Written Answers of 5 May 1998

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Staff Car Mileage Allowance
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of the staff of all grades employed by his Department were eligible to claim a car mileage allowance on 31 March in each year since his Department was created. [40434]

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  All of the staff in the Department (including the Royal Parks Agency) were eligible to claim a car mileage allowance in respect of official travel in each year since the Department was created.

  National Curriculum
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations his Department has received from(a) artists, (b) musicians, (c) dancers, and (d) related bodies, regarding the designation of (i) art, (ii) music, (iii) history, (iv) geography, and (v) physical education including dance as non-core subjects of the National Curriculum for primary schools; and if he has been consulted on the proposals by the Department for Education and Employment. [40158]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, as the responsible Minister, announced on 13 January the Government's proposals to give primary schools greater flexibility in the delivery of the primary school curriculum. The mechanisms for policy development within Government are of course well established and understood. My Department has received a number of representations from performing and visual artists, arts education bodies and members of the public, covering the four curriculum subjects in which my Department has an interest: art, physical education (including dance), drama (through English literature) and music.

  Hotels
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of(a) the number of family-run hotels in the United Kingdom and (b) the percentage of the foreign earnings attributable to United Kingdom hotels arising from the family-run sector; and if he will make a statement. [39991]

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  A 'family-run hotel' is not a category identified in the statistics available. However, the English Tourist Board estimate that there are around 30,000 family-run hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments in the UK out of a total of approximately 44,500. Expenditure by the 26.2 million overseas visitors in 1996 was £12.37 billion. Of those visitors, 21 million stayed in serviced accommodation.

  Departmental Energy Use
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of his Department's energy usage was from(a) renewable energy and (b) combined heating in each year of its and its predecessors' operation. [40412]

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  My Department does not at present use renewable energy or a combined heat and power system.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Millennium Compliance
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will assess the effectiveness of(a) Messrs Continua Timebomb Disposal Kit and (b) other marketed equipment for dealing with millennium compliance. [38531]

  Mrs. Roche
  I know that Action 2000 is conscious of the need to provide a focus for support services and tool kits related to the Millennium Bug. To address this, it plans to contract with a data base provider to list all services and tool kits, together with any available independent assessment, and to signpost this in its literature.

  Imports (Forced Labour)
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to(a) ban or restrict the importation of goods which have been made with forced labour and (b) to increase public knowledge and awareness of such goods and their origins. [39236]

  Mrs. Beckett
  The Government are committed to the elimination of abusive labour practices, including forced labour. We fully support work currently under way in the International Labour Organisation on a new declaration committing members to respect core labour standards. We encourage companies to adopt voluntary codes of practice incorporating core labour standards.

  Arms Exports
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the specialised equipment for military training licensed for export to Indonesia within the 3 ML14 export licences and the specific military unit that received the equipment. [40384]

  Mrs. Roche
  Inquiries are being made under the Code of Practice on Access to Government information relating to the information requested. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.

  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to improve the transparency of arms exports. [40383]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  We are committed to increased transparency in the field of arms exports. We will publish an annual report on the state of UK Strategic Export Controls and their application, thereby providing for parliamentary

  263
  consideration of the application of the criteria announced by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 28 July 1997 Official Report, columns 26–29. Work is in hand and an announcement will be made in due course. Once this has been done, we will also press for a European Register of Arms Exports to make information on arms exports available at a European level.

  We have played a leading role in working for greater transparency within the Wassenaar Arrangement, for example by undertaking voluntarily to inform partners of export licence applications which we have refused on regional stability grounds.

  We are committed to strengthening the UN Register of Conventional Arms by encouraging greater disclosure of information on arms exports and arms transfers by all countries. We were disappointed by the limited scope of the recommendations made by last year's Panel of Government Experts and will continue to explore ways of broadening the scope of the Register.

  As part of the DTI-led review of Strategic Export Controls we are considering the introduction of Parliamentary scrutiny of Export of Goods (Control) Orders.

  Industrial Tribunals
  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the recent changes in procedures to appoint lay members to industrial injuries tribunals; and what factors have led to such changes being made. [36821]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  I understand that the question refers to the industrial tribunals.

  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East (Dr. Kumar) on 10 March 1998, Official Report, column 170.

  Defence Exports Credits
  Ms Drown
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the breakdown by(a) year and (b) country of the amount of export credits in pounds sterling granted for defence-related business between 1990 and 1997 to all low-income countries and highly indebted poor countries; and what percentage of total ECGD cover that represents. [39670]

  Mrs. Beckett
  From information readily available the only ECGD support granted for defence-related business to countries defined by the World Bank as Low Income and/or Heavily Indebted Poor Countries between these years was as follows:

  Country

  £ million

  Year

  India

  23

  1992

  Pakistan

  7

  1994

  Zimbabwe

  11

  1994

  This represents 0.15 per cent. of total ECGD cover in the period 1990–97. This analysis includes all ECGD supported business with defence buyers in these countries including the sale of non-lethal equipment.

  Millennium Advertising
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will introduce legislation to indemnify those selling cruises, holidays and other services advertised(a) to celebrate the millennium and (b) using similar terms, which refer to dates one year ahead of the arithmetical millennium. [40313]

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  There is no evidence of consumers being deceived, so no legislation is planned.

  Electronic Commerce
  Mrs. May
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on the licensing of trusted third parties. [40362]

  Mrs. Roche
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman) on 27 April 1998,Official Report, columns 26–27.

  Export Licences
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licence applications for the export of goods covered by the category PL5001 have been denied since 1 May 1997 by category, and country of intended destination. [40017]

  Mrs. Roche
  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 application for an individual licence covering the export of goods with the rating PL5001 was refused. This was an application for a Standard Individual Export Licence on which the consignee and end-user were both stated to be in Kenya.

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

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licence applications for the export of goods covered by the category PL5001 to(a) Jamaica,(b) Jordan, (c) Malaysia, (d) Saudi Arabia, (e) Singapore, (f) South Korea, (g) Sri Lanka, (h) the United Arab Emirates and (i) Bahrain have been (i) granted, (ii) refused and (iii) revoked since 1 May 1997. [40015]

  Mrs. Roche
  The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated and the following results were obtained. Between 2 May 1997 and 3 April 1998 eight Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) and no Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) were issued covering the export to the specified countries of goods with the rating PL5001. In the same period, no such licences were revoked and no applications for such licences were refused.

  Multilateral Agreement on Investment
  Ms Walley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the meeting between her Department and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, to discuss MAI on 21 April. [40174]
  265
  Mrs. Roche
  Ministers and officials from the Department are in constant contact across Whitehall on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment. The meeting of 21 April covered the current position of MAI negotiations. The Government will continue to press for strong language on the environment and labour issues in the MAI and would not support an MAI which failed to address these issues adequately.

  Statistics (Boundary Maps)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date the Office for National Statistics informed her of its support for new NUTS 2 maps for(a) Cornwall and (b) Wales; and on what date her Department proposed to Eurostat the adoption of these new definitions. [40358]

  Mrs. Roche
  No new maps for Cornwall and Wales have been agreed. Changes to the NUTS 2 boundaries in the United Kingdom are currently being discussed by Eurostat and the UK Government Statistical Service. Proposals for changes to the UK NUTS structure were sent to Eurostat by the Office for National Statistics in July 1997.

  Trade Barriers (South Africa)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps her Department is taking to lift trade barriers between South Africa and the European Market. [39768]

  Mrs. Beckett
  The Government strongly support the conclusion of a free trade area between the EU and South Africa. We believe that comprehensive market opening over a period of time in line with WTO rules will boost two-way trade and help economic development in the wider southern Africa region. As Presidency, we are supporting Commission efforts to complete negotiations with South Africa by the end of June.

  Employment Rights Act (Payments)
  Mr. Wills
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what factors underlay each of the 18 ex-gratia payments made by her Department under the Employment Rights Act 1996. [40419]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  Of the eighteen ex gratia payments made under the Employment Rights Act 1996, eight were made to compensate for service delay beyond the Redundancy Payments Service's Charter service standards. The remaining ten payments were made to compensate redundant fishermen who lost their entitlement to take claims to an industrial tribunal as a result of misdirection by officials in the 1970s.

  Part-time Workers
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the number and percentage of employers employing part-time workers, broken down by size of firm; and what are the number and percentage of firms in which(a) at least 25 per cent. and (b) at least 50 per cent. of the workforce is part-time. [38855]

  Mrs. Liddell
  I have been asked to reply.
  266
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Terry Rooney, dated 5 May 1998:
  As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question on employers employing part-time employees.
  I apologise for the delay in my replying to you. The information you requested is not part of the standard set of results the ONS generates from business surveys, and new techniques had to be developed in order to generate the figures.
  The information provided in the attached tables is for Great Britain and excludes enterprises classified to agriculture.

  Enterprises with at least one part-time employee job by size of enterprise

  Number of employees in enterprise

  Number of enterprises (000)

  Percentage of enterprises

  Less than 5

  790

  55

  5–9

  140

  69

  10–19

  87

  74

  20–49

  54

  80

  50+

  34

  88

  Total

  1,105

  59

  Part-time employee jobs as a proportion of all jobs

  Proportion of all jobs that are part-time

  Number of enterprises (000)

  Percentage of enterprises

  At least 25 per cent.

  901

  48

  At least 50 per cent.

  722

  38

  Source:

  Annual Employment Survey 1996, ONS

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Seized Weapons
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will set out the rules governing disclosure of information derived from the ballistic history of seized weapons. [37809]

  Mr. Ingram
  It is not the general policy of the RUC for the ballistic history of seized weapons to be routinely disclosed, either because of the evidential relevance in court proceedings or because such disclosure could be of use to terrorists. In exceptional circumstances, where deemed to be in the public interest, consideration may be given to disclosure of such information in individual cases.

  Decommissioning
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made with the decommissioning of terrorists' weapons in Northern Ireland; what steps she is taking to accelerate that progress; and if she will ensure that comprehensive decommissioning is achieved within six months. [39380]

  Mr. Ingram
  The Government, together with the Government of the Republic of Ireland have put in place all the mechanisms to enable decommissioning to happen.
  267
  In signing up to the Good Friday Agreement, the two Governments and the parties reaffirmed their commitment to the total disarmament of all paramilitary organisations and confirmed their intention to use their influence to achieve the decommissioning of all paramilitary arms within two years following endorsement of the Agreement. As part of the Agreement, the two Governments have undertaken to bring the relevant decommissioning schemes into force by the end of June.

  BSE
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total number of cases of Court Users bovine spongiform encephalopathy to have occurred in cattle in Northern Ireland; and how many animals have been culled as a result of BSE in Northern Ireland to date. [39911]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  1,770 cases of BSE have occurred in Northern Ireland to date.

  1,461 cohort animals have been slaughtered under the BSE selective cull and 297,500 animals have been slaughtered under the Over Thirty Months Scheme.

SCOTLAND

  Surveys
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list each information, promotional, marketing and opinion survey contract, with its value, concluded by his Department and its agencies for the years(a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99, (c) 1999–2000, (d) 2000–01 and (e) 2001–02. [32018]

  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 11 March 1998]: Information on surveys is not held centrally by my Department. Such information as is available is as follows:

  Surveys

  £

  1997–98

  Information surveys

  The Scottish Office

  Referendum Reminder to Vote

  27,000

  Child Pedestrian Concept Research

  2,300

  Children's Panel Recruitment

  1,200

  Scottish Parliament at Holyrood: Transport Analysis

  10,000

  Marketing Surveys

  Historic Scotland

  Advertising Effectiveness

  10,000

  Friends of Historic scotland

  8,000

  Opinion Surveys

  The Scottish Office

  Evaluation of 20mph Speed Reduction Initiative

  13,500

  Evaluation of the Impact of Subsidised Ferry Fares on the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland

  69,000

  An evaluation of the Scottish Road Safety Campaign's Safety Workbook Diaries

  13,650

  Evaluation of the "keep Warm This Winter" Campaign

  15,000

  Regional Selective Assistance—Customer Awareness

  13,000

  Newbridge Interchange—Business Users

  1,000

  268

  Surveys

  £

  Highland and Islands Enterprise

  Communications Audit/Customer Satisfaction Survey

  33,500

  Historic Scotland

  Visitor Profile

  13,000

  Register of Scotland

  Direct Access Service—Customer Awareness

  31,500

  Customer Satisfaction Report Services—Customer Awareness

  4,800

  Scottish Court Service

  Court Users

  3,300

  1998–99

  Opinion Surveys

  Scottish Enterprise

  Network Customer Survey

  55,000

  Locate in Scotland Customer Survey

  25,000

  Historic Scotland

  Visitor Profile

  13,400

  2000–01

  Highland and Island Enterprise

  Communication Audit/Customer Satisfaction Survey

  33,500

  Details of further surveys for 1998–99 and subsequent years have not yet been finalised.

  Cairngorm Funicular Railway
  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received about the proposed funicular railway on Cairngorm; and how many of these opposed the plan. [39439]

  Mr. Macdonald
  [holding answer 29 April 1998]: My right hon. Friend received 2,868 letters up to the stage when The Highland Council granted planning permission on 27 March 1997. Of these 2,689 opposed the development proposal. Since that date, a further 7,969 letters have been submitted, the majority of which result from a postcard campaign by lobby groups. Of these, 7,947 have raised objection to the detail of the proposal or have suggested that alternatives to the funicular railway should be considered.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of state for What records(a) he and (b) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency Keep of (i) applications and (ii) authorisations for international shipments of radioactive Waste; if he will place a copy of such records in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [39932]

  Mr. Macdonald
  Records of applications and approvals and authorisations are maintained by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. These are in the form prescribed by the Transfrontier Shipment of Radioactive Waste Regulations 1993. I am arranging for copies of these records to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Lifelong Learning
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for(a) lifelong learning in Scotland and (b) the University for Industry in Scotland; and on what date he will publish the relevant papers. [40255]

  Mr. Wilson
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]: The Government will set out their plans and priorities for progressing lifelong learning in Scotland in a consultation paper before the summer.

  We announced on 25 February that there would be a distinct Scottish University for Industry, building on the strengths of the distinctive Scottish education system and taking advantage of the many successful working partnerships between education and industry. Resources totalling £1.3 million have been allocated to help finance the launch of the Scottish UfI by the year 2000. The next step will be to establish a series of development projects. A Pathfinder Prospectus which set out in general terms how the UfI will operate across the UK was published on 31 March. Further details about the Scottish UfI will be set out in the forthcoming Lifelong Learning Paper.

  Learning Support Teachers
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if it his policy(a) to increase the number of learning support teachers in Scottish schools and (b) that all such teachers should have at least two years experience as a classroom teacher; and what proposals he has to improve the current system of training for such teachers. [40254]

  Mr. Wilson
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]: It is for education authorities to determine the number and deployment of teaching staff, including learning support teachers, necessary to meet their statutory obligation to make adequate and efficient provision for education in their area including provision for special educational needs.

  For specialist training courses candidates must have qualified via a Bachelor of Education degree or equivalent degree and Post Graduate Certificate in Education and normally have at least 2 years' teaching experience.

  The Scottish Office funds a project based at St. Andrews College to identify and co-ordinate education authorities' in-service training requirements in special educational needs and to match these with provision or where there is an unfilled need, to create appropriate provision.

  Additional financial support of £1.5 million per annum is made available to authorities under the In-Service Special Educational Needs Training Specific Grant Scheme. In addition £0.5 million per annum is being made available for special educational needs training under our Early Intervention Programme and my right hon. Friend announced on 30 April that from April 1999 this will increase to £1 million per annum for the duration of the Programme.

