Written Answers of 11 June 1998

  Freedom of Information
  Siobhain McDonagh
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he intends to publish the 1997 report on the operation of the code of practice on access to Government information.[45947]

  Dr. David Clark
  I have published this report today. Copies have been placed in the Library.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Public Bodies (Boundaries)
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the public bodies which it is proposed to reorganise to make their boundaries coterminous with those of the Government Offices of the Regions.[44224]

  Angela Eagle
  Of bodies within my Department's area of responsibility, the regional office structure of English Partnerships is being reorganised to match the boundaries of the Government Offices for the Regions, in order to facilitate the transfer of functions from English Partnerships to Regional Development Agencies in April 1999. There will similarly be some reorganisation of the regional office structure of the Rural Development Commission.

  Road Fuel Gases
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action his Department is taking(a) to encourage the spread of gas-powered vehicles and (b) widening of access to LPG. [44799]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Government have already undertaken a number of measures to promote the use of road fuel gases including freezing the duty on road fuel gases in successive budgets and providing £6.5 million to the Energy Saving Trust's Powershift programme to help stimulate the market for alternative fuels. The Government have also announced the introduction from January 1999 of an incentive of up to a £500 reduction in VED for lorries and buses meeting stringent emission standards.

  These measures are significantly reducing the operating costs of gas-powered vehicles in order to make them competitive with conventional petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles. By stimulating demand in this way the Government anticipate that refuelling facilities will
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  gradually increase though it seems likely that they will be confined, at least initially, to urban sites for use by dedicated fleets.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of propane as a fuel; what steps he proposes to encourage its use; and if he will make a statement. [45129]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Vehicles powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), of which propane and butane are the primary constituents, can make a contribution towards meeting our air quality objectives, particularly when used in well engineered applications by commercial fleets operating in urban areas. The steps being taken to encourage the use of LPG were the subject of my reply today to a question from the hon. Member for Taunton (Jackie Ballard).

  Hedgerows
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) on 19 March 1998,Official Report, column 693, if he will include in the information to be collected centrally under the Hedgerow Regulations 1997 the lengths of hedgerow for each local planning authority in England that have been the subject of (a) notification under the regulations, (b) hedgerow removal notices and (c) hedgerow retention notices. [44808]

  Angela Eagle
  My Department's consultation with representatives of local government on what information should be collected centrally in relation to the operation of the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 sought views on whether this should include data on the length of hedgerow for each local planning authority in England or Wales subject to hedgerow removal notices (served by those wishing to remove a hedge), and subject to hedgerow retention notices (served by the local authority). It also sought views on whether the information collected should include data on length of important hedgerow for each planning authority in England and Wales in respect of which retention notices were not issued. We are considering the results of that consultation.

  This information is currently held at the local level. Each local planning authority in England and Wales is required, under the Hedgerows Regulations 1997, to compile and make publicly available a record containing, among other items, a copy of every hedgerow removal notice received by it; every notice given by it stating that a hedgerow may be removed; and every hedgerow retention notice issued by it.

  East Midlands Regional Development Agency
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made in establishing a regional development agency for the East Midlands; and what consideration has been given to locating its headquarters in Loughborough. [44939]

  Angela Eagle
  The Regional Development Agencies Bill, under which Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) will be established, received its second reading in Another Place on 18 May 1998,Official Report, House of Lords,
  631
  columns 1290–1354. Work is continuing at a regional and national level in anticipation of the creation of RDAs. As I stated in my answer on 27 January 1998, Official Report, column 305, the RDA for the East Midlands will be best placed to decide where its offices should be.

  Access to the Open Countryside in England and Wales"
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the respondents to his consultation paper, "Access to the Open Countryside in England and Wales", indicating what arrangements have been made for these comments to be viewed by the public. [44645]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 10 June 1998]: Responses to the consultation paper, Access to the Open Countryside in England and Wales, were requested by Friday 5 June. A list of non-confidential responses will be placed in the libraries of both Houses once all responses have been logged. Copies of non-confidential responses will be placed in my Departments's library and will be available to members of the public for inspection by appointment.

  Blight
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the outcome of consultation on the final report of the Interdepartmental Working Group on Blight; what proposals he has to change the law relating to compulsory purchase and blight; and if he will make a statement. [45538]

  Mr. Caborn
  The results of the consultation have shown that blight is just one issue which needs to be reviewed in relation to compulsory purchase and land compensation. I have, therefore, commissioned a fundamental review of the law and procedures which relate to the compulsory acquisition of land. I have placed a copy of the terms of reference of the review in the Library of the House. I would expect to have an interim report on this by the end of the year.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will consider separately the case for reform of the law in Scotland.

  Nuclear Materials (Transportation)
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many aeroplane flights he estimates occurred in(a) 1996 and (b) 1997 in UK airspace in which radioactive material was carried. [45378]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Department does not collect information of the kind requested. The Department has no more recent estimate than that given to the hon. Member on 14 July 1997,Official Report, column 15.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Government will make it their policy further to restrict the transportation of radioactive materials(a) via the Channel Tunnel and (b) on their passenger ferries.[45379]
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  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Such transport is permitted subject to(a) the rules and restrictions of Eurotunnel, as approved by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority of the UK/France Intergovernmental Commission and (b) compliance with The Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants) Regulations 1990 (SI 1990 No. 2605) and Merchant Shipping Notice No. M 1620, "The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants in Packaged Form on Ships". These place no restriction on the number of transports.

  Local Authorities (Pilot Schemes)
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the pilot schemes announced since 1 May by his Department that involve local authorities in a lead or partnership capacity; if he will list each of the local authorities involved in each case; and what revenue and capital funding each local authority will receive through the pilot in 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01. [45337]

  Angela Eagle
  Local authorities are involved in a wide range of activities across my Department, and it is not possible to provide a definitive list.

  However, pilot schemes that have been announced by my Department since May 1997 and which involve local authorities in a lead or partnership capacity include Best Value pilots and the joint commissioning of new social housing schemes.

  The relevant details are as follows:

  Best Value

  On 4 December 1997, my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Housing announced the selection of 37 pilot projects to test the best value framework in advance of the introduction of the Government's best value policy. The pilots began on 1 April 1998 and are expected to run for 2 or 3 years. No additional funding is being provided by the Government. The successful authorities were:

  Birmingham City Council

  Bradford City Council

  Braintree DC Brent LB

  Brighton/Hove, Tandridge, Wealden DCs

  Bristol City Council

  Camden LB Carrick DC

  Cleveland Police Authority

  Cumbria County Council

  CWOIL group (Cambridge, Welwyn, Oxford, Ipswich, Lincoln)

  Exeter City Council

  Gosport BC

  Great Yarmouth BC

  Greater Manchester Police

  Greenwich LB

  Harrow LB Ipswich BC

  Leeds City Council

  Lewisham LB

  Lincolnshire County Council

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  Manchester City Council

  Newark and Sherwood DC

  Newcastle upon Tyne City Council

  Newham LB

  Northamptonshire County Council

  Oldham MBC

  Portsmouth City Council

  Reading BC

  Redcar and Cleveland BC

  Southampton City Council

  South Norfolk DC

  Sunderland City Council

  Surrey County Council

  Warwickshire CountyCouncil

  Watford BC

  York City Council.

  Joint Commissioning

  Joint Commissioning involves the development of a long term housing strategy and a set of investment priorities for both ADP and non-ADP fund ing, agreed between the Housing Corporation and a local authority. It also often involves the competitive selection of a set of RSLs who are then invited to bid for funding for social housing schemes. The objectives are to ensure that investment in social housing is based on sound long term strategies and to reduce the amount of wasteful competition between RSLs for ADP funds each year. The 42 local authorities involved in the Joint Commissioning pilot scheme are set out according to the Housing Corporation Region in which they are located:

  London Region

  Redbridge

  Hillingdon

  Kensington

  Greenwich

  South West Region

  Bournemouth

  Cotswold

  Cornwall SNAP (Special Needs Across the County)

  Taunton Dean

  South East Region

  Surrey

  Eastbourne

  Crawley

  Spelthorne Swale

  Brighton and Hove

  Portsmouth New

  Forest Reading

  East Hampshire

  East Midlands and Eastern Regions

  Ipswich

  Essex Strategic Reserve (supported housing)

  Harlow

  Newark and Sherwood

  Ashfield

  Northampton

  Fenland

  Leicester

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  North West Region

  Chester

  Oldham

  Manchester

  Preston

  Bolton

  Merseyside

  Wirral

  West Midlands Region

  Oswestry

  Wrekin

  Wychavon

  Cannock

  Yorkshire and Humberside and North Eastern Regions

  NE Lincolnshire

  Sheffield

  Sunderland

  Derwentside

  South Tyneside

  Hull.

  Workplace Injuries
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 27 October 1997,Official Report, column 721, on work-place injuries, if he will publish the finalised figures for 1996–97 and provisional figures for 1997–98, indicating the percentage change in each year since 1992–93. [45426]

  Angela Eagle
  The table shows the total number of fatal and major injuries to employees and self employed people reported to all enforcing authorities between 1992–93 and 1996–97 (years commencing 1 April) and indicates the percentage change from the previous year since 1992–93.

  Year

  Employees

  Percentage change from previous year

  Self-employed

  Percentage change from previous year

  Fatal Injuries

  1992–93

  276

  —

  63

  —

  1993–94

  245

  -11

  51

  -19

  1994–95

  191

  -22

  81

  +59

  1995–96

  209

  +9

  49

  -40

  1996–971

  207

  -1

  80

  +63

  Major Injuries

  1992–93

  16,938

  —

  1,115

  —

  1993–94

  16,705

  -1

  1,274

  +14

  1994–95

  17,041

  +2

  1,313

  +3

  1995–96

  16,568

  -3

  1,166

  -11

  1996–971

  27,964

  +69

  1,356

  +16

  1Definition of a major injury extended when The Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 came into force on 1 April 1996

  Note:

  Provisional figures will be available in July 1998 and a copy will be placed in the House of Commons Library

  Greater London Authority
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to ensure that the aims and methods of the
  635
  Better Government Programme for Older People are applied to the transitional arrangements for the establishment of the Greater London Authority. [45421]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Yes, where relevant.

  Air Safety
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to improve(a) airport and (b) aircraft safety. [45044]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for the safety regulation of UK civil aircraft and airports. They constantly monitor the civil aviation industry and seek to improve safety standards by systematically defining and addressing safety risks. Consequently the UK has one of the best civil aviation safety records in the world.

  The UK also plays a leading role in raising international aviation safety standards through its active membership of the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the joint Aviation Authorities. In addition, as part of the Presidency of the EU we are progressing proposals to establish a European Aviation Safety Authority.

  Airport Noise
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has to introduce measures for the control of airport noise for airports outside London; [45040]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the report on the Review of Airport Noise Legislation prepared for the previous Government; [45041]

  (3) what plans he has to introduce noise abatement schemes at or in the neighbourhood of airports. [45043]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We are examining airports policy generally in the context set by the wider Integrated Transport Policy review. I am aware of proposals arising from the review of aircraft noise legislation in 1991–93. The environmental impacts of airports and the case for new legislation are being considered and proposals will be made in due course.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has received on(a) noise and (b) safety issues at airports. [45042]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  My right hon. Friend and I have received various representations from time to time on noise and safety issues at airports. These tend to focus on current concerns, which include night restrictions and noise limits at the designated London airports, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.

  Derbyshire County Council
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Gravesham (Mr. Pond) of 8 June 1998,Official Report, column 420, on the final cap for Derbyshire County Council, what estimate he has made of the cost for each property in the county to be re-billed. [45361]
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  Mr. Raynsford
  The County Council's estimate of the cost of re-billing is £320,000

  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Gravesham (Mr. Pond) of 8 June 1998,Official Report, column 420, on the final cap for Derbyshire County Council, what estimate he has made of the council tax reduction for a person living in a property in (a) Band A, (b) Band B, (c) Band C, (d) Band E, (e) Band F, (f) Band G and (g) Band H. [45376]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The amounts are(a) £2.87, (b) £3.35, (c) £3.83, (d) £5.27, (e) £6.23, (f) £7.18 and (g) £8.62. These figures are for a two person household (i.e. a dwelling which does not attract any discount), and the amounts of the reduction given may be a penny different in practice, owing to rounding.

  South Downs
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received following the Countryside Commission recommendation to the Government not to designate the South Downs as a national park; and if he will make a statement. [45363]

  Angela Eagle
  Ministers have not yet received the Countryside Commission's formal advice on the future status of the South Downs; we expect to receive it later this month. We will need to look at the precise terms of the Commission's recommendations very carefully, together with all the information available, before taking any final decisions. We hope to be able to announce our conclusions in the autumn.

  London Road Network
  Mr. Colman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to consult on which roads should form the strategic London road network for which the Greater London Authority will have responsibility. [45989]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We have today published our consultation document on a strategic London road network. Copies have been placed in the Library and sent to the London local authorities, the Association of London Government, London Transport and others with an interest in the movement of people and goods in London.

  This fulfils an undertaking in the White Paper—A Mayor and Assembly for London (Cm 3897 published on 25 March 1998) to consult about precisely which roads should be part of the strategic London road network. The White Paper made clear that we start from the presumption that this network should be based on the present primary and red route networks. This comprises about 220 miles of trunk roads and 105 miles of borough roads. The transfer of the trunk roads to the GLA will represent a major shift in responsibilities from central to local Government.

  The consultation document sets out possible additions to and deletions from the primary and red route networks in order to form the strategic network for which the Greater London Authority will take responsibility. Comments on the proposals are invited by 7 August.
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  National Air Traffic Services
  Mr. Geraint Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Government have reached a decision on the future of the national air traffic services. [46057]

  (Dr. Strang
  We have been considering the future of the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) taking account of the views expressed in the Report by the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee on Air Traffic Control published in April.

  Safety is paramount. The Select Committee raised major concerns about the current arrangements in their report. The Civil Aviation Authority is currently responsible both for the provision of air traffic control services through NATS and for regulating the safety of those services. The Government will bring forward proposals to ensure that air safety regulation will be conducted independently from NATS. We will ensure that regulation is open and transparent and that the aviation industry and its employees can play a full part. The regulator's remit will be to enforce the toughest safety standards in the world.

  We have looked at a number of options for the future of NATS, including those mentioned in the Select Committee's Report.

  In the planned multi-billion investments in the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and London Underground, we have demonstrated our ability to mobilise private capital to serve the public interest through public/private partnerships.

  The Government believe that the level of investment and efficiency that we need in our National Air Traffic Services can best be achieved through a partnership between the public and private sectors. A partnership of this kind would help NATS to finance the investment it needs to operate effectively and would mobilise private sector resources.

  Our preference is that 49 per cent. of the shares, and a golden share, are held by the Government; and 51 per cent. by private investors including employees.

  This package, taken together, will guarantee the highest safety standards as air transport increases in the future. It will retain a large public stake and golden share in NATS. And it will ensure that NATS can finance its future investment effectively within a secure framework of safety and economic regulation.

  The Government will consult interested parties further on the implementation of their decision in principle and will then bring forward the necessary legislation.

  Local Authority Airports
  Mr. Charles Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what changes are planned by the Government to free local authority airports from borrowing controls. [46056]

  Dr. Strang
  All borrowing via local authority airports currently counts against the public expenditure control total. This is not conducive to the proper commercial management of these airports.
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  We now intend that local authority airports whose finances are sufficiently sound should be given the flexibility to borrow to finance airport related capital investment in the UK, where the lending would be genuinely commercial. This will allow airports such as Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford and Norwich to compete for business on a level playing field with private sector airports, while safeguarding the interest of the taxpayer.

DEFENCE

  Foreign Nationals (Security Clearance)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many defence projects for which foreign nationals have been cleared have then been reclassified to a higher security classification in each of the last five years. [45093]

  Mr. Spellar
  Information is not held on the number of defence projects for which foreign nationals have been cleared which have then been reclassified to a higher classification. However, it is rare for any major defence project to be so upgraded.

  TRACER Programme
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Government of the USA on the TRACER programme; and if he will make a statement. [45091]

  Mr. Spellar
  We are currently considering the TRACER programme and hope to reach a decision shortly.

  HMS Ocean
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on repairs for HMS `Ocean' since her launch; and what repairs have been carried out. [45127]

  Mr. Spellar
  The cost of repairs to the damage sustained to the hull of HMS Ocean during her launch on 11 October 1995 amounted to £1.125 million and was paid by the MOD under its Indemnity scheme. The ship also underwent repairs, by VSEL sub contractors, to her tail shaft bearings while in dry dock at Portsmouth in May 1998. The cost and liability for the damaged tail shaft has yet to be established.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of damage caused to HMS 'Ocean' during refloating at Portsmouth naval base following repairs; and if he will make a statement. [45126]

  Mr. Spellar
  During the re-floating of HMS Ocean on 2 June 1998, some very minor damage was sustained to a handrail. This was repaired immediately at no significant cost.

  Arms Tactical Training Centre
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the cost of the new arms tactical training centre due to be installed in Germany for the British Army. [45029]
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  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 9 June 1998]: The latest estimated acquisition costs of the Combined Arms Tactical Trainer facility to be installed at Sennelager in Germany are £57 million.

  Heavy Lift Aircraft
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has evaluated for a heavy lift aircraft for HM forces to be manufactured by the Airbus consortium. [45277]

  Mr. Spellar
  A provisional Request for Proposals has been issued to Airbus, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Alenia and FLABEL pending the formation of Airbus Military Company. We are still discussing with our partners when Requests for Proposals will be issued to potential suppliers under competitive arrangements. A procurement decision will be made in the light of the conclusions of the Strategic Defence Review and of the responses to the Request for Proposals.

  Low Flying (Brecon Beacons)
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to reduce low-level flying exercises in the Brecon Beacons. [45139]

  Mr. Spellar
  The amount of low flying training undertaken throughout the United Kingdom is already limited to that strictly necessary for aircrews to achieve and maintain operational effectiveness. We remain committed to achieving as equitable a distribution of low flying activity as practicable, taking into account geographical, climatic and operational considerations. Since 1988, low flying in Wales has reduced by about half accordingly. There are no plans to reduce military low flying training carried out in the Brecon Beacons.

  Apache Helicopter
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implementation of the direct industrial offset commitments by the Boeing company for the construction in the United Kingdom of the Apache helicopter for the British Army. [44874]

  Mr. Spellar
  The Boeing company, in common with all other overseas companies holding Industrial Participation obligations, is required to submit regular reports of the work placed in the United Kingdom in order to fulfil the commitment it has made. These reports are monitored and assessed within the Ministry of Defence. The company is progressing satisfactorily towards its direct Industrial Participation target.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prisoners (Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme)
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 1 June to the hon. Member for Newark (Mrs. Jones),Official Report, columns 50–51, what plans he has for the future provision of in-cell televisions with access to (a) satellite
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  television services, (b) sporting events broadcast on satellite television services and (c) adult channels on satellite television services. [44610]

  Ms Quin
  There are no plans for the future provision of non-terrestrial in-cell television.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 1 June to the hon. Member for Newark (Mrs. Jones),Official Report, columns 50–51, what limits will be placed on the times at which prisoners will be able to have access to in-cell television. [44611]

  Ms Quin
  This will be a matter for local rules. Steps will be taken in all establishments holding juveniles to ensure observation of the threshold for unsuitable programmes set by the broadcasting authorities.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 1 June to the hon. Member for Newark (Mrs. Jones),Official Report, columns 50–51, how many levels of privilege are generally in operation throughout the Prison Service. [44616]

  Ms Quin
  Three: the basic, standard and enhanced privilege levels.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 1 June to the hon. Member for Newark (Mrs. Jones),Official Report, columns 50–51, if video recorders are to be made available to prisoners as part of the increased availability of in-cell television. [44614]

  Ms Quin
  There are no plans to allow prisoners to have video recorders as part of the policy on in-cell television.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 1 June to the hon. Member for Newark (Mrs. Jones),Official Report, columns 50–51, in respect of the procurement process for in-cell television, what is the average cost per television; if the televisions will be new; and if they will contain (a) digital technology and (b) teletext. [44615]

  Ms Quin
  The Prison Service has begun a procurement process for new, non-digital, 14 inch colour television sets. Teletext will not be included but, where there is networked aerial cabling, there will be the capacity to use spare channels to communicate by text information such as establishment routines. The unit cost of televisions purchased depends on the outcome of the tendering process and will not be known until a contract is awarded.

  Probation Service
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the programme of inspections of each county probation force by HMIP and what thematic inspections are planned. [44846]

  Ms Quin
  Between 1994 and the end of 1998, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation will have inspected each area probation service once under its quality and effectiveness inspection programme. This programme also involves a follow up inspection about 18 months after the publication of the area inspection report. Consideration is now being given to the form of inspection which will follow the completion of the quality and effectiveness programme.
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  Future thematic inspection reports will cover probation hostels, life sentence prisoners (jointly with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons) and supervision plans.

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average number of days sick leave taken by probation staff in each grade in each probation service in England and Wales in each of the last three years. [44852]

  Ms Quin
  The information requested is not collected centrally; however, a recent study based on samples of probation service staff suggested that the average sick leave across services in 1997 was about nine days.

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (1) was the staff turnover rate for each category of staff in each probation service in England and Wales in each of the last three years; [44851]

  (2) what were the absenteeism or unauthorised absence rates for each grade of probation staff in each probation service in England and Wales in the last three years. [44850]

  Ms Quin
  The information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average case load for each probation service in England and Wales in each of the last three years. [44853]

  Ms Quin
  The readily available information refers to the court order caseload for 1995 and 1996 and is shown in the table. In addition to the 15.6 cases per officer shown, there were 12.0 cases of pre and post-release supervision for England and Wales. The latter figure would be available by probation area only at disproportionate cost.

  Table: Average caseload1 of criminal court orders per maingrade officer2

  Cases per officer

  England and Wales 31 December

  1995

  1996

  Avon

  19.2

  20.2

  Bedfordshire

  13.2

  14.3

  Berkshire

  15.1

  16.5

  Cambridgeshire

  11.5

  12.9

  Cheshire

  13.1

  16.2

  Cornwall

  14.4

  24.3

  Cumbria

  11.8

  14.2

  Derbyshire

  15.1

  18

  Devon

  14.7

  15.0

  Dorset

  16.9

  16.4

  Durham

  18.5

  22.8

  Essex

  13.9

  14.7

  Gloucestershire

  18.0

  17.6

  Hampshire

  14.1

  15.3

  Hereford & Worcester

  10.7

  12.9

  Hertfordshire

  14.2

  16.3

  Humberside

  18.0

  19.6

  Kent

  16.5

  18.6

  Lancashire

  16.3

  16.4

  Leicestershire

  11.5

  13.2

  Lincolnshire

  13.4

  13.0

  Greater Manchester

  15.9

  17.1

  Merseyside

  12.5

  13.2

  Norfolk

  11.8

  14.2

  Northamptonshire

  9.3

  10.0

  Northumbria

  13.6

  14.9

  Nottinghamshire

  12.3

  14.1

  Oxford & Buckingham

  12.2

  13.3

  642

  Table: Average caseload1 of criminal court orders per maingrade officer2

  Cases per officer

  England and Wales 31 December

  1995

  1996

  Shropshire

  13.6

  13.3

  Somerset

  14.3

  16.0

  Staffordshire

  15.5

  16.6

  Suffolk

  10.7

  12.8

  Surrey

  12.3

  13.3

  East Sussex

  11.9

  13.7

  West Sussex

  13.1

  12.5

  Teesside

  18.0

  20.3

  Warwickshire

  14.3

  16.1

  West Midlands

  14.9

  15.7

  Wiltshire

  15.3

  16.0

  North Yorkshire

  16.6

  18.4

  South Yorkshire

  13.1

  15.1

  West Yorkshire

  15.2

  16.2

  Inner London

  15.6

  15.9

  NE London

  12.2

  14

  SE London

  15.1

  14.4

  SW London

  11.8

  13.3

  Middlesex

  13.4

  14.8

  Dyfed

  18.3

  20.4

  Gwent

  15.3

  17.9

  North Wales

  14.0

  15.8

  Powys

  18.3

  20.1

  South Glamorgan

  12.1

  11.2

  Mid Glamorgan

  13.8

  14.2

  West Glamorgan

  15.1

  15.0

  All areas

  14.4

  15.6

  1 Excludes community services. Includes cases supervised by staff other than maingrade officers

  Excludes persons with life supervision. Persons receiving more than 1 supervision are counted in the court orders caseload only for the first supervision which applies

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy to maintain a network of probation offices outside the largest towns and cities. [45331]

  Ms Quin
  The probation service needs to provide supervision programmes and facilities which are reasonably accessible to offenders who are required to attend. The number and location of offices are for probation committees to determine within the grant provision they have. In reaching decisions, I look to committees to take account of the potential additional costs and savings which more centralisation of accommodation could bring; the potential effect on operations and enforcement; and the potential contribution which other, more flexible, arrangements (such as mobile offices) might make in their circumstances.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Fabian Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the British Government's policy towards asylum seekers who have been active in opposition parties and are from the English speaking regions of Cameroon. [44930]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Every application for asylum is decided in accordance with the provisions of the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. Anyone who demonstrates a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion would be
  643
  recognised as a refugee. Any rejected applicant has the opportunity to appeal to the Immigration Appellate Authority.

  The Government's assessment of the conditions prevailing in Cameroon is based on information from a variety of sources, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the United States Department of State and international organisations, such as Amnesty International. A country assessment on Cameroon, prepared by the Country Information and Policy Unit of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, has been produced and will be revised and updated approximately every six months.

  The Home Office country assessment reports concerns about human rights abuses in Cameroon. At this time we have received no evidence to show that mere membership of an opposition party or a Cameroonian's status as an anglophone would single a person out for persecution for those reasons alone.

  Sir Norman Fowler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated total cost to public funds in the last 12 months of making provision for applicants for political asylum. [45182]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Costs directly attributable to asylum seekers are not separately identified within spending figures, hence only a broad estimate is available. This estimates that the costs to public funds of provision for asylum seekers is around £500 million for 1997–98. This cost includes processing costs of asylum applications and appeals, and costs for providing support to asylum seekers via Department of Social Security benefits, support provided by local authorities under the National Assistance Act 1948, legal aid and health and education.

  Recent claims that the total cost of asylum is in excess of £2 billion are wildly misleading.

  Extradition
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each of the last 15 years the number of extradition warrants issued by police forces in England and Wales for persons sought by them for terrorist type crimes whom the police believed to be resident in the United States of America; how many of the persons sought were returned to the United Kingdom in each year; and if he will give the same information in respect of persons sought for crimes not related to terrorism. [44916]

  Mr. Straw
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland and for Scotland are responsible for extradition requests based on offences committed within those jurisdictions.

  An arrest warrant issued in England and Wales cannot form an extradition request. Extradition arrangements with the United States are conducted on a treaty basis. A formal extradition request by the United Kingdom is prepared by the relevant prosecuting authority and is made through diplomatic channels, typically when the fugitive has been located in a particular country.

  Home Office records of extradition requests do not indicate as a matter of course whether the offence which formed the basis of an extradition request was related to terrorism. Records do show, however, that between 1983and 1997, one request was made to the United States for the return of a person on the basis of terrorist offences. That person was returned to the United Kingdom in 1996.
  644
  The table sets out the total number of requests made by the Home Office to the United States in each of the last 15 years, and the number of people returned from there in each of those years.

  Year

  Number of requests made to the United States

  Number of people returned from the United States

  1983

  3

  3

  1984

  4

  5

  1985

  6

  4

  1986

  4

  7

  1987

  10

  5

  1988

  8

  8

  1989

  5

  3

  1990

  7

  5

  1991

  6

  7

  1992

  7

  6

  1993

  4

  5

  1994

  2

  3

  1995

  8

  3

  1996

  3

  4

  1997

  8

  3

  Note:

  Twelve requests made during the period were subsequently withdrawn.

  Animal Research
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 April 1998,Official Report, column 26, concerning wild-caught primates, what were the scientific procedures the wild-caught baboon was subjected to; when the transplantation occurred; if the baboon is still alive; how many visits to the establishment where the procedures took place have been made by the Home Office Inspectorate since 1 January 1997; and what regulated procedures will be performed on the second wild-caught baboon. [45427]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The first animal was used in an orthotopic heart transplant procedure (in which it received a heart from a transgenic pig) on 23 March. It has since been humanely killed.

  Since 1 January 1997, inspectors have visited the establishment on five occasions.

  The second animal was considered to be an unsuitable candidate for surgery and was humanely killed without being used in any regulated procedures.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the letter of the Under-Secretary of State, Lord Williams of Mostyn, to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (AP/98 1/10/86), what action he is taking to reduce journey times of primates imported for research; and what plans he has to facilitate the flying of such animals directly to the United Kingdom. [44048]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Journey times are unduly long in some cases because, following a campaign by anti-vivisection groups, airlines stopped flying primates directly into the United Kingdom. Instead, the animals are flown into mainland Europe to be transported to this
  645
  country by road and ferry. The Home Office has no powers to insist that airlines carry primates or other animals directly into the United Kingdom.

  In deciding whether to allow primates to be acquired from overseas sources, the transport arrangements are taken into account.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistics his Department collates about the countries from which primates are imported to the United Kingdom. [44049]

  Mr. George Howarth
  I assume that my hon. Friend is interested in statistics relating to the breeding and supplying centres and not in general statistics about the countries concerned.

  In deciding whether to give approval for the acquisition of primates from overseas for use in regulated procedures in the United Kingdom, information about the breeding centre is scrutinised. This information includes details of the breeding colony (its size and composition); animal accommodation and husbandry; health status and monitoring arrangements; breeding performance; staffing; and arrangements for transportation to the United Kingdom.

  Metropolitan Police Review
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that changes in the level of police resources arising from the review of Metropolitan Police boundaries and divisional commands are subject to full public consultation. [45213]

  Mr. Straw
  Under the 1996 Police Act, I have a power to alter police areas by order. I have no power to alter police divisional boundaries within a police area, as this, and the deployment of police resources within a police area, are matters for the chief officer of the relevant police force. However, section 96 of the Police Act 1996 requires police authorities and, in the case of the Metropolitan Police District, the Commissioner, to make arrangements for obtaining the view of local people about matters concerning the policing of their area.

  I am currently considering representations that changes to the boundaries of the Metropolitan Police District should make them conterminous with those of the proposed new Greater London Authority.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the advantages of introducing greater conterminosity between police divisions and borough council boundaries in his review of the boundary of the Metropolitan Police. [45214]

  Mr. Michael
  Yes. The Government are keen to align boundaries in the criminal justice system wherever possible. Conterminous boundaries improve efficiency in the delivery of local services, increasing the effectiveness of joint working between agencies, particularly in partnership arrangements such as those proposed in the Crime and Disorder Bill[Lords]

  Under the Police Act 1996, the Home Secretary has a power to alter police areas by order but has no power to determine police divisional boundaries within a police area, which are a matter for the chief officer of the relevant police force.
  646
  We are currently considering representations for changes to the boundaries of the Metropolitan Police District to make them conterminous with those of the proposed new Greater London Authority.

  psom Police Station
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to relocate the command, control and management functions currently located at Epsom Police Station to within the Greater London boundary. [45212]

  Mr. Michael
  The Commissioner tells me that a new station for Epsom and Sutton Division of 4 Area is planned at Sutton. It will be funded through the private finance initiative. It is planned that the divisional headquarters staff and the command and control suite currently based at Epsom Police station will be relocated to the new Sutton police station.

  Animal Rights Activists
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the letter of 12 January from the Under-Secretary of State, Lord Williams of Mostyn, to Dr George Poste of Smith Kline Beecham, what monitoring he has conducted of the efficacy of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in relation to violence by animal rights activists. [44067]

  Mr. George Howarth
  We have undertaken to review the use of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and to report our findings. The review will cover all types of cases brought under the Act and will start later this year.

  Immigration Service
  Sir Norman Fowler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration service staff are currently employed for on-entry control duties at ports; and if he will make a statement. [45186]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  On 1 June 1998, the Immigration Service Ports Directorate employed a total of 2,343 staff at ports, of whom 2,172 were operational grades of Inspector, Chief Immigration Officer, Immigration Officer and Assistant Immigration Officer.

  Police Service Budget
  Sir Norman Fowler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the real term increase in the budget for the police service for the current year; and if he will make a statement. [45184]

  Mr. Michael
  The revenue budgets of police authorities in England and Wales rose by £255 million in 1998/99. This represents an increase of 3.7 per cent. over 1997/98.

  Port Arrivals
  Sir Norman Fowler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of arrivals at ports, in the last 12 months, broken down to show(a) EC and (b) other arrivals; and if he will make a statement. [45187]
  647
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Provisional data for the 12 months April 1997 to March 1998 are given in the table.

  Million

  Total passenger arrivals

  80.1

  of which British citizens1

  252.4

  other nationals of countries in the European Economic Area (EEA)

  216.7

  non-EEA nationals

  11.0

  1Including residents of the Irish Republic and passengers of all nationalities in direct transit who did not pass through immigration control

  2Estimated

  Embarkation Controls
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what embarkation controls he has removed or reduced at which airports and ports; and what protection he has put in place at those ports and airports for children who are victims of attempted abduction from Britain. [44908]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The previous administration had already removed, in 1994, embarkation checks for passengers departing from ferry ports and small airports for destinations within the European Union/European Economic Area, with the consequence that some 40 per cent. of all departing passengers were not seen by an immigration officer. This meant that those seeking to evade embarkation controls could do so by using these ports.

  Implementation of the new embarkation arrangements, which I announced on 16 March 1998, Official Report, columns 506–07, commenced on 14 April at Heathrow Terminal 3, Gatwick North and Stansted. Gatwick South started on 7 June. These arrangements are due to come into place at the remaining major ports—Heathrow Terminals 1, 2 and 4, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester—on 1 July, or as soon as possible thereafter.

  These intelligence-led embarkation checks are more effective than those which existed before; they include the increased use of Closed Circuit Television and enhanced co-operation between border agencies, port operators, and airlines. An important part of this liaison is the operation by the police of the All Ports Warning System in order to frustrate child abduction.

  Human Rights
  (Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 24 April 1998,Official Report, column 722, on human rights, if he will state which aspects of the Government's human rights policy are his Department's responsibilities. [44877]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The Home Office is responsible for the Human Rights Bill[Lords]. We also work with other Departments on the operation and application of international mechanisms for protecting human rights, with a particularly strong interest in the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European and United Nations Conventions against torture.
  648

  Non-custodial Sentences (Electronic Monitoring)
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria will be used in evaluating bids by companies to manage electronic monitoring arrangements for home detention and community orders. [43877]

  Ms Quin
  The main criteria used in elevating bids both technically and commercially concern:

  the deliverability of the whole project;

  the quality and reliability of the service;

  the ability of the proposed equipment to meet the required standards; and

  the price.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  South Africa
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide help to the Republic of South Africa in the form of secondments of academic staff and administrators to South Africa. [44047]

  Clare Short
  There are in fact already extensive academic links between British and South African universities arranged under the Higher Education Links programme funded by my Department and managed by the British Council. 26 such links have been established.

  Iwokrama International Rainforest Centre
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the letter of 17 June 1997 from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, what support her Department has given to the Iwokrama International Rainforest Centre to provide forest research capacity for the Guyana Shield. [44066]

  Clare Short
  My Department has committed £3 million to the Centre's Sustainable Human Development Project in order to develop sustainable forest management approaches which will benefit forest-dependent communities living in the Iwokrama Rainforest. It will include support for applied research and capacity building. The European Commission is appraising for EU funding a complementary project on the sustainable and equitable use of biodiversity in the Forest.

  The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is committing £100,000 to the Centre's research programme which is also being assisted by Canada and which will benefit from close association with the Guyana Forestry Commission, also supported by DFID. Some of the Centre's research will be conducted in collaboration with the Tropenbos Foundation.

  Annual Policy Forum
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on progress in setting up the annual policy forum proposed in the Government's White Paper on International Development. [45990]
  649
  Clare Short
  The National Development Policy Forum will take place in Birmingham on 9 November. This will be preceded by a series of regional forums in ten locations around the UK. The dates and locations are as follows:

  Date

  Location

  Monday

  7 September

  Norwich

  Wednesday

  9 September

  Birmingham

  Monday

  14 September

  Bristol

  Wednesday

  16 September

  Portsmouth

  Monday

  21 September

  York

  Thursday

  24 September

  Cardiff

  Monday

  5 October

  Manchester

  Wednesday

  7 October

  Edinburgh

  Tuesday

  13 October

  Belfast

  Friday

  16 October

  London

  The Forum is one of a number of ways in which we are seeking to share experience and strengthen analysis of development issues across different sectors of society, and to broaden public awareness. This will be an annual process and full reports of the outcome will be available.

  Our current estimate of the cost is between £200,000 and £300,000.

TREASURY

  Tax Avoidance
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of personal portfolio bond holders who hold such instruments with the sole or main objective of avoiding tax. [45120]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 9 June 1998]It is not known how many people hold personal portfolio bonds with the sole or main object of avoiding tax.

  Public Houses (Uniform Business Rate)
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if his Department publishes guidelines in relation to uniform business rates and the value of public houses; [45019]

  (2)what measures are taken to monitor the accuracy of information given on forms used to assess uniform business rates for public houses; [45020]

  (3)if (a) turnover prices and (b) the value of a property are taken into account in the setting of uniform business rates for public houses. [45018]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 9 June 1998]: No general guidelines are published in relation to uniform business rates by HM Treasury. A guide relating to the valuation of public houses, entitled "Public Houses—Approved Guide to Valuation", is available to the general public as part of the Tolley's Tax Link CD-ROM from Tolley Publishing Co. Ltd. The guide forms part of the Valuation Office Agency's Rating Manual and sets out the agreement between the Valuation Office Agency and the Brewers and Licensed Retailers Association as to the method and broad levels of the value to be adopted for public houses as part of the revaluation of non-domestic property for business rates purposes, which came into effect on 1 April 1995.
  650
  The rateable value of a public house, in common with other non-domestic property subject to business rates, is an estimate of the amount of rent for which the property might reasonably be expected to be let. The capital value of the property is not taken into account. In arriving at the rateable value for public houses, the Valuation Officer, an employee of the Valuation Office Agency, has regard to turnover when estimating fair maintainable receipts. This yardstick is adopted to analyse rents and to compare properties.

  The Valuation Officer has a statutory power to request information which is required to compile and maintain lists of rateable values for business rates purposes. Those supplying the information, usually the occupiers/owners of the property or their representatives, sign a declaration of authenticity. The supply of false information can lead to prosecution. The accuracy of information given on forms will be considered at both the valuation stage and when dealing with appeals.

  Self-assessment
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many demands for a sum of 24 pence or less have been issued by the Inland Revenue since 1 January to taxpayers who have been held to have under-declared their earnings under the self-assessment scheme. [44816]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 9 June 1998]: The information is not available.

  Ms Stuart
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers were billed for amounts of less than £5 under self-assessment. [44318]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The information is not available.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax demands have been issued under the self-assessment initiative for sums under(a) £1 and
  (b) £10. [44973]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The information is not available.

  Economic and Fiscal Strategy

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of surpluses on the current balance measure of the UK budget deficit over the next five years; [44294]

  (2) what is his policy on the ratio of public debt to national income; and if he will make a statement. [45174]

  Mr. Darling [holding answer 4 June 1998]
  I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the statement my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer made to the House today,Official Report, columns 1195–1201.

  Disabled Person's Tax Credit
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide details of the timetable for consultation on the eligibility criteria for the disabled person's tax credit. [44900]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 8 June 1998]The disabled person's tax credit will replace the disability working allowance from October 1999. The Government are presently considering ways to ensure the disabled
  651
  person's tax credit can be made more effective and attractive than the disability working allowance, and will be making announcements and consulting in due course.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the tax yield from making child benefit taxable for(a) mothers who are higher-rate tax payers and (b) fathers who are higher-rate tax payers; and what would be the administrative cost of doing so. [44626]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 8 June 1998]If child benefit were taxed as part of the income of those mothers or lone fathers liable to tax at the higher rate of 40 per cent., the yield for 1998–99 would be about £40 million. If the benefit were taxed as part of the income of fathers and lone mothers liable to tax at the higher rate of 40 per cent., the yield for 1998–99 would be about £450 million. The administrative costs would depend on the precise way in which any tax charge was imposed.

  Pensions (Tax Relief)
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the yield for allowing income tax relief only on pension contributions up to a ceiling of(a) £4,000 per annum, (b) £6,000 per annum, (c) £8,000 per annum and (d) £10,000 per annum. [44627]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 8 June 1998]The distribution of tax relief by level of contribution of participants in occupational and personal pension schemes is not available.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Exchequer of giving tax relief on that part of employee and employer national insurance contributions which are treated as contributions to SERPS and which are not payable by those who have contracted out of SERPS. [44628]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 8 June 1998]The cost of income tax relief at the basic rate for the employee part of the age-related national insurance rebate if all those currently in SERPS contracted out into appropriate personal pensions is tentatively estimated at around £300 million each year at 1998–99 levels of earnings. Extending basic rate relief to the employer part of the national insurance rebate would cost approximately an additional £850 million.

  Departmental Running Costs
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to constrain the growth of Departments' running costs; and if he will make a statement. [45181]

  Mr. Darling
  The Government are committed to delivering high-quality public services at best value to the taxpayer. Expenditure on Departments' running costs is being closely scrutinised in the Comprehensive Spending Review. Controls on running costs will be maintained within the new spending plans announced at the conclusion of the Review.

  Savings Income (Channel Islands)
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to oppose the application to the Channel Islands of the proposed Council Directive on the minimum effective taxation of savings income (COM(1998)295). [43687]

  Dawn Primarolo
  We will be discussing this issue with the Channel Islands.

  Golden Rule
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Treasury definition of capital expenditure for the purposes of the Golden Rule. [45178]

  Mr. Darling
  Definitions used for the purposes of the golden rule were set out in Annexe B of the March 1998 Financial Statement and Budget Report.

  Foreign Earnings Deduction
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportions of the expected yield arising from the proposed abolition of the foreign earnings deduction to be paid by media and entertainment personalities with very high incomes. [44642]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 10 June 1998]About one half of the yield arising from the proposed changes to the rules for foreign earnings deductions will come from media and entertainment personalities.

  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of those claiming foreign earnings deduction earned(a) less than £40,000 per annum, (b) between £40,000 to £50,000 per annum, (c) £50,000 to £60,000 per annum, (d) £60,000 to £75,000, (e) £75,000 to £100,000 and (f) above £100,000 per annum, in the latest year for which figures are available. [44641]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 10 June 1998]The degree of disaggregation requested is not available.

  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of those claiming the foreign earnings deduction were people considered by the Treasury to be very high-earning individuals in the latest year for which figures are available. [44643]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 10 June 1998]There is no standard definition of what constitutes very high earnings.

  Tax Evasion
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he is taking to end tax evasion through the use of company status by persons who would normally be considered to be(a) employees and (b) in receipt of additional income from sources outside their main employment. [45183]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Arrangements for the evasion or avoidance of tax are kept under review by the Inland Revenue who take action where appropriate. In addition, legislative steps are taken if necessary.
  653

  Sierra Leone
  Mr. Lilley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) on what dates HM Customs and Excise interviewed(a) Mr. Peter Penfold, (b) Mr. Craig Murray, (c) Linda St. Cook, (d) Mr. Tim Andrews, (e) Mr. Philip Packham, (f) Lt. Col. Peter Hicks and (g) Colonel Andrew Gale in the course of their investigation into possible breach of UN Resolution 1132 and the consequent Order in Council; [41820]

  (2) which civil servants have been interviewed by HM Customs and Excise in the course of their investigation into possible breach of UN resolution 1132 and the consequent Order in Council; and on what dates. [41821]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 14 May 1998]Customs have announced the conclusion of their investigation into the alleged breaches of the UN/Sierra Leone arms embargo. It is established practice that the Commissioners do not comment further on the details of their investigations.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action the Government are taking to investigate possible violations of arms sanctions in respect of Sierra Leone. [41114]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 8 May 1998]Customs have conducted an investigation of alleged breaches of the UN/Sierra Leone arms embargo and have announced their conclusions.

  I also refer the right hon. Member to the statement by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the House on 18 May 1998, Official Report, columns 604–11, in which he announced the investigation by Sir Thomas Legg KCB QC into allegations about Government involvement with the supply of arms to Sierra Leone by UK citizens and firms, and said that the Terms of Reference would be placed in the Library of the House. The Foreign Secretary intends to publish the report of the investigation.

  Sir Alastair Goodlad
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans Customs and Excise have to interview the Secretary of State for International Development or officials of her Department in the course of their investigation into possible breaches of the UN Security Council Resolution 1132 concerning Sierra Leone. [41944]

  Dawn Primarolo
  None. The Customs and Excise investigation has been concluded in the terms of the announcement of 18 May 1998,Official Report, columns 604–11.

  Information
  Mr. Lilley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is his policy not to supply factual information requested by hon. Members if that information would be liable to misinterpretation. [43980]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 1 June 1998]I refer the right hon. Gentlemen to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Dafis) on 12 May 1998,Official Report, column 82.
  654

  Taxable Pay Tables
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost of the reprint of taxable pay tables LR+B to D marked May 1998; and what was the reason for the mistake in the originals. [44337]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The cost of reprinting the tables was £127,363.

  The user testing did not identify errors within the instructional guidance contained in the new Calculator Tables. However, the revised tables (identified as May 1998 Issue 2) were issued by 16 May 1998 in time for the implementation of the Budget changes on the first pay day after 17 May 1998 in line with the original implementation date.

  Training (Tax Relief)
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding the administration of the vocational training tax relief scheme and the possible introduction of a composite form for use by training providers. [44913]

  Dawn Primarolo
  In an Inland Revenue Budget press release issued on 26 November 1996, comments were requested on a draft new form to replace the two eligibility forms in use for vocational training relief (VTR). The draft form was not welcomed by all training providers and, in the light of representations received, the Inland Revenue felt that they could not go ahead with the proposals as they stood.

  Partnership Initiative
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the treatment for tax purposes of contributions made by private companies to educational institutions under the Partnership Initiative. [44680]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I am not sure what my hon. Friend has in mind. There are special rules granting tax relief for gifts of equipment to educational establishments. Otherwise, normal tax rules apply. If my hon. Friend wishes to write to me about any specific point, I will be happy to look into it for him.

  Borrowing Targets
  Mr. Timms
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the Government's performance against targets in reducing borrowing in 1997–98. [45870]

  Mrs. Liddell
  As a result of the lower than expected outturn in government borrowing in 1997–98, and taking account of the Government's latest forecast for Central Government net borrowing in 1998–99, the Government have reduced their financing requirement to £12.1 billion in 1998–99. This is a reduction of £3.1 billion, compared with previous plans. The revised financing requirement is expected to be met from gilt sales of £11.6 billion, and a net contribution from National Savings of £..; billion. The revised financing arithmetic is set out in the table, followed by revisions to paragraph 4 of the Debt
  655
  Management Office remit for 1998–99, and the revised auction calendar for 1998–99. There are no other changes to the Government's plans for debt management, or to the rest of the Debt Management Office remit, as set out in the 1998–99 Debt Management Report.

  Central Government Financing Requirement 1998–99

  £ billion

  Central Government net borrowing

  0.2

  Loans and sales of financial assets

  1.9

  Accruals adjustments

  1.4

  Central Government net cash requirement

  3.5

  Expected net change in official reserves

  0.0

  Gilt redemptions

  16.8

  Gilt sales residual from 1997–98

  -8.2

  Financing requirement

  12.1

  Less net financing from:

  National Savings

  0.5

  Certificates of Tax Deposit

  0.0

  Treasury bills and other short term debt

  0.0

  Gross gilt sales required

  11.6

  of which:

  Ultra-short conventionals (1–3 years)

  0.0

  Short conventionals (3–7 years)

  2.5

  Medium conventionals (7–15 years)

  2.5

  Long conventionals (over 15 years)

  3.1

  Index-linked gilts

  3.5

  Over 1998–99 as a whole, the Debt Management Office will aim to make 30 per cent. of its gilts sales in index-linked stocks, with the remainder in conventional stocks, spread across the maturity ranges. On current forecasts, this implies index-linked gilt sales of £3.5 billion and conventional gilt sales of £8.1 billion. Three auctions of conventional stocks are now scheduled for 1998–99, including the auction already held on 20 May, when the DMO successfully auctioned £3 billion of long stock. The remaining two auctions of conventional stocks will be used to issue short and medium stocks, in broadly even proportions. The Government do not necessarily intend to maintain issuance in each maturity area in these proportions in future years.

  Auction calendar 1998–99

  Date

  Wednesday 20 May 1998

  Conventional

  Wednesday 29 July 1998

  Conventional

  Wednesday 28 October 1998

  Index-linked

  Wednesday 27 January 1999

  Index-linked

  Wednesday 24 March 19991

  Conventional

  1 Subject to Chancellor's decision on the Budgetary timetable

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid (Northern Ireland)
  Mr. Walker
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the 10 legal establishments in Northern Ireland which were awarded most in legal aid in the last two financial years and the amount awarded in each case. [44589]
  656
  Mr. Hoon
  The administration of the legal aid scheme in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Law Society of Northern Ireland under the Legal Aid, Advice and Assistance (Northern Ireland) Order 1981. This function is exercised through the Legal Aid Committee which is a Committee of the Council of the Law Society of Northern Ireland and the Legal Aid Department which is a Department of the Law Society. The Legal Aid Department is also responsible for the administration of criminal legal aid on the Lord Chancellor's behalf.

  The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The computer system in the Legal Aid Department is out of date and the Department is presently in the process of procuring a new computer. It will then take some considerable time before all new cases are in the system and in respect of which such information could be readily available.

  Child Abduction
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the outcome of the international review meeting in 1997 of the Hague Convention on Child Abduction; and what follow-up action the British Government are taking. [44906]

  Mr. Hoon
  The review of the operation of the 1980 Hague Convention in March 1997 achieved a wide measure of consensus between contracting states on improvements to the operation of the Convention, and in particular on the standards needed to ensure that new states parties can implement the provisions of the Convention effectively. The Government have followed up the review by promoting judicial and administrative contacts to discuss and improve the operation of the Convention between the UK and other contracting states. In the wider international field, my Department has been working to promote improvements in relations with justice ministries in other European Union Member states as part of the UK's Presidency of the European Union.

  Human Rights
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to the answer of 24 April 1998,Official Report, column 722, on human rights, if he will state which aspects of the Government's human rights policy are his Department's responsibility. [44875]

  Mr. Hoon
  As a central part of their human rights policy the Government are giving further effect to the rights in the European Convention on Human Rights, through the provisions of the Human Rights Bill which is currently before Parliament. The Lord Chancellor is Chairman of the Cabinet Committee responsible for taking this forward.

  The Lord Chancellor is responsible for ensuring compliance with the relevant Convention rights as they affect the machinery of justice in England and Wales. The Lord Chancellor is also responsible for ensuring that civil and family law give effect to Convention rights.
  657

SCOTLAND

  Road Accidents
  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the European Commission's Statistical Office figures for road death rates in the Highlands and Islands region relative to the rest of Scotland.[44685]

  Mr. McLeish
  Detailed information about road accidents in Scotland is published annually by the Scottish Office in "Road Accidents Scotland", copies of which are available in the Library of the House. This publication includes information about the number of casualties and casualty rates per 100,000 population by each police force area, each local authority area and by severity, whereas the European Commission's Statistical Office figures show casualties for only 4 sub-divisions of Scotland.

  The Scottish Office reviews annually accidents on trunk roads in Scotland with the aim of identifying clusters of accidents at particular locations and routes with high accident rates. This review provides the basis for the investigation of accidents on trunk roads and for appropriate remedial measures. The investigation and prevention of accidents on local roads are the responsibility of local road authorities.

  Breast Cancer
  Ms Perham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown by age range of the incidence of breast cancer in women in Scotland in each of the last five years. [44935]

  Mr. Galbraith
  The information requested is set out in the table:

  Number of registrations of incident cases of breast cancer (ICD-9' 174) among women in Scotland by age group and year of registration, 1992–1996

  Age Group

  1992

  7995

  1994

  1995

  1996

  15–24

  4

  2

  5

  1

  2

  25–34

  76

  67

  80

  59

  73

  35–44

  284

  302

  294

  289

  285

  45–54

  654

  659

  627

  706

  766

  55–64

  874

  751

  762

  806

  741

  65–74

  615

  624

  634

  654

  641

  75–84

  512

  497

  455

  468

  451

  85+

  225

  220

  240

  235

  189

  All ages

  3,244

  3,122

  3,097

  3,218

  3,418

  Holyrood Parliament Building
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what powers the Scottish Parliament will have to(a) amend and (b) reject the Government's proposals for the Holyrood Parliament Building; and if he will make a statement. [45329]

  Mr. McLeish
  It is intended that responsibility for the Parliament Building at Holyrood will transfer to the Parliament's Corporate Body at an appropriate point after 658
  it is established following the elections in May 1999. The completion of the project will then be a matter for the Parliament.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the cost of each of the options on the shortlist for the Holyrood Parliament Building. [45330]

  Mr. McLeish
  The intention is that whichever team of designers is chosen will produce a building which can be constructed within the building cost estimate of around £50 million announced previously.

  AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

    EU Fisheries Council
    Miss Begg
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Luxembourg on 8 June; and if he will make a statement. [45615]

    Dr. John Cunningham
    I chaired the meeting of the Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on 8 June. The Parliamentary Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) represented the United Kingdom together with my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, Lord Sewel.

    The Council agreed by qualified majority, with France and Ireland voting against and Italy abstaining, a ban on high seas drift nets. The use of drift nets to catch tuna and swordfish will be phased out by 31 December 2001. The UK favoured a shorter phase out but several delegations were sympathetic to arguments for a longer one. The compromise of 3z years secured the necessary qualified majority and was accompanied by a commitment that in 1998 the number of vessels licensed to fish with drift nets in each Member State will be at least 40% below the number that fished in 1995, 1996 or 1997 in that Member State. In a joint statement the Council and Commission agreed to decide before the end of 1998 on compensatory measures to help fishermen adapt to the ending of the drift net fishery.

    The Commission proposal on drift nets has been on the Council's table since 1994. The UK Presidency made it a priority to reach an agreement in order to protect dolphins in particular and I am delighted that, after a long and hard negotiation, this has now been achieved.

    The European Commission introduced a proposal to strengthen fisheries monitoring, inspection and surveillance, together with an action plan for further improving enforcement under the Common Fisheries Policy over the next 2–3 years. In an orientation debate, the UK welcomed the prospect of more effective and consistent enforcement and called for an annual report from the Commission to enable the Council to review progress. As chairman, I concluded that there was agreement that the Commission's proposal addressed key areas where enforcement can be enhanced and a decision should be taken at the Council's next meeting in October. The action plan will be used as a framework for improving control standards.
    659
    There was also an orientation debate on a communication from the Commission on options for the future of the Community's fisheries market regime. In a wide ranging discussion, delegations, including the UK, generally shared the Commission's view that it is important to maximise the value of scarce fish resources, maintain competitive catching and processing industries in an increasingly global market and take account of consumers' concerns. Many delegations agreed that changes to both the internal and international aspects of the current market organisations are called for. The Commission will now take account of the points made in drawing up detailed proposals for consideration by the Council.

    The Council considered a communication from the Commission reporting on steps taken to follow up discussions by North Sea Ministers at a meeting in Bergen in 1997. The Council unanimously agreed conclusions stressing the importance of integrating fisheries and environmental policies and of making further progress in implementing the Bergen commitments. It also invited the Commission to provide a full report on further progress next year.

    The European Commission reported on preparations being made for the review of the Common Fisheries Policy in 2002.

    The Council had a preliminary discussion of the implications for fisheries of the reform of the Structural Funds under Agenda 2000.

    The Council also adopted a decision providing for ratification by Member States and the Community of the UN Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Species. This will in due course add the 15 EU member states to the list of countries which have ratified the Agreement. It will become law when 30 countries have ratified.

    Organic Farming
    Kate Hoey
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farms have converted to organic farming in the past year. [44870]

    Mr. Morley
    134 farms have converted to organic farming in the past year in the UK.

    Kate Hoey
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of United Kingdom farms is classified as organic. [44869]

    Mr. Morley
    The percentage of United Kingdom farms classified as organic is 0.5 per cent.

    Animal Welfare
    Mr. Fraser
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the policy statements which he has made during the United Kingdom presidency of the European Community on the welfare of farm animals throughout the Community; and if he will make a statement. [44698]

    Mr. Morley
    My right hon. Friend and I have repeatedly made clear during the presidency that the Government's policy is to press for new and revised EU measures to improve standards of farm animal welfare throughout the European Community. Under our 660
    presidency we have made considerable progress in resolving the long-standing deadlock on the proposed general Directive on the welfare of animals on farm. We have also prevailed on the European Commission to bring forward its overdue proposals on the welfare of laying hens, and have opened the negotiations on these without delay.

    Flood Defence
    Mr. Maclean
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what flood defence works for the Cumbrian coast are planned over the next four years. [44865]

    Mr. Morley
    While this Department has overall policy responsibility for flood and coastal defence in England and administers grant aid for capital defence schemes, the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of defence measures is the responsibility of local operating authorities. Full information on coastal defence plans is therefore obtainable from the Environment Agency and relevant maritime councils.

    However, from information submitted to this Department, I can advise that their plans for the remainder of 1998–99 and the following three years include the following proposed capital works for which they would hope to obtain Ministry funding:

    Operating authority

    Proposed works

    Allerdale Borough Council

    Harrington (coast protection)

    Allerdale Borough Council

    Silloth Skinburness (coast protection)

    Allerdale Borough Council

    Maryport Harbour (coast protection)

    Copeland Borough Council

    Salthom Pit (coast protection)

    Barrow Borough Council

    Askam in Furness (coast protection)

    Other works may be proposed following the completion of ongoing studies. Ministry funding of all such schemes is considered if proposals meet technical, economic and environmental criteria and achieve an appropriate priority scheme.

    Fish Quotas
    Mrs. Humble
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he intends to proceed with the introduction of fixed-quota allocations; and if he will make statement. [45991]

    Mr. Morley
    From 1 January 1999, the annual allocation of fish quotas to producer organisations, the non sector and other groups will be linked to fishing activity (catches) that took place in the reference period 1994 to 1996. These arrangements, referred to as fixed quota allocations (FQAs), will apply to all quota stocks caught in domestic waters except for North Sea herring taken as a by-catch in industrial fishing, and to certain stocks taken in external waters. The Fisheries Departments are writing to the owners of over 10 metres vessels, producer organisations and other interests to advise them of the new arrangements.

    A consultative paper setting out proposals for the introduction of fixed quota allocations for domestic waters was issued by the Fisheries Departments last November and was sent to the owners of some 2,300 fishing vessels over 10 metres, as well as producer organisations and

    661
    other interests. Almost 300 replies have been received. There was strong support for a system of fixed quota allocations from producer organisations who, together, represent some two thirds of the over 10 metre fleet and catch more than 90 per cent. of the UK's quota. That was not the case with individual responses, although the vast majority of individual fishermen offered no comment. After careful consideration of all the arguments we have come to the view that there would be significant benefits to be gained from moving to fixed quota allocations although we would wish to review such a system in 3 years' time in the light of the experience gained.

    Producer organisations will have a key role to play during the introduction of fixed quota allocations. There is apprehension among fishermen that moving to a fixed quota allocation system may disadvantage those whose fishing activities were curtailed during the reference period 1994 to 1996. The arrangements that are being introduced will provide scope for POs, acting with their members, to undertake internal adjustments to take account of anomalies that may have arisen in the reference period. Separate arrangements are also being made to cater for those fishermen that belong to the non sector.

    Concern was expressed during the consultation exercise that fixed quota allocations would pave the way to the introduction of individual transferable quotas (ITQs) and separately could lead to increased pressure on non quota stocks. On the first point, the Government have no plans to introduce ITQs and no such action would be taken without full and proper consultation with the industry. On the second point, the Fisheries Departments will be monitoring the impact of fixed quota allocations and if necessary action to safeguard the position of non-quota stocks will be considered. In this context, and given more general concern over growing pressure on scallop stocks, we shall be consulting the fishing industry and other interests about proposals to limit future access to the scallop fisheries.

    The proposals would involve the introduction of new licensing arrangements with effect from 1 January 1999. From that date, in the case of vessels over 10m in length, permission to fish for scallops would be granted only to vessels which met the qualifying criteria at 31 May 1998. These criteria may include both a track record of scallop landings prior to that date and the use of appropriate fishing gear during the corresponding period. No activity in the scallop fishery after 31 May 1998 would be taken into account. The arrangements for fishing by under 10 metre vessels would not be affected by the proposed licensing changes, although they will continue to be required to comply with the technical conservation rules applying to scallop fisheries. These rules are under separate review.

    A separate consultation exercise on the application of fixed quota allocations to external waters stocks at North Norway, Svalbard and Greenland met with unanimous support. Fisheries Departments therefore intend to introduce fixed quota allocations for these fisheries on 1 January 1999 as part of the process of applying fixed quota allocations more generally. Detailed aspects will be explained in a forthcoming consultative letter on proposals for the future licensing of fishing opportunities in external waters.
    662

    Wild Boar
    Mrs. Gilroy
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the plans for shooting enthusiasts to kill wild boar on private land near Tiverton, Devon; and what representations he has received on this matter. [45103]

    Angela Eagle
    I have been asked to reply.

    The Government have not been consulted about this proposal. The responsibility for licensing the keeping of wild animals, including wild boars, rests with local authorities. The control of the keeping of firearms is a matter for the police in this context.

    It is not an offence to kill a wild boar humanely. However, under the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, it would be an offence to inflict unnecessary suffering on a boar.

    My Department has received an inquiry from the League Against Cruel Sports on this matter.

    Milk Development Council
    Mr. Livsey
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Department's guidelines for the Milk Development Council will be published. [40106]

    Mrs. Beckett
    I have been asked to reply.

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister for Science, Industry and Energy on 1 June 1998, Official Report, column 124.

  ATTORNEY-GENERAL

    Damien Thorne
    Mr. Waterson
    To ask the Attorney-General if he will use his powers relating to unduly lenient sentences in respect of the sentence imposed on Damien Thorne on 21 May. [45216]

    The Attorney-General
    The Criminal Justice Act 1988 gives me power, in specific circumstances, to apply to the Court of Appeal for sentences which I consider to be unduly lenient to be reviewed. The Act imposes a twenty-eight day time-limit, starting from the date of sentence, within which an application in a particular case must be notified to the Court of Appeal. The Crown Prosecution Service is to provide me with the necessary case papers so that I can consider the sentence imposed on Damien Thorne within the statutory time-limit.

  NORTHERN IRELAND

    Paramilitary Violence
    Mr. Robert McCartney
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the acts of paramilitary violence carried out in April, indicating to which paramilitary organisation the police have attributed responsibility. [42162]
    663
    Mr. Ingram
    [holding answer 18 May 1998]: The following acts of paramilitary violence were carried out in April:

    Offence

    Total number

    By Loyalist

    By Republican

    Unknown

    Deaths

    4

    2

    11

    —

    Shooting Incidents

    18

    9

    8

    1

    Bombing Incidents

    5

    2

    2

    1

    Casualties as a result of paramilitary style attacks

    15

    9

    6

    —

    Shootings

    8

    3

    5

    —

    Assaults

    7

    6

    1

    —

    11 claimed by INLA

    Note:

    1.The RUC advise that it is not possible at present to be more specific on attribution other than for the incident claimed by INLA. Attribution is based on the information currently available and may be subject to change or adjustment. In addition there was one further shooting incident when the RUC shot at a stolen car which tried to run down a member of a patrol

    2. Care should be taken not to add all incidents together as some are included in more than one heading, e. g. all four deaths were as a result of shooting incidents as were all eight paramilitary style shooting attacks

    Veterinary Students
    Mr. William Ross
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Northern Ireland students are presently studying veterinary science in(a) the Irish Republic and (b) Great Britain; what estimate she has made of the number of graduates in veterinary science required in Northern Ireland in each of the next four years; and what has been the number of applicants for university places in that science from Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [44555]

    Mr. Worthington
    There are 52 Northern Ireland students studying veterinary science in the Irish Republic and 115 in Great Britain. It is not possible to estimate the overall number of graduates in veterinary science required in Northern Ireland; however, it is anticipated that the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland will require the following:

    1998: 5

    1999: 3

    2000:3

    2001:3

    The number of applicants for university places is:

    Before 1994: No details available

    1994: 110

    1995: 85

    1996: 90

    1997: 92

    Guardsmen Fisher and Wright
    Mr. MacKay
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date she commenced her review of the cases of guardsmen Fisher and Wright. [45362]

    Marjorie Mowlam
    I am currently looking at the cases in light of Mr. Justice Coghlin's judicial review judgment which was delivered on 22 May. I received advice on this matter on 2 June—i.e. within 5 working days.

    Correspondence
    Mr. Mackinlay
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what dates she referred the letter of 8 April from the hon. Member for Thurrock to the RUC Chief Constable; and when she expects the Chief Constable to issue a substantive reply. [44646]

    Mr. Ingram
    My hon. Friend's letter dated 8 April was received in my office on 29 April 1998. The matter was referred to the RUC Chief Constable on 8 May 1998 and I received his reply on 9 June.

  PRIME MINISTER

    Special Advisers
    Dr. Fox
    To ask the Prime Minister if he will state the number of special advisers in each Government department and the total annual cost of employing each adviser, broken down by departments. [39914]

    The Prime Minister
    [holding answer 27 April 1998]On the number of Special Advisers in each Government department, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Mr. Hawkins) on 13 November 1997,Official Report, columns 615–17, and my answer to the right hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Mr. Forth) on 5 May 1998, Official Report, column 278

    In addition, one Special Adviser has been appointed to each of the following Departments: Privy Council Office, Department for Trade and Industry, Lord Chancellor's Department and Scottish Office. One Special Adviser has resigned from No.10.

    In line with the practice under previous administrations, individual salaries are not detailed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.

    Based on the number in post on 5 May, the total annual salary cost of employing Special Advisers in 1998–99 is estimated to be some £3.6 million.

    Sierra Leone
    Mr. Maclean
    To ask the Prime Minister on what dates between 2 May 1997 and 4 May 1998 his Private Office received submissions or briefing notes on the situation in Sierra Leone. [42083]

    The Prime Minister
    [holding answer 14 May 1998]: As part of the usual flow of information on international issues, various submissions and briefing notes referring to the events in Sierra Leone were received in my Private Office during the period in question.

    Mr. Bercow
    To ask the Prime Minister which ministers were consulted on the decision by Sir Thomas Legg QC to advertise for witnesses to the Sierra Leone investigation in a national newspaper; and if he will make a statement. [45270]

    The Prime Minister
    Ministers were rightly not consulted, although my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary was informed of Sir Thomas Legg's decision before the advertisement appeared.
    665

    Government Buildings
    Mr. Baker
    To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy in respect of the use of Government buildings for Labour party events. [44217]

    The Prime Minister
    Paragraph 63 of the Ministerial Code states that Government property should not generally be used for constituency work or party activities. A particular exception is recognised in the case of No. 10 and No. 11 Downing Street, Carlton House Terrace and other official residences where senior Ministers are required to live for the purpose of the job. Where Ministers host Party events in these residences or other Government property, it should be at their own or Party expense with no cost falling to the public purse. This was the practice of the previous administration and there has been no change in the arrangements.

    Intelligence Services
    Mr. Baker
    To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the potential for increasing parliamentary accountability of the central intelligence machinery consistent with the need to protect national security. [44412]

    he Prime Minister
    [holding answer 9 June 1998]:The central intelligence machinery in the Cabinet Office is accountable to Ministers, and through them to Parliament, in the same way as any part of the Government service. While the nature of its task necessarily means that details of its work have to be protected, my colleagues and I seek to provide as full information about it as is consistent with the public interest.

    Mr. Corbett
    To ask the Prime Minister what changes have been made to the composition of the Intelligence and Security Committee. [45807]

    The Prime Minister
    In accordance with Section 10 of the Intelligence Services Act 1994, and after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition, I have appointed the Right Honourable the Lord Archer of Sandwell QC to be a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee as a replacement for Baroness Ramsay, who was appointed as a Minister on 2 December 1997.

    Lord Archer's appointment came into effect on 30 March 1998.

    Duty Free
    Mr. Gale
    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 3 June 1998,Official Report, column 215, concerning duty free, what the stance was of Germany and Italy at the ECOFIN Council meeting on 19 May towards reversal of the decision to end the duty free trade; if support for a study into the effects of the ending of duty free trade was given by France, Spain and Greece; and if he will make a statement. [45015]

    The Prime Minister
    [holding answer 9 June 1998]The Rules of Procedure of the Council of Ministers make clear that, in general, deliberations in Council meetings are covered by the rules of professional privacy. It would 666
    therefore be inappropriate to give details of the views expressed by other delegates in the Council's discussion of duty free on 19 May, at which no formal vote was taken.

    Lockerbie
    Mr. Dalyell
    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the oral answer from the Secretary of State for Scotland of 19 May 1998,Official Report, column 718, if he will review the Government's policy of not disclosing details of discussions between the office of the Lord Advocate and US officials. [44905]

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 10 June 1998]
    I have no intention of doing so.

    Telephone Tapping
    Mr. Baker
    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 4 June 1998,Official Report, column 301, if he will make it his policy to inform hon. Members, on a confidential basis if necessary, when an hon. Member has been party to a communication where an authorised interception is in force in respect of the other party to the communication. [45428]

    he Prime Minister
    No. It would be contrary to long-established policy and to common sense to notify a third party that another person's telephone was, or had been, subject to interception under warrant, and would divert the clear will of Parliament as expressed in the Interception of Communications Act, 1985.

  CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

    UK Sports Institute
    Mr. Spring
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the budget for the UK Sports Institute is in the current financial year. [44728]

    Mr. Banks
    [holding answer 10 June 1998]A budget has not been set. Consistent with the competition set in motion by the previous Government, Lottery funding will be a key element and is dependent on the achievement of project milestones in order to draw down lottery funds, agreed by the Lottery Distributing Bodies, the United Kingdom Sports Council and Sheffield.

    Mr. Spring
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the relationship will be between the UK Sports Institute and (i) the English Sports Council and (ii) the Sports Councils for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. [44737]

    Mr. Banks
    [holding answer 10 June 1998]: The Home Country Sports Councils are represented on the United Kingdom Sports Council which will provide strategic direction to the United Kingdom Sports Institute (UKSI).

    Mr. Spring
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the budget for UK Sports Institute is planned to be distributed between the central site and the network of regional sites. [44729]

    Mr. Banks
    [holding answer 10 June 1998]Public funding will come mainly from the Lottery and the decisions will be taken by the Lottery distributors. However, they have indicated that between £40 million
    667
    and £60 million of capital Lottery Sports Fund may be made available for the United Kingdom Sports Institute Headquarters development by the home Countries' Sports Councils out of £160 million which may be available for the whole network.

    Mr. Spring
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he has identified sites for the network of regional centres for the UK Sports Institute. [44733]

    Mr. Banks
    [holding answer 10 June 1998]The Home Country Sports Councils have been asked to identify prospective regional centres, and details of the United Kingdom Sports Institute network will be announced in due course.

    Mr. Spring
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he will take to ensure the participation of sports men and women from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the UK Sports Institute. [44736]

    Mr. Banks
    [holding answer 10 June 1998]The intention is that sportsmen and women from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will have the same opportunity to use the services and facilities of the United Kingdom Sports Institute Network as those from England.

    Mr. Spring
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many regional centres there are planned to be in the UK Sports Institute network. [44735]

    Mr. Banks [holding answer 10 June 1998]
    There are likely to be about eight regional centres planned for England, and other separate centres planned for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

    Mr. Spring
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which body will have responsibility for the UK Sports Institute. [44738]

    Mr. Banks
    [holding answer 10 June 1998]The United Kingdom Sports Institute (UKSI) will be subject to the strategic direction of the United Kingdom Sports Council. A separate corporate body will be agreed and set up to run the UKSI Headquarters.

    Mr. Spring
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when construction is planned to begin on the UK Sports Institute central site. [44730]

    Mr. Banks
    [holding answer 10 June 1998]Construction of the Headquarters building is planned to commence in May 1999.

    Mr. Spring
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has for the funding of the UK Sports Institute following the initial National Lottery grant. [44739]

    Mr. Banks [holding answer 10 June 1998]
    In addition to capital Lottery funding, the Lottery distributors have indicated that up to £9 million of revenue funding per. annum may be made available to help operate the United Kingdom Sports Institute Headquarters, provided a suitable application is made to the Lottery Distributing Bodies.

    Mr. Spring
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the programme of activities at the UK Sports Institute is planned to be structured. [44731]
    668
    Mr. Banks
    [holding answer 10 June 1998]The UK Sports Council will determine the overall strategy, which will reflect the Government's key policy aims. The UK Sports Institute will deliver that national strategy and the arrangements will be decentralised with many services provided in the regional centres to standards accredited by the Headquarters in Sheffield.

    Technical and support services in particular will be developed in close consultation with the governing bodies of the sports concerned, and the athletes and coaches who will use them.

    There will be three main phases of development, each going forward as Lottery funding is made available. The first phase (1998–2000) will see the UK Sports Institute drawing together the threads of the World Class Performance Programme. The second phase (1999–2002) will be marked by better co-ordination nationally of these services. In phase three (2000–2004) new buildings and related facilities will be used to provide significantly more support than is possible at present.

    Mr. Spring
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what the criteria will be for the involvement of individual sports in the UK Sports Institute; [44732]

    (2) if he will list the sports that (a) have agreed to participate in and (b) have been invited to participate in the UK Sports Institute. [44726]

    Mr. Banks
    All sports will be encouraged to participate. The United Kingdom Sports Institute (UKSI) will provide first class facilities for a range of Olympic and other non-commercial sports for our very best sportsmen and women.

    Discussions have been taking place with eight sports—athletics, swimming, cycling (road), judo, triathlon, netball, squash and table tennis—about the development of their national training facilities at the UKSI HQ in Sheffield. Major spectator sports like football, cricket and rugby league which have plans for their own sports specific academics will also be able to tap into the top quality sports science, medicine and coaching expertise offered across the Institute's HQ facilities.

    Mr. Reed
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress he has made in the allocation of the regional centres of excellence for the Institute of Sport. [44944]

    Mr. Banks
    There are likely to be about eight regional centres planned for England, and other centres planned for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Home Country Sports Councils have been asked to identify prospective regional centres with a view to siting the centres where they are needed most. Details of the United Kingdom Sports Institute network will be announced in due course.

    National Lottery
    Yvette Cooper
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much National Lottery
    669
    funding has been distributed by (a) the National Lottery Charities Board, (b) the Millennium Commission, (c) the Heritage Lottery Fund, (d) the English Sports Council and (e) the Arts Council of England for projects in (i) Pontefract and Castleford constituency and (ii) the Yorkshire and Humberside Region. [44588]

    £

    Pontefract and Castleford

    Yorkshire and Humberside Region

    Distributing body1

    Value of awards

    Number of awards

    Value of awards

    Number of awards

    Arts Council for England

    244,933

    6

    54,818,541

    798

    National Lottery Charities Board

    561,655

    7

    61,073,053

    809

    Heritage Lottery Fund

    100,700

    1

    53,653,345

    146

    Millennium Commission2

    Nil

    Nil

    142,272,924

    18

    Sports Council for England

    2,016,484

    6

    64,601,230

    264

    Total

    2,923,772

    20

    360,478,430

    2,035

    1 The information for this table has been provided by the distributing bodies

    2 The Millennium Commission has set aside £200 million for 34 award partners to run the Millennium awards scheme which will benefit 15,000 individuals around the country

    Minimum Wage
    Miss McIntosh
    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received on the impact of the minimum wage on the uptake of the new deal places for 18 to 24 year olds by the tourism industry. [43778]

    Mr. Tom Clarke
    I have received representations on the impact of the minimum wage from a number of companies and associations in the tourism, hospitality and leisure industry. The Independent Low Pay Commission, in formulating its recommendations, received written and oral evidence from a large number of individuals and organisations, including many of the industry's representative bodies. I am very impressed by the response from the tourism industry to the initiative on the New Deal. Neither at the conference my Department, the Department for Education and Employment and the British Hospitality Association hosted last November, nor in my frequent contacts with the tourism industry since, has specific representation been made to me about the impact of the minimum wage on the New Deal.

  HOUSE OF COMMONS

    Regional Affairs Committee
    Mr. Mitchell
    To ask the President of the Council what plans she has to refer matters to the Standing

    Section

    1997 AADF

    2000 AADF

    2005 AADF

    2010 AADF

    2015 AADF

    2020 AADF

    High Growth Forecast

    M48 Newhouse-Rogiet Jns. 2–23

    10,400

    11,300

    12,600

    13,800

    15,100

    16,300

    M4 Rogiet-Magor Jns. 32–23A

    54,900

    59,600

    66,300

    72,700

    79,400

    85,800

    M4 Magor-Coldra Jns. 23A-24

    61,000

    66,200

    73,700

    80,800

    88,200

    95,300

    M4 Coldra-Caerleon Jns. 24–25

    83,700

    90,900

    101,200

    110,900

    121,200

    130,900

    M4 Caerleon-Malpas Jns. 25–26

    69,300

    75,200

    83,700

    91,800

    100,300

    108,300

    M4 Malpas-High Cross Jns. 26–27

    91,200

    99,000

    110,200

    120,800

    132,000

    142,500

    M4 High Cross-Tredegar Park Jns. 27–28

    85,500

    92,800

    103,200

    113,200

    123,700

    133,600

    M4 Tredegar Park-Castleton Jns. 28–29

    89,500

    97,200

    108,100

    118,600

    129,600

    140,000

    M4 Castleton-Pontprennau Jns. 29–30

    49,900

    54,100

    60,300

    66,100

    72,200

    78,000

    M4 Pontprennau-Coryton Jns. 30–32

    56,700

    61,500

    68,400

    75,100

    82,000

    88,600

    670
    Mr. Banks
    The table shows the value and the number of Lottery awards made to date in (i) Pontefract and Castleford constituency and (ii) the Yorkshire and Humberside Region. Details of Lottery awards can be found on the Department's internet website, at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk.

    Committee on Regional Affairs under Standing Order No. 117. [45313]

    Mrs. Ann Taylor
    None at present. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins) on 14 May 1998,Official Report, column 533. There has been no significant demand from hon. Members for reference of matters to the Standing Committee on Regional Affairs although the Government have not ruled it out and I will consider any representations about appropriate topics.

  WALES

    M 4
    Mr. Flynn
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of (x) the current traffic flows and (y) the (i) high and (ii) low predictions of traffic flow on the M4 from(a) Newhouse to Magor, (b) Magor to Coldra, (c) Coldra to Caerleon, (d) Malpas to Tredegar Park, (e) Tredegar Park to Castleton and (f) Castleton to Coryton in (1) 2000, (2) 2005, (3) 2010, (4) 2015 and (5) 2020. [44075]

    Mr. Hain
    The Annual Average Daily Traffic Flows (AADT) based on the current High and Low National Road Traffic Forecasts (NRTF)
    1997 are given in the table:
    671

    Section

    1997 AADF

    2000 AADF

    2005 AADF

    2010 AADF

    2015 AADF

    2020 AADF

    Low Growth Forecast

    M48 Newhouse-Rogiet Jns. 2–23

    10,400

    10,700

    11,300

    12,000

    12,700

    13,300

    M4 Rogiet-Magor Jns. 32–23A

    54,900

    56,000

    59,400

    63,100

    66,800

    69,800

    M4 Magor-Coldra Jns. 23A-24

    61,000

    62,200

    66,000

    70,100

    74,200

    77,500

    M4 Coldra-Caerleon Jns. 24–25

    83,700

    85,400

    90,700

    96,300

    101,900

    106,500

    M4 Caerleon-Malpas Jns. 25–26

    69,300

    70,700

    75,000

    79,700

    84,300

    88,100

    M4 Malpas-High Cross Jns. 26–27

    91,200

    93,000

    98,800

    104,900

    111,000

    115,900

    M4 High Cross-Tredegar Park Jns. 27–28

    85,500

    87,100

    95,600

    98,300

    104,000

    108,640

    M4 Tredegar Park-Castleton Jns. 28–29

    89,500

    91,300

    97,000

    103,000

    109,000

    113,800

    M4 Castleton-Pontprennau Jns. 29–30

    49,900

    50,900

    54,000

    57,400

    60,700

    63,400

    M4 Pontprennau-Coryton Jns. 30–32

    56,700

    57,800

    61,400

    65,200

    69,000

    72,000

    BSE
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many BSE cases he has recorded in 1998; and if he will make a statement.[44599]

    Mr. Win Griffiths
    The number of suspected cases of BSE reported in Wales in 1998 up to 29 May was 139, of which 49 cases had been confirmed.

    The BSE epidemic continues in sharp decline. The number of suspected cases so far reported in 1998 in Wales is 32 per cent. less than for the same period in 1997.

    Cataract Operations
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he proposes to tackle waiting lists in(a) Wales and (b) North East Wales for cataract operations; and if he will make a statement.[44601]

    Mr. Win Griffiths
    (a) An additional £20 million will be spent in 1998–99 on reducing inpatient and day case waiting lists to below the level which the Government inherited. This supports the Government's commitment to reduce waiting lists over the lifetime of this Parliament by 100,000.

    (b) £4.124 million of this is available to North Wales Health Authority to reduce waiting lists in its area. The Authority is also considering establishing an ophthalmic treatment centre to provide additional capacity to treat patients with cataracts.

    Prostate Cancer
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he proposes to reduce the incidence of prostate cancer; how many prostate cancer deaths there were last year; and if he will make a statement. [44602]

    Mr. Win Griffiths
    In relation to the steps we are taking to reduce the incidence of prostate cancer, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Ynys Mon (Mr. Jones) on 11 February 1998,Official Report, column 255. In 1997, there were 532 deaths in Wales from prostate cancer registered with the Office for National Statistics.

    Knacker Trade
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are employed in the knacker trade in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [45002]
    672
    Mr. Hain
    The Office for National Statistics 1996 Annual Employment Survey estimated that there were 700 employees in Wales employed in industries concerned with the production and preserving of meat. No further breakdown is available.

    Directors of Education
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many directors of education there were in Wales in(a) 1988 and (b) 1998; and if he will make a statement.[45006]

    Mr. Hain
    In 1988, there were eight, one for each of the old counties. In 1998, there are 22, one for each of the new unitary counties.

    Mental Health
    Ms Julie Morgan
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what psychological therapy services are available in Wales for individuals with mental health problems. [45001]

    Mr. Win Griffiths
    Psychological therapies are provided on the NHS as appropriate to the needs of the individual. A wide range of therapies are available; the most common interventions include supportive psychotherapy, dynamic individual psychotherapy, group therapy, cognitive and behavioural therapy.

    Electro-convulsive Therapy (Bro Tap
    Ms Julie Morgan
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many ECT treatments were carried out in the Bro Taf Health Authority in each of the last five years; and how many of these were carried out without the consent of the patient.[45000]

    Mr. Win Griffiths
    Centrally held statistics are not robust for the years in question. The best indication of the number of ECT treatments comes from a Welsh Office-funded survey of the first 6 months of 1996. This showed that in the Bro Taf area over that period a total of 90 patients received this treatment. The mean number of treatments per patient was 6.75 per completed course of treatment.

    ECT treatment may not be administered to informal patients without consent, and may only be administered to formally detained patients in very exceptional circumstances. The Mental Health Act Commission monitors the proper use of the Act, including the administration of ECT. The survey quoted above shows

    673
    that in the first 3 months of 1996, in all of Wales, 161 patients commenced ECT treatment, of whom 12 received it without their consent.

    Health Trust Mergers
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and which of the proposed mergers of health trusts in Wales have been subject to objections by(a) individuals and (b) organisations affected; what consultation procedures will apply to the hearing of such objections; and what is the time scale for this process.[45155]

    Mr. Win Griffiths
    My right hon. Friend and I have received a number of objections, in particular, to our proposals for the creation of a single trust in Carmarthenshire and a new trust for Powys and Ceredigion. We have also received a smaller number of objections to our proposals affecting other areas of Wales. I refer my hon. Friend to my previous reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones) on 14 May 1998,Official Report, columns 159–60, in which I gave details of the number of these objections.

    Formal consultation on our proposals will commence later this month and will last for three months. My right hon. Friend and I hope that many groups and individuals will take this opportunity to make their views on these matters known. We shall consider all views we receive during this formal consultation period carefully before making final decisions, which we expect to do in the autumn.

    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters he has received from(a) hon. Members and (b) others expressing opposition to the proposed merger of health trusts in Wales.[45157]

    Mr. Win Griffiths
    I have received over 2,800 representations in respect of our plans to restructure NHS trusts in Wales. Eighty-seven of these have been from hon. Members. I have also received over 15,000 petition signatures on the same matter. Of these views expressed, some have opposed any restructuring, while others have opposed individual options and supported alternatives. A small number have expressed full support for the process of particular proposals.

    Employment
    Mr. Denzil Davies
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of public sector employment as a percentage of private sector employment in (i) 1970, (ii) 1975, (iii) 1980, (iv) 1985, (v) 1990 and (vi) 1995 in Wales.[45371]

    Mr. Peter Hain
    Information on public and private sector employees in Wales is available from the quarterly Labour Force Survey. The Autumn 1995 survey estimated that public sector employees as a percentage of private sector employees was 49 per cent.; there were an estimated 673,000 employees in the private sector and 331,000 in the public sector.

    Comparable data for the earlier years requested are not available.
    674

    Gross Domestic Product
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the gross domestic product per head for 1996, for each of the new unitary authorities which are being used by his Department for economic policy purposes.[45162]

    Mr. Peter Hain
    I will write to the right hon. Member as soon as possible and will place a copy of my reply in the Library.

    Rural Areas (Social Exclusion)
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what provisions are being made for the needs of rural areas within the Social Exclusion Initiative of his Department.[45160]

    Mr. Win Griffiths
    The Social Exclusion Programme for Wales, which I announced on 1 May, will address social exclusion in a range of geographical and cultural settings, including rural areas.

    Students
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his current estimate of the number of students in(a) further education and (b) higher education in Wales broken down for (i) North Wales and (ii) South Wales and by individual institution; and if he will make a statement.[45005]

    Mr. Hain
    The numbers of student enrolments for the 1997–98 academic year are shown by individual institution in the table.

    Institution

    Number

    Further Education Enrolments1

    Aberdare College

    2,395

    Afan College

    2,756

    Barry College

    6,900

    Bridgend College

    8,201

    Carmarthenshire College of Technology & Art

    12,104

    Coleg Ceredigion

    2,178

    Deeside College

    7,996

    Coleg Glan Hafren

    10,162

    Groseinon College

    3,607

    Gwent Tertiary College

    28,312

    Coleg Harlech

    266

    Coleg Llandrillo

    13,018

    Coleg Llysfasi

    1,997

    Coleg Meirion Dwyfor

    2,424

    Coleg Menai

    9,937

    Merthyr Tydfil College

    3,496

    Neath College

    10,370

    Pembrokeshire College

    7,166

    Pencoed College

    849

    Pontypridd College

    8,123

    Coleg Powys

    5,043

    St. Davids Sixth Form College

    940

    Swansea College

    15,119

    Welsh College of Horticulture

    1,680

    Workers Educational Association (North)

    1,670

    Workers Educational Association (South)

    4,272

    Yale College

    9,798

    YMCA

    569

    Ystrad Mynach College

    5,575

    University of Wales, Aberystwyth

    906

    University of Wales Institute Cardiff

    512

    University of Wales College, Newport

    648

    Swansea Institute of Higher Education

    143

    675

    Institution

    Number

    University of Wales, Bangor Welsh for Adults

    1,127

    University of Wales, Cardiff Welsh for Adults

    608

    University of Glamorgan Welsh for Adults

    245

    North East Wales Institute

    49

    University of Wales, Swansea Welsh for Adults

    424

    Trinity College Carmarthen Welsh for Adults

    22

    Sponsored Institutions

    395

    Higher Education Enrolments2

    University of Glamorgan

    15,179

    University of Wales, Aberystwyth

    6,968

    University of Wales, Bangor

    7,726

    University of Wales, Cardiff

    14,555

    University of Wales, Lampeter

    2,398

    University of Wales, Swansea

    9,635

    University College of Medicine

    2,777

    University of Wales Institute, Cardiff

    7,209

    University of Wales College, Newport

    7,057

    North East Wales Institute of Higher Education

    4,520

    Swansea Institute of Higher Education

    3,888

    Trinity College

    1,730

    Welsh College of Music & Drama

    549

    Carmarthenshire College of Technology & Art

    359

    Llandrillo College

    155

    1 All FE enrolments in Wales at November 1997

    Source:

    Further Education Funding Council Wales

    2 All HE enrolments in Wales at November 1997

    Source:

    Higher Education Funding Council Wales

    Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors
    Mr. Edwards
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what functions are ascribed to the Welsh National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting under section 6(1)(e) of the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1997; and if the board receives funding in respect of these functions.[45949]

    Mr. Win Griffiths
    The Board is required to provide training for teachers and those intending to become teachers of nurses, midwives and health visitors and also to provide information to the public about careers in the professions of nursing, midwifery and health visiting in Wales (SI 1993/614).

    Funding for this is not authorised by statute and is the subject of separate approval by the Treasury until March 1999, after which new arrangements will be introduced.

    Rural Transport
    Mr. Edwards
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the distribution to Welsh local authorities of the additional funding for rural transport announced in the Budget.[45948]

    Mr. Hain
    The Welsh share of the additional funding announced in the Budget is £2.5 million in 1998–99. Of this, £2.25 million is being distributed to local authorities to provide additional funding for socially necessary bus services in rural area, with the remaining £250,000 retained centrally to be used in support of rural community transport initiatives.

    A Special Grant Report will shortly be laid before the House setting out the proposed allocation of the £2.25 million to local authorities and the conditions attached to the grant. Following consultation with the
    676
    Welsh Local Government Association, I intend to distribute the additional resources using a formula which is based on the population of electoral wards where the population density is less than 4 persons per hectare. The provisional allocations are:

    £

    Isle of Anglesey

    119,523

    Gwynedd

    197,250

    Conwy

    76,293

    Denbighshire

    90,764

    Flintshire

    107,241

    Wrexham

    76,471

    Powys

    221,080

    Ceredigion

    125,236

    Pembrokeshire

    145,130

    Carmarthenshire

    276,750

    Swansea

    58,017

    Neath Port Talbot

    117,660

    Bridgend

    91,448

    The Vale of Glamorgan

    85,212

    Rhondda Cynon Taff

    95,587

    Merthyr Tydfil

    29,686

    Caerphilly

    75,782

    Blaenau Gwent

    23,418

    Torfaen

    52,151

    Monmouthshire

    109,472

    Newport

    33,443

    Cardiff

    42,386

    Class Sizes
    Mr. Öpik
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of classes in(a) primary, (b) middle and (c) secondary schools have over (i) 30, (ii) 35 and (iii) 40 pupils in each local education authority; what has been the annual percentage change in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.[45458]

    Mr. Hain
    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 December 1997,Official Report, column, 204–05, in response to his question on primary school class sizes. Figures for January 1996 are the earliest available for the current local education authorities. Results from the January 1998 Schools' Census are not yet available.

    There are no middle schools in Wales and no information is collected centrally about class sizes in secondary schools.

  FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

    Arms Exports
    Sir Peter Emery
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many references were made to the Restricted Enforcement Unit during the two years up to 18 February concerning breaches of regulations arising from a United Nations resolution, reinforced by British law, relating to the export of arms;[43686]

    (2) how many references were made by the Foreign Office to the Restricted Enforcement Unit during the two years up to 18 February concerning breaches of regulations arising from a United Nations resolution, reinforced by British law, relating to the export of arms.[45188]
    677
    Mr. Tony Lloyd
    During the two years up to and including 18 February, FCO representatives raised at meetings of the Restricted Enforcement Unit three items of information concerning possible breaches of UN arms embargoes by UK companies or individuals.

    Panchen Lama
    Mr. Baker
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress was made in securing the freedom of the Panchen Lama during the visit of EU ambassadors to China in May.[44234]

    Mr. Fatchett
    [holding answer 8 June 1998]: During their visit to Tibet in May, the EU Troika Ambassadors expressed their concerns for the welfare of Gedhum Choekyi Nyima, who has been recognised by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, and asked to meet him in order to confirm his well-being. The authorities of the Tibetan Autonomous Region did not permit such a meeting, but said that the boy was in good health. We shall continue to raise his case at every appropriate opportunity.

    China
    Mr. Baker
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the advances in human rights in China which have followed his decision not to support a resolution against China at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.[44233]

    Mr. Fatchett
    [holding answer 8 June 1998]: Since the EU' s decision on 23 February not to support a resolution on China at the Commission on Human Rights, China has announced that it is preparing a sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and has released Wang Dan, a leading dissident.

    Club of Three
    Mr. Cash
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role of his Department in supporting the visit of the Minister without Portfolio to the Club of Three meeting of September 1997.[44999]

    Mr. Doug Henderson
    The Minister without Portfolio attended the Club of Three meeting in Munich in his Ministerial capacity, following an official visit to Bonn. The FCO provided him with background briefing for his official calls, and the Ambassador in Bonn accompanied him on these and to the Club of Three meeting, for which the Ambassador had a separate invitation.

    World Cup Tickets
    Mr. Bercow
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what hospitality tickets are available to officials of the European Commission for the 1998 World Cup;[45171]

    (2) how many world cup tickets have been purchased at what cost by European Community institutions for (a) members of staff and (b) guests; and what guidelines determine eligibility of award of tickets.[45172]

    Mr. Doug Henderson
    The Foreign and Commonwealth Offices does not have this information.
    678

    General Affairs Council
    Mr. Maclean
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the General Affairs Council on 8 and 9 June.[45658]

    Mr. Doug Henderson
    The outcome is as follows:General Affairs Council: 8–9 June 1998

    1. At the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 8–9 June, the Council took note of the EP Resolutions, Decisions and opinions adopted in its part-session in Strasbourg from 11–15 May, and listed in document 8459/98, copies of which will be placed in the House Library as soon as they become available. The Council adopted the A points in Document 9125/98, with the exception of point 14 which had previously been agreed by the Committee of Permanent Representatives on 3 June. A copy of this document will also be placed in the House Library.

    2. We provided a draft progress report on Agenda 2000 negotiations. Foreign Ministers agreed this should go to the Cardiff European Council as a basis for discussion. Some emphasised key national concerns.

    3. The Presidency set out its programme for the Cardiff European Council.

    4. The Council had a detailed discussion of the deteriorating situation in Kosovo. A declaration was agreed sending a firm message (including on the possibility of Chapter VII action in the UN Security Council) that the escalation in violence and reported ethnic cleansing would not be tolerated. A Common Position was also adopted banning new investments in Serbia, with agreement to adopt a regulation on a freeze of funds belonging to the FRY and Serbian Governments as soon as possible.

    5. Separately, the Council approved a Joint Action providing financial support for the mission of the EU Special Representative to the FRY, Mr. Felipe Gonzalez. The Council also welcomed the results of the recent parliamentary elections in Montenegro and agreed to consider ways to provide further assistance to Montenegro.

    6. The Council agreed an EU declaration on Bosnia, and to the establishment of a Consultative Task Force. Both are aimed at fostering peace and economic regeneration by helping Bosnia in its efforts toward a closer relationship with Europe. Ministers also held a working lunch with Bosnian Foreign Minister Prlic and Deputy Foreign Ministers Zivalj and Bozanic, representing all three ethnic communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    7. The Council agreed that the ad hoc meeting of Euro-Mediterranean Foreign Ministers in Palermo on 3–4 June had revitalised the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. It noted that this should provide a good foundation for a successful third Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference in Stuttgart in April 1999.

    8. The Council had a brief discussion of Iran. Ministers welcomed the positive report of the first exploratory meeting of the EU/Iran dialogue held in Brussels on 19 May and reaffirmed their interest in resuming substantive and comprehensive talks soon.

    9. The Council issued a Declaration on the nuclear tests by India and Pakistan condemning the tests; calling upon the leaders of India and Pakistan to engage urgently in dialogue on regional stability issues, including with China, and to agree Confidence Building Measures to reduce tension; and urging India and Pakistan to take early steps to adhere to international nonproliferation regimes, including signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The Council agreed it would take all necessary measures if India and Pakistan fail to comply. Member States agreed to review the advisability of IFI lending to Pakistan. The Council asked the Commission to extend its review of India's GSP preferences to Pakistan, and withdraw its earlier request to the Commission to expedite signature of an EC/Pakistan Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

    679

    10. The Council discussed the provisions for future trade arrangements between the EU and the 71 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States. Discussions will continue in Coreper with a view to reaching agreement on the EU's negotiating mandate at the General Affairs Council on 29 June.

    11. The Council welcomed political reforms announced by President Habibie of Indonesia and called for the release of remaining political prisoners. It looked forward to early rescheduling of the visit to East Timor by EU Troika Heads of Mission in Jakarta, and called for renewed commitment to the UN sponsored talks on East Timor.

    12. The Council expressed its dismay at the hostilities between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and called on both sides to cease hostilities immediately and to resume peaceful negotiations. The EU stood ready to offer assistance to this effect.

    13. The inaugural Cooperation Council under the terms of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the EU and Ukraine took place in the margins of the GAC on 8–9 June. Over dinner on 8 June, Ministers had a useful exchange of views on foreign policy issues of mutual interest and EU/Ukraine relations in general. On 9 June, the Council discussed the implementation of the PCA and adopted the Rules of Procedure establishing the foundations for the future work of the Cooperation Council and Committee as well as the Joint Work Programme for 1998–99.

    14. The ninth Council of the European Economic Area (EEA) took place on 9 June. The Council noted with satisfaction the continued expansion of the EEA agreement to include more of the EC acquis and discussed the impact EU enlargement would have for the EEA. A political dialogue was held after the main Council session.

    Legg Inquiry
    Sir John Stanley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are is the postal address, E-mail address, telephone number and fax number of Sir Thomas Legg' s Inquiry.[44907]

    Mr. Robin Cook
    The details are:

    Sir Thomas Legg KCB QC

    Sierra Leone Arms Investigation

    26 Old Queen Street

    London SW1H 9HP

    Fax 0171 222 3874

    e-mail Sir Thomas Legg slai@btinternet.com

    Nuclear Reprocessing
    Mr. Llew Smith
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the arrangements by which articles 2(b), 3, and 4(1)a(i) of the Agreement between the United Kingdom and Japan for Co-operation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (Cm 3948, May 1998) will be put into effect in respect of Tokai Mura magnox spent fuel reprocessed with magnox fuel from British Nuclear Fuel reactors, at Sellafield; what segregation arrangements will be made; and if Article 12(g) will cover commercial confidentiality in respect of contractors.[44111]

    Mr. Battle
    I have been asked to reply.
    680
    The purpose of the new UK/Japan Agreement is to provide the necessary secure framework for ensuring that trade in civil nuclear materials and equipment is carried out only in conformity with the UK's nuclear non-proliferation obligations. In particular, it updates commitments concerning the application of safeguards and physical protection measures to nuclear material transferred between Japan and the UK.

    Irradiated fuel from Tokai Mura and other safeguard magnox reactors has, since December 1986, been reprocessed in campaigns which are separate from those for unsafeguarded fuel. These safeguards arrangements for such sequential campaigns were agreed with the Euratom Safeguards Directorate in June 1986. Article 12(g) of the UK/Japan Agreement defines the term "unclassified information" as meaning information not classified as restricted, confidential, secret or top secret; such a term is used in the context of article 1(b) of the Agreement.

  TRADE AND INDUSTRY

    Millennium Compliance
    Mr. David Atkinson
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress her Department has made in compiling a directory of organisations offering solutions to the Millennium bug; how much each organisation is charged for an entry; and if she will make a statement.[44603]

    Mrs. Roche
    In conjunction with the Computing Services and Software Association, Action 2000 issued in January 1998 a Factsheet which registers over 50 companies which offer Year 2000 products or services. The register is also available on the CSSA website. The supplier must either be a member of the CSSA or have agreed to abide by the CSSA code of practice. The structure and content of this register are under review for a new edition of the Action 2000 Information Pack due for release in July. The intention is to collate additional data and to make the information available dynamically through the Action 2000 Helpdesk and Website. At this stage entry to the Register is free of charge.

    A further, more detailed register of providers of Tools and Techniques has been drafted by Action 2000, initially as part of its support to Business Links but also as a major component of the revised Information Pack. This will be accessible in the same way and entry will also be free of charge.

    Cloning
    Mr. Dalyell
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will review the recommendation of the Banner Committee that an advisory standing committee be created with a remit covering broad ethical questions relating to current and future developments in the use of animals.[44069]

    Mr. Battle
    As I said in my reply to my hon. Friend's similar question on 15 January 1998,Official Report, column 295, we shall be giving careful consideration to this recommendation in the light of the results of the public consultation exercise on developments in the biosciences, which is now underway.
    681

    Ecology Institutes (Merlewood and Windermere)
    Mr. Dalyell
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to the letter of 27 November from the Chief Executive of the Natural Environment Research Council to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, if she will list the new scientific opportunities arising from the merger of Merlewood and Windermere.[44046]

    Mr. Battle
    I am advised by NERC that the merger of the Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) Institute of Terrestrial Ecology at Merlewood and the Institute of Freshwater Ecology at Windermere (part of NERC' s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) provides the opportunity to bring together scientists from a wider range of disciplines to pursue research in environmental microbiology, environmental chemistry, pollutant transport, surface water acidification, and environmental monitoring.

    The merger will also facilitate access to workshops, chemical analytical facilities and expertise in geographical information systems.

    Music (Internet)
    Mr. Simon Hughes
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to regulate the distribution of British music over the Internet.[44987]

    Mr. Ian McCartney
    In general, the law applies to material sent on-line, such as over the Internet, in the same way that it does off-line. United Kingdom copyright law already covers transmission in this way, and the UK supports work at EU and international level to ensure comparable levels of protection elsewhere.

    Institute of Chartered Accountants
    Dr. Lynne Jones
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the number of complaints she has received(a) from hon. Members and (b) from others in each of the last five years about the Institute of Chartered Accountants; and how many of these relate to their arbitration scheme.[44914]

    Mr. Ian McCartney
    The information is not available in the form requested; the approximate number of representations made to the Department about the Institute's role as a Recognised Statutory Body for company auditors is as follows:

    Number of cases

    MPs

    Others

    1994

    10

    —

    1995

    11

    —

    1996

    6

    6

    1997

    22

    18

    1998

    14

    16

    Note:

    The figures include ongoing representations from the same person on the same issue. Figures do not include duplicate copies

    The Department's responsibility is for the effectiveness of the system of audit regulation. We do not know whether the underlying disputes with the Institute's members went to independent arbitration, nor is the information available from the Institute.
    682
    Comparable information is not available in connection with the Institute's responsibilities as an Insolvency recognised professional body.

    Sierra Leone
    Mr. Redwood
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many export licences for the sale of weapons to Sierra Leone were granted in the last 12 months.[41177]

    Mrs. Beckett
    [holding answer 8 May 1998]: The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated and the following results were obtained.

    Between 2 May 1997 and 3 April 1998, one Standard Individual Export Licence was issued covering the export to Sierra Leone of goods subject to export control by being listed in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, the so-called Military List. This licence covered goods controlled under entry ML1 of the legislation. It was revoked by the Secretary of State on 16 October 1997, because of the introduction of the arms embargo against Sierra Leone in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1132 (1997). No Open Individual Export Licences covering such exports were issued in that period.

    This information does not cover Media OIELs issued during this period. Media OIELs authorise the export to all destinations of protective clothing, mainly for the protection of aid agency workers and journalists, when working in areas of conflict.

    This information should be considered in light of the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Small Firms, Trade and Industry, to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) on 30 October 1997, Official Report, columns 870–71. For part of this period, Sierra Leone was a permitted destination on two Open General Licences:
    The OGEL (Export After Exhibition: Military Goods), which covers the export after exhibition in the UK of any Military List goods except anti-personnel landmines and specially-designed components therefor; leg-irons, gangchains, shackles and electric-shock belts, specially designed for restraining human beings; portable devices designed or modified for the purpose of riot control or self-protection by the administration of an electric shock (including electric-shock batons, electric shock shields, stun guns and electric shock dart guns (tasers)) and components therefor specially designed or modified for such a purpose.
    The OGEL (Military Surplus Vehicles), which covers ground vehicles and components therefor specially designed or modified for military use including trailers but excluding tanks, self-propelled guns, armed vehicles, armoured vehicles, vehicles fitted with mountings for arms, half-tracks, gun-carriers, tractors and trailers specially designed for towing or transporting ammunition or weapons systems and related load-handling equipment, mobile repair shops specially designed to service military equipment, and components specially designed or modified for military use for goods specified above.

    It cannot be assumed from this that any such export to Sierra Leone actually took place. Sierra Leone was removed from both licences in accordance with Resolution 1132 on 17 October 1997.

    Mr. Redwood
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what export licences have been granted to Sandline International in the last year.[42379]
    683
    Mrs. Beckett
    [holding answer 18 May 1998]: The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated and the following results were obtained. Between 2 May 1997 and 26 May 1998, no Standard or Open Individual Export Licences were issued to Sandline.

    This information should be considered in light of the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Small Firms, Trade and Industry to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) on 30 October 1997, Official Report, columns 870–871.

    During this period, there were a number of Open General Export Licences (OGELs) in force. OGELs are not issued to individual exporters but instead are valid for any exporter wishing to export the goods listed to the destinations allowed, providing they meet the restrictions and conditions of the licence. Copies of all OGELs valid at any time during the period are in the Library of the House.

    Mr. Redwood
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what contacts(a) officials and (b) ministers in her Department have had with Sandline over the last year.[42380]

    Mrs. Beckett
    [holding answer 18 May 1998]: I am not aware of any contacts between my Department and Sandline International since this Government took office, prior to receipt by my office of a copy of the letter of 24 April to the Foreign Secretary from the company's legal representatives, S. J. Berwin & Co.

    Mr. Redwood
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) when information was first placed in her red boxes about military intervention to restore the Government of President Kabbah of Sierra Leone; [42593]

    (2) when she was first notified of the involvement of Sandline International in Sierra Leone;[42589]

    (3) when information was first placed in her red boxes about the involvement of Sandline International in operations in Sierra Leone;[42595]

    (4) when (a) she and (b) her Private Office first received reports of proposed military intervention to restore the Government of President Kabbah of Sierra Leone;[42591]

    (5) when information was first placed in her red boxes about the Customs and Excise investigation into involvement of Sandline International in operations in Sierra Leone;[42594]

    (6) when her Private Office was first informed of the involvement of Sandline International in operations in Sierra Leone;[42590]

    (7) when she was first notified of the Customs and Excise investigation into the involvement of Sandline International in operations in Sierra Leone;[42588]

    (8) when her Private Office was first notified of the Customs and Excise investigation into the involvement of Sandline International in operations in Sierra Leone;[42592]

    (9) when she was first informed of the involvement of a British company in the restoration of the democratic Government in Sierra Leone.[42377]
    684
    Mrs. Beckett
    [holding answer 18 May 1998]: In relation to when I first saw the letter from Sandline's solicitors, I refer the right hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Mr. Wilshire) on 4 June 1998, Official Report, column 317. In relation to more general questions about Sandline, I refer the right hon. Member to the statement by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the House during the debate on 18 May 1998, Official Report, columns 604–11, in which he announced the investigation by Sir Thomas Legg KCB QC into allegations about Government involvement with the supply of arms to Sierra Leone by UK citizens and firms, and said that the Terms of Reference would be placed in the Library of the House. The Foreign Secretary intends to publish the report of the investigation.

    Mr. Redwood
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to answer the questions for answer on 18 May from the right hon. Member for Wokingham relating to Sandline and Sierra Leone, question numbers(a) 42379, (b) 42380, (c) 42588, (d) 42589, (e) 42590, (f) 42591, (g) 42592, (h) 42593, (i) 42594 and (j) 42595.[45720]

    Mrs. Beckett
    I have answered these today.

    Social Chapter
    Mr. Evans
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations she has received from businesses in the North West on the impact of the UK signing up to the Social Chapter.[43759]

    Mr. Ian McCartney
    I am not aware of having received any representations specifically from business in the North West on the impact of the UK signing up to the Social Chapter.

    Unfair Dismissal
    Mr. Laurence Robertson
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the impact on employment in smaller firms of proposals to reduce the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims from two years to one year.[43789]

    Mr. Ian McCartney
    Reducing the qualifying period should help to promote a more flexible labour market and encourage a more committed and productive workforce. It will therefore contribute to a fair and competitive labour market which will benefit small firms as well as large.

    Shipbuilders
    Dr. Whitehead
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those United Kingdom shipbuilders which have been in receipt of regional selective assistance in each of the last five years; and what is the value of the grants paid in each case.[45101]

    Mrs. Roche
    There have been no payments of RSA to UK shipbuilders over this period.
    685

  HEALTH

    Health and Social Services (Co-operation)
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to promote co-operation between social care professionals and health care professionals.[44837]

    Mr. Boateng
    The Department encourages joint training between health and social services and fosters projects for staff from both services to share practice placements in the early years of training. We expect that the Social Services white paper, due in the summer, will further develop the theme of joint training. The proposed establishment of National Training Organisations in both the health and social care sectors offers an additional opportunity for working together.

    The National Health Service White Paper calls for co-operation between the services on service delivery. In particular the establishment of Primary Care Groups, from 1 April 1999, will enable primary care and social services to call on their different local knowledge and agree programmes with local people to improve services for users, thereby ensuring closer working and cooperation between health and social care professionals and the community served by the group.

    Health Targets
    Dr. Cable
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what, representations he has received alleging agism in the Government's proposed targets to reduce death from heart disease, strokes and cancer among the under 65s. [45011]

    Ms Jowell
    We have received a substantial number of representations from both organisations and individuals suggesting extending the age limit for the targets on coronary heart disease, stroke and cancers, proposed in "Our Healthier Nation", to people aged 65 and over. These representations will receive careful consideration in the formulation of our health strategy for England, which will be outlined in a White Paper later this year.

    Smoking
    Mr. Flynn
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated gross cost of anti-smoking campaigns in England aimed at children and young people has been since 1988; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the campaigns on teenage(a) boys and (b) girls.[44018]

    Ms Jowell
    The gross cost of anti-smoking campaigns in England aimed at children and young people, each year since 1988 is currently being looked into and I shall write to my hon. Friend with further information, as soon as it is available.

    However, all of the Government's anti-smoking campaigns are continually evaluated. The Health Education Authority make qualitative and quantitative assessments of the campaigns and the Office for National Statistics track the impact of the campaigns by monitoring national prevalence figures.

    The assessments of previous campaigns will be considered as preparations continue for the forthcoming Tobacco Control White Paper.
    686

    Surplus NHS Property
    Ms Jenny Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the value for money criteria used by the NHS Executive in assessing bids for the development of former hospital sites.[44964]

    Mr. Milburn
    Surplus National Health Service land is sold on the open market in accordance with the advice contained in the Department's Estatecode, which follows Her Majesty's Treasury rules. The criteria are that surplus NHS property should be sold as quickly as possible, at the best price which can reasonably be obtained on the open market. In order to obtain the best price, consideration should be given to obtaining planning permission for the highest value alternative use. All proceeds from sales are re-invested in the NHS.

    The NHS employs, both in-house and externally, professionally qualified valuers to advise on disposal methods; to advise on which offers represent best value for money for the NHS (usually the highest bid); and to obtain information on the creditworthiness of any bidder.

    Children (Employment Byelaw)
    Mr. Colvin
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the new Model Byelaw on the Employment of Children will be published.[45301]

    Mr. Boateng
    The new model byelaw on the employment of children was issued to all relevant local authorities, and copied to interested parties, on 15 April 1998.

    Viagra
    Mrs. Browning
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he intends to licence Viagra under section 58 of the Medicines Act 1968.[45360]

    Ms Jowell
    The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products is currently considering an application for a European marketing authorisation for this product. Decisions on whether to grant marketing authorisations for such products are taken by the European Commission after consultation with the competent authorities of the Member States. The United Kingdom is not, therefore, in a position to consider any application for a national authorisation under Section 58 of the Medicines Act 1968.

    Podiatric Services
    Mr. Burstow
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to encourage health authorities to draw up and adopt footcare strategies.[45420]

    Mr. Boateng
    We already encourage health authorities to give priority to services that will enable people to live as independently as possible in their own homes or in homely settings in the community. We are reviewing the provision of podiatric services to identify a strategy that will take into account examples of good practice and promote the provision of a cost-effective service.

    Prescribing
    Mr. Burstow
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 17 November 1997,Official Report, column 60, concerning administration of medication, when the review of the prescribing, supply

    687
    and administration of medicines in nursing and residential care homes will be concluded and submitted to Ministers.[45430]

    Mr. Milburn
    The review of prescribing, supply and administration of medicines, chaired by Dr. June Crown, is currently developing its second and final report which is expected to be submitted to Ministers later this summer. The review is not focused on nursing and residential care homes. It is looking more broadly at the current arrangements under which medicines are prescribed, supplied and administered, and considering whether health professionals inside and outside the National Health Service might take on new responsibilities with regard to those functions.

    Mr. Burstow
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 17 November 1997,Official Report, column 60, concerning information technology and prescribing, over what period PRODIGY is to be evaluated; and when decisions will be made about its extension to all general practitioner practices.[45429]

    Table 1: The number of patients aged 75 and over who were readmitted to hospital as an emergency within 28 days of discharge for each quarter since April 1996

    1996–97

    1997–98

    Quarter 1

    Quarter 2

    Quarter 3

    Quarter 4

    Quarter 1

    Quarter 2

    Quarter 3

    Quarter 4

    Northern and Yorkshire

    2,154

    3,283

    3,380

    3,713

    3,691

    3,147

    3,712

    3,802

    Trent

    2,916

    2,785

    2,752

    3,031

    3,056

    3,173

    2,973

    2,932

    Anglia and Oxford

    1,309

    1,875

    2,512

    2,258

    2,086

    2,013

    2,273

    2,371

    North Thames

    1,614

    2,470

    2,730

    2,183

    3,021

    2,569

    2,948

    3,270

    South Thames

    3,645

    3,107

    3,190

    4,251

    4,007

    3,563

    3,871

    4,029

    South and West

    3,637

    3,511

    3,285

    3,125

    3,093

    3,389

    3,481

    3,496

    West Midlands

    792

    1,650

    1,809

    1,894

    2,087

    2,108

    2,241

    1,809

    North West

    2,537

    2,767

    3,195

    3,170

    3,157

    3,125

    2,907

    3,333

    England

    18,604

    21,448

    22,853

    23,625

    24,198

    23,087

    24,406

    25,042

    Table 2: The per cent, change on the previous quarter in the number of patients aged 75 and over who were readmitted to hospital as an emergency within 28 days of discharge

    Per cent.

    1996–97

    1997–98

    Quarter 2

    Quarter 3

    Quarter 4

    Quarter 1

    Quarter 2

    Quarter 3

    Quarter 4

    Northern and Yorkshire

    52.4

    3.0

    9.9

    -0.6

    -14.7

    18.0

    2.4

    Trent

    -4.5

    -1.2

    10.1

    0.8

    3.8

    -6.3

    -1.4

    Anglia and Oxford

    43.2

    34.0

    -10.1

    -7.6

    -3.5

    12.9

    4.3

    North Thames

    53.0

    10.5

    -20.0

    38.4

    -15.0

    14.8

    10.9

    South Thames

    -14.8

    2.7

    33.3

    -5.7

    -11.1

    8.6

    4.1

    South and West

    -3.5

    -6.4

    -4.9

    -1.0

    9.6

    2.7

    0.4

    West Midlands

    108.3

    9.6

    4.7

    10.2

    1.0

    6.3

    -19.3

    North West

    9.1

    15.5

    -0.8

    -0.4

    -1.0

    -7.0

    14.7

    England

    15.3

    6.6

    3.4

    2.4

    -4.6

    5.7

    2.6

    Direct Payments
    Mr. Burstow
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 23 March 1998,Official Report, column 46, if he will publish the terms of reference and timetable for his Department's review of scope for extending direct payments to people over 65 years of age; and what arrangements have been made to consult older people in the course of the review.[45175]

    Mr. Boateng
    I announced a review of direct payments on 24 April 1998, whose scope and timetable were set out in Local Authority Social Services Letter (98)7, copies of which are available in the Library. Letters were sent
    688
    Mr. Milburn
    The fieldwork for phase I of PRODIGY was carried out from October 1995 to April 1996, and that for phase II from April 1997 to September 1997. The phase I final report has been completed and will be published shortly. Decisions will be made about the future of the project when the findings from both phases have been carefully considered.

    Hospital Readmissions
    Mr. Burstow
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 23 March 1998,Official Report, columns 45–48, concerning hospital readmissions, if he will publish the equivalent figures for the last quarter of 1997–98; and if he will update the table to show the percentage change from one quarter to the next since April 1996.[45173]

    Mr. Milburn
    The number of patients aged 75 and over who were readmitted as an emergency within 28 days of discharge for each quarter since April 1996 is shown in table 1. Table 2 shows the per cent. change from one quarter to the next since April 1996.

    inviting comments from various interested bodies and individuals, including voluntary groups such as Age Concern and Help the Aged.

    Local Authorities (Pilot Schemes)
    Mr. Burstow
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the pilot schemes announced since 1 May by his Department that involve local authorities in a lead or partnership capacity; if he will list each of the local authorities involved in each case; and what revenue and capital funding each local authority will receive through the pilot in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000 and (iv) 2000–2001.[45334]
    689
    Mr. Boateng
    My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the first wave of successful Health Action Zone pilots on 31 March 1998,Official Report, columns 1033–36. These are listed in Table 1. We have not yet announced the funding arrangements.

    Table 1:

    First Wave HAZs

    Local authorities

    Plymouth

    Plymouth City Council

    East London and the City

    The Corporation of London

    London Borough of Hackney

    London Borough of Newham

    London Borough of Tower Hamlets

    Manchester and Salford and Trafford

    Manchester City Council

    Salford City Council

    Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council

    Sandwell

    Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

    Bradford

    Bradford Metropolitan Borough Council

    Northumberland

    Northumberland County Council

    Berwick District Council

    Alnwick District Council

    Castle Morpeth District Council

    Wansbeck District Council

    Blyth Valley District Council

    Tynedale District Council

    Tyne and Wear

    Gateshead Metropolitan District Council

    Sunderland City Council

    Newcastle City Council

    North Tyneside Metropolitan District Council

    Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

    London Borough of Lambeth

    London Borough of Southwark

    London Borough of Lewisham

    Luton

    Luton Borough Council

    South Yorkshire Coalfields

    Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

    Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council

    Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

    North Cumbria

    Allerdale Borough Council

    Copeland Borough Council

    Carlisle City Council

    Cumbria County Council

    Eden District Council

    Twelve of the thirty-five Best Value pilots, which started in April 1998, have a personal social services element. Table two lists the PSS pilots, which are expected to be self-financing. Successful bids were announced by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions which has the lead on Best Value in local government.

    Table 2:

    Authority

    Subject Area

    Birmingham

    Services for the elderly

    Bradford

    Home care and domiciliary services; youth justice

    Cumbria

    Residential facilities; day care and home care

    Exeter

    Community care

    Greenwich

    Domiciliary care

    Harrow

    Domiciliary care

    Leeds

    Social services

    Lincolnshire

    Children in care; home care

    Northamptonshire

    Residential care for the elderly

    Portsmouth

    Social services

    Redcar

    Occupational therapy

    Sunderland

    Youth justice; After care

    690
    My hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health launched the Health Schools Initiative on 14 May 1998. Eight pilot health education partnerships will each receive £150,000 from the Healthy Schools Initiative. The partnerships are:

    Cornwall

    Doncaster

    Durham

    Hounslow

    Manchester

    Norfolk

    Staffordshire

    West Sussex.

    Hospital Ventilation Systems
    Mr. Dalyell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the letter of 21 October 1997 from the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn), to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, POH (2) 5437/17, what monitoring he has carried out of ventilation systems in hospitals with regard to bacteria testing.[44068]

    Ms Jowell
    The responsibility for monitoring ventilation systems in hospitals with regard to bacteria testing, in line with regulation, guidance, and in accordance with well developed good practice principles, is determined locally by National Health Service trusts.

    Organ Transplants
    Mr. Dalyell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral answer of 20 May 1997,Official Report, column 505, concerning shortages of organs, what was the outcome of the talks with the United Kingdom Transplant Support Service Authority, the medical profession, the British Kidney Patients' Association and the National Kidney Federation; and what are the latest figures for organ shortage.[44070]

    Ms Jowell
    A publicity committee, including clinicians and people from the relevant voluntary organisations, has been set up to help the Department develop a new organ donation publicity campaign to start in the autumn. We are watching with interest a postal campaign being conducted by the British Kidney Patients Association. My noble Friend the Minister of State, Department of Health, Baroness Jay of Paddington, had discussions recently with the newly appointed chairman of the United Kingdom Transplant Support Service Authority (UKTSSA) who is giving urgent consideration to this problem with health officials. A review of UKTSSA is due this year. We will continue to consider options for the way forward in organ transplantation, working with the professional and voluntary organisations involved.

    2,788 solid organ transplants were performed in the United Kingdom in 1997, of which 1,523 involved the transplantation of kidneys. At the end of May 1998, 6,474 people were awaiting organs, 5,684 of them for kidney transplants.

    Health Authority and Trust Boards
    Mr. Jenkins
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he last met representatives of health authorities
    691
    and National Health Service trusts to discuss matters relating to the appointment of chairpersons and non-executive directors to these organisations;[45279]

    (2) what guidance he has issued to health authorities and NHS trust boards on the appointment of chairpersons and non-executive directors to health authorities and trusts;[45281]

    (3) what representations he has received from hon. Members and others regarding the appointment of chairpersons and non-executive directors to health authorities and NHS trust boards.[45280]

    Mr. Milburn
    My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not issued any guidance to health authorities and National Health Service trusts on appointments as he is responsible for the appointment of chairmen and non-executive members to health authority and trust boards. However, details of our new procedures for the appointment of non-executives and chairmen to trust and health authority boards are available in the Library. The Secretary of State has regular meetings with representatives of health authorities and NHS trusts at which the appointments process, among other issues, is discussed. Since we took office we have received a number of letters from hon. Members and others about different aspects of the NHS appointments process. We have also received over 1,400 recommendations from hon. Members alone in response to our requests for nominations of people to serve on the boards of NHS bodies.

    Dr. Harris
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Cheadle (Mr. Day) of 2 June 1998,Official Report, columns 157–58, if he will list the Labour hon. Members who did not reply to his letter requesting nominations for trust boards last year.[44910]

    Mr. Milburn
    The overall picture for nominations by hon. Members for membership of National Health Service trust boards in the 1997 round of appointments is as follows:

    Labour

    Conservative

    Liberal Democrat

    MPs invited to submit nominations

    308

    162

    33

    MPs submitting nominations

    200

    52

    16

    Nominations received

    714

    135

    68

    Per cent. MPs submitting nominations

    64.9

    32.1

    48.5

    Average nominations per MP

    2.3

    0.8

    2.1

    Hon. Members were invited to submit nominations where vacancies were due to arise at trusts which served their constituencies.

    Hospital Services (London)
    Dr. Tonge
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for a further review of hospital services in South West London.[45268]

    Mr. Milburn
    A review of burns and plastics currently provided at Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton has been completed and following objections by the Wandsworth 692
    Community Health Council, we are considering Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth Health Authority's recommendations.

    Following the changes to services provided at Queen Mary's, Roehampton and the publication of the White Paper "The New NHS" a further review is underway on the configuration of services currently provided at the following trusts: Merton and Sutton Community National Health Service Trust; Wandsworth Community NHS Trust; Teddington Memorial NHS Trust; and Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton NHS Trust.

    A strategic review has also been initiated by the chairman and chief executives of the six south west London acute trusts and the two south west London health authorities to determine how the trusts can work together to improve health services and make best use of available resources.

    Any major changes to health services in the area will be subject to public consideration.

    NHS Ambulances
    Mr. Webb
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the typical mileage covered by an NHS ambulance after it has been in service for seven years.[45332]

    Mr. Milburn
    Owing to the wide variations in conditions between different Ambulance National Health Service trusts, there is no typical mileage.

    Paediatric Cardiac Services (Bristol)
    Mrs. Browning
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 4 June 1998,Official Report, column 337, concerning paediatric cardiac surgery services at the United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust, if a public inquiry is one of the options being considered.[45377]

    Mr. Milburn
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 4 June 1998,Official Report, column 337.

  EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

    Access-to-work Scheme
    Mr. Russell Brown
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the access-to-work scheme.[43770]

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    Independent research into the effectiveness of the Access to Work programme was carried out in 1995 and in 1997. Reports of the research have been published.

    Sixth-form Colleges
    Mr. Mackinlay
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the Government's future funding for sixth-form colleges.[43774]

    Mr. Byers
    This Government have already announced an additional £100 million for the further education sector, including sixth-form colleges, over and above the plans of the previous Government for 1998–99. Funding for 1999–2000 and beyond will be announced later in the year.
    693
    Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will visit Godalming and Farnham sixth form colleges to discuss funding of sixth-form colleges. [43776]

    Mr. Byers
    My right hon. Friend presently has no plans to do so.

    Drug Misuse
    Mrs. Ann Winterton
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps his Department has taken to provide information to primary schools on the dangers of drug misuse. [43775]

    Ms Estelle Morris
    Certain aspects of drug education remain a statutory requirement of the National Curriculum at all key stages, including the primary key stages. In support of the Government's recently published new 10-year anti-drugs strategy, the Department will be issuing further guidance on the provision of drug education to teachers, youth workers and other professionals later this year. The guidance will outline the vital role that primary schools can play in the very early stages of a child's school career in concentrating on the development of the skills they need to resist drugs before they are drawn into experimentation.

    Higher Education (Access)
    Mrs. Anne Campbell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to increase the opportunities for people to go on to higher education. [43779]

    Ms Estelle Morris
    The Government are committed to the principle that anyone who has the capability for higher education should have the opportunity to benefit from it. The funding package for higher education for 1998–99 includes £4 million to enable a start to be made on resuming growth at sub-degree level. Plans for later years will be announced in the light of the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

    New Deal
    Mr. Gapes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what will be the nature of the help offered to unemployed people aged over 25 years in the pilot schemes announced in the Budget. [43780]

    Mr. Andrew Smith
    The New Deal pilots for unemployed people aged 25 and over will provide help and support for adults who have been unemployed for a year or more. The pilot provision will be individually tailored, and will give participants a range of help to get them back to work, including: a job with an employer supported by trial periods and an employment subsidy; job-related training; help into self-employment; and work in the voluntary sector. The Department is currently consulting widely on the details of the provision.

    Mr. Ben Chapman
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on progress on the new deal in the pathfinder areas. [43784]
    694
    Mr. Andrew Smith
    It is, of course, early days for this ambitious undertaking, but I am encouraged by the progress in the New Deal Pathfinder areas which started on 5 January. 22,851 clients have been invited to initial Gateway interview.

    Of those who have left the Gateway;

    1,176 have started unsubsidised jobs;

    1,501 have started subsidised jobs;

    955 have started on the Full Time Education and Training Option;

    258 have started on the Voluntary Sector;

    241 have started on the Environment Task Force.

    New Deal was launched nationally on 6 April and early results are equally encouraging.

    Further Education (East Sussex)
    Mr. Baker
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on his Department's plans for the further education sector in East Sussex. [43781]

    Mr. Byers
    For the 1997–98 and 1998–99 financial years, East Sussex has received capital funding of some £23 million from Annual Capital rounds and the New Deal for Schools to support building improvements at its schools. Applications have been submitted in response to the Secretary of State's recent announcement of an extra £90 million to improve heating systems, remove outside toilets and reduce infant class sizes. We hope to announce decisions on this latest initiative later this month.

    In England, the New Deal for Schools has enabled capital projects to proceed worth £115 million in 1997–98 and over £500 million in 1998–99. There are still three further phases of New Deal for Schools to come, by the end of which the Government expect that an extra £2 billion will have been spent on capital projects at schools.

    School Exclusions and Truancy
    Ms Dari Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the publication of me social exclusion unit's first report on school exclusions and truancy. [43782]

    Ms Estelle Morris
    The report has highlighted the devastating effects of truancy and exclusions.

    We are taking urgent action to implement the report's recommendations. These include new targets for reductions in truancy and exclusion; new financial incentives to schools to prevent exclusion; incentives to admit children excluded from other schools, and new statutory guidance to prevent schools from excluding for trivial reasons.

    Mr. Blizzard
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures he is taking to reduce truancy and exclusions in schools. [43786]

    Mr. Paul Marsden
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures he is taking to reduce school exclusions and truancy. [43754]

    Ms Estelle Morris
    We are implementing the wide-ranging recommendations in the recently published report on Truancy and School Exclusion. A copy of this report has been placed in the Libraries.
    695
    My hon. Friend the Minister for School Standards will chair a cross-departmental Task Force in order to make swift progress.

    Education Action Zones
    Mr. Hope
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the progress made in developing education action zones. [43783]

    Mr. Byers
    The Department has now completed its round of visits to those proposals that are candidates for the 12 education action zones to start in September 1998 and the 13 to start in January 1999. We expect to make an announcement later this month.

    Mr. Hoyle
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the potential of education action zones for raising standards in deprived areas. [43952]

    Mr. Byers
    Education Action Zones are a key part of the Government's strategy to drive up standards in schools. They will allow groups of schools in deprived areas to work in partnership with others to provide a better education for their pupils. They will test new ways of delivering that service.

    After-school Clubs
    Mr. Drew
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the Government's strategy for encouraging after-school clubs in rural areas. [43787]

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    Our aim is to ensure good quality, affordable childcare for children aged up to 14 in every neighbourhood. We recognise that there may be particular problems in rural areas. The Green Paper, 'Meeting the Childcare Challenge' asks whether there are areas of the country which particularly require attention under the strategy.

    Independent Schools
    Jackie Ballard
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to change the regulatory and inspection regime for independent boarding schools; and if he will make a statement. [43788]

    Mr. Byers
    All independent boarding schools are monitored to check compliance with their statutory duties to provide satisfactory standards of premises, accommodation, instruction, staffing, and pupil welfare. Following the consultations on Sir William Utting's report on safeguards for children living away from home, we will be announcing our plans to improve these arrangements.

    Literacy
    Gillian Merron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress has been made in implementing the Government's literacy strategy in primary schools. [43758]

    Mr. Goggins
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress has been made in implementing the Government's literacy strategy in primary schools. [43777]
    696
    Mr. Byers
    Since the beginning of the year, we have agreed literacy targets for 11 year olds by 2002 with every LEA in the country; allocated £59 million of Standards Funding to support training and development at LEA and school level; produced a detailed scheme of work for teaching literacy—300,000 copies have been distributed since the end of March to meet demand from schools; and prepared and distributed distance learning materials to every primary school in England. These materials will support the INSET training all primary schools will devote to literacy in the next school year.

    Over 300 LEA appointed literacy consultants have been trained, and every primary school will be trained this term on the management of literacy at school level.

    Education Authority Funding
    Mr. Todd
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make arrangements to meet representatives of the E8 group of least-funded education authorities. [43785]

    Mr. Byers
    I have agreed to meet representatives from the E8 group of education authorities at a date to be arranged in due course.

    Schoolchildren (Farm Visits)
    Mr. Jenkins
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance his Department has issued to schools and local authorities regarding visits to farms by schools. [45282]

    Ms Estelle Morris
    The Department wrote to schools and local education authorities in June 1997 with a checklist of the precautions they should take to ensure pupils' health and safety during visits to farms. A further reminder appears in the Department's more widely ranging draft guidance in The Health and Safety of Pupils on Visits: A Good Practice Guide, on which we are currently consulting. We intend to publish the final version for schools this autumn. The Department was also involved in the preparation of Avoiding Ill Health at Open Farms: Advice to Teachers, an information sheet recently published by the Health and Safety Executive.

    Pre-school Groups
    Miss Melanie Johnson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the provision of interim funds for pre-school groups threatened with closure. [43764]

    Ms Estelle Morris
    Following discussions with the Pre-school Learning Alliance and other organisations, we shall shortly announce how eligible pre-schools and playgroups can apply for grant.

    New Deal (Young People)
    Ms Blears
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress he is making in securing the involvement of employers in the new deal for the young unemployed. [43763]

    Mr. Andrew Smith
    We are making excellent progress. I am pleased to announce that over 10,100 employers have now signed New Deal employer agreements, of which 128 are leading national employers, covering over 400 subsidiary businesses.
    697
    Mr. Willis
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many participants in the New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds there were in each of the four categories available in each of the pilot areas. [43368]

    Mr. Andrew Smith
    On the 27 May, I made public the latest statistical data for the Pathfinder areas, for the period 5 January to 31 March 1998. This information has been placed in the Library. It is, of course, early days for this ambitious undertaking, but I am encouraged by the progress in the New Deal Pathfinder areas.

    University Applications
    Mr. Cranston
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the latest university applications figures. [43750]

    Dr. Howells
    The latest figures will be published tomorrow. I expect them to confirm that the gap between last year's and this year's applicant numbers has been narrowing and that the number of young home applicants is running above the 1997 level. This is a welcome sign that many prospective students and their parents now understand the fairness of our proposals.

    Accountancy Students
    Mr. Pearson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much was spent by the Further Education Funding Council in 1997–98 in support of students studying for accountancy qualifications. [43432]

    Dr. Howells
    In 1995–96, the latest year for which information is available, total expenditure by the Council in support of students studying for accountancy qualifications was £34 million.

    Mr. Pearson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the current unit cost of providing Further Education Funding Council supported training for the(a) CIMA and (b) ACCA accounting qualifications. [43356]

    Dr. Howells
    In 1995–96, the latest year for which information is available, the Further Education Funding Council provided an average of £610 in support of CIMA accountancy qualifications and an average of £630 in support of ACCA accountancy qualifications.

    Training and Enterprise Councils
    Mr. Jenkins
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to ensure TECs are accountable for their spending [43112]

    Dr. Howells
    As private companies delivering public services, TECs have a responsibility to be fully accountable organisations. We believe the arrangements we have put in place, including those in the TEC contract, provide a sound basis for accounting for public funds spent through TECs. As part of the review of the future role of TECs, which the Secretary of State announced on 698
    13 May, we will be looking at the way we fund and contract with TECs to ensure that the funding system properly supports the achievement of our objectives and provides best possible value for money.

    Mr. Jenkins
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the role of (i) monitoring systems, (ii) evaluation and (iii) performance indicators to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of TECs; and if he will make a statement. [43110]

    Dr. Howells
    DfEE has implemented a research and evaluation programme on TECs as policy delivery mechanisms. Studies have been commissioned on the role of TEC Boards, relationships with stakeholders, employers' views of TECs and their services, use of local flexibility and discretionary funding. These are available in the House of Commons library. Through its monitoring systems, the Department receives monthly information on TEC programmes. Performance indicators are publicised each year on a number of measures of outcomes for trainees, including on equal opportunities.

    Mr. Healey
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects to issue new strategic guidance to TECs. [42677]

    Dr. Howells
    The Government plan to issue new Strategic Guidance to TECs in the autumn.

    School Inspections
    Mr. Fraser
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools in England were placed into the special measures category following OFSTED inspections in 1997. [44697]

    Mr. Byers
    In 1997, 242 schools in England were judged by HMCI to require special measures. Five of those schools no longer require special measures and five have been closed.

    Special Educational Needs
    Dr. Tonge
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many referrals since 1 September 1994 have been made to his Department under section 99 of the Education Act 1993 and section 497 of the Education 1996 regarding failure of local education authorities to discharge their statutory duties towards children with special educational needs; and in how many cases action has been taken by his Department on behalf of parents which has resulted in local education authorities discharging their legal obligations. [45014]

    Ms Estelle Morris
    Since 1994, the Department has received annually some 1,500 letters from parents about special educational provision for their child. Few specify whether they are making a formal complaint under the legislation mentioned; some are complaints about a school rather than an LEA; but in every case the Department investigates the parent's concerns until it is clear either that there is no breach of a statutory duty, or appropriate remedial action has been taken, in some cases following a formal direction by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
    699
    Mr. Maclean
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children in Cumbria were statemented; and what was the total funding available for their needs in each of the last 10 years. [44863]

    Ms Estelle Morris
    The number of statements maintained by Cumbria in January of each year was as follows:

    Statements maintained in January by Cumbria—1989–1997

    Year

    Amount

    1989

    1,510

    1990

    1,511

    1991

    1,708

    1992

    2,049

    1993

    2,076

    1994

    2,506

    1995

    2,660

    1996

    2,874

    1997

    2,642

    Figures are taken from Cumbria Local Education Authority's returns to the Department. They include all pupils statemented by Cumbria LEA, including those placed outside Cumbria, and exclude pupils with statements maintained by other LEAs who are in Cumbria. Figures before January 1989 are not readily available.

    Expenditure information is not available on a consistent basis for this period. In 1995–96, the most recent year for which Cumbria have supplied full information, their net expenditure on provision in support of pupils with statements was £11,078,000.

    Further Education Funding
    Mr. Michael J. Foster
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations have been received supporting single value funding for full-time students aged 16 to 19 years. [43682]

    Dr. Howells
    We have received representations supporting greater equity of funding from the Further Education Sector, and right hon. Members and hon. Members.

    Wheelchair Users (Welfare to Work)
    Mr. Berry
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what inter-departmental meetings have been held to consider how severely-disabled people can be enabled to participate in Welfare to Work through having their clinically-assessed needs for indoor/outdoor powered wheelchairs met; [43372]

    (2) what action his Department is taking to ensure that severely disabled people, with clinically-assessed needs for indoor and outdoor powered wheelchairs have these needs met to enable them to participate in Welfare to Work. [43373]

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    The Department has close contact with the Department of Health on a range of issues including the development of the New Deal for Disabled People.
    700
    Clinically assessed need for severely disabled people to have access to indoor/outdoor powered wheelchairs is a matter for the Department of Health. Between 1996 and 2000, the Department of Health is making an additional £50 million available to NHS wheelchair services to enable them to provide electrically powered indoor/ outdoor wheelchairs for those severely disabled people who can benefit from them.

    This, together with Access to Work, will help people who need such wheelchairs in order to lead a full working and independent life.

    Schools (Cumbria)
    Mr. Maclean
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of(a) the extra number of teachers which will be required in Cumbria in order to reduce all class sizes to 30 and (b) the consequent funding required in Cumbria over the next three years. [44862]

    Mr. Byers
    Cumbria education authority has been allocated £146,000 to keep 600 infant pupils out of classes over 30 from this September. For future years, the LEA will have to submit to the Secretary of State in the autumn an implementation plan setting out, among other things, the number of extra teachers needed to reduce infant class sizes in the schools in its area by September 2001. Funding for the authority to reduce class sizes in those years will be determined in due course.

    Mr. Maclean
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which schools in Cumbria did not submit(a) papers and (b) results for the (i) Key Stage 2 tests and (ii) Key Stage 3 tests in 1997. [44864]

    Ms Estelle Morris
    All maintained mainstream schools in Cumbria submitted 1997 Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 National Curriculum Assessment results. It is not possible to determine the number of special schools which will not submit results, as it is impossible to differentiate between those schools whose pupils were all disapplied from the National Curriculum Assessments, and therefore had no results to return, and those schools which chose not to return results. Participation by independent schools in the National Curriculum Assessment tests is voluntary and, therefore, they have not been included in this analysis. It is not possible to differentiate between results and papers.

    Graduates
    Mr. Fraser
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of people who will graduate from United Kingdom universities and places of higher education in 1998. [44696]

    Dr. Howells
    Our latest published forecasts of the annual numbers of new first-degree graduates were reproduced in Chart 3.1, Report 7 of 'Higher Education in the Learning Society' produced by The National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education in July 1997. The Department produces forecasts of graduates from British institutions only.
    701
    It is estimated that around 230,000 home domiciled students will graduate from British higher education institutions in academic year 1997–98.

    Further Education
    Mr. Colvin
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students currently attend further education colleges(a) full-time and (b) part-time. [44693]

    Dr. Howells
    Provisional figures for 1997 are 736,800 full-time and 1,670,000 part-time students studying on 1 November 1997 in further education colleges in England.

    Mr. Colvin
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to end the incorporated status of further education colleges. [44695]

    Dr. Howells
    None.

    Mr. Colvin
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many local education authorities have discontinued discretionary awards to further education college students. [44798]

    Participation and labour market status of 18 year olds, England, end 1988 to end 1996

    Percentage

    End 1988

    End 1989

    End 1990

    End 1991

    End 1992

    End 1993

    End 1994

    End 1995

    End 1996

    England

    Full-time education1

    19

    21

    24

    28

    33

    37

    38

    39

    38

    Part-time education or training excluding job related training

    6

    6

    6

    7

    8

    8

    8

    8

    9

    Job-related training2

    16

    16

    16

    15

    14

    14

    13

    13

    13

    of which full-time education3

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    1

    1

    0

    of which part-time education

    8

    9

    9

    8

    7

    6

    5

    4

    4

    Employment without training or study

    51

    48

    40

    34

    28

    26

    28

    27

    28

    ILO unemployment without training or study

    6

    6

    10

    10

    12

    11

    8

    9

    7

    Economically inactive without training or study4

    2

    4

    5

    6

    5

    5

    5

    4

    6

    1 Includes those in education who are also in job related training, unemployment or inactive. The size of the overlap between education and job related training is shown at3

    2 Includes all in Government-supported training and employer funded training; including the overlap with those in full-time education

    3 Also shown in the full-time education category

    4 Those not in employment nor seeking work on the ILO unemployment definition

    Sources:

    Education Censuses, TECs' Management Information Database, the Trainee Database and the Labour Force Survey

    Yvette Cooper
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of school leavers at age 16 years entered(a) full-time or part-time education, (b) job-related training (Government or employer-based), (c) employment without a training

    Participation of 16 year olds, England, end 1988 to 1996

    Percentage

    End 1988

    End 1989

    End 1990

    End 1991

    End 1992

    End 1993

    End 1994

    End 1995

    End 1996

    England

    Full-time education1

    52

    55

    59

    67

    70

    73

    71

    71

    70

    Part-time education and training excluding job related training

    5

    4

    3

    3

    3

    3

    5

    4

    5

    Job-related training2

    26

    26

    22

    19

    16

    14

    14

    13

    12

    of which full-time education3

    2

    2

    2

    2

    1

    1

    2

    1

    1

    of which part-time education

    13

    12

    10

    7

    6

    5

    4

    3

    3

    Employment without training or study

    14

    12

    8

    5

    6

    5

    7

    6

    7

    ILO unemployment without training or study

    3

    3

    5

    7

    5

    4

    3

    4

    5

    Economically inactive without training or study4

    2

    3

    4

    2

    2

    2

    2

    3

    2

    702
    Dr. Howells
    The latest available information on discretionary awards made by local education authorities in England and Wales to further education students is for academic year 1996–97. Provisional information indicates that four authorities did not make any discretionary awards to further education students and a further two made no new awards. In addition, four authorities were unable to supply full information.

    School Leavers
    Yvette Cooper
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of 18 year olds leaving further education entered(a) full-time or part-time education, (b) job-related training (Government or employer-based), (c) employment without a training element and (d) unemployment in (i) England and (ii) Wakefield Local Education Authority area in each year since 1988. [44288]

    Dr. Howells
    The proportion of all 18 year olds in the given categories are shown in the table. It is not possible to indicate how many of these had previously been in further education, post-16 schooling or other routes. Information on 18 year olds in Wakefield could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    element and (d) unemployment in (i) England and (ii) Wakefield Local Education Authority area in each year since 1988. [44287]

    Dr. Howells
    The proportion of 16 year olds in each category is shown in the table.
    703

    Participation of 16 year olds, England, end 1988 to 1996

    Percentage

    End 1988

    End 1989

    End 1990

    End 1991

    End 1992

    End 1993

    End 1994

    End 1995

    End 1996

    Wakefield LEA

    Full-time education

    52

    55

    53

    59

    65

    66

    65

    67

    5—

    Part-time education

    11

    10

    10

    8

    7

    7

    8

    4

    5—

    Government supported training

    5—

    5—

    5—

    5—

    5—

    5—

    16

    14

    5—

    1 Includes those in education who are also in job related training unemployment or inactive The size of the overlap between education and job releated training is shown at footnote 3.

    2 Includes all in Government-supported training and employer-funded training; including the overlap with those in full-time education.

    3 Also shown in the full-time education category

    4 Those not in employment nor seeking work on the ILO unemployment definition

    5 Not available

    Sources:

    Education Censuses, TECs' Management Information Database, the Trainee Database and the Labour Force Survey

    Teachers' Pay
    Mr. Flight
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what factors led his Department to stage the pay award for teachers for 1998–99; and if he will make a statement. [44374]

    Mr. Byers
    The Government have taken a common approach to staging for all the pay review body group's recommendations this year. Public Sector pay settlements need to be fair, affordable within existing spending plans, consistent with the good inflation prospects, and responsible in terms of a general approach to pay throughout the economy that will contribute to higher growth and more jobs.

    Veterinary Medicine
    Mr. William Ross
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many places there are for students of veterinary medicine in each university providing such courses; how many students currently studying on such courses are from(a) the United Kingdom, (b) the EU and (c) overseas; what estimate he has made of the number of graduates in veterinary science required in the United Kingdom in each of the next four years; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which adequate numbers of veterinary surgeons will qualify in each of the next four years to meet demand. [44558]

    Dr. Howells
    The number of students on first degree veterinary medicine courses in the UK for 1997–98 is given in the table.

    Home

    EU

    Overseas

    Total

    Nene College

    7

    1

    0

    8

    The University of Bristol

    333

    1

    22

    356

    The University of Cambridge

    373

    9

    2

    384

    The University of Liverpool

    339

    8

    70

    417

    The Royal Veterinary College

    458

    6

    62

    526

    University of Edinburgh

    381

    15

    49

    445

    University of Glasgow

    372

    9

    28

    409

    Total

    2,263

    49

    233

    2,545

    The Government do not assess requirements for veterinary student places. Under the current funding arrangements, institutions are free to respond to market
    704
    forces when deciding which courses they will offer and how many students they will enrol on each programme. However, the Royal College of Veterinary Students, the British Veterinary Association and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons are jointly conducting a survey of the manpower requirements of the profession, the results of which are expected soon.

    Aggregated Schools Budget (Hereford and Worcester)
    Mr. Michael J. Foster
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the aggregated schools budget for(a) 1992–93, (b) 1993–94, (c) 1995–96, (d) 1996–97 and (e) 1996–97 for Hereford and Worcester Local Education Authority (i) in cash terms and (ii) at 1998 prices. [44971]

    Mr. Byers
    The table shows the amount of the Aggregated Schools Budget for Hereford and Worcester local education authority for the financial years 1992–93 to 1997–98 inclusive, both in cash terms and at 1998 prices.

    Hereford and Worcester LEA

    £000

    Aggregated schools budget

    Actual

    1998 Prices

    1992–93

    146,187

    165,898

    1993–94

    146,957

    162,062

    1994–95

    157,182

    170,765

    1995–96

    157,335

    166,316

    1996–97

    164,598

    169,042

    1997–98

    168,404

    168,404

    Delegated Schools Budget
    Mr. Nigel Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the amount of the delegated schools budget spent(a) per primary pupil and (b) per secondary pupil in each local education authority area for the last 10 years for which figures are available. [44461]

    Mr. Byers
    The table shows, for England, the amount of the Aggregated Schools Budget per primary pupil and per secondary pupil for the financial year 1997–98, taken from the section 122 Budget Statements published
    705
    by local education authorities for that year. Figures for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    Aggregated schools budget per pupil—England—1997–98

    Primary school

    Secondary school

    City of London

    2,968

    0

    Camden

    2,060

    2,845

    Greenwich

    1,909

    2,604

    Hackney

    2,078

    2,772

    Hammersmith and Fulham

    2,103

    2,868

    Islington

    1,982

    2,720

    Kensington and Chelsea

    2,384

    3,241

    Lambeth

    2,325

    3,035

    Lewisham

    1,995

    2,810

    Southwark

    1,995

    2,608

    Tower Hamlets

    2,014

    2,590

    Wandsworth

    1,935

    2,521

    Westminster

    2,051

    2,736

    Barking/Dagenham

    1,790

    2,332

    Barnet

    1,725

    2,456

    Bexley

    1,408

    2,202

    Brent

    1,906

    2,583

    Bromley

    1,630

    2,196

    Croydon

    1,715

    2,379

    Ealing

    1,796

    2,303

    Enfield

    1,648

    2,319

    Haringey

    1,798

    2,508

    Harrow

    1,827

    2,625

    Havering

    1,598

    2,478

    Hillingdon

    1,684

    2,549

    Hounslow

    1,867

    2,295

    Kingston

    1,608

    2,212

    Merton

    1,758

    2,281

    Newham

    1,587

    2,415

    Redbridge

    1,553

    2,378

    Richmond

    1,787

    2,312

    Sutton

    1,666

    2,358

    Waltham Forest

    1,819

    2,560

    Birmingham

    1,716

    2,313

    Coventry

    1,574

    2,252

    Dudley

    1,578

    2,174

    Sandwell

    1,496

    2,134

    Solihull

    1,560

    2,123

    Walsall

    1,493

    2,139

    Wolverhampton

    1,464

    2,242

    Knowsley

    1,570

    2,191

    Liverpool

    1,509

    2,086

    St. Helens

    1,452

    2,154

    Sefton

    1,483

    2,251

    Wirral

    1,453

    2,024

    Bolton

    1,432

    2,050

    Bury

    1,368

    2,000

    Manchester

    1,463

    2,218

    Oldham

    1,470

    2,149

    Rochdale

    1,424

    2,117

    Salford

    1,484

    2,159

    Stockport

    1,458

    2,015

    Tameside

    1,350

    1,875

    Trafford

    1,284

    2,161

    Wigan

    1,473

    2,231

    Barnsley

    1,288

    1,958

    Doncaster

    1,483

    2,189

    Rotherham

    1,452

    1,985

    Sheffield

    1,452

    1,959

    Bradford

    1,479

    1,752

    Calderdale

    1,420

    2,119

    Kirklees

    1,412

    2,043

    Leeds

    1,615

    2,171

    Wakefield

    1,377

    1,864

    Gateshead

    1,486

    2,092

    706

    Aggregated schools budget per pupil—England—1997–98

    Primary school

    Secondary school

    Newcastle

    1,485

    2,112

    North Tyneside

    1,463

    2,012

    South Tyneside

    1,436

    1,963

    Sunderland

    1,525

    2,107

    Isles of Scilly

    2,537

    4,361

    Bath and North East Somerset

    1,615

    2,235

    Bristol

    1,619

    2,399

    North Somerset

    1,523

    2,218

    South Gloucestershire

    2,239

    2,242

    Hartlepool

    1,363

    2,045

    Middlesbrough

    1,408

    2,218

    Redcar and Cleveland

    1,435

    2,136

    Stockton on Tees

    1,423

    2,074

    Hull

    1,524

    2,108

    East Riding

    1,503

    2,128

    North East Lincolnshire

    1,538

    2,152

    North Lincolnshire

    1,519

    2,089

    North Yorkshire

    1,486

    2,198

    York

    1,415

    2,141

    Luton

    1,476

    2,223

    Milton Keynes

    1,394

    2,310

    Derby City

    1,236

    2,118

    Poole

    1,391

    2,016

    Bournemouth

    1,320

    1,985

    Darlington

    1,316

    1,993

    Brighton and Hove

    1,475

    2,211

    Portsmouth

    1,637

    2,213

    Southampton

    1,670

    2,276

    Leicester City

    1,450

    2,051

    Rutland

    1,716

    0

    Stoke-on-Trent

    1,424

    1,984

    Swindon

    1,376

    2,079

    Bedfordshire

    1,447

    1,965

    Berkshire

    1,528

    2,187

    Buckinghamshire

    1,367

    2,221

    Cambridgeshire

    1,389

    2,030

    Cheshire

    1,486

    2,142

    Cornwall

    1,473

    2,042

    Cumbria

    1,495

    2,147

    Derbyshire

    1,275

    2,026

    Devon

    1,466

    2,127

    Dorset

    1,445

    1,956

    Durham

    1,414

    2,045

    East Sussex

    1,498

    2,257

    Essex

    1,518

    2,264

    Gloucestershire

    1,435

    2,008

    Hampshire

    1,609

    2,164

    Hereford/Worcester

    1,456

    1,943

    Hertfordshire

    1,500

    2,247

    Isle of Wight

    1,544

    1,925

    Kent

    1,480

    2,142

    Lancashire

    1,430

    2,098

    Leicestershire

    1,495

    2,081

    Lincolnshire

    1,486

    2,257

    Norfolk

    1,583

    2,302

    Northamptonshire

    1,469

    2,048

    Northumberland

    1,474

    1,863

    Nottinghamshire

    1,290

    2,112

    Oxfordshire

    1,534

    2,018

    Shropshire

    1,394

    2,249

    Somerset

    1,514

    2,082

    Staffordshire

    1,367

    1,936

    Suffolk

    1,295

    2,579

    Surrey

    1,642

    2,102

    Warwickshire

    1,444

    2,035

    West Sussex

    1,505

    2,191

    Wiltshire

    1,436

    2,023

    England average

    1,521

    2,165

    707

    Social Exclusion
    Mr. Willetts
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate how many young people aged 18 to 24 years regarded by the Government as socially excluded are not eligible for the New Deal. [43969]

    Mr. Andrew Smith
    No such estimate is available. However, the Government believe that their Welfare to Work policy, of which the New Deals form part, together with the work of the Social Exclusion Unit, provide extensive help for those at risk of social exclusion. Depending on their circumstances, individuals may have access to help as part of the New Deal for the Young Unemployed, or the New Deals for Lone Parents or People with Disabilities.

    Under the New Deal for the Young Unemployed, individuals likely to be particularly disadvantaged in the labour market—such as those with disabilities; returners to the labour market; ex-regulars in HM forces; ex-offenders; lone parents; people whose first language is not English, Welsh or Gaelic; those with reading, writing or numeracy problems; those who have become unemployed due to large-scale redundancies; and those who have recently left local authority care—can get early access if they are claiming Jobseeker's Allowance. The Employment Service will also have discretion to enable early access to others where their New Deal adviser believes they are at particular disadvantage in their search for work.

    There are also a range of other policies being developed to tackle disadvantage and social exclusion, including the New Deal for Partners and the New Deal for Communities.

    Disabled People
    Mr. Oaten
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by disability for each month since December 1996 the number of people who sought Access to Work support in the first six weeks of their employment. [45031]

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    [holding answer 9 June 1998]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

    Letter from Peter Collins to Mr. Mark Oaten, dated 10 June 1998:
    As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked Leigh Lewis to reply to your question about the number of people who sought Access to Work support in the first six weeks of their employment since December 1996, listed by disability. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to Mr. Lewis as Chief Executive of the Employment Agency.
    I am afraid that we do not hold information centrally on the number of people who seek Access to Work support in the first six weeks of employment broken down by disability. However, recent research carried out for the Employment Service in 1997 has provided an analysis by disability of people applying for Access to
    708
    Work support. The results are set out in the attached table. It is based on a sample of 492 Access to Work applicants who applied for support between 1 February and 31 May 1997.
    I am sorry that I cannot be more helpful.

    Clients receiving Access to Work support by type of disability1

    Percentage

    Problems or disabilities connected with the arms or hands

    17

    Problems or disabilities connected with the legs or feet

    21

    Problems or disabilities connected with the back or neck

    29

    Difficulty in seeing

    18

    Difficulty in hearing

    18

    Severe disfigurement

    —2

    Skin conditions, allergies

    2

    Chest or breathing problems, asthma, bronchitis

    3

    Heart, blood pressure or blood circulation problems

    2

    Stomach, liver, kidney or digestive problems

    1

    Diabetes

    —2

    Depression, bad nerves or anxiety

    1

    Epilepsy

    3

    Specific learning difficulties

    3

    Severe learning difficulties (mental handicap)

    1

    Mental illness or suffer from phobia, panics or other nervous diseases

    1

    Progressive illness not included elsewhere

    7

    Other health problems or disabilities

    17

    1 IES Survey of ATW applicants, 1997

    2 Not sufficient numbers with this category of disability to provide a percentage

    Nursery Education (Worcester)
    Mr. Michael J. Foster
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many nursery places were available for 4 year olds in Worcester in each year between 1979 and 1997. [43681]

    Ms Estelle Morris
    Figures for Worcester Local Education Authority (LEA) area are not available.

    For Hereford and Worcester LEA area, there were 1,879 four year olds in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools in January 1997; there were 1,613 in January 1996. Figures for four year olds prior to January 1996 were not collected centrally.

    Figures for pupils under five years of age in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools in the Hereford and Worcester LEA area in January 1981 through 1997 are shown in the table. Figures prior to January 1981 are not available.

    Numbers of pupils under five years of age1 in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools January 1979–1997

    Hereford and Worcester local education authority area

    Number

    1979

    —2

    1980

    —2

    1981

    719

    1982

    799

    1983

    797

    1984

    964

    1985

    941

    1986

    997

    1987

    909

    1988

    974

    1989

    998

    709

    Numbers of pupils under five years of age1 in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools January 1979–1997

    Hereford and Worcester local education authority area

    Number

    1990

    1,204

    1991

    1,289

    1992

    1,274

    1993

    1,296

    1994

    1,287

    1995

    1,682

    1996

    2,179

    1997

    2,639

    1 Excludes those pupils who became 5 years of age by 1 January

    2 Not available

  SOCIAL SECURITY

    Industrial Injury Benefit (Bladder Disease)
    Dr. Gibson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applicants have been successful in claiming industrial injury disablement benefit for prescribed diseases for C23 primary neoplasm of the epithelial lining of the urinary tract in each of the last 10 years; and how many of the(a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applicants were in the printing and related industries. [44352]

    Mr. Denham
    The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the tables.

    The information on claims has only been collected in this form since 1995 and cannot be broken down by industry. The information on assessments has been collected since 1990 and can be broken down by industry.

    Number of claims to industrial injury disablement benefit prescribed disease C23 (papilloma of the bladder)

    Period

    Number

    April 1995–March 1996

    110

    April 1996–March 1997

    100

    April 1997–March 1998

    50

    Source:

    DSS Analytical Services Division, 10 per cent, sample data.

    Figures for assessments, i.e. those whose disablement has been assessed by a doctor are available from April 1990.

    Numbers of diagnoses of prescribed disease C23 (Papilloma of the bladder)

    All industries

    Printing and related industries

    Year

    Under 14 per cent.

    14 per cent, or over

    Under 14 per cent.

    14 per cent, or over

    1990–91

    5

    7

    0

    0

    1991–92

    4

    14

    0

    0

    1992–93

    13

    19

    0

    0

    1993–94

    4

    23

    0

    0

    1994–95

    10

    21

    0

    1

    1995–96

    1

    17

    0

    0

    1996–97

    6

    22

    1

    1

    Note:

    Benefit is payable only if a person's disablement is assessed at 14 per cent, or more.

    Source:

    DSS Analytical Services Division 100 per cent, count.
    710

    Local Authorities (Pilot Schemes)
    Mr. Burstow
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list the pilot schemes announced since 1 May by her Department that involve local authorities in a lead or partnership capacity; if she will list each of the local authorities involved in each case; and what revenue and capital funding each local authority will receive through the pilot in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000 and (iv) 2000–2001. [45338]

    Mr. Keith Bradley
    Local Authorities have an important role to play in the development of a Social Security system that promotes the wider aims of welfare reform work.

    Also, in my Written Answer on 15 May 1998, Official Report, column 124, we announced that the Department had begun two prototypes to test integrated service delivery, in partnership with Camden local authority and Lewisham local authority (LA).

    The Camden prototype aims to provide a single point of contact to lone parents who are claiming Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit and who make applications for child support. Camden will not receive revenue or capital funding as the prototype is reciprocal and aims to provide benefits to both partners as well as for the lone parents themselves.

    The Lewisham prototype aims to provide better sharing of information and will provide an integrated service to customers by the co-ordination of visits to this Department's and LA customers and the provision of advice and information from central points within the borough.

    During 1997–98, Lewisham received funding of £73,500. £19,000 of this amount was required for the implementation of video-conferencing links between the Benefits Agency (BA), the Local Authority and Public Video Booths. The remainder was required for information technology development, project management, communications and training costs. A similar bid has been submitted for 1998–99 and is currently under consideration.

    No other specific initiatives have been announced since these, although Local Authorities can apply for funding to be provided in relation to a number of initiatives. These include, for example, funding to assist with the resourcing of fraud investigation work, joint BA/LA anti-fraud activities and improved liaison/information sharing (e.g. installation of terminals with access to this Department's systems within LAs).

    Paternity Pay
    Mr. Cohen
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment her Department has made of the advantages of introducing statutory paternity pay; and if she will make a statement. [43608]

    Mr. Denham
    The Government support a strong family-friendly culture in the workplace. Family-friendly employment policies are good for parents—mothers and fathers—good for children, good for business and good for the economy. We are working with employers, voluntary organisations and trade unions to promote family-friendly policies and encourage best practice. We are also introducing for the first time a framework of
    711
    rights for employees—these rights will include time off for mothers and fathers at the time of the birth, as well as time off for parents when their children are taken ill. We are reviewing maternity pay and considering the introduction of statutory paternity pay as part of our wider review of family-friendly working arrangements.

    Sick and Disabled People
    Mr. Oaten
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will establish a database of case studies of good employment practices, available to disabled jobseekers and employers as part of the New Deal for Sick and Disabled People. [43557]

    Mr. Denham
    The evaluation of the New Deal for Disabled People will include research with employers and disabled jobseekers into employment practices affecting disabled people. The results of this research will be published, and will be available to disabled jobseekers, employers and others with an interest.

    Laryngectomy Patients
    Mr. Alan Johnson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will ensure that laryngectomy

    Inquiry/review

    Established

    Chairman

    War pensions: review of the scientific basis of the assessment of noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss

    June 1997

    Sir Kenneth Caiman, Chief Medical Officer

    Pension provision group

    September 1997

    Tom Ross, Aon Consulting

    712
    patients automatically qualify for disability benefits; what representations she has received on this issue; and if she will make a statement. [44389]

    Mr. Denham
    We have received no recent representations from people with laryngectomies or from any organisations representing laryngectomy patients.

    Normal eligibility rules apply to people with laryngectomies who claim a disability benefit. Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance is based not on specific disabilities, but on the effects that a person's disability has on their need for help with personal care and/or mobility.

    Reviews
    Mr. Allan
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list, for each of the last four years, the departmental inquiries and reviews instigated by Ministers which have been chaired by individuals outside her Department; and in each case if he will give the date of establishment and the name of the chairman. [44364]

    Mr. Field
    The reviews instigated by Ministers in this Department are listed in the table.

  Turkey and Greece and the EU
  Turkey and Greece and the EU
  Overseas Police Services: Provision of Training
  Overseas Police Services: Provision of Training
  Gibraltar and Spain: Air and Maritime Links
  Gibraltar and Spain: Air and Maritime Links
  Gibraltar
  Gibraltar
  Montserrat
  Montserrat
  Development Policy Forum
  Development Policy Forum
  Turkey: Police and Security Co-operation
  Turkey: Police and Security Co-operation
  Women in Prison: Childbirth
  Women in Prison: Childbirth
  NACRO Report: Government Response
  NACRO Report: Government Response
  Rough Sleeping in Westminster
  Rough Sleeping in Westminster
  Privately Operated Ambulances
  Privately Operated Ambulances
  Short-term Engine Shut-off: Pollutant Emission
  Short-term Engine Shut-off: Pollutant Emission
  London: Strategic Road Network
  London: Strategic Road Network
  Compulsory Purchase and Blight
  Compulsory Purchase and Blight
  Bristol: Free Exhaust Emission Tests
  Bristol: Free Exhaust Emission Tests
  Heysham-to-M.6 Link Road
  Heysham-to-M.6 Link Road