14.0

  14.0

  14.1

  14.3

  14.1

  14.8

  14.5

  15.0

  17.3

  18.1

  18.5

  United Kingdom6

  23.9

  24.2

  24.3

  24.3

  23.5

  21.9

  21.7

  22.7

  25.3

  27.0

  27.8

  European Union3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  26.5

  27.7

  28.8

  European Union4

  26.2

  25.9

  26.0

  25.9

  25.9

  25.4

  24.9

  25.2

  25.9

  26.8

  27.8

  Austria

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Finland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  25.4

  30.1

  34.1

  35.2

  Sweden

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  European Union5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Source:

  Social Protection Expenditure and Receipts 1980–94, Eurostat.

  Notes:

  1 Germany with the new German Lander.

  2 Germany without the new German Lander.

  3 Old territorial situation of the European Union with 12 member states, among which reunited Germany is included.

  4 Old territorial situation of the European Union with 12 member states, without the new German Lander.

  5 Total for the European Union.

  6 UK data refer to the British financial year which runs from 1 April in one year to 31 March the following year. Data for other countries are for calender years.

  7 1993 is the last complete year for which data are available.

  Total current expenditure on social protection in National Currencies

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Belgium

  1,269,973

  1,327,319

  1,390,450

  1,469,111

  1,512,050

  1,539,895

  1,607,090

  1,728,657

  1,847,708

  1,918,060

  1,960,129

  Denmark

  154,491

  161,952

  171,197

  178,136

  191,662

  211,848

  229,549

  237,814

  256,153

  273,672

  290,791

  Germany1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  821,641

  924,800

  978,032

  Germany2

  482,366

  499,494

  518,350

  542,732

  569,038

  597,556

  613,652

  651,831

  699,865

  752,655

  787,946

  Greece

  509,968

  666,969

  856,364

  1,025,979

  1,211,695

  1,430,153

  1,772,904

  2,091,096

  2,431,810

  2,723,668

  3,251,062

  Spain

  4,356,263

  4,924,416

  5,618,071

  6,343,271

  7,106,322

  7,933,702

  9,054,580

  10,376,885

  11,987,398

  13,566,301

  14,897,989

  France

  1,133,987

  1,252,845

  1,354,584

  1,444,996

  1,500,426

  1,603,009

  1,696,270

  1,799,854

  1,923,445

  2,048,662

  2,186,853

  Ireland

  3,567

  3,882

  4,241

  4,546

  4,723

  4,815

  4,925

  5,267

  5,790

  6,385

  6,095

  Italy7

  144,828

  159,801

  182,795

  201,664

  224,810

  249,834

  271,393

  310,169

  344,594

  383,084

  398,797

  Luxembourg

  47,498

  50,046

  52,290

  55,484

  60,143

  64,875

  71,294

  77,912

  88,016

  95,372

  107,557

  Netherlands

  129,577

  131,038

  134,746

  136,989

  140,980

  145,119

  150,133

  166,189

  175,409

  185,967

  193,432

  Portugal

  369,646

  452,502

  569,327

  721,996

  838,727

  1,029,198

  1,183,995

  1,442,584

  1,912,382

  2,289,058

  2,486,937

  United Kingdom6

  72,534

  78,544

  86,665

  93,344

  98,942

  103,050

  111,643

  124,914

  145,176

  160,743

  174,600

  European Union3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,384,782

  1,514,976

  1,587,423

  European Union4

  759,232

  811,920

  874,632

  923,424

  972,133

  1,037,845

  1,107,527

  1,206,840

  1,325,408

  1,429,755

  1,489,238

  Austria

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Finland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  130,809

  147,966

  162,817

  169,568

  Sweden

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  European Union5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Source: Social Protection Expenditure and Receipts 1980–1994, Eurostat.

  Notes:

  1 Germany with the new German Lander.

  2 Germany without the new German Lander.

  3 Old territorial situation of the European Union with 12 member states, among which reunited Germany is included.

  4 Old territorial situation of the European Union with 12 member states, without the new German Lander.

  5 Total for the European Union.

  6 UK data refer to the British financial year which runs from 1 April in one year to 31 March the following year. Data for other countries are for calender years. 1993 is the last complete year for which data are available.

  7 Except Italy: billions.
  378
  Eurostat definition of social protection expenditure includes expenditure on health and social services as well as Social Security.

  379

  Total current expenditure on social protection in ECU (millions)

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  Belgium

  27,950

  29,209

  30,958

  33,543

  35,130

  35,458

  37,046

  40,745

  43,761

  46,115

  48,433

  Denmark

  18,998

  19,881

  21,349

  22,447

  24,307

  26,641

  28,519

  30,268

  32,388

  35,046

  38,292

  Germany1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  400,605

  457,822

  505,182

  Germany2

  212,402

  223,188

  232,862

  255,043

  274,632

  288,118

  296,450

  317,656

  341,231

  372,601

  406,997

  Greece

  6,531

  7,544

  8,099

  7,466

  7,754

  8,534

  9,913

  10,382

  10,798

  11,026

  12,105

  Spain

  34,166

  38,907

  43,505

  46,148

  49,986

  57,657

  69,434

  80,185

  93,310

  102,367

  99,903

  France

  167,477

  182,312

  199,350

  212,499

  216,543

  227,830

  241,496

  260,320

  275,842

  299,162

  329,643

  Ireland

  4,989

  5,347

  5,932

  6,194

  6,094

  6,205

  6,338

  6,858

  7,539

  8,390

  8,631

  Italy

  107,286

  115,682

  126,241

  137,949

  150,384

  162,511

  179,675

  203,793

  224,749

  240,101

  216,593

  Luxembourg

  1,045

  1,101

  1,164

  1,267

  1,397

  1,494

  1,643

  1,836

  2,085

  2,293

  2,658

  Netherlands

  51,075

  51,937

  53,662

  57,055

  60,403

  62,150

  64,297

  71,881

  75,902

  81,744

  88,934

  Portugal

  3,746

  3,912

  4,371

  4,909

  5,158

  6,052

  6,828

  7,965

  10,707

  13,102

  13,202

  United Kingdom6

  123,567

  132,901

  147,139

  138,905

  140,343

  155,196

  165,888

  174,949

  207,098

  217,809

  223,846

  European Union3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,384,782

  1,514,976

  1,587,423

  European Union4

  759,232

  811,920

  874,632

  923,424

  972,133

  1,037,845

  1,107,527

  1,206,840

  1,325,408

  1,429,755

  1,489,238

  Austria

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Finland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  26,151

  29,581

  28,038

  25,324

  Sweden

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  European Union5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Source:

  Social Protection Expenditure and Receipts 1980–1994, Eurostat.

  Notes:

  1 Germany with the new German Lander.

  2 Germany without the new German Lander.

  3 Old territorial situation of the European Union with 12 member states, among which reunited Germany is included.

  4 Old territorial situation of the European Union with 12 member states, without the new German Lander.

  5 Total for the European Union.

  6 UK data refer to the British financial year which runs from 1 April in one year to 31 March the following year. Data for other countries are for calender years.

  1993 is the last complete year for which data are available.

  Disability Benefit Fraud
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what sources the Government has evaluated in estimating figures for disability benefit fraud. [25676]

  Mr. Denham
  One of our key aims is to tackle fraud in order to rebuild confidence in the Social Security system. The administration of benefits is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Mark Oaten, dated 28 January 1998:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the sources used to evaluate disability benefit fraud.
  A review of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) was carried out in 1996. The results of this review were published in February 1997.
  A random sample of 1,200 DLA customers were interviewed by trained officers. Information was gathered and checked against the original source documents.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Staffing Costs
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) special advisers, (b) task force members and (c) review body members her Department employs; what are the total salaries and benefits of (a) to (c); and what was the equivalent cost prior to 1 May 1997. [26176]

  Mr. Field
  On the question of Special Advisers, I refer the hon. Member to the written answers given on 13 November 1997,Official Report, columns 615–17, and on 25 November 1997, Official Report, columns 472–73.
  380
  This Department does not employ any Task Force or Review Body members.

  Lone Parents
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents were consulted before(a) regulations abolishing the lone parent benefit premium were laid and (b) the Social Security Bill was published. [26173]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  As part of the formal consultation process, representations about the proposed changes to lone parent benefits were made by a wide variety of organisations, including those representing lone parents, to the Social Security Advisory Committee. Similar points have been raised in our regular discussions with lone parent organisations and through correspondence received from lone parents themselves.

  These representations were reflected in the Social Security Advisory Committee's report, which was published on 30 July 1997 together with the Government's response as Command Paper 3713.

  Council Tax Benefit
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons living in council tax bands F, G and H were consulted before regulations restricting council tax benefit to the amount applicable to a Band E property were laid. [26174]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  These regulations were subject to consultation with the Social Security Advisory Committee under the provisions of section 172(1) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992. The Social Security Advisory Committee agreed that the draft regulations
  381
  should not be referred to them pursuant to 173(1)(b). We also consulted with the Local Authority Associations under the provisions of Section 176(1) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Non-career Civil Servants
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many non-career civil servants have been appointed to his Department since 1 May 1997. [25854]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The number of people appointed on fixed term contracts or as casuals since May 1997 is 67.

  Mr. Patel, Twickenham
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the British Ambassador in Dar-es-Salaam has taken to pursue the claim of Mr. Patel, of Twickenham, in respect of the settlement of moneys owed under a British aid project. [25630]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  Mr. Patel is pursuing a private commercial claim against his former local representative in Dar-es-Salaam and the Government of Tanzania, following the supply of goods to a nationalised Tanzanian company. We have assisted attempts to expedite the claim since 1993. In October 1996 we were informed that a payment of 84 million Tanzanian Shillings, out of a total claim of 92 million Shillings, had been paid to Mr. Patel' s local representative. Mr. Patel now appears to be in dispute with this representative. We have no jurisdiction to intervene in this dispute and have advised Mr. Patel to pursue his claim through the appropriate legal channels.

  Presidential Palaces (Iraq)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence underlies(a) his oral answer on 13 January 1998, Official Report, column 126, that Saddam Hussein has 45 presidential palaces and (b) the oral statement by the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett), on 21 January 1998, Official Report, column 991, that Saddam Hussein has 71 presidential palaces; and if he will make a statement. [25995]

  Mr. Fatchett
  The Iraqis have given UNSCOM various figures for the number of presidential palaces and sites to which UNSCOM can have little or no access.

  Our concern is that Saddam Hussein is using Iraq's limited resources on himself thus ensuring that his people continue to suffer.

  We also have reason to believe that WMD materials are stored at these sites.

  Immigration
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many(a) men and (b) women were waiting for interview at British High
  382
  Commission offices in (i) India, (ii) Pakistan, (iii) Sri Lanka and (iv) Bangladesh, to join husbands or wives resident in the United Kingdom on 1 January. [25994]

  Mr. Fatchett
  In view of the amount of detail needed to answer this question, my noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Baroness Symons, will write to my hon. Friend shortly.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the average time a person waited for an interview in respect of an application to join(a) a husband and (b) a wife in the United Kingdom at the British High Commission offices in (i) India, (ii) Pakistan, (iii) Sri Lanka and (iv) Bangladesh in 1997. [25997]

  Mr. Fatchett
  In view of the amount of detail needed to answer this question, my noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Baroness Symons, will write to my hon. Friend shortly.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many entry certificate officers were employed in British High Commission offices in(a) India, (b) Pakistan, (c) Sri Lanka and (d) Bangladesh, on 1 January. [25993]

  Mr. Fatchett
  The number of Entry Clearance Officers employed in British High Commission Office in(a) India (b) Pakistan, (c) Sri Lanka and (d) Bangladesh on 1 January are as follows:

  New Delhi: 11

  Bombay: 10

  Madras: 2.5

  Calcutta: 0.75

  Islamabad: 26

  Karachi: 5

  Colombo: 4

  Dhaka: 12.

  Kashmir
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed human rights in Indian administered Kashmir with the Indian Government; and if he will make a statement. [25991]

  Mr. Fatchett
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Kashmir issues with the Indian Prime Minister, and with the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir last October.

  Millennium Compliance
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he notifies potential purchasers of obsolete information technology equipment sold by his Department that such equipment may not be millennium compliant. [25654]

  Mr. Fatchett
  [holding answer 27 January 1998]: The disposal of obsolete Information Technology equipment is not sold as workable equipment and is sold after tender invitation against terms and conditions which include that they are sold "as seen".

  Trafficking (Children)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated regarding the trafficking of children in Asia. [25975]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  Our diplomatic posts in Asia report on human rights issues concerning children including, where appropriate, trafficking in human beings. We also value the reports of non-governmental organisations and the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to use the presidency of the EU to restrict the trafficking of children in Asia, with particular reference to Cambodia and Vietnam. [25969]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  We and our European Union partners will continue to participate actively in discussions on the Rights of the Child in International fora, including the Untied Nations Commission on Human Rights. The EU will co-sponsor a resolution on the Rights of the Child at the 54th session of the Commission. The resolution will include a section on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to curtail the trafficking of children in Asia. [25968]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  We support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, whose mandate includes work to combat trafficking of children. We are working with Asian countries to fight child abuse. British police provided child protection training in the Philippines and Sri Lanka for delegates from several South and South East Asian countries in 1997. Similar training will be provided in Thailand in 1998.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on the trafficking of children in Asia, with particular reference to Cambodia and Vietnam. [25974]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  We regularly receive representations from non-governmental organisations and others concerning child welfare in Asia. We have not, however, received recent representations on the trafficking of children in Cambodia and Vietnam.

  Human Rights (China)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on human rights in China, with particular reference to the student leaders of 1989. [25973]

  Mr. Fatchett
  We constantly monitor the human rights situation in China. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised the cases of individuals during his recent visit to China, including Wang Dan, the imprisoned student leader. The EU has sought information on Wang in its human rights dialogue with China.
  384
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to use the presidency of the EU to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square demonstrations and the eviction of the students. [25972]

  Mr. Fatchett
  The UK expressed its condemnation of the treatment of pro-democracy demonstrators in China in 1989, both bilaterally and with the EU. We have no plans to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the demonstrations.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on human rights in China. [25979]

  Mr. Fatchett
  This Department receives many letters from members of the public expressing concern about the human rights situation in China. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised these concerns with Chinese leaders during his recent visit to China.

  Lebanon
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the continued presence in Lebanon of Syrian and Israeli armed forces. [25971]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Our Embassy in Beirut provides regular reporting on the Israeli and Syrian presence in Lebanon. Our assessment is that Lebanon will only be able to assume full control over its own affairs after a comprehensive peace settlement in the region. We are playing a full part in efforts to bring about such a settlement.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to use the presidency of the EU to encourage the withdrawal of Syrian and Israeli armed forces from Lebanese territory; and if he will make a statement. [25970]

  Mr. Fatchett
  The European Union has consistently expressed full support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon, and has consistently called for full implementation of UNSCR 425, which requires the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.

  This Government are playing a full part in efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace in the region that would enable Lebanon to assume full control over its own affairs.

  Great Lakes Region
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives he proposes in respect of the Great Lakes Region during the United Kingdom's presidency of the EU. [25996]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  During our six months EU Presidency, we aim to launch a new EU common position on Rwanda; to strengthen and deepen the EU's relations with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including encouraging progress towards democratisation, the rule of
  385
  law and respect for human rights; and to continue EU support for efforts to promote all-party political dialogue in Burundi.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he requested legal advice on whether the massacre in Rwanda in 1994 constituted genocide under the terms of the Genocide Convention.
  [25477]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  [holding answer 28 Janaury 1998]: Since I May 1997, we have not had cause to seek legal advice on whether the massacre in Rwanda in 1994 constituted genocide under the terms of the Genocide Convention.

  The UN Security Council resolution establishing the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), makes the strong presumption that genocide, as defined in the relevant UN Convention, took place in Rwanda. The UK fully supports action through the ICTR and by the Government of Rwanda, to bring to justice those responsible for acts of genocide.

  Whaling
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to discuss issues relating to whaling with the Norwegian authorities; and what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on(a) trends in Norwegian whale catches and (b) Norway's proposals to restore international trade in whale meat. [25961]

  Mr. Fatchett
  The UK is opposed to commercial whaling and has supported the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) resolutions on numerous occasions calling on Norway to halt all such operations. We are, therefore, disappointed that Norway has announced a further increase in its 1998 catch quota of Minke whales. The UK will continue to work with like-minded countries to try to ensure that there is no resumption of international trade in whale products.

  Turkey
  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Turkish Government following the arrest of the British Vice-Consul in Istanbul on 2 September 1997; what response he has received; and if he will make a statement. [26041]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  Our Embassy in Ankara complained to the Turkish authorities about the arrest in Istanbul on 2 September 1997 of Mr. Neil Frape, the British Vice Consul (Information). My hon. Friend the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett), also complained to the Turkish Ambassador in London. The Turkish Ambassador expressed his Government's regret over the wrongful arrest of Mr. Frape.

  Diplomatic Relations
  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the(a) rules and (b) guidance governing diplomats or consular officials giving evidence in court cases in foreign countries. [26043]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  Under Article 31(2), of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961),"a diplomatic agent is not obliged to give evidence as witness".

  Article 44(1) of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963) states that
  "a consular employee or a member of the service staff shall not, except in the cases mentioned in paragraph 3 of this Article, decline to give evidence. If a consular officer should decline to do so, no coercive measure or penalty may be applied to him".

  Article 44(3) goes on to state that
  "Members of a consular post are under no obligation to give evidence concerning matters connected with the exercise of their functions or to produce official correspondence and documents relation thereto. They are also entitled to decline to give evidence as expert witnesses with regard to the law of the sending State".

  Internal guidance to FCO staff, however, is that Her Majesty's Government would normally expect all staff to assist local police and judicial authorities if called upon to do.

  Private Office
  Mr. Blunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what part he played in the consideration of appointing Ms Gaynor Regan as his diary secretary. [26184]

  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he took to appoint Ms Gaynor Regan as his diary secretary. [26192]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  After I decided to replace Miss Bullen, Gaynor Regan was, for a short time, considered for the post. She was an obvious candidate, having worked as my Diary Secretary for four years in opposition. I quickly decided not to pursue this possibility, and instructed the Permanent Under Secretary to arrange for the appointment of a Diplomatic Service candidate through the standard internal procedures.

  Mr. Blunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what briefing his Department issued to the press on the nature of the appointment of Ms Anne Bullen. [26214]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  This Department issued the following statement on 26 January:"Anne Bullen was employed as the Diary Secretary in the Foreign Secretary's Private Office from November 1993 to June 1997. She was a personal appointment by Douglas Hurd. She was not a career public servant, but was appointed on a fixed term contract which was subsequently extended until November 1997. Anne Bullen was not given a compensation package but was paid her salary until the end of her contract as required under its terms.
  It is not the case that the decision not to renew Ms Bullen's contract was taken in order to give her job to anyone else. On the

  387
  contrary, the post of Diary Secretary to the Foreign Secretary reverted to a career member of the Diplomatic Service who was appointed under normal internal procedures.
  In this case a personal appointment by Douglas Hurd has been replaced by a career member of the Diplomatic Service. As Ms Bullen was placed on a higher salary, there is a net saving in public spending."

  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what restrictions have been placed on Miss Anne Bullen in respect of making public statements on the termination of her employment as his diary secretary. [26190]

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the termination contract of Miss Bullen contained a requirement not to discuss the circumstances of her dismissal in addition to Official Secrets Act requirements. [26314]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  I took no part in the negotiations over the termination of Miss Bullen's employment. As a result of those negotiations, between her and FCO officials, she agreed that the terms of her departure and the circumstances giving rise to it should not be disclosed to third parties.

  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what compensation was paid to Miss Anne Bullen on the termination of her employment as his diary secretary; and for what reasons. [26189]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  Miss Anne Bullen ceased to work as my Diary Secretary on 27 June. She was not paid compensation, but continued to draw her salary for the unexpired period of her contract which ran out on 7 November. I played no part in the negotiations which took place between Foreign Office officials and Miss Bullen over the terms of her departure.

  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the employment of Miss Anne Bullen as his diary secretary was terminated; and for what reasons. [26186]

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what factors led to the dismissal of his Diary Secretary. [26315]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  Miss. Anne Bullen was a political appointment by a previous Foreign Secretary.

  I reluctantly came to the conclusion that Miss Bullen's fixed-term contract should not be renewed when it became evident that I could have no confidence in her, and that she was unwilling to develop a relationship of trust with me. The performance of my present Diary Secretary is exemplary and she has my full confidence.

  Miss Anne Bullen ceased to work as my Diary Secretary on 27 June. She was not paid compensation, but continued to draw her salary for the unexpired period of her contract which ran out on 7 November.

  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what part was played by the Permanent Under Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the appointment of a successor to Miss Anne Bullen as his diary secretary; [26188]
  388
  (2) what discussions took place between him and officials at his Department about the employment of Ms Gaynor Regan as his diary secretary; and if he informed them of the nature of his relationship with her. [26187]

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when and by whom the Permanent Secretary of his Department was informed of the intention to replace Miss Bullen as Diary Secretary with Ms Regan. [26313]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  I discussed with the Permanent Under Secretary on May 21 my concern that Anne Bullen and I had not developed a relationship of trust and he put in hand arrangements for the termination of her employment. I informed him on the same day that I was considering the appointment of Gaynor Regan, who had been my Diary Secretary for four years. Shortly thereafter I advised him that I had decided that she should not take up the position and asked him to put in hand arrangements for the internal appointment of a career civil servant.

  I do not discuss my private life with officials, nor do they seek to discuss it with me.

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions since 1 May 1997 he planned for his Diary Secretary to accompany him on official business. [26310]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  None.

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many private office staff in(a) his and (b) other Ministers' private offices changed after the election; and in how many cases this was at the instigation of the Minister. [26309]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  In the three months after the election:

  (a) My Principal Private Secretary left at the end of July having completed his normal tour of duty in my office. Miss Anne Bullen, who was appointed on a fixed-term contract, ceased to work for me at the end of June in the circumstances described in the answer I gave today to the right hon. and learned Member for Folkstone and Hythe (Mr. Howard).

  (b) Three officials left other FCO Ministers' offices, all having completed their normal tour of duty. One official had resigned before the election, and completed her period of notice on 9 May.

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the public service employment status of Miss Bullen.[26312]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  Miss Anne Bullen was personally appointed by the then Foreign Secretary in 1993, on a fixed term contract under Schedule 2 (paragraph i) of the Diplomatic Service Order In Council 1991. Her contract was renewed on two occasions, both times for one year.

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Permanent Secretary sanctioned the dismissal of Miss Bullen. [26318]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  I discussed with the Permanent Under Secretary my concern that Anne Bullen and I had not developed a relationship of trust and he put in hand the arrangements for the termination of her employment.

  Departmental Employees
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many(a) special advisers, (b) task force members and (c) review body members his Department employs; what are the total salaries and benefits of (a) to (c); and what was the equivalent cost prior to 1 May 1997. [26177]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  My Department employs two special advisers. Details were set out in the answer given to the hon. Member by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 13 November 1997,Official Report, columns 615–17.

  For information on the total pay bill for special advisers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Members for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) and for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr. Davey) by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 25 November 1997, Official Report, columns 472–73.

  No task force members are employed by my Department, and we are not responsible for any review bodies.

  Dates

  Minister

  Venue

  Purpose of visit

  Spouse cost including travel and incidentals (£)

  1994

  7–10 July

  The then Foreign Secretary Lord Hurd

  Italy (Naples)

  G7 Economic Summit

  307.84

  11–20 September

  Lord Hurd

  Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Japan

  Bilateral

  10,495.66

  26–29 September

  Lord Hurd

  USA (New York)

  UNGA

  3,977.66

  29–30 September

  Lord Hurd

  Canada

  Bilateral

  209.64

  Total

  14,990.80

  1995

  18–19 March

  Lord Hurd

  France (Carcassonne)

  EU/FM Informal Meeting

  966.44

  18–28 March

  Lord Hurd

  South Africa

  State Visit

  2,385.28

  7–8 May

  Lord Hurd

  Norway (Oslo)

  Accompanying TRH Duke and Duchess of Kent

  98.16

  25–26 June

  Lord Hurd

  Germany (Bonn)

  Anglo-German Summit

  565.00

  8–10 September

  The then Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind

  Spain (Santander)

  EU Ministers Informal Weekend

  2,310.00

  Total

  6,324.88

  1996

  3–12 January

  Sir Malcolm Rifkind

  Azerbaijan, Armenia Uzbekistan, Hong Kong and China

  Bilateral

  7,366.70

  6–12 January

  Sir Malcolm Rifkind

  Hong Kong and China

  Bilateral

  4,956.00

  8–10 March

  Sir Malcolm Rifkind

  Malta and Italy

  Bilaterals and EU Foreign Minister's Informal Meeting

  1,577.50

  25–29 March

  Sir Malcolm Rifkind

  Poland and Czech Republic

  State Visit

  835.00

  8–17 April

  Sir Malcolm Rifkind

  Barbados, Jamaica, Mexico, Brazil and Bolivia

  Bilateral

  12,757.89

  6–8 September

  Sir Malcolm Rifkind

  Irish Republic (Tralee)

  Informal Meeting of Foreign Ministers

  724.26

  23–27 September

  Sir Malcolm Rifkind

  USA (New York)

  United Nations General Assembly

  4,454.02

  27 October—1 November

  Sir Malcolm Rifkind

  Thailand (Bangkok)

  State Visit

  1150.00

  31 October—2 February

  Sir Malcolm Rifkind

  Vietnam, Israel UAE and Yemen

  Bilateral

  17,500.00

  Total

  40,301.37

  1997

  31 January—2 February

  Sir Malcolm Rifkind

  Switzerland (Davons)

  World Economic Forum

  4,405.00

  15–16 March

  Sir Malcolm Rifkind

  Netherlands (Apledoorn)

  EU Information Foreign Ministers Meeting

  848.48

  Total

  5,253.48

  1 Estimate

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he made a payment in respect of the use of a Government flight by Ms Gaynor Regan when she accompanied him on his trip to Dublin in November. [26219]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  I was informed of the cost of Ms Regan's flight to Dublin on 15 January and arranged for payment to be made the same day.

  Mrs. McGuire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on(a) official foreign travel and (b) incidentals for (i) spouses and (ii) partners of the previous two Secretaries of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in each year of their tenure. [26316]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The information requested for the financial years 1994–95,1995–96 and 1996–97 is detailed in the table. Data for previous years are not readily available but I will write to my hon. Friend shortly with the information and place a copy in the Libraries of the House.

  Permanent Settlement Visa
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to review the current price of a permanent settlement visa for the United Kingdom. [26170]
  392
  Mr. Fatchett
  Fees, which are set to recover the cost of processing applications world wide to minimise the burden on the taxpayer, are reviewed annually. We continually look at ways to make efficiency savings to enable us to reduce entry clearance fees. The current fee for a settlement visa is £240. This was introduced on 10 June 1997.

  International Development Policy: Poverty
  International Development Policy: Poverty
  Coal Mining Museums: Funding Report
  Coal Mining Museums: Funding Report
  Control of Exports Used for Torture
  Control of Exports Used for Torture
  UNITA: UN Sanctions Enforcement
  UNITA: UN Sanctions Enforcement
  Iran
  Iran
  FCO: Central European Department
  FCO: Central European Department
  Sir Dawda Jawara
  Sir Dawda Jawara
  Mobility Allowance
  Mobility Allowance
  Single Parents: Comparative Costs
  Single Parents: Comparative Costs
  South Yorkshire: ERDF Allocations
  South Yorkshire: ERDF Allocations
  Agriculture Council, 19 and 20 January
  Agriculture Council, 19 and 20 January
  Vitamin B6
  Vitamin B6
  Varroa Mite
  Varroa Mite
  Common Fisheries Policy
  Common Fisheries Policy
  Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review Group
  Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review Group
  Vitamin B6: Professor Beckett's Letter
  Vitamin B6: Professor Beckett's Letter
  Horses: Categorisation
  Horses: Categorisation
  Prisoner Deaths: Report to Boards of Visitors
  Prisoner Deaths: Report to Boards of Visitors
  Police National Computer: Development Tasks
  Police National Computer: Development Tasks
  Police National Computer: Deaths Notification
  Police National Computer: Deaths Notification
  Life Sentence Prisoners: Release Data
  Life Sentence Prisoners: Release Data
  Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997
  Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997
  Litter Offences
  Litter Offences
  Crime and Disorder Bill [H.L.]: Drug Treatment and Testing Provisions
  Crime and Disorder Bill [H.L.]: Drug Treatment and Testing Provisions
  Pay Review Bodies: Recommendations
  Pay Review Bodies: Recommendations