  Literacy and Numeracy
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the early intervention scheme providing for extra tuition for young children with literacy and numeracy difficulties; and how additional funding for this scheme will be allocated. [40253]

  Mr. Wilson
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]My right hon. Friend announced on 30 April additional funding of £36 million to extend the Government's Early Intervention Programme.

  The Government's contribution will double from £7 million per year to £14 million per year from April 1999 and the additional finance will permit the Programme to be extended from 3 years to 5 years.

  I intend that all education authorities will benefit from these additional resources. I will consult with the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities over how the additional funding will be allocated.

  Research Laboratories
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to avoid duplication between Scottish Enterprise, the Commercialisation programme, the Technology Venture programme, the Connect programme, the LINC programme and other programmes in respect of commercialising and exploiting research in Scottish universities and research laboratories; and what steps he is taking to publicise these initiatives. [39480]

  Mr. Wilson
  Scottish Enterprise is responsible for the Technology Ventures initiative. It is not responsible for the CONNECT Programme, which is administered from the University of Edinburgh Management School, or LINC Scotland which is a network of private business investors. Members of the Technology Ventures team maintain regular contact with CONNECT and LINC Scotland on issues of mutual interest.

  The Technology Ventures initiative has been publicised through a Ministerial launch of the strategy and other Ministerial engagements, various publications including an Annual Review and a quarterly newsletter, a website and events such as Technology Enterprise Shows and Commercialisation seminars. Members of the Technology Ventures team are in regular contact with and visit universities and research institutes in Scotland.

  RSPB
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions Scottish Office Ministers have met the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds since 2 May 1997; and what plans he has to meet them in the future. [40835]

  Mr. Macdonald
  Scottish Office Ministers, particularly my noble Friend the Minister for Agriculture, the Environment and Fisheries meet the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds frequently during the course of their Ministerial duties. We have no plans to meet the RSPB in the immediate future.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his oral answer of 21 April 1998,Official Report, column 579, what response he has had from the Lord Advocate about the interrogation of Mr. Mesbahi. [40833]

  Mr. Dewar
  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has indicated that there is nothing that he can properly add to what has already been said.

  Autistic Children
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 30 March 1998,Official Report, column 381, if he will alter the format of the School Census to disaggregate provision for autism; and if he has requested other information from local authorities as to their educational provision for children with autism. [40605]

  Mr. Wilson
  In light of increasing interest in special educational needs issues the Scottish Office are considering, in consultation with education authorities and other relevant professional bodies, proposals to identify more detailed categories of special educational needs provision in the School Census. A decision on which categories of special educational needs such as autism should be included is likely in June and will be implemented for the September 1998 census. Data on educational provision for children with autism are not obtained in any other way.

  Litter
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prosecutions have taken place in Scotland under the Litter Act 1983; and what amounts have been levied in total as a result of such prosecutions in each year since 1983. [40571]

  Mr. Dewar
  The available information is set out in the table.

  Persons proceeded against where the main offence is an offence under the Litter Act 1983 or related legislation1, Scotland 1983–1996

  Year of disposal

  Number of persons proceeded against

  Number of persons fined

  Total amount of fines levied (£)

  1983

  262

  228

  4,141

  1984

  205

  178

  4,835

  1985

  214

  181

  5,915

  1986

  253

  220

  7,040

  1987

  198

  175

  6,105

  1988

  311

  278

  8,659

  1989

  229

  206

  7,920

  1990

  181

  153

  6,665

  1991

  122

  101

  4,970

  1992

  83

  67

  3,280

  1993

  56

  51

  2,415

  1994

  48

  43

  2,730

  1995

  30

  26

  1,485

  1996

  29

  20

  1,260

  1The figures shown include offences under any of the following acts: Litter Act 1958, Litter Act 1983 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (sections 87(1), 88(1), 91(9), 92(6) and 94(9) only).

  Holy Loch
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if commercial fishing will be allowed to take place in Holy Loch once the clearance programme is completed; and if he will make a statement. [40393]

  Mr. Macdonald
  There is no fisheries legislation currently in place which would prevent the commencement of commercial fishing at an appropriate stage; nor are there any current plans for that. I understand, however, that the clearance programme which began earlier this year is to be spread over a number of years.

  New Housing Partnership
  Mr. Roy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what decisions he has reached about the allocation of resources for 1998–99 under the New Housing Partnership initiative. [40932]

  Mr. Macdonald
  Twenty three councils are to be allocated a share of the £35 million which is available in 1998–99 under the New Housing Partnerships initiative for a range of projects to tackle Scotland's housing needs.

  In December 1997, all councils were invited under the initiative to submit proposals which met certain key criteria. The bids received were first assessed by an advisory group involving the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Scottish Homes, the Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations. Allocations for 1998–99 are in line with the group's recommendations. Some earmarked funding is being held back for a number of councils whose proposals met the criteria but for which further
  information has been sought. The balance is being held back for distribution later in the year.

  The amounts being allocated are set out in the table.

  £000

  Council

  Amount awarded in 1998–99

  Aberdeen City

  330

  Clackmannanshire

  780

  Dumfries and Galloway

  100

  Dundee City

  1—

  East Ayrshire

  1,261

  East Dunbartonshire

  1—

  East Lothian

  2,945

  East Renfrewshire

  25

  Edinburgh City—three projects

  7,718

  Falkirk

  200

  Fife

  125

  Glasgow City—three projects

  8,350

  Highland—two projects

  600

  Inverclyde

  33

  North Ayrshire—two projects

  402

  North Lanarkshire—two projects

  1,792

  Perth and Kinross

  187

  Renfrewshire

  93

  Scottish Borders

  135

  Shetland

  200

  South Lanarkshire

  1—

  Stirling—two projects

  310

  West Lothian

  2,600

  1 Amounts to be finalised following further development of proposals.

  Labour Party Receptions
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what occasions since 1 May 1997 receptions have been held on behalf of the Scottish Labour Party in Government buildings in Scotland. [40327]

  Mr. Dewar
  No such functions have been held in office buildings used by my Department since 1 May 1997. In that period I have hosted two receptions for the Scottish Labour Party at Bute House, my official residence, in line with paragraph 63 of the Ministerial Code.

  Continence Services
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were provided with continence services in each Scottish health board area, in(a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97 and (c) 1997–98; and what was the cost to each Scottish health board in Scotland for the provision of continence services in (a) to (c). [40864]

  Mr. Galbraith
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Tuition Fees
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will waive tuition fees for part-time students on lower incomes at further education colleges. [40573]

  Mr. Wilson
  The Further Education Colleges themselves decide whether or not to waive tuition fees for part-time students. The methodology used to distribute Government grant-in-aid to Colleges already takes into account and compensates Colleges for the fees they waive.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Recidivism
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what information is passed to judges and magistrates concerning the re-offending rates of those individuals they have sentenced; and if he will make a statement. [40079]

  Mr. Hoon
  No information is routinely passed to judges or magistrates about the re-offending of individuals they have previously sentenced. When sentencing, however, the court is given a list of the defendant's previous convictions. This shows when they were convicted and of what, and the sentences passed.

  National Mediation Service
  Mr. Öpik
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to increase the funding of the National Mediation Service; and if he will make a statement. [40128]

  Mr. Hoon
  There is no National Mediation Service. There are, however, a number of national organisations, to which local services are affiliated, of which some have recently received grant in aid funding for projects which will be overseen by the Legal Aid Board. These projects are essential to the development of quality assured mediation services across England and Wales. They also support the UK College of Family Mediators and National 274
  Family Mediation in their role of advancing public awareness of family mediation, and in setting, promoting and maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct and training among family mediators.

  Personal Injury Claims
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Derbyshire (Mr. Todd) of 22 April 1998,Official Report, column 610, on legal aid for personal injury claims, what arrangements he proposes to introduce to enable children to enter into contracts to pursue cases involving personal injury by way of conditional fee arrangements. [40010]

  Mr. Hoon
  Children through their next friend or guardian ad litem presently retain the services of lawyers, including through the use of conditional fee agreements. I am not aware of any need to make special provision but if my hon. Friend has any particular concern in mind perhaps he will write to me.

  Reviews
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the reviews which have been (i) completed and (ii) initiated but not yet completed by his Department since 1 May 1997, specifying, in each case, the cost or anticipated cost of the review; and when it will be completed and reported to the House. [40869]

  Mr. Hoon
  In his answer of 27 April 1998,Official Report, columns 14–17, the Prime Minister gave details of the reviews announced by the Government since 1 May 1997. Those reviews initiated by this Department and their completion (or planned completion dates) are listed below. Costs (including the cost of around £75,000 for the review of civil justice and legal aid included in Lord McIntosh of Haringey's answer of 7 July 1997, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 51–55) are being met from existing Departmental budgets.

  Mary Bell
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action he intends to take in relation to media coverage of the person formerly known as Mary Bell and the High Court injunction of 30 July 1984. [40810]

  Mr. Hoon
  It is not for the Government to take action. Any party to the injunction may refer the matter to the court if it is thought that there has been a breach of its terms.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Projects (Environmental Impact)
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what procedures are used by her Department to assess the economic efficiency and environmental and social impact of projects funded which fall below the one million ecu value threshold where approval by the ALA Committee is required. [40342]
  275
  Clare Short
  Although the European Commission's own internal project cycle management guidance stresses the importance of environmental issues in the project cycle, continuing efforts are required to ensure this is always fully reflected in the design and implementation of projects and programmes. DFID continues to seek improvements in this area through:taking an active role in management committees and our informal dialogue with the Commission;
  our participation on the Commission's Scientific Environmental
  Monitoring Group and the forestry and water expert groups;
  providing a project leader to prepare an EC/Member States strategy for bio-diversity conservation;
  seconding a forestry specialist to work for the Commission on the management of tropical forestry programmes;
  working closely with the European Commission to develop procedural guidelines on the integration of social and environmental issues into development projects.

  European Development Fund
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when the European Development Fund is due to be replenished; and how much the UK will be contributing. [40341]

  Clare Short
  The European Development Fund finances development co-operation under the Lomé Convention. The current Lomé Convention expires at the end of February 2000. Discussions on future financial co-operation will form part of the negotiations for a successor to Lomé which are expected to begin in September 1998 and be completed before the expiry of the current agreement.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what are the(a) percentage and (b) amount of the UK's financial assistance to developing countries administered through (i) the European Commission and (ii) the European Development Fund in (1) the past two financial years and (2) the present financial year. [40340]

  Clare Short
  The European Commission administers development funds from both the European Community Budget and the European Development Fund. The percentage and the amount of the UK's financial assistance to developing countries administered through the European Commission in (1) financial year 1995–96 and (2) financial year 1996–97 and a breakdown of which of these sources it came from is detailed in the table. Figures for the present year are not yet available.

  UK assistance to developing countries administered by the Commission

  %from EC budget

  Amount from EC budget

  % from EDF

  Amount from EDF

  Total %

  Total amount

  (1) 11

  301,733

  8

  223,064

  19

  524,797

  (2) 13

  323,961

  6

  150,832

  19

  474,793

  UN Commission on Human Settlements
  Sir Alastair Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she proposes to 276
  take to strengthen the roles of (a) the UN Commission on Human Settlements and (b) the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements. [40153]

  Clare Short
  The 17th Session of the Commission will be held in April/May 1999. Our aim at that meeting will be to agree realistic priorities for the work of the Centre for Human Settlements that will help meet international poverty eradication target. Our specific objectives for the session will be discussed with interested parties in the UK. I discussed the work of the UN Centre for Human Settlements with the new UN Under Secretary-General responsible, Klaus Töpfer, earlier this year. The Government support his intention to focus the Centre's work more tightly in order to provide effective help to developing countries in tackling poverty in urban areas.

  My Department is providing £300,000 of programme support to the Centre in 1998–99, and continuing our voluntary contributions to the Habitat Foundation. We also intend to provide new institutional strengthening capacity for Dr. Töpfer to carry out his reforms.

  Stabex Projects
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what procedures are used by her Department to assess the economic efficiency and environmental and social impact of Stabex projects. [40343]

  Clare Short
  The UK does not in general consider STABEX an effective instrument for development co-operation. We are concerned that it is not focused on the poorest countries, it does not encourage diversification and, because of implementation delays, it has been ineffective in its objective of mitigating the impact of fluctuations in export earnings.

  A recipient country's proposal for using its STABEX allocation is circulated by the Commission to all Member States for comments. My Department looks at these proposals in the same way as other Commission proposals, to see whether cross-cutting issues such as environmental and social impact, gender considerations and poverty focus have been taken into account and we feed any views back to the Commission.

  Police Services
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the support provided by her Department for police services, broken down by country. [40612]

  Clare Short
  Our support for the police through the bilateral programme includes the strengthening of strategic planning, management and training capacity, the re-orientation of police services to community policing, equality of opportunity, the development of anti-drugs, fraud and corruption programmes, and strengthening of communications and record keeping. Future support will give greater priority to increasing the security of poor peoples in their communities and households and enhancing their access to justice.
  277
  Currently, we are providing support for the police in the following countries:

  India

  Nepal

  Pakistan

  Ethiopia

  Jamaica

  St. Kitts and Nevis

  Anguilla

  British Virgin Islands

  Montserrat

  St. Helena

  Turks and Caicos Islands

  Malawi

  Rwanda

  Zimbabwe

  Kenya

  Uganda

  Botswana

  Lesotho

  South Africa

  Swaziland

  Palestine: Autonomous Territory

  Estonia

  Latvia

  Lithuania

  Belarus

  Bulgaria

  Czech Republic

  Hungary

  Poland

  Romania

  Russia

  Slovak Republic

  Slovenia

  Mexico.

PRIME MINISTER

  Al Yamamah Programme
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Prime Minister when the report dealing with Al Yamamah that was made available to the Chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts was made available to officials in the(a) Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (b) Ministry of Defence and (c) Home Office. [38863]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 20 April 1998]: The final draft of the National Audit Office report on the Al Yamamah programme made available to the Chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts was formally sent to officials in the Ministry of Defence in January 1992 and seen by officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in February 1992. The report was not made available to officials in the Home Office.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list with job titles each political appointment with(a) No. 10 Downing Street and (b) the Cabinet Office since 2 May 1997. [38472]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 20 April 1998]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Mr. Hawkins) on 13 November 1997, Official Report, columns 615–17, and to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Erdington
  (Mr. Corbett) on 14 January 1998, Official Report, columns 233–34.

  Since I gave those answers there have been two changes to the list of Special Advisers employed in No. 10 Downing Street. Ms Fiona Miller's appointment was made full time following the resignation of Ms Roz Preston on 30 February 1998 and Mr. Andrew Adonis was appointed as a Special Adviser in the Policy Unit on 20 April 1998.

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 27 April 1998,Official Report, column 17, what response he received to his statements during his visit to the Middle East on the need for progress in implementing the UN Security Council resolutions relating to Lockerbie. [40303]

  The Prime Minister
  In my discussions in the Middle East on Lockerbie, there was agreement on the need to resolve this tragic case, and on the importance of justice being done and being seen to be done.

  Millennium Compliance
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to answer the questions from the hon. Member for Gordon of 7 April on(a) the costs of the millennium bug (38140) and (b) budgets for tackling the millennium bug (38139); what factors underlie the delay in answering; and if he will make a statement. [40423]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to him on 30 April 1998,Official Report, columns 173–74.

  Middle East
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the aims, objectives and results of his visit to Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Israel. [40537]

  The Prime Minister
  My visit to the region was intended to reinforce our good bilateral relations with the countries visited, and also to help in the search for a way forward in the Middle East Peace Process. I believe my visit achieved those objectives.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Mobile Classrooms
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many children in
  279
  (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools were taught in HORSAs in January (i) broken down by local education authority and (ii) overall; [40574]

  (2) how much playground space in (a) primary,(b) secondary and (c) special schools was taken up by mobile classrooms in January (i) broken down by local education authority and (ii) overall; [40569]

  (3) how many children in (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools were taught in mobile classrooms in January (i) broken down by local education authority and (ii) overall. [40570]

  Mr. Byers
  The information requested is not collected centrally.

  Autistic Children
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 30 March 1998,Official Report, column 403, if he will make a statement on the timetable for his Department's review of research findings on educational programmes for autistic children; what review she is making of educational provision for autistic children as a result of the Written Declaration of the European Parliament; and what action she has taken to draw the Declaration to the attention of local education authorities. [40606]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  We have noted the European Written Declaration on the Rights of People with Autism; we believe that our policies on special educational needs are consistent with it; and we will take it into account as appropriate in our current review of provision for all children with special educational needs. The report of the autism research literature review will be published in the summer. Together with the findings of comparative research the Local Government Association is commissioning into the outcomes from some educational interventions for autism, this will help local education authorities to plan accessible and appropriate education for children with autism.

  Further Education Job Losses
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has received from the Further Education Funding Council of the likely number and category of job losses in the further education sector during 1998–99. [40762]

  Dr. Howells
  The Further Education Funding Council does not collect information from further education colleges on the number of staff they intend to employ in future years. It would not therefore be possible for the Council to estimate in advance staffing changes in the further education sector during 1998–99.

  Wakefield College
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking concerning the future management and governance of Wakefield College following the ruling of the industrial tribunal in respect of the unfair dismissal of staff previously employed at the college; and if he will make a statement. [40542]
  280
  Dr. Howells
  Further education colleges are independent bodies and as such are responsible for management issues.

  We are currently consulting on proposals for changes in college governance, including representation for staff, open decision making and accountability of senior management.

  Teacher Vacancies
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what were the teacher vacancy figures for(a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools on 1 January. [40572]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Teacher vacancy figures for 15 January 1998 will be published in a statistical press notice on 22 May 1998.

  Education Action Zones
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list all applicants to run education action zones separately identifying those applicants which are profit-seeking companies or subsidiaries of such companies. [39481]

  Mr. Byers
  We have received 60 applications from partnerships of various kinds and are arranging visits to most of them in May and early June. We expect to announce which applications have been successful later in June.

  Policy Reviews
  Mr. Dorrell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what policy reviews are currently under-way within his Department. [40591]

  Mr. Blunkett
  My Department continuously reviews its policies. The following reviews were outlined in my answer to the right hon. Gentleman's previous question on Tuesday 17 February 1998,Official Report, columns 615–16. These have been updated to reflect the latest position.

  Departmental Spending Review
  along with other Government Departments, the DfEE is undertaking a review of all its programmes and running costs expenditure as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), including those policies which cross Departmental boundaries. The outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review will be announced in the Summer.

  Review of the threshold exempting employers with fewer than 20 employees from the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995
  a review of the effects of the threshold exempting small employers from the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The review includes a consultation exercise which has recently ended and responses are now being considered. We will implement any change we decide upon later in the year.

  Review of Qualifications Appeals Systems
  announced on 16 December 1997. Preliminary conclusions are now expected in June 1998.

  Countryside Commission
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the members of the Countryside Commission and the criteria for their appointment. [40171]
  281
  Angela Eagle
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Mr. Tipping) on 6 April 1998, Official Report, column 8.

  There is scope for the representation of a wide range of interests and views among the members of the Countryside Commission. Candidates for appointment are expected to have a strong understanding of the protection or management of the countryside, outdoor recreation or related fields. Any future appointments to the Countryside Commission will also take into account the forthcoming merger with the Rural Development Commission.

DEFENCE

  NATO Military Strategy Review
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what plans he has to consult Russia in the process of NATO's review of its Strategic Concept; [40380]

  (2) what plans he has to revise the nuclear paragraphs of the current NATO Strategic Concept; [40382]

  (3) what plans he has to table proposals on the review of NATO's strategy; and if he will make a statement; [40381]

  (4) when there will be a NATO military strategy review as outlined in MC 400–1; and if it will be a parallel process to the review of the Strategic Concept. [40387]

  Dr. Reid
  NATO Heads of State and Government have directed an examination, and update as necessary, of all aspects of NATO's 1991 Strategic Concept to: ensure that the Strategic Concept is fully consistent with NATO's new security situation and challenges; confirm the Allies' commitment to the core function of Alliance collective defence and the indispensable transatlantic link; preserve those aspects of the Strategic Concept that are consistent with the existing and foreseeable strategic environment and other NATO decisions and declarations since 1991; take account of the changes in the European security environment since 1991; and take into account the internal and external adaptation of the Alliance and its assumption of new roles and missions, including all relevant Ministerial decisions since 1991, while recognising that the process of transformation is an ongoing one and that the Alliance must be prepared to meet the risks and challenges of the future. The UK will play a full part in the work of the relevant political and military NATO bodies, the results of which will be presented to NATO Heads of State and Government when they meet next year. Changes in the Strategic Concept will be reflected in revisions of other documents, including the North Atlantic Military Committee's classified Directive for Military Implementation of Alliance Strategy (MC 400/1). Countries participating in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council will be kept informed of progress in the process as appropriate, but will not be consulted, since the Strategic Concept is an internal NATO matter and decisions will be taken on the basis of consensus among current Allies.

  War Graves
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans the Government have to support visits to war graves by war widows. [39682]

  Mr. Spellar
  Since 1985, The Royal British Legion have operated the War Widows Pilgrimage Scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Defence to provide financial assistance to any Service widow, whose husband died and was buried overseas between 1914 and 1967, to visit the grave. Although the scheme has been extended several times since its inception, current funding was due to end on 31 March 1999.

  Following a recent approach by The Royal British Legion, I have agreed to an extension of the War Widows Pilgrimage Scheme for a further two years, until 31 March 2001. The Government greatly appreciate the work of The Royal British Legion who administer the scheme on our behalf. To date, this subsidised scheme has enabled over 3,000 widows to visit their husbands' graves overseas. It is hoped that the continuation of the scheme will enable many other eligible widows to do so.

  Departmental Reports
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 16 March 1998,Official Report, column 444, if he will place in the Library a list of the unclassified papers in the Hydrodynamics Department-Technical reports, R Series, giving the title of each paper and the date on which each was produced. [38987]

  Mr. Spellar
  I am withholding the information requested under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, covering Defence, Security and International Relations. While the individual reports are unclassified, a composite list gives a broader picture of research activity and is classified.

  Army Discharges
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rules govern the discharge of a serving soldier who has been convicted of a serious criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment. [38905]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 22 April 1998]: Under the terms of the Queen's Regulations a soldier is to be discharged if he has been sentenced to imprisonment or to detention or to any other form of custodial sentence. However, the soldier's Commanding Officer has the option to apply through the chain of command to retain the soldier in exceptional circumstances.

  Guardsmen Wright & Fisher
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department classifies Guardsmen Wright and Fisher as serving soldiers. [38906]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 22 April 1998]: Army Board consideration of the question of discharge of Guardsmen Fisher and Wright has been deferred pending the outcome of appeal and judicial review processes initiated by the two Guardsmen. Guardsmen Fisher and Wright are, therefore, classified as serving soldiers although they

  283
  are not entitled to any pay during their period of imprisonment, nor does that period count as reckonable service for pension purposes.

  Reserves
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sea-going posts were available, by ship, to Royal Naval reservists in(a) 1993 and (b) 1998. [39629]

  Dr. Reid
  In 1993, the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) had its own dedicated squadron of nine River Class minesweepers, supporting a sea-training programme totalling 25,480 man-days per year.

  As a result of the restructuring of the RNR during 1994, this squadron of vessels was disbanded. Instead, it was decided to provide training opportunities to RNR personnel throughout the Fleet and alongside Regular RN personnel, thus providing them with exposure to a wider range of vessels and operations. This resulted in 33,284 man-days training at sea being available during 1997–98. Not all of these available days were taken up by Reserve personnel. It should be noted that the flexibility provided by the Reserve Forces Act 1996 permits greater deployment of RNR personnel in other capacities, shorebased as well as seagoing.

  Dates

  Submarine

  Project

  Collective dose

  December 1966-January 1967

  Valiant

  Docking/survey

  1—

  June 1967-August 1967

  Valiant

  DDED

  1—

  March 1968-June 1968

  Warspite

  DDED

  1—

  July 1968-September 1968

  Valiant

  DDED

  1—

  December 1968-February 1969

  Valiant

  DDED

  1—

  May 1969-July 1969

  Warspite

  DDED

  1—

  August 1969-September 1969

  Valiant

  DDED

  1—

  April 1970-May 1972

  Valiant

  Refit/refuel

  12

  October 1970-December 1970

  Warspite

  DDED

  1—

  June 1971-October 1973

  Warspite

  Refit/refuel

  18

  October 1972-January 1973

  Dreadnought

  DDED

  1—

  April 1973-June 1973

  Churchill

  DDED

  1—

  July 1973-October 1973

  Conqueror

  DDED

  1—

  February 1974

  Warspite

  Docking

  1—

  December 1973-October 1975

  Churchill

  Refit/refuel

  8

  May 1974-October 1976

  Dreadnought

  Refit/refuel

  17

  October 1975-June 1977

  Conqueror

  Refit/refuel

  8

  November 1976-July 1978

  Courageous

  Refit/refuel

  8

  April 1977-January 1978

  Sovereign

  Special docking

  1.5

  January 1978-February 1980

  Valiant

  Refit/refuel

  12

  February 1979-May 1979

  Dreadnought

  DDED

  1—

  August 1979-March 1982

  Warspite

  Refit/refuel

  13

  January 1980-June 1980

  Conqueror

  DDED

  1—

  May 1980-September 1980

  Couragous

  DDED

  1—

  October 1980-May 1983

  Churchill

  Refit/refuel

  6

  March 1982-March 1983

  Dreadnought

  Decommissioning

  1—

  1The dosage for Dockings and Docking and Essential Defects (DDED) was very small, at approximately 0.1 man sieverts.

  In addition, decontamination and closure of the refit facility contributed a further 0.085 man-sieverts.

  Mr. Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made with the reconstruction of dosage records for ex-Chatham Dockyard workers announced in June 1997. [38786]

  Mr. Spellar
  Circumstances requiring dose reconstruction have not yet arisen in any cases considered under the Nuclear Industry Compensation Scheme.

  Departmental Buildings
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence What Were the refurbishment costs of the India Office Records building at the Cut in Blackfriars Road. [40110]

  Mr. Speller
  The building referred to is not a Ministry of Defence Property and no record exists of any Contract being let for refurbishment Work by the Ministry of Defence.

  Chatham Dockyard
  Mr. Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the nuclear-powered submarines Which berthed at Chatham Dockyard for(a) refuelling and refitting, (b)refitting, (c) Special dockings (d) dockings and essential repair and (e) decommissioning While the refit facility was operational, giving the dates on Which each boat was berthed and the estimated and measured collective radioactive dose transferred to the civilian workforce for each boat operation listed. [38788]

  Mr. Speller
  The list of Submarines is given. There was no requirement to keep statistics of dosage in the form requested and the figures are estimates. They are given in man-Sieverts (the result of adding the dose of each individual as measured by personal dosimeter)

  If a former radiation worker sought compensation under the Compensation Scheme and if the Ministry of Defence could find no dose records for him, it would calculate the maximum statutory level of exposure permitted for workers in his category. If this would justify a payment under the Scheme, the Ministry of Defence would then calculate the dose the claimant could be assumed to have received by reference to the dose records of other radiation workers who performed similar work in similar circumstances. This approach has been agreed with the Trade Union representatives on the Management Board for the Compensation Scheme.
  285
  Mr. Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were employed in total at Chatham Dockyard on the nuclear refit facility while the facility was operational. [38787]

  Mr. Spellar
  At a very rough estimate, between 2,000 and 3,000 civilian radiation workers worked on submarines at Chatham between 1983 and 1996. This is calculated on the basis that at any one time the numbers of classified workers and approved scheme workers are believed to have totalled around 1,500 and that there is believed to have been an annual turnover of about 150.

  To establish a reliable figure would require a search of all my Department's archived civilian personnel files, which are indexed only by name and date of birth. This could be done only at disproportionate cost.

  Eurofighter
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's requirement for the Beyond Visual Range Missile for Eurofighter. [39660]

  Mr. Spellar
  Tenders have been invited from industry to satisfy the requirement for a Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile to equip Eurofighter and are due to be submitted later this month.

  Recruitment and Training
  Mr. Rapson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Dunfermline, West (Ms Squire) of 5 February 1998,Official Report, column 763–64, if he will make a statement on the current status of the partnering arrangement between the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency and Flagship Training Ltd. [40996]

  Dr. Reid
  I have decided that, following the outcome of the formal consultation, the transfer of activities in the General, Administrative and Support areas of the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency to Flagship Training Ltd. should proceed. The transfer of activities and employees will commence in a phased manner on 22 June 1998.

  Military Attachés
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list(a) the countries to which military attachés are posted and (b) the military attachés by rank and service. [40773]

  Dr. Reid
  Military attachés are posted to the following countries; their rank and service are also indicated:

  Country

  Capital

  Rank

  Service

  Argentina

  Buenos Aires*

  Group Captain

  RAF

  Argentina

  Buenos Aires*

  Colonel

  Army

  Australia

  Canberra

  Commodore

  RN

  Australia

  Canberra*

  Colonel

  Army

  Australia

  Canberra

  Group Captain

  RAF

  Austria

  Vienna*

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Bangladesh

  Dhaka

  Colonel

  Army

  Barbados

  Bridgetown*

  Captain

  RN

  Belgium

  Brussels*

  Colonel

  Army

  Brazil

  Brasilia

  Colonel

  Army

  Brazil

  Brasilia

  Captain

  RN

  Bulgaria

  Sofia*

  Colonel

  Army

  Canada

  Ottawa

  Brigadier

  Army

  286

  Country

  Capital

  Rank

  Service

  Canada

  Ottawa

  Group Captain

  RAF

  Chile

  Santiago

  Captain

  RN

  China

  Peking

  Brigadier

  Army

  China

  Peking

  Captain

  RN

  Colombia

  Bogota*

  Colonel

  Army

  Croatia

  Zagreb

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Cyprus

  Nicosia

  Colonel

  Army

  Czech Republic

  Prague

  Colonel

  Army

  Denmark

  Copenhangen

  Commander

  RN

  Egypt

  Cairo

  Colonel

  Army

  Egypt

  Cairo

  Commander

  RN

  Eire

  Dublin

  Colonel

  Army

  Finland

  Helsinki*

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  France

  Paris

  Air Commodore

  RAF

  France

  Paris

  Captain

  RN

  France

  Paris

  Brigadier

  Army

  France

  Paris

  Wing Commander

  RAF

  Germany

  Bonn

  Brigadier

  Army

  Germany

  Bonn

  Captain

  RN

  Germany

  Bonn

  Group Captain

  RAF

  Germany

  Bonn

  Major

  Army

  Ghana

  Accra*

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Greece

  Athens

  Brigadier

  Army

  Greece

  Athens

  Captain

  RN

  Guatemala

  Guatemala City*

  Colonel

  Army

  Hungary

  Budapest

  Colonel

  Army

  India

  New Delhi

  Brigadier

  Army

  India

  New Delhi

  Captain

  RN

  India

  New Delhi

  Group Captain

  RAF

  Indonesia

  Jakarta

  Colonel

  Army

  Israel

  Tel Aviv

  Colonel

  Army

  Israel

  Tel Aviv

  Wing Commander

  RAF

  Italy

  Rome

  Brigadier

  Army

  Italy

  Rome*

  Captain

  RN

  Italy

  Rome

  Group Captain

  RAF

  Jamaica

  Kingston*

  Colonel

  Army

  Japan

  Tokyo

  Captain

  RN

  Japan

  Tokyo

  Group Captain

  RAF

  Jordan

  Amman

  Colonel

  Army

  Jordan

  Amman

  Wing Commander

  RAF

  Kenya

  Nairobi*

  Colonel

  Army

  Kuwait

  Kuwait City

  Colonel

  Army

  Latvia

  Riga*

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Lebanon

  Beirut

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Malaysia

  Kuala Lumpur*

  Colonel

  Army

  Malaysia

  Kuala Lumpur

  Lieutenant Commander

  RN

  Mexico

  Mexico City*

  Colonel

  Army

  Morocco

  Rabat*

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Nepal

  Kathmandu

  Colonel

  Army

  New Zealand

  Wellington*

  Colonel

  Army

  Netherlands

  The Hague

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Netherlands

  The Hague

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Norway

  Oslo

  Lieutenant Colonel RM

  RM

  Norway

  Oslo

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Oman

  Muscat

  Brigadier

  Army

  Oman

  Muscat

  Commander

  RN

  Pakistan

  Islamabad

  Brigadier

  Army

  Pakistan

  Islamabad

  Captain

  RN

  Poland

  Warsaw

  Group Captain

  RAF

  Poland

  Warsaw

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Portugal

  Lisbon

  Commander

  RN

  Philippines

  Manila

  Group Captain

  RAF

  Qatar

  Doha

  Wing Commodore

  RAF

  Romania

  Bucharest

  Colonel

  Army

  Russia

  Moscow*

  Air Commodore

  RAF

  Russia

  Moscow*

  Captain

  RN

  Russia

  Moscow*

  Colonel

  Army

  Russia

  Moscow*

  Lieutenant Commander

  RN

  Russia

  Moscow*

  Major

  Army

  Russia

  Moscow*

  Squadron Leader

  RAF

  Saudi Arabia

  Riyadh*

  Brigadier

  Army

  Saudi Arabia

  Riyadh*

  Commander

  RN

  Saudi Arabia

  Riyadh*

  Wing Commander

  RAF

  Singapore

  Singapore*

  Group Captain

  RAF

  Singapore

  Singapore

  Commander

  RN

  Slovakia

  Bratislava

  Wing Commander

  RAF

  South Africa

  Pretoria*

  Brigadier

  Army

  South Africa

  Pretoria*

  Commander

  RN

  287

  Country

  Capital

  Rank

  Service

  South Korea

  Seoul

  Brigadier

  Army

  South Korea

  Seoul

  Group Captain

  RAF

  Spain

  Madrid

  Captain

  RN

  Spain

  Madrid

  Colonel

  Army

  Sri Lanka

  Colombo

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Sweden

  Stockholm

  Wing Commander

  RAF

  Sweden

  Stockholm

  Commander

  RN

  Switzerland

  Berne

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Syria

  Damascus

  Colonel

  Army

  Thailand

  Bangkok

  Colonel

  Army

  Turkey

  Ankara

  Brigadier

  Army

  Turkey

  Ankara

  Wing commander

  RAF

  UAE

  Abu Dhabi

  Colonel

  Army

  UAE

  Abu Dhabi

  Wing Commander

  RAF

  Uganda

  Kampala*

  Lieutenant Colonel

  Army

  Ukraine

  Kyiv

  Captain

  RN

  USA

  Washington DC

  Major General

  Army

  USA

  Washington DC

  Commodore

  RN

  USA

  Washington DC

  Brigadier

  Army

  USA

  Washington DC

  Air Commodore

  RAF

  USA

  Washington DC

  Lieutenant Colonel RM

  RM

  USA

  Washington DC

  Colonel

  Army

  USA

  Washington DC

  Group Captain

  RAF

  USA

  Washington DC

  Colonel

  Army

  Venezuela

  Caracas*

  Colonel RM

  RM

  FR of Yugoslavia

  Belgrade

  Colonel

  Army

  Zimbabwe

  Harare*

  Colonel

  Army

  Note:

  Posts annotated with * also hold non-residential attaché accreditations to other capitals in adjacent or nearby countries, which they visit on a regular basis.

  Loan Services Personnel
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to which countries loan services personnel are posted; and if he will list them by service and rank. [40772]

  Dr. Reid
  The service and rank of loan service personnel is listed for each country in which they are deployed in the table.

  Country

  Navy

  Army

  Air Force

  Angola

  —

  1 Lt. Col.

  —

  Antarctica

  —

  3 SNCO

  —

  Antigua

  1 Lt. Cdr

  —

  —

  Australia

  —

  —

  4 Flt. Lt.

  Barbados

  1 Capt.(RM)

  —

  —

  2 SNCO (RM)

  —

  —

  1 Cdr.

  —

  —

  1 Lt. Cdr.

  —

  —

  4 SNCO

  —

  —

  Bahrain

  1Cdr.

  —

  —

  Bermuda

  —

  1Maj.

  —

  —

  2 SNCO

  —

  British Virgin Islands

  1 Lt. Cdr.

  —

  —

  1 SNCO

  —

  —

  Brunei

  6 Lt. Cdr.

  3 Lt. Col.

  6Sqn. Leader.

  6 SNCO

  13 Maj.

  5Flt. Lt.

  —

  2Capt

  5 SNCO

  —

  14SNCO

  —

  Latvia

  1 Capt.(RM)

  1Capt.

  —

  2 SNCO (RM)

  —

  —

  Czech Republic

  —

  —

  1 Air Cdre.

  Ethiopia

  —

  1 Lt. Col.

  —

  Germany

  —

  —

  1 Gp. Capt.

  —

  —

  3 Wg. Cdr.

  —

  —

  8 Sqn. Leader.

  —

  —

  8 Flt. Lt.

  —

  —

  4 SNCO

  Ghana

  1 Lt. Col. (RM)

  1 Col.

  —

  —

  1 Lt. Col.

  —

  —

  1 SNCO

  —

  288

  Country

  Navy

  Army

  Air Force

  Indonesia

  —

  —

  1 Sqn. Leader.

  —

  —

  1 Flt. Lt.

  Italy

  —

  —

  1 Sqn. Leader.

  —

  —

  1 Flt. Lt.

  —

  —

  3 SNCO

  Kenya

  —

  1 Lt. Col

  —

  Kuwait

  1 Lt. Col (RM)

  1 Brig.

  3 Wg. Cdr.

  1 Lt. Cdr.

  2 Col.

  3 Sqn. Leader.

  —

  17 Lt. Col.

  3 SNCO

  —

  8 Maj.

  —

  —

  2 Capt.

  —

  —

  16 SNCO

  —

  Malaysia

  —

  —

  1 Wg. Cdr.

  —

  —

  1 Sqn. Leader.

  —

  —

  1 SNCO

  Mauritius

  —

  1 Lt. Col.

  —

  Oman

  1 Capt. (RM)

  1 Maj. Gen.

  1 Gp. Capt.

  5 Cdr.

  1 Col.

  2 Wg. Cdr.

  7 Lt. Cdr.

  5 Lt. Col.

  8 Sqn. Leader.

  1 Lt.

  13 Maj.

  3 Flt. Lt.

  4 SNCO

  4 Capt.

  10 SNCO

  —

  28 SNCO

  —

  Saudi Arabia

  2 Lt. Cdr.

  1 Brig.

  1 Air Msl.

  3 SNCO

  1 Col.

  1 Air Cdre.

  —

  9 Lt. Col.

  1 Gp. Capt.

  —

  3 Maj.

  8Wg. Cdr.

  —

  5 SNCO

  17 Sqn. Leader

  —

  —

  24 Flt. Lt.

  —

  —

  17 SNCO

  —

  —

  3 NCO

  Singapore

  —

  1 Capt.

  —

  South Africa

  1 Lt. Col. (RM)

  1 Brig.

  1 Wg. Cdr.

  —

  1 Col.

  1 Sqn. Leader.

  —

  2 Lt. Col.

  —

  —

  1 SNCO

  —

  Sri Lanka

  —

  1 Col.

  —

  Turks and Caicos Islands

  1 Lt. Cdr.

  —

  1 Sqn. Leader.

  1 SNCO

  —

  1 SNCO

  United Arab Emirates

  1 Cdr.

  1 Col.

  1 Wg. Cdr.

  —

  1 Lt. Col.

  1 Sqn. Leader.

  —

  2 Maj.

  2 Flt. Lt.

  —

  1 SNCO

  1 SNCO

  Zimbabwe

  —

  1 Brig

  2 Wg. Cdr.

  —

  1 Col.

  —

  —

  5 Lt. Col.

  —

  —

  2 SNCO

  —

  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by composition and country the number of training teams currently deployed. [40769]

  Dr. Reid
  Eight British Military Advisory and Training Teams or Short Term Training Teams are currently deployed. The countries where they are located and the service from which they are drawn are as follows:

  Country

  Composition

  Barbados/Antigua

  Navy

  Chile

  Army/Air Force

  Estonia

  Army

  Ghana

  Navy/Army

  Kuwait

  Navy/Army/Air Force

  Latvia

  Navy/Army

  South Africa

  Navy/Army/Air Force

  Zimbabwe

  Army/Air Force

  This does not include individual personnel on loan service outside formal training teams.

  Military Staff (Training)
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries which have military staff under training in the United Kingdom; at which establishments such training is taking place; and what numbers, and from which countries, are at each establishment. [40774]

  Dr. Reid
  The countries which have military staff under training in the UK together with the numbers of students from each country are shown in the table.

  Country

  Number of military staff being trained

  Angola

  2

  Australia

  22

  Bahrain

  5

  Bangladesh

  7

  Barbados

  4

  Belgium

  4

  Belize

  10

  Bermuda

  2

  Botswana

  7

  Brazil

  1

  Brunei

  56

  Bulgaria

  1

  Canada

  35

  Chile

  7

  China

  1

  Czech Republic

  4

  Denmark

  4

  Egypt

  4

  Fiji

  5

  Finland

  4

  France

  5

  Germany

  11

  Ghana

  7

  Greece

  5

  Guatemala

  2

  Guyana

  2

  Hong Kong

  1

  Hungary

  5

  India

  7

  Indonesia

  3

  Ireland

  4

  Israel

  2

  Italy

  8

  Jamaica

  17

  Japan

  3

  Jordan

  8

  Kenya

  2

  Korea

  3

  Kuwait

  78

  Latvia

  1

  Lebanon

  2

  Lithuania

  2

  Malawi

  3

  Malaysia

  9

  Malta

  2

  Mauritania

  2

  Mauritius

  2

  Mozambique

  3

  Nepal

  2

  Netherlands

  21

  New Zealand

  5

  Norway

  10

  Oman

  76

  Pakistan

  16

  Papua New Guinea

  1

  Philippines

  2

  Poland

  7

  Qatar

  38

  Romania

  2

  Saudi Arabia

  13

  290

  Country

  Number of military staff being trained

  Senegal

  2

  Seychelles

  1

  Singapore

  16

  Slovakia

  3

  South Africa

  5

  Spain

  2

  Sweden

  3

  Switzerland

  1

  Tanzania

  2

  Thailand

  11

  Trindad & Tobago

  2

  Turkey

  2

  United Arab Emirates

  21

  Uganda

  1

  Ukraine

  2

  Uruguay

  1

  USA

  11

  Zambia

  1

  Zimbabwe

  7

  The establishments at which this training is being carried out are:

  Royal College of Defence Studies

  Empire Test Pilot School

  HMS Heron

  RN Hydrography School

  Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth

  School of Maritime Operation HMS Dryad

  RN Lympstone

  RM Portsmouth

  HMS Sultan

  HMS Collingwood

  RM Poole

  RN Submarine School

  Defence Diving School

  HMS Seahawk

  HMS Osprey

  Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham

  Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst

  Joint Services Command and Staff Course, Bracknell

  School of Logistics

  Royal School of Signals

  HQ Construction Engineer School

  Combat Engineer School

  School of Electronic and Aeronautical Engineering

  Defence School of Languages

  RMP Chichester

  Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal School

  Army School of Ammunition

  Surveillance Target Acquisition Night Observational and Counter Surveillance Centre

  School of Physical Training

  Combined Arms Tactics Centre

  Mine Warfare Centre

  Royal School of Artillery

  Defence Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Centre

  Infantry Training Centre, Wales

  Infantry Training Centre, Warminster

  Infantry Training Centre, Catterick

  Royal Military School of Music

  291

  Pirbright

  School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

  Royal Armoured Corps Centre

  Defence Intelligence and Security Centre

  RE Chattenden

  Royal Defence Medical College

  Joint Air Transport Establishment

  HQ Hereford Garrison

  HQ Directorate of Army Aviation

  Royal Military Police Training School

  Adjutant General Corps Training Group

  Army School of Training Support

  School of Military Survey

  RAF Bentley Priory

  RAF Boulmer

  RAF Brize Norton

  RAF Coltishall

  RAF Cosford

  RAF Cranwell

  RAF Halton

  RAF Henlow

  RAF Honington

  RAF Leeming

  RAF Linton-on-Ouse

  RAF Locking

  RAF Lossiemouth

  RAF Lyneham

  RAF Odiham

  RAF St. Athan

  RAF St. Mawgan

  RAF Sam (Farnborough)

  RAF Shawbury

  RAF Valley

  RAF Waddington.

  Information on the numbers of military staff from each country that are trained at each establishment is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Reviews
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the reviews set in train in his Department and its agencies since 2 May 1997, indicating their terms of reference, cost and starting and finishing dates. [40603]

  Mr. George Robertson
  We have set up two major reviews in addition to work which is part of the normal on-going activity of the Department and its Agencies. These are: the Strategic Defence Review; and the Review of compensation arrangements for members of the Armed Forces (or their dependants) when they suffer illness, injury or death.

  The scope of the Strategic Defence Review was set out in the answer given to the hon. Member on 19 May 1997, Official Report, column 17, and work started on 28 May. A package of proposals has been submitted to the Cabinet for collective discussion and decision.
  292
  The scope of the Compensation Review was set out in the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. Thomas) by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces on 8 December 1997, Official Report, columns 440–41. Work on this Review is due to be completed this summer. For both Reviews maximum use has been made of existing structures although for the Strategic Defence Review extra costs have been incurred, particularly in the provision of external consultancy advice and outside consultation. It is too early to give definitive costs.

  Joint Services Staff College
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the timetable for the building and completion of the new joint services staff college. [40771]

  Dr. Reid
  Subject to acceptable contract terms and conditions being agreed with the Preferred Bidder, construction work on the new Joint Services' Command and Staff College at Shrivenham should begin shortly, resulting in a revised opening date of September 2000.

  Departmental Employees (Scotland)
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are employed in Scotland by his Department, or executive agencies responsible to his Department; and where those staff are located. [36216]

  Mr. Spellar
  [pursuant to his reply, 30 March 1998,c. 414]: I regret that the information provided contained some errors.

  Owing to a coding misallocation, personnel employed by the Naval Base and Supplies Agency were included as "Other MOD staff' rather than "Staff employed by agencies". Some of these personnel had also been allocated to the Dumbarton and Clydebank Local Authority Area rather than the Argyll and Bute Local Authority Area.

  These amendments have been made. The correct information is set out in the table.

  Permanent UK based MoD civilian personnel deployed in Scotland—I January 19981

  Local Authority area

  Total

  Staff employed by agencies

  Other MoD staff

  All areas

  9,866

  7,085

  2,782

  Aberdeenshire

  82

  —

  82

  Angus

  121

  9

  112

  Argyll and Bute

  3,292

  3,170

  122

  Borders

  1

  —

  1

  City of Aberdeen

  96

  79

  17

  City of Dundee

  60

  36

  24

  City of Edinburgh

  362

  89

  273

  City of Glasgow

  1,836

  1,305

  530

  Dumbarton and Clydebank

  41

  9

  32

  Dumfries and Galloway

  69

  44

  25

  East Dumbarton

  6

  —

  6

  East Lothian

  154

  8

  146

  Falkirk

  3

  —

  3

  Fife

  1,224

  866

  358

  Highland

  77

  38

  39

  Inverclyde

  54

  51

  3

  Midlothian

  84

  70

  14

  293

  Permanent UK based MoD civilian personnel deployed in Scotland—1 January 19981

  Local Authority area

  Total

  Staff employed by agencies

  Other MoD staff

  Moray

  648

  28

  620

  North Ayrshire

  615

  577

  38

  North Lanarkshire

  2

  —

  2

  Orkney

  5

  5

  —

  Perthshire and Kinross

  440

  379

  61

  Renfrewshire

  25

  22

  3

  Shetland

  51

  13

  38

  South Ayrshire

  59

  18

  41

  South Lanarkshire

  7

  —

  7

  Stirling

  355

  261

  94

  West Lothian

  3

  —

  3

  Western Isles

  96

  9

  87

  1 Figures are given in terms of full time equivalence (FTE). This means that part time staff are counted as the proportion of full-time hours worked. Hence, totals may not equal the sum of the parts due to rounding. Casual staff are excluded from this table.

  Average daily available beds

  Quarter ending

  Hospital

  31 December 1991

  31 March 1997

  31 December 1997

  Aberaeron

  14

  14

  13

  Aberbargoed and District

  25

  28

  28

  Aberdare General

  122

  88

  86

  Abergele

  65

  77

  70

  Abertillery and District

  69

  34

  34

  Ablett Unit

  1—

  73

  71

  Allt-yr-yn

  73

  Closed August 1994

  —

  Amman Valley

  28

  28

  28

  Barry Community

  34

  Closed June 1995

  See The Barry Hospital

  Blaenavon Health Care Unit

  10

  10

  10

  Blaina and District

  47

  47

  47

  Bodfaen Ml Unit

  1—

  6

  6

  Breconshire War Memorial

  40

  76

  76

  Bridgend General

  173

  146

  124

  Boddyfi Community

  49

  43

  43

  Bronglais General

  196

  144

  144

  Bronllys

  84

  72

  72

  Bronygarth

  31

  31

  31

  Broughton

  23

  Closed October 1994

  —

  Bryn-y-Neuadd

  224

  168

  165

  Bryn Beryl

  43

  44

  44

  Brynhyfryd

  1—

  40

  Closed March 1997

  Brynseiont

  43

  43

  38

  Bryntirion

  59

  30

  30

  Builth Wells Cottage

  23

  23

  23

  Caerphilly District Miners

  184

  137

  133

  Cardiff Royal Infirmary

  376

  254

  249

  Cardigan and District Memorial

  30

  25

  25

  Catherine Gladstone

  21

  Closed May 1992

  See Deeside Community

  Cefn Coed

  339

  277

  263

  Cefni

  1—

  35

  35

  Chepstow Community

  1—

  81

  81

  Children's ENT

  18

  Closed October 1992

  —

  Chirk Community

  31

  31

  31

  Coed Du

  23

  Closed November 1993

  —

  Coed Llys Mental Health Resource Centre

  1—

  8

  8

  Colwyn Bay Community

  42

  58

  58

  Conwy

  67

  55

  59

  County

  75

  95

  92

  Cymla

  60

  43

  27

  Deeside Community

  1—

  31

  31

  Denbigh Community

  52

  41

  43

  Dewi Sant

  100

  107

  94

  Dobshill

  62

  47

  47

WALES

  Correspondence
  Sir Raymond Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the letter sent to the hon. Member for Ogmore on 21 April on hospital beds in Wales. [39848]

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  A copy of my letter is as follows.In my written answer to you on Monday 6 April (Hansard, Vol. 310, No. 154, Col. 211) I said I would write to you regarding the information sought in your question about hospital beds.
  The enclosed table shows the average daily number of available beds in each hospital in Wales in each of the quarters ending 31 December 1991, 31 March 1997 and 31 December 1997. The data are collected on a quarterly basis and so it is not possible to show the number of beds on specific dates.
  However, due to the changes in the way individual hospitals have been administered over the past six years (new units opening and subsequent transfer of beds for example) changes in the number of beds in individual hospitals should be treated with caution.
  I hope this is helpful.
  295

  Average daily available beds

  Quarter ending

  Hospital

  31 December 1991

  31 March 1997

  31 December 1997

  Dolgellau and Barmouth District

  33

  32

  26

  Druid

  38

  Closed March 1993

  —

  Dryll y Car

  1—

  8

  8

  East Glamorgan General

  461

  457

  463

  East Glamorgan psychiatric

  70

  70

  76

  Ebbw Vale

  40

  40

  27

  Ely

  313

  145

  141

  Energlyn

  29

  Closed January 1993

  —

  Eryri

  36

  36

  36

  Fairwood

  17

  18

  17

  Ffestiniog Memorial

  17

  17

  17

  Flint Community

  18

  18

  18

  Garngoch

  40

  40

  40

  Garth Angharad

  11

  Closed March 1993

  —

  Glanrhyd

  204

  213

  203

  Gorseinon Units

  24

  Transferred to UA April 1995

  —

  Groeswen

  50

  50

  49

  Gwynfa Residential Unit

  18

  17

  Closed March 1997

  Gwynfryn Unit

  1—

  15

  15

  H. M. Stanley

  219

  28

  28

  Hensol

  317

  188

  180

  Hill House

  90

  85

  85

  Holywell Community

  19

  18

  18

  Knighton

  20

  20

  20

  Lansdowne

  125

  98

  117

  Llandough

  474

  477

  469

  Llandovery

  18

  18

  18

  Llandrindod Wells

  66

  66

  50

  Llandudno General

  148

  119

  115

  Llandudno MI Unit

  16

  16

  16

  Llanfrechfa Grange

  207

  90

  90

  Llangollen Community

  18

  18

  18

  Llanidloes and District War Memorial

  40

  38

  38

  Lluesty

  44

  30

  30

  Llwyn-y-Groes Unit

  2—

  92

  92

  Llwyn View

  12

  Closed March 1993

  —

  Llwyneryr

  35

  12

  12

  Llwynypia

  129

  138

  134

  Llynfi

  20

  8

  8

  Llys Maldwyn

  57

  57

  57

  Maesgwyn

  60

  50

  45

  Maesteg

  45

  23

  26

  Mardy

  85

  100

  51

  Meadowslea

  54

  43

  42

  Mid Wales

  243

  136

  131

  Minfordd

  16

  26

  26

  Mold Community

  40

  40

  40

  Monmouth General

  25

  25

  25

  Montgomeryshire County Infirmary

  48

  48

  48

  Morriston2

  616

  773

  737

  Mount Pleasant (Gwent)

  86

  Closed March 1994

  —

  Mount Pleasant (West Glamorgan)

  83

  Closed March 1994

  —

  Mountain Ash General

  23

  47

  48

  Mynydd Mawr

  50

  39

  38

  Neath General

  326

  256

  239

  Nevill Hall

  442

  397

  381

  North Road Hospital

  71

  43

  33

  North Wales

  380

  Closed November 1995

  —

  North Wales Adolescent Service

  1—

  —

  23

  Oakdale

  20

  20

  20

  Parc

  215

  Closed September 1994

  —

  Pen-y-Fal

  316

  350

  Closed August 1997

  Pen y Fai

  159

  Closed September 1995

  —

  Penley

  32

  16

  16

  Penrhos Stanley

  1—

  53

  53

  Pentwyn

  4

  Closed November 1991

  —

  Pontypool and District

  44

  Closed September 1993. Services transferred to Country

  —

  Pontypridd and District

  1—

  12

  12

  Port Talbot General

  27

  Ceased treating in-patients June 1994

  —

  Porth and District

  29

  23

  25

  Prestatyn Community

  12

  12

  12

  296 297

  Average daily available beds

  Quarter ending

  Hospital

  31 December 1991

  31 March 1997

  31 December 1997

  Prince Charles

  447

  442

  438

  Prince of Wales

  121

  92

  56

  Prince Philip

  209

  214

  225

  Princess of Wales

  395

  409

  487

  Redwood Memorial

  21

  21

  21

  Rhiwfelin

  26

  Closed December 1991

  —

  Rookwood

  101

  85

  88

  Royal Alexandra

  54

  67

  67

  Royal Gwent

  643

  725

  749

  Royal Hamadryad

  50

  50

  47

  Ruthin Community

  48

  45

  47

  Singleton

  530

  472

  479

  South Pembrokeshire

  63

  51

  55

  St. Cadoc's

  309

  190

  175

  St. David's (Dyfed)

  378

  269

  272

  St. David's (Gwynedd)

  130

  Closed September 1994

  —

  St. David's (Powys)

  25

  Closed January 1994. Beds transferred to Breconshire War Memorial

  —

  St. Lawrence

  128

  Closed September 1994. Services transferred to Morriston

  —

  St. Tydfil's

  140

  114

  141

  St. Woolos

  317

  189

  128

  Stanley Sailors

  17

  Closed February 1995. See Penrhos Stanley

  —

  Sully

  175

  67

  68

  Talygarn Rehabilitation Centre

  49

  Closed September 1992

  —

  Tenby Cottage

  16

  16

  15

  The Barry Hospital

  1—

  94

  100

  Tonna

  80

  80

  80

  Toneg

  40

  22

  22

  Tredegar General

  58

  58

  58

  Tregaron

  30

  28

  29

  Treherbert

  33

  33

  31

  Trevalyn

  34

  32

  32

  Tyntyla

  47

  Closed November 1991

  —

  Tywyn and District War Memorial

  28

  26

  26

  University Hospital of Wales

  871

  868

  874

  Valley

  28

  Closed February 1996

  —

  Velindre

  95

  86

  83

  Victoria Memorial

  53

  45

  45

  West Wales General

  445

  418

  420

  Whitchurch

  379

  289

  316

  Withybush General

  375

  339

  333

  Wrexham Maelor

  656

  586

  576

  Ysbyty George Thomas

  65

  75

  75

  Ysbyty Glan Clwyd

  379

  519

  520

  Ysbyty Gwynedd

  504

  529

  525

  Ysbyty Gwynedd Psychiatric

  1—

  62

  62

  Ystrad Mynach

  114

  100

  93

  Ystrad Mynach Bungalow Unit

  4—

  10

  9

  Ystradgynlais Community

  50

  52

  52

  1Not open at this date.

  2Included with Wrexham Maelor.

  3Includes Clydach War Memorial and Gorseinon.

  4Included with Ystrad Mynach.

  Beaches
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how much has been spent in the last five years cleaning up the Welsh beaches; [40467]

  (2) what initiatives are being pursued to ensure that Welsh beaches comply with the European Union mandatory standard. [40473]

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  This Government are committed to complying with the EC Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC). Last year 60 of the 64 EC identified
  298
  bathing waters on the Welsh coastline met the mandatory bacteriological standards set in the Directive. This compliance rate of 94 per cent. was the highest ever achieved in Wales.

  In the last five years (1992/93–1996/97) Dwr Cymru has spent £230 million on improvements to its discharges into coastal waters. The company is playing a major role in the Green Sea initiative, a collaborative venture working toward the target of 50 Blue Flag beaches in Wales. To achieve Blue Flag status, water quality will need to attain the even more stringent guideline standards

  299
  set in the EC Directive, as well as meeting various land based criteria. 31 of the 64 EC identified bathing waters monitored in Wales in 1997 met the guideline standards.

  Sewage
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what regulations are enforced to govern the amount of sewage that is discharged into the sea. [40474]

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  Under the Water Resources Act 1991 the discharge of effluent into controlled waters, including coastal waters, is a criminal offence unless the discharger has obtained, and subsequently complies with, a discharge consent from the Environment Agency. Schedule 10 of that Act specifies the conditions which may be included in such consents and this enables the Agency to include conditions relating to volume.

  Welsh Assembly
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the building work for the new assembly building will(a) begin and (b) finish; and what will be the total cost. [40590]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  The precise timescale for the construction of the Assembly and the precise costs will be affected by the outcome of the design competition, which I am to launch shortly.

  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total cost to his Department of conducting the Assembly bids. [40608]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  I refer the hon Member to the reply I gave him on 14 January 1998,Official Report, column 215.

  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated cost of refurbishment of Crickhowell House temporarily to house the Assembly. [40609]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  The costs of adapting the building, and relocating staff, are not expected to exceed £1 million.

  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what will be the cost to this Department of(a) road building and (b) other infrastructure building which will service the new Assembly building. [40588]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  The PFI signed on 28 April between Cardiff Bay Development Corporation and Citylink will include construction of Bute Square and Bute Avenue. This infrastructure will meet the CBDC's key objective of linking Cardiff city centre with the waterfront and will provide important road access to developments within the Inner Harbour. However, the design of the Avenue which has formed the basis of the negotiations with Citylink, is not related in any way to the decision on the location of the National Assembly building and no costs arise for the PFI in the light of that decision.

  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated cost to establish and operate, over four years, the network of the Welsh Assembly to all parts of Wales. [40610]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  Decisions on the details of the network in Wales to support the National Assembly will be worked out in partnership with the Welsh local 300
  authorities, the National Library of Wales and other interested bodies. It is not possible to provide an estimate of costs at this time.

  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the cost of the pierhead building in Cardiff, separately identifying the running costs for four years; [40607]

  (2) what is the estimated running cost of Crickhowell House over its first four years as part of the assembly estate. [40587]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  I will write to the hon. Member, as soon as possible and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department will pay, over how many years, and for what purpose, of the £120 million package PFI announcement for the Welsh Assembly. [40589]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  The Heads of Agreement signed on 28 April between Cardiff Bay Development Corporation and Citylink is based on construction of Bute Square and Bute Avenue at an estimated cost including land of £45 million. There is associated private sector investment in commercial development of 360,000 sq ft and over 300 homes with an assumed combined capital value of over £75 million.

  In addition to construction of Bute Square and Bute Avenue, the PFI overall will also make provision for maintenance of the Square and the Road to agreed standards over the 25-year contract period, further land acquisition and works preparatory to development.

  We estimate that the total public sector cost will be no more than £5 million per annum in real terms for up to 25 years, a maximum present value of £57 million.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Cattle Cull
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases there have been of cattle being barred from entry into the cull process because of lack of birth details. [40397]

  Mr. Rooker
  There are no recorded cases of animals being barred from the scheme because of lack of birth details. Male animals are accepted on the basis of the evidence of the national administrative document (CID or CCD). The age of female animals, in cases where documentary evidence is not available or is inconclusive, is determined by dentition checks, the existence of more than two permanent incisors indicating an animal over thirty months old.

  Green-top Milk
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will publish his review on the future sales of green-top milk. [40540]

  Mr. Rooker
  I will make an announcement in due course, when we have reviewed the public consultation responses in the light of the scientific advice.

  Central Science Laboratory, Norwich
  Mr. Charles Clarke
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 8 April 1998,Official Report, column 232, what estimate he has made of the redundancy costs which would be incurred by dismissal of the 55 non-mobile staff currently based at the Central Science Laboratory in Norwich if the Norwich Laboratory were to be closed. [41017]

  Mr. Rooker
  Only 39 of the 55 non-mobile staff are permanent civil servants and therefore entitled to redundancy payments. If a decision is made to relocate the work undertaken at the Central Science Laboratory Norwich site to York, efforts will be made to resettle non-mobile staff either by relocating to York or through securing employment elsewhere. We would expect to avoid compulsory redundancy for the majority, if not all, of non-mobile staff.

  However, should redundancy prove necessary, the total costs are estimated to be £215,173.

  Antibiotics
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research projects his Ministry is currently undertaking which deal with the concerns about antibiotic usage expressed in the seventh report of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee of Session 1997–98 (HL 81). [40377]

  Dr. John Cunningham
  The table lists those research projects funded by my Department which deal with the concerns about antibiotic usage expressed in the seventh report of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee of Session 1997–98.

  The Department has just completed a major scientific review of the area and the report of that work is being evaluated. The Department announced its intention to fund further research in this area in the MAFF Food Research Requirements Document and the Animal Health and Welfare Research Requirements Document, both published in March 1998. However, decisions on the precise nature of any new research await the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food whose Working Party on Microbial Antibiotic Resistance is due to report in 1998.

  Code

  Project title

  OZ0132

  Antibiotic resistance mechanisms in salmonella and campylobacter

  OZ0134

  Epidemiological studies of multiresistant Salmonella typhimurium in pigs

  OZ0135

  Epidemiological studies of multiple resistant Salmonella typhimurium

  DT104 infection in cattle

  Beef
  Mr. Letwin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the oral statement by the Minister of State of 20 April 1998,Official Report, column 570, what was the basis for his statement that the import of beef from animals aged over 30 months is banned. [40344]
  302
  Mr. Rooker
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]: The Beef (Emergency Control) Order 1996 which came into force on 29 March 1996 banned the sale for human consumption of beef from animals over 30 months old at the time of slaughter, whether imported or home reared. These provisions are carried forward in The Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) (No. 2) Regulations 1996 which came into force on 1 September 1996. The only exceptions are if the beef comes from animals in the UK Beef Assurance Scheme or from animals born, reared and slaughtered in Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Mauritius, Namibia, New Zealand, Paraguay, Poland, South Africa, Swaziland, Uruguay, USA or Zimbabwe, from which the Government consider that beef can be imported without risk. I apologise for implying during the Adjournment Debate that the prohibition applied to all imports.

  Mr. Letwin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his oral statement of 3 December 1997,Official Report, column 372, if he will set out the basis for his statement that no beef from animals under 30 months old was found to have infectivity in the ganglia relevant to BSE. [40346]

  Mr. Rooker
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]: In the ongoing experiment to re-assess the parts of cattle which may contain BSE infectivity, the interim results of which have recently been published in The Veterinary Record, cattle were deliberately infected at four months of age by feeding them with BSE-infected brain tissue. Groups of cattle were then killed at regular intervals up to 40 months after the initial infection when the last animals were killed. Tissues collected from these animals were tested for infectivity by assay in mice.

  In addition to the tissues originally shown to contain infectivity in naturally infected cattle (brain, spinal cord and eye), and classified as Specified Risk Material (SRM), infectivity was recently detected in the trigeminal ganglia and the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The latter are closely adherent to the bones of the spinal column. This new information was considered fully and formed the basis of implementing the "beef on the bone" ban of 3 December. Trigeminal ganglia are contained in the skull, and are therefore already classified as SRM and excluded from both human and animal food chains. DRG were not however designated as SRM. The earliest point at which DRG were found to contain infectivity was 32 months after infection. This corresponded to the earliest time that brain and spinal cord became infectious in the same experiment. No infectivity was detected in DRG or trigeminal ganglia at any time before 30 months after infection.

  The risk assessment that informed SEAC's deliberations on the risk associated with the consumption of DRG in cattle under 30 months of age attempted to estimate how many such animals could carry infectivity in the DRG and spinal cord. This was done not on the basis of time from exposure to detection of infectivity in DRG in the experiment, but on the interval between detection of infectivity and onset of clinical disease. That interval was three months, but for the basis of analyses we assumed it was seven months to give a margin of safety. Working back from the number of confirmed cases aged under 38 months detected on farm, it was possible to estimate how many would reach this critical stage before slaughter for human consumption at under 30 months. That number was three for 1998, but each infected DRG

  303
  represented a potential infectious dose to a consumer. Excluding the tail, there are on average 60 DRG in cattle, the largest weighing no more than 0.5g.

  Live Animal Exports
  Dr. Palmer
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many(a) live sheep and (b) live pigs were exported from the United Kingdom in 1997 for (i) slaughter, (ii) further fattening and (iii) breeding; and

  Numbers of sheep and pigs certified for export from the United Kingdom in 1997

  Sheep

  Pigs

  Country

  Slaughter

  Further fattening

  Breeding

  Slaughter

  Further fattening

  Breeding

  Belgium

  —

  17,677

  144

  300

  4,876

  32,747

  Canada

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  600

  Chile

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  270

  China

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  795

  Czech Republic

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  564

  Denmark

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,064

  Falkland Islands

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  25

  France

  28,294

  201,540

  413

  —

  —

  22,735

  Germany

  —

  14,561

  1

  253

  7,219

  43,041

  Greece

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  689

  Hungary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  94

  Italy

  —

  1,815

  —

  2,561

  321

  8,687

  Japan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  750

  Latvia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  151

  Malaysia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  338

  Mexico

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,070

  Netherlands

  —

  168,510

  82

  2,009

  —

  18,700

  Nigeria

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  46

  North Korea

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  70

  Philippines

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  340

  Poland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  113

  Portugal

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  83

  Republic of Ireland

  1,212

  —

  177

  78,270

  326

  2,119

  Romania

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  217

  Russia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  350

  Slovakia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  111

  South Korea

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  684

  Spain

  6,689

  669

  350

  —

  2,050

  18,379

  Taiwan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  70

  Thailand

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  545

  United States of America

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  122

  Vietnam

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  874

  Total

  36,195

  404,772

  1,167

  83,393

  14,792

  156,443

MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO

  Millennium Compliance
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio what assessment he has made of the millennium compliance of the computer systems used in the Millennium Experience. [38456]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) requires all suppliers to provide assurances that their products and systems are millennium compliant. The Company is taking additional steps to verify these assurances on delivery.
  304
  how many live (1) sheep and (2) pigs in each of these categories were exported to each individual country of destination. [37196]

  Mr. Rooker
  [pursuant to his reply, 20 April 1998, c. 488–89]: The table, derived from Departmental records, gives details of sheep and pigs certified for export from the United Kingdom. The figures do not include information on the number of sheep exported from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland as sheep are not officially certified for such trade under a special arrangement provided for in EC trade rules.

  Millennium Dome
  Mr. McWalter
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio what plans he has to incorporate within the Millennium Dome testimony to Britain's philosophical tradition. [40102]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 29 April 1998]: The New Millennium Experience Company aims to reflect the great wealth of British tradition which exists across many disciplines, including philosophy.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio if he will estimate the space in the Millennium Dome which will be devoted to(a) video and computer games, (b) live cultural events, (c) the display of works of art and (d) Christianity. [38445]
  305
  Mr. Mandelson
  It is not possible to measure the physical space which will be occupied by each of the specific categories listed by my hon. Friend. Some will feature throughout the Experience, while others may be located primarily within an individual area.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio (1) what steps he is taking to ensure the proposed car park at the Millennium Dome is not used by commuters wishing to use the proposed underground station nearby; [38715]

  (2) in respect of the car park at the Millennium Dome, how many spaces there will be for (a) orange badge holders, (b) VIPs and (c) others; and what charges will be payable in each case. [38713]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 20 April 1998]: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) aims to keep to an absolute minimum arrival at the site by car. The principal purpose of the car park is to meet the needs of orange badge holders.

  In pursuing detailed planned permission with Greenwich Council, the NMEC have proposed an indicative allocation of 385 spaces for orange badge holders, 247 for VIPs, and 298 short stay spaces for cars dropping off visitors at the Experience or at the bus and underground station. These indicative allocations allow the NMEC flexibility to increase spaces for orange badge holders as necessary.

  Parking will be free of charge for orange badge holders, VIPs and London Underground employees. Those waiting to collect visitors will pay a charge for a short stay which will increase significantly if the vehicle stays for longer than its allotted time.

  To ensure that these parking provisions are not used by commuters, there will be a pre-booking arrangement for spaces and readily identifiable passes which will be checked on entry.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio what steps he has taken to provide opportunities for the demonstration of British environmental technologies and expertise at the Millennium Experience Dome at Greenwich; and what discussions he has had with other Ministers on such matters. [38729]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) aims to include a range of features on the Dome site which demonstrate potential applications of environmental technology. The exhibit currently entitled "Living Island" will explore ways in which individuals can protect and enhance their environment. NMEC is consulting and seeking advice from a number of environmental groups about the content and nature of this exhibit, and is in regular touch with DTI and DETR on science and technology and environmental matters. The Millennium Experience will also feature a number of state of the art products and services from the Millennium products award scheme run by the Design Council.
  306
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio what proportion of visitors to the Millennium Experience site he estimates will arrive via(a) London Underground, (b) private bus, (c) train and public bus, (d) bicycle, (e) the Docklands Light Railway and (f) park and ride. [39329]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The New Millennium Experience Company's estimates of the split between various modes of transport used by visitors to the Dome in Greenwich is:

  Main mode

  Final leg

  Percentage

  Tube or rail1

  JLE

  36

  Tube or rail

  Cable car

  2

  Car (park and ride)2

  JLE/Cable Car/Rail Shuttle Coach/Riverboat

  28

  Coach

  13

  Riverboat

  8

  Taxi/set-down

  4

  Bus

  4

  Rail (North Kent line)

  3

  Walk/Cycle

  1

  Car (disabled)

  1

  Total

  100

  1rail includes DLR

  2breakdown by mode will depend on the outcome of the park and ride review

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio when advance bookings to the Millennium Experience may be made; and if advance bookings will receive a discount. [39325]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) plans to put individual tickets for Millennium Experience on sale from the third quarter of 1999. Arrangements for earlier ticket sales through the travel and tourist trade are being developed in order to meet the trade's lead-time for marketing and promoting their packages. Final decisions on ticket pricing, across a range of options, including groups and age ranges, will be announced in due course.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio how many additional parking places to those currently planned he estimates will be required for park and ride visitors to the Millennium Experience. [39324]

  Mr. Mandelson
  None.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio how many trains per hour he estimates the(a) Jubilee Line and (b) Docklands Light Railway will run to the Millennium Experience. [39323]

  Mr. Mandelson
  London Underground Ltd. plan to run twenty four trains per hour in each direction through the new Jubilee Line station for the Millennium Experience. The Docklands Light Railway Ltd. plans to run up to fifteen trains per hour in each direction on both the Beckton extension and the new Lewisham extension.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio by what means the Millennium Dome will be cleared at the end of each session. [39322]
  307
  Mr. Mandelson
  In developing its policies and strategies for the Dome's content and for managing visitor access and flows, the New Millennium Experience Company will ensure that access to all exhibits and facilities can be safely and effectively controlled, drawing on best practice at other large scale visitor attractions. This will include stopping access at an appropriate time prior to the designated closing time.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio who will be responsible for security on the Millennium Experience site. [39321]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has direct responsibility for security. No final decisions have been taken at this stage about which organisations the Company will procure services from in order to deliver security at the Dome. In reaching its final decisions NMEC will liaise closely with the police and other statutory bodies.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio if railway companies will be able to offer inclusive tickets to cover rail fares via London Transport to the Millennium Experience and the entry fee. [39318]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) plans to make Millennium Experience tickets available through all Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) members for them to sell to their customers at the same time as travel tickets. The NMEC will also meet requests from train operators for allocation of tickets to enable additional special train services.

  Millennium Experience
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio what consultations have been held with focus groups on the Millennium Experience; and if he will publish the results of such consultations. [39316]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The Millennium Commission held focus groups in 1994 when proposals for a national exhibition and festival were first developed. The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC)—then called Millennium Central—undertook focus group research in March 1997 to consider the broad direction of the project and people's expectations of it, and, as NMEC, undertook soundings through focus groups in August and September 1997 on branding and identity issues.

  The outcome of the NMEC's research was detailed by the Company's Chief Executive in her evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on 2 December and is recorded in the Committee's Second Report, Volume II, Minutes of Evidence and Appendices. Copies of this report are available in the libraries of the House.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister without Portfolio when negotiations between NMEC and Koch Hightex over compensation are expected to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [39970]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 29 April 1998]: Negotiations between the New Millennium Experience Company and Koch Hightex over compensation under the terms of their contract are continuing. It is not possible at
  308
  this stage to give an indication of when the negotiations might be concluded.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Public Appointments
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what percentage of the (i) paid and (ii) unpaid appointments which he has made to non-departmental public bodies since 1 May 1997 were women. [39403]

  Dr. David Clark
  [holding answer 29 April 1998]: Since 1 May 1997, I have appointed (or re-appointed) 35 men and 27 women to serve on the boards of non-departmental public bodies. Of these, seven man (78%) and two women (22%) were appointed to paid posts and 28 men (53%) and 25 women (47%) were appointed to unpaid posts.

  The Government are committed to increasing the representation of women in public life. In support of this, my Department is drawing up an action plan for increasing the number of women and ethnic minorities holding public appointments.

  Deregulation
  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many regulations have been repealed in order to reduce the burden on business since 1 May 1997. [39859]

  Dr. David Clark
  My Department has been informed of 27 amending or repealing regulations made between 1 May 1997 and 30 April 1998 which resulted in compliance cost savings to business and others.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Local Government Pension Funds
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the cost to local government pension funds in 1998–99 of the abolition of advance corporation tax credit. [39514]

  Ms Armstrong
  Representations have been received from a number of individual local authorities, as well as from the Local Government Association and the United Kingdom Steering Committee on Local Authority pensions.

  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the percentage change which will be required in council tax rates in order to take account of changes to the taxation of local government pension funds in the last year. [39516]

  Ms Armstrong
  No estimates of cost implications can be made until the results of the actuarial valuations of the local authority pension funds as at 31 March 1998 are known later this year.

  Limestone Pavements
  Mr. Tipping:
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the landscape and environmental value of limestone pavements; and what plans he has to protect them. [39515]

  Angela Eagle
  The value of limestone pavement is acknowledged by inclusion within Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and by Limestone Pavement Orders, which offer protection against physical damage. The best examples have been identified as candidate Special Areas of Conservation under the EC Habitats Directive. In addition, limestone pavement is one of 14 key habitats for which we have published action plans, as part of the implementation of the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan.

  Brown-field Sites
  Mr. Blizzard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what support he will give for re-establishing industrial use of brown-field sites. [39519]

  Mr. Caborn
  Through its programmes and agencies the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions sponsors a range of projects which support the re-establishment of industrial uses on previously used sites. Information on land reclaimed, new business start-ups and jobs created is available in the Department's Annual Report 1998 (Cm 3906). Among the key output measures of English Partnerships, which has a statutory objective to promote job creation and environmental improvement through the reclamation of vacant and derelict land, are the amount of industrial and commercial floorspace created, and land reclaimed and/or serviced. For the year 1996/97 these figures were 910,000 square metres and 1,100 hectares respectively.

  Local authorities have powers to designate sites for industrial use in their development plans and, if necessary, to assemble sites using compulsory purchase powers. I am looking at the effectiveness of current powers for site assembly, and a Task Force has been created under Lord Rogers to look at better use of recycled land.

  My Department has commissioned a National Land Use Database, which will, as an early output, identify vacant and derelict previously-used land and buildings. Although primarily aimed at identifying land for housing, the exercise could help identify and assess potential sites for industrial use. This will complement existing local authority studies of commercial land availability.

  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the brown-field sites he has located in mid-Sussex. [40770]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The information is not centrally available in this form, but the Regional Planning Conference for the South East is looking at the potential of different sites, including previously developed sites, for accommodation housing growth. We have commissioned a survey which will lead to the production of a national database of land use. This will provide a national assessment of previously developed land available for housing. Also, we have recently established a task force 310
  under the chairmanship of Lord Rogers to develop best practice and innovation on housing on previously developed land, especially in urban areas.

  Business Rates
  Mr. Ruffley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his policy on local business rates. [39520]

  Mr. Raynsford
  We issued our consultation paper "Modernising local government: Business rates" on 30 March, with our proposals for a local supplement on the business rate. The consultation period ends on 1 June. We are continuing our detailed discussions with representatives of business and local government, and we shall consider all responses to the consultation paper before we make a final decision on a local supplement.

  Bellwin Formula
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about the Bellwin formula. [39522]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Bellwin Scheme of emergency financial assistance is intended to help local authorities deal with the immediate aftermath of an emergency or disaster. Grant is discretionary and is paid at the rate of 85 per cent. on qualifying expenditure above a threshold, related to an authority's Standard Spending Assessment.

  Housing
  Mr. Rammell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his plans to increase the supply of affordable housing. [39523]

  Ms Armstrong
  We are currently considering the need for affordable housing and the appropriate level of Government support within the Comprehensive Spending Review of Housing Programmes. We expect to announce our decision on this in the summer.

  Local Authority Capital Receipts
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for changes in the method of calculating receipts taken into account in connection with local government expenditure. [39524]

  Ms Armstrong
  Some options for changes to the system of capital receipts taken into account (RTIAs) have been put forward in the Government's recent consultation paper on local government capital finance. Decisions on changes to the system of RTIAs will be considered in the light of responses to the paper.

  Mr. Marshall-Andrews
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each council in England the capital receipts(a) released in 1997–98 and (b) to be released in 1998–99, giving for each year the proportion used on new building and capital repairs and the number of homes involved in each case. [39281]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Details of the 1997–98 and 1998–99 total allocations of Capital Receipts Initiative resources to each local authority in England have been placed in the
  311
  Library. I will write further to my hon. and Learned Friend in a few weeks' time when the detail on the returns has been analysed.

  Housebuilding (West Sussex)
  Mr. Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many residents of West Sussex have expressed to him their opposition to Government plans for additional housebuilding in the county. [39525]

  Mr. Raynsford
  My Department has received around 3,000 objections about the proposed increase in the number of houses to be provided in West Sussex.

  Local Authority Services
  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the cost of running local authority services in sparsely populated rural areas. [39526]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Government recognise that sparsity of population is likely to increase the cost of providing some local authority services. This is reflected in the calculation of standard spending assessments.

  London Government
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his programme for the implementation of his proposals for the governance of London if they are approved in the referendum on 7 May. [39527]

  Ms Perham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the time scale for implementing his plans for a London mayor and assembly. [39528]

  Mr. Raynsford
  In the event of a majority Yes vote in the referendum in London on 7 May, the Government will bring forward legislation to implement their proposals for the governance of London with a view to holding elections in late 1999 or 2000 for a Mayor and Assembly.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the impact on council tax levels in 1998–99 of the abolition of the advance corporation tax credit. [39529]

  Ms Armstrong
  The Department has received representations from a number of individual local authorities as well as from the Local Government Association and the United Kingdom Steering Committee on Local Authority Pensions, on the impact on local authority budgets of the abolition of advance corporation tax and its effect on the local authority pension scheme. The abolition of ACT should not have affected council tax bills in 1998–99 because it will not start to affect local authorities' pension schemes until the following financial year.

  Regional Government (South-West)
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the advantages of a regional assembly for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. [39531]

  Angela Eagle
  We are committed to more accountable regional government in England. But we are not in the business of imposing solutions. We welcome the active participation of all the Cornish local authorities in the development of a South West regional chamber.

  Endangered Species
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he is setting in train to prevent plant species extinction, following the publication of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature red list of threatened plants compiled by the world conservation monitoring centre; and what funding he is providing for the sustained updating of the red list. [39532]

  Angela Eagle
  I have asked the Department's statutory advisors, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, to consider in detail the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants, which indicates that over 33,000 plant species are under threat of extinction worldwide, and to advise me on the conservation status of the UK plant species identified in the Red List. I will write to my hon. Friend once I have had an opportunity to consider in detail the Committee's advice.

  My Department has not been approached by IUCN or the World Conservation Monitoring Centre for funding towards the updating of the Red List. As UK State Member of IUCN my Department already contributes £155,000 as its annual subscription to IUCN. In February 1998 my Department offered IUCN £75,000 towards the costs of establishing a Species Conservation Centre in the UK including the appointment of a Red List officer.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his oral answer of 31 March 1998,Official Report, column 492, what steps he is taking to enforce rigorously the controls relating to CITES listing of species with particular reference to Amazonian (a) fauna and (b) flora listed in the recent international plants red list. [39479]

  Angela Eagle
  Enforcement of CITES import and export controls rests with HM Customs and Excise, whose officers are trained in the requirements of the EU Regulation which implements CITES within the Community. The Regulation applies stricter measures than those required by CITES, on the basis of the advice from Member States' scientific advisors drawing on a variety of sources, including the red data lists produced by the IUCN. Customs officers are aware of those areas and species which pose the greatest risk in terms of illegal trade.

  Internal controls on the wildlife trade are enforced by the police. My Department co-operates closely with them and HM Customs through the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW), which provides a strategic overview of wildlife law enforcement in the UK.
  313
  My Department and HM Customs recently launched the second phase of a major publicity campaign to alert holiday makers and business travellers to the rules governing international trade in endangered species. "Check it Out" posters are on display in the major UK airports. Leaflets providing general advice and details of a telephone inquiry point are being distributed with travel tickets and are available at a number of airport retail outlets.

  We have also organised several events to discuss ways of furthering the fight against wildlife crime. These include the annual two day Police Wildlife Liaison Officers Conference and the EU Wildlife Law Enforcement Workshop which my Department hosted in March this year as part of the UK's Presidency of the EU. My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister also chaired the informal summit of G8 Environment Ministers earlier this month, which agreed a package of measures to crack down on environmental crime.

  Roads Review
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects his Department to conclude its roads review. [39540]

  Dr. Strang
  We are currently working hard to complete the Roads Review and intend to publish the outcome later this year.

  Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the current levels of investment in Britain's motorway and trunk road network; and when he plans to complete his review of Britain's roads programme. [39549]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We plan to spend £1,352m on maintaining, managing and improving our motorways and trunk roads in 1998–99. Of this £562m will be spent on major improvement schemes. We hope to publish the results of the Roads Review later this year.

  Road Charges
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to allow local authorities to levy road charges. [39543]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  This is a matter under consideration in the context of the preparation of the Government's forthcoming White Paper on developing an integrated transport policy.

  Cars
  Mr. Jim Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to encourage the purchase of cars which are less polluting and more fuel efficient. [39544]

  Dr. Strang
  I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, North (Helen Jones).

  Rail Safety
  Mr. Heppell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he is taking to ensure the safety of rail passengers. [39545]

  Dr. Strang
  The Government attach the highest priority to safety on our railways. Railways are one of the safest forms of transport but there is room for improvement. Following the report of the Transport Sub-Committee the HSC has agreed to my request and brought forward its planned review of railtrack's role in rail safety.

  Mr. Eric Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the representations made to him by the train drivers union expressing concern that criminal proceedings are delaying and could pre-empt, public inquiries into rail safety. [39980]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We are not aware of any representations being made direct to Ministers by the train drivers union, expressing concern that criminal proceedings are delaying and could pre-empt public inquiries into rail safety. However, a statement to this effect was made at the Health and Safety Commission's Railway Industry Advisory Committee, Chaired by HM Chief Inspector of Railways, on 20 February 1998.

  Motorway Services
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the standard of the food services provided on the motorway system. [39546]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The provision of refreshments at motorway service areas is a commercial matter for their operators. My right hon. Friend has not carried out any assessment of this aspect of their operations in the past and has no plans to do so in future.

  Traffic Congestion (London)
  Mr. Casale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the recent research on the effect of congestion on traffic speeds in London. [39548]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The latest traffic surveys in London show that average speeds are about 10 mph throughout the day in central London, between 13 mph and 15 mph in the rest of inner London, and between 17 mph and 23 mph in outer London.

  Integrated Transport Policy
  Mr. Prior
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on how his integrated transport policy will apply to rural areas. [39550]

  Dr. Strang
  The Government recognise the particular needs of rural communities, and wants to improve rural services. The forthcoming Transport White paper will set out how our integrated transport policy should be delivered in order to meet the environmental and economic needs of all parts of the country, both urban and rural. In advance of the White Paper, the Chancellor has announced an additional £50m a year to improve public transport in rural areas.

  Road Safety
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he last met representatives from the Automobile Association to discuss road safety. [39551]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  My right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport met the Automobile Association on 8 September 1997, my noble Friend the Minister for Roads met them on 11 November 1997 and I met them on 15 October 1997. None of these occasions, however, was specifically to discuss road safety matters.

  Coastguard
  46. Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he last met the chief coastguard to discuss the future of the Coastguard service; and if he will make a statement. [39552]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I last met with the Chief Coastguard on 23 April to discuss issues arising out of the recent consultation on the five year strategy for Her Majesty's Coastguard. Ministers will take that discussion into account in their deliberations on the strategy.

  Rural Bus Partnership Fund
  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the distribution of the rural bus partnership fund in England. [39554]

  Dr. Strang
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Mr. Wyatt). Subject to Parliamentary approval, the detailed provisional allocation to local authorities of additional funding for rural bus services is as follows:

  Rural population estimate (1991 Census)

  Provisional allocation £

  Shire Counties

  Bedfordshire

  81,363

  450,000

  Buckinghamshire

  103,062

  570,000

  Cambridgeshire

  145,152

  800,000

  Cheshire

  112,558

  620,000

  Cornwall

  224,279

  1,230,000

  Cumbria

  175,847

  970,000

  Derbyshire

  128,373

  700,000

  Devon

  258,468

  1,420,000

  Dorset

  104,894

  580,000

  Durham

  111,568

  610,000

  East Sussex

  102,716

  560,000

  Essex

  192,326

  1,060,000

  Gloucestershire

  145,853

  800,000

  Hampshire

  164,291

  900,000

  Hertfordshire

  81,499

  450,000

  Kent

  234,521

  1,290,000

  Lancashire

  134,618

  740,000

  Leicestershire

  102,842

  560,000

  Lincolnshire

  219,378

  1,200,000

  Norfolk

  286,356

  1,570,000

  North Yorkshire

  253,516

  1,390,000

  Northamptonshire

  125,196

  690,000

  Northumberland

  87,380

  480,000

  Nottinghamshire

  96,004

  530,000

  Oxfordshire

  168,830

  930,000

  Shropshire

  115,780

  640,000

  Somerset

  186,942

  1,030,000

  316

  Rural population estimate (1991 Census)

  Provisional allocation £

  Staffordshire

  147,094

  810,000

  Suffolk

  219,920

  1,210,000

  Surrey

  109,417

  600,000

  Warwickshire

  109,541

  600,000

  West Sussex

  106,407

  580,000

  Wiltshire

  144,395

  790,000

  Worcestershire

  103,905

  570,000

  Passenger Transport Authorities

  Greater Manchester

  24,304

  130,000

  Merseyside

  15,332

  84,000

  South Yorkshire

  62,223

  340,000

  Tyne and Wear

  15,070

  83,000

  West Midlands

  15,820

  87,000

  West Yorkshire

  104,032

  570,000

  Unitaries

  Bath & NE Somerset

  25,709

  140,000

  Blackburn with Darwen

  7,168

  39,000

  Bracknell Forest

  7,354

  40,000

  Bristol

  1,198

  7,000

  Darlington

  8,881

  49,000

  East Riding

  98,149

  540,000

  Halton

  2,330

  13,000

  Hartlepool

  3,099

  17,000

  Herefordshire

  95,963

  530,000

  Isle of Wight

  29,254

  160,000

  Medway

  16,067

  88,000

  Middlesbrough

  2,120

  12,000

  Milton Keynes

  13,132

  72,000

  NE Lincolnshire

  7,834

  43,000

  North Lincolnshire

  47,287

  260,000

  North Somerset

  24,402

  130,000

  Peterborough

  15,436

  85,000

  Plymouth

  1,792

  10,000

  Poole

  1,363

  7,000

  Redcar & Cleveland

  10,377

  57,000

  Rutland

  19,655

  110,000

  South Gloucestershire

  34,613

  190,000

  Stockton-on-Tees

  5,393

  30,000

  Stoke-on-Trent

  996

  5,000

  Swindon

  10,244

  56,000

  Telford and the Wrekin

  9,452

  52,000

  Thurrock

  7,012

  38,000

  Torbay

  1,540

  8,000

  Warrington

  10,955

  60,000

  West Berkshire

  42,723

  230,000

  Windsor & Maidenhead

  9,291

  51,000

  Wokingham

  14,223

  78,000

  York

  13,448

  74,000

  Total

  5,919,532

  32,500,000

  In the table authorities that would have received less than £5,000 under a strict application of the formula have been eliminated from the distribution. Any discrepancy in the total is because of rounding.

  Rail Freight
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the change in the levels of rail freight since 1993. [39555]

  Dr. Strang
  Over the last decade the trend for freight carried by rail has been one of decline, largely reflecting the fall in coal traffic. This is also generally true of the levels of rail freight since 1993 although post-privatisation figures are calculated slightly differently from those under
  317
  British Rail. However, last year's figures indicate a small but welcome increase from those of 1996–97, having stabilised at around 26 million tonnes per quarter. We will continue to encourage more freight on to the railways as part of promoting our integrated transport strategy.

  Rainworth Bypass, Nottinghamshire
  Mr. Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received about the Rainworth bypass, Nottinghamshire. [39556]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  My right hon. Friend has received two letters of support for the scheme and two requests for clarification of the additional information sought in his letter of 3 February 1998; otherwise, he has received no representation about the Rainworth Bypass since the issue of that letter.

  London Underground
  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how he intends to attract capital to London Underground. [39557]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Deputy Prime Minister announced the Government's plans for the future of London Underground on 20 March 1998,Official Report, columns 1539–56. We will keep the single public sector operator that passengers want, and award one, two or three contracts to finance, maintain and modernise the Underground's infrastructure. Under this innovative solution, the private sector will provide the capital needed for a massive programme of investment.

  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what advice he received from (i) London Underground Ltd. and (ii) London Transport regarding the relative merits of the different options for the future of London Underground, prior to announcing his decision to pursue the public-private partnership option. [40813]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Government asked London Transport (LT) for their views on public-private partnership options and the dialogue with LT was useful in helping the Government formulate their policy—a process which also took account of the views of, for example, the Government's financial advisers on the project and the Health & Safety Commission. London Transport incorporated the views of its subsidiary, London Underground Ltd. in the advice it gave to Government.

  London Transport's suggestion was to retain the existing structure of London Underground, but to ensure higher and stable funding through long-term committed Government grant, direct borrowing or the right to review hypothecated from other transport sources. Their second option was a flotation of the existing Underground business, but with tight hands-on regulation and supervision. These options were seriously considered by the Government, but not chosen. The key facts and analysis underlying the Government's policy analysis were set out in a paper deposited in the Library of the House on 20 March 1998, Official Report, column 1539. London Transport is now working very closely with the Government and it is committed to the success of our policy.
  318

  Gloucestershire Structure Plan
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the Government office for the south-west regarding Gloucestershire's structure plan. [39517]

  Mr. Caborn
  My Officials at the Government Office for the South West have commented on the structure plan on my behalf and keep me briefed on issues as necessary.

  Regional Development
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the contribution of air traffic provision to English regional development; and if he will make a statement. [39521]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We attach great importance to the contribution which air services can make to English regional development.

  Sustainable Development
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the impact of his Department's policy on sustainable development on the elderly in rural areas. [39530]

  Angela Eagle
  The Government's vision of sustained development has four broad objectives: social progress which recognises the needs of everyone; effective protection of the environment; prudent use of natural resources; and maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment. It aims to ensure a better quality of life for everyone, including the elderly.

  The consultation paper "Opportunities for Change" launched earlier this year seeks views on what a sustainable development strategy should contain. Our Manifesto pledged us to recognise the special needs of rural areas and communities and the consultation paper highlights the need for building sustainable communities including in rural areas.

  Motoring Charges
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of increased motoring charges on elderly people and those living in rural areas. [39547]

  Dr. Strang
  As part of the fundamental transport review leading to the forthcoming Transport White Paper, officials in my Department have been examining the impact of a range of transport policies, including motoring taxation, on different groups. This work suggests that the impact of an increase in fuel duty on a particular household will depend on a great many factors, the most important of which are car ownership and income. Recent research by the Institute of Fiscal Studies suggests that location is also important, but less so than income and car ownership.

  Cycle Lanes
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to encourage the provision of cycle lanes in(a) London and (b) other major conurbations. [39553]

  Dr. Strang
  Our policy guidance and technical advice to local authorities stresses the need to develop cohesive solutions for cycle provision. Cycle lanes are one of a number of features that need to be considered. Decisions on the right blend of facilities are for local highway authorities themselves to take.

  In London the Government are supporting the provision of the 2,500 km London Cycle Network (LCN). Now is its fourth year of funding, the LCN has received Transport Policies and Programme (TPP) allocations totalling £15.55 million.

  East London River Crossing (Property Disposals)
  Mr. Efford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many houses purchased by the Department of Transport to accommodate the building of the East London River Crossing are still required by the Highways Agency; and what progress has been made by the Highways Agency in disposing of properties purchased for this function. [39465]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Clive Efford, dated 5 May 1998:
  The Minister for Transport in London has asked me to reply to your recent question about houses purchased by the Department in connection with the East London River Crossing.
  None of the 164 houses purchased by the Department for the East London River Crossing are now required by the Highways Agency. 154 remain in our ownership and are to be sold. An active sales programme is well underway.
  We are working closely with the London Borough of Greenwich as the main local housing authority and are looking to sell a substantial number of our properties to housing associations working with them. A few properties are also likely to be sold to the London Borough of Bexley, and a further small number of tenants are looking to buy their properties themselves.

  Road Traffic
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 19 March 1998,Official Report, column 697, if he will list the national road traffic forecasts which were available at the end of March; and if he will make a statement on the availability of the remaining papers. [39845]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I regret that, owing to competing pressures on resources only one of the six Working Papers (Working Paper number 2: Car Use: Modelling and Forecasting) accompanying the NRTF 1997 was available at the end of March 1998. Two more (Working Paper numbers 3 and 6) were released on 20 April 1998. The remaining three papers will be made available by the end of the first week in May.

  Southall Rail Accident
  Mr. Eric Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set up a public inquiry into the Southall rail accident; and if he will make a statement on the implications of criminal proceedings for such an inquiry. [39992]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  A public inquiry into the Southall rail accident was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on 24 September 1997. The Southall Rail Accident Inquiry formally opened and then adjourned on 24 February 1998, in order that criminal proceedings stemming from the accident should not be prejudiced.

  The Inquiry will resume to hear evidence in public as soon as criminal proceedings are complete.

  A1 Tempsford Public Inquiry
  Sir Nicholas Lyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he received the Inspector's report on the A1 Tempsford Public Inquiry; and when he expects to announce his decision. [39983]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Inspector's report on the public inquiry into the proposed Al Tempsford junction improvements was received on 21 April. My right hon. Friend will announce his decision in the light of the Inspector's recommendations as soon as possible.

  London Development Group
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what consultations are planned between the London Development Group and environmental organisations. [40018]

  Angela Eagle
  I am not aware of a London Development Group, though we have welcomed the formation of the recently launched London Development Partnership, chaired by Sir Colin Marshall. While the Government Office for London will be working closely with the Partnership on a number of specific projects, the Partnership is not government sponsored and I cannot answer for its plans to consult environmental organisations.

  Thameslink Farringdon-Moorgate Line
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the level of investment by British Rail and Thameslink in the Farringdon/Bishopsgate branch line over the last 10 years. [40146]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I assume that the question refers to the Thameslink Farringdon to Moorgate branch line.

  The branch line was last the subject of investment expenditure in 1985 as part of British Rail's significant upgrade and electrification of the route from Bedford to London St. Pancras. I understand from Railtrack that there has been no investment expenditure on the branch line in the last 10 years. As with all routes, it is subject to routine checks to ensure safety and infrastructure quality is maintained.

  Rail Services
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to strengthen the statutory rights and means of redress for rail travellers, not holding season tickets, for delays, and cancellations under the present National Conditions of Carriage. [40147]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The National Conditions of Carriage are currently being reviewed by the Association of Train Operating Companies. I understand that train operators have voluntarily agreed in principle to double the minimum level of compensation offered for delays of more than one hour from 10 per cent. to 20 per cent. of the fare paid. Any changes to the National Conditions of Carriage will be subject to the approval of the Franchising Director and the Rail Regulator.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each year since rail privatisation(a) the total number of rail passengers and the number of passenger complaints, (b) the level of investment in the rail infrastructure and (c) the level of public subsidy given to train operating companies. [40260]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The information requested on the number of passengers complaints is not held centrally be DETR and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  The other information requested is as follows:

  Year

  Total passenger journeys (millions)1

  Rail infrastructure investment (£ million)

  Net support for passengers rail services spend (£ million)1

  1995–96

  761.2

  900

  1,669

  1996–97

  801.4

  1,178

  1,809

  1997–98

  n/a

  1,269

  1,425

  1Excludes payments to Passenger Transport Executives. Figures for 1995–96 and 1996–97 include payments to train operating companies owned by British Rail.

  Note:

  The figures shown include an element of double counting, where a journey goes through more than one operators route it is scored against each operator.

  Countryside Access (Disabled People)
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what advice his Department has given to the Countryside Commission on policy on access to the countryside for people with disabilities. [40170]

  Angela Eagle
  The Countryside Commission has a duty under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which requires those providing goods, facilities and services not to discriminate against disabled people. The Commission is currently preparing a policy statement on improving enjoyment of the countryside for disabled people. This will recognise that much can be done to make the countryside easier for people to have access to and enjoy, although the countryside cannot be made accessible to everyone, everywhere.

  Eurostar
  Mr. Ottaway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 20 April 1998,Official Report, column 422, on Eurostar, if he will publish the independent inquiry which the Government commissioned into the Eurostar traffic forecasts produced by the parties. [40148]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  No. The Government commissioned view of Eurostar traffic forecasts is based on information provided in commercial confidence by the private sector parties concerned.

  Rural Shop Closures
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to reverse the trend of rural shop closures. [40134]

  Angela Eagle
  Under the Local Government and Rating Act 1997, as of 1 April 1998 the sole general store and the sole post office in a rural settlement of 3,000 people or fewer are entitled to 50 per cent. mandatory relief, subject to a rateable value limit of £5,000. Local authorities may top this relief up to 100 per cent. if they wish.

  In addition, the Rural Development Commission operates a Village Shop Development Scheme which provides grants to help rural shopkeepers maintain and wherever possible, improve the performance of village shops in settlements of less than 3,000.

  Great Western Trains
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if, pursuant to his answer of 24 April 1998,Official Report, columns 707–08 on Great Western trains, he will assess the effects of calculating train punctuality statistics in terms of the proportion of passengers who are delayed. [40245]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The method for calculating train punctuality statistics, which measures the number of scheduled services which arrive on time, is effective in monitoring the standard of punctuality that passengers generally receive and for assessing any compensation due under the terms of the relevant Passengers Charter. No change in method is proposed. A train is deemed on time if it arrives within a specified period of the scheduled arrival time. In respect of the former Intercity and long distance regional services this is 9 minutes 59 seconds; in respect of the former Network SouthEast and short distance Regional services this is 4 minutes 59 seconds; and in respect of Scottish sleeper services this is 30 minutes. Certain services may be excluded from the calculations. More details are set out in the notes attached to OPRAF's Performance Bulletins, copies of which are in the Library.

  Telecommunications Masts
  Mr. Ivan Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received about the current planning laws relating to(a) mobile phones and (b) radio phone masts; and what plans he has to amend these laws. [40563]
  323
  Mr. Raynsford
  Under current planning legislation, telecommunications operators licensed by the Department of Trade and Industry generally have permitted development rights to erect masts of up to 15 metres in height. This is subject to a prior approval procedure which gives the local planning authority the opportunity to say whether it wishes to approve, within 28 days, details of the mast's siting and appearance. If the authority considers that the development will pose a serious threat to amenity, it may refuse approval. A planning application is required for the erection of a mast in protected areas such as National Parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty and conservation areas, and for masts above 15 metres in height elsewhere. We have received a number of representations about these controls, including those made by the working group of local authority and telecommunications industry representatives who have been reviewing my Department's Code of Best Practice for telecommunications prior approval procedures as applied to mast/tower development. We are giving careful consideration to the representations made by the working group, and expect to announce our conclusions in due course.

  Housing (Flood Plains)
  Ms Keeble
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what advice his Department has received from the Environment Agency about the building of homes on flood plains. [40594]

  Mr. Raynsford
  In 1997, the Environment Agency published Policy and practice for the protection of floodplains. This document set out the flood defence policies of the Environment Agency and explained the reasoning behind them. It aimed to reinforce and complement current Government guidance on flood risk issues contained in Department of the Environment Circular 30/92 (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Circular FD 1/92; Welsh Office Circular 68/92) on Development and flood risk and in Planning Policy Guidance and Regional Planning Guidance.

  The Government look to local planning authorities to use their planning powers to guide development away from areas that may be affected by flooding and to restrict development that would itself increase the risk of flooding. Flood defence considerations should always be taken into account in preparing development plans and in determining planning applications. The Environment Agency is a statutory consultee in the preparation of development plans and for certain types of development and should be consulted by local planning authorities on the building of homes in flood plains.

  Heathrow Terminal Five
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of the time spent by the Heathrow Terminal Five public inquiry in the receiving and questioning of oral evidence has been devoted to evidence from(a) BAA, (b) British Airways, (c) the Highways Agency and (d) objectors to the T5 scheme. [40481]
  324
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The approximate proportion of time spent by the Heathrow Terminal Five inquiry in hearing evidence and cross-examination of witnesses to date is set out.

  BAA: 30 per cent.

  British Airways: 8 per cent.

  Highways Agency: 11 per cent.

  Objectors: 41 per cent.

  A further 10 per cent. of time has been spent hearing evidence from neutral witnesses, principally from the DETR and CAA, who have an explanatory role at the inquiry.

  Railway Infrastructure
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for legislation to permit the direct payment to Railtrack on behalf of the train operating companies, of that part of the public service obligation grant concerned with the provision of improvement to the railway infrastructure. [40258]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We are committed to ensuring that public subsidy to the railway serves the public interest. Our proposals will be published shortly.

  Train Operating Companies
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the planned reduction of public service obligation grants to TOCs outlined in the franchise agreements will continue regardless of the financial circumstances of the TOCs. [40259]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Support payments from the Franchising Director to the TOCs are contractually committed payments as set out in the franchise agreements. Franchise agreements are legally enforceable contracts. Franchise payments are variable only in circumstances prescribed in the franchise agreements; for example, where performance penalty or bonus payment are applicable or changes are made to the Passenger Service Requirement. A franchise operator may seek change to the terms of the franchise agreement if its financial viability is at risk. The Franchising Director has discretion to provide additional subsidy or not but would be under no obligation to do so. Insolvency is an event of default under the franchise agreement for which the Franchising Director may terminate the agreement. In the event of termination of a franchise agreement the Franchising Director has a statutory duty under S30 of the Railways Act 1993 to secure the provision of services for which no further franchise agreement has been entered into, and the railway administration provisions of the Act would ensure that the assets required for the provision of services continue to be available. The franchise agreements also provide for franchises to post a performance bond which could be claimed by the Franchising Director in these circumstances.

  Railway Companies (Penalty Fares)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the powers of the rail companies in respect of on-the-spot fines. [40261]
  325
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  All penalty fares schemes operated by train operating companies have to be approved by the Rail Regulator. We are conducting a thorough review of rail regulation with the aim of making regulation more effective and accountable. Our proposals will be outlined in our forthcoming White Paper.

  Street Works
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many prosecutions there have been under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. [40407]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  No central record is kept of prosecutions initiated under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (which came into force in 1993).

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the operation of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. [40398]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Government keep the implementation of the street works provisions of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 under continual review, in co-operation with bodies representing the highway authorities and the utilities.

  Parish and Town Councils
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the auditing procedures for parish and town councils. [40403]

  Mr. Raynsford
  We have no plans to review the auditing procedures for parish and town councils.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to review the financial arrangements for parish and town councils. [40408]

  Mr. Raynsford
  None.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many cases have been identified by the District Audit Service in the past five years where financial arrangements for parish and town councils have been deemed to be unsatisfactory. [40409]

  Mr. Raynsford
  This information is not held centrally. When parish council auditors identify unsatisfactory financial arrangements, they will bring them to the attention of the council in the annual management letter, or make a public interest report, using powers under Section 15(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1982. Auditors make no reports to the Secretary of State. The independent Audit Commission receives copies of reports made under Section 15(3).

  Roads and Pavements (Reinstatement)
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps his Department takes to investigate complaints about the failure of statutory undertakers to reinstate roads and pavements. [40399]
  326
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Complaints about individual failures are matters for the undertaker and the highway authority concerned. The Department keeps the national reinstatement specification under review, and will be consulting shortly on proposed revisions to it. The Department also discusses general issues, including levels of compliance, with bodies representing the highway authorities and the utilities.

  Opencast Coal
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about the future of opencast coal extraction. [39510]

  Mr. Raynsford
  My hon. Friend the Minister for the Regions, Regeneration and Planning announced on 4 March 1998,Official Report, column 65, that there would be a full review of Minerals Planning Guidance Note 3 on Coal Mining and Colliery Spoil Disposal. This will run in conjunction with the present review of energy policy, will take into account its conclusions, and will apply to England. The energy policy review will in turn take into account the planning issues raised by coal extraction. Policy on opencast coal extraction in Wales and Scotland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Wales and the Secretary of State for Scotland respectively.

  Sewage Treatment Technology
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Jersey regarding sewage treatment technology; and if he will make a statement. [39507]

  Angela Eagle
  My right hon. Friend has had no discussions with the Jersey authorities regarding sewage treatment technology. My Department is aware of the ultra-violet irradiation process used at the Bellozanne works discharging into St. Aubin's Bay. I would refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 22 January 1998,Official Report, columns 613–14, and 12 February 1998, Official Report, column 317, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) relating to the ultra-violet treatment of sewage.

  A27
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the Highways Agency regarding safety improvements on the A27 in West Sussex; and if he will make a statement. [39533]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  There has been recent discussion between my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and the Highways Agency about the need for safety improvements along the A27 in West Sussex. We are fully committed to improving the situation and we are aware that there is a considerable amount of local concern about the accident record along this stretch of road.

  For the short term the Highways Agency has implemented a scheme at the Boundstone College pelican crossing in Sompting and for the longer term they are considering the provision of a segregated crossing at this

  327
  location. In addition, a traffic and safety study of the Chichester Bypass is almost complete and cycle/footbridge is under construction on the Chichester Bypass.

  Other proposed safety measures for 1998/99 are improvements at the Sussex Pad; the closure of certain central reservation gaps between Chichester and Worthing; a pedestrian movement study to identify sites for pelican crossings and pedestrian refuges; safety improvements to Burpham Road junction, Arundel; cycle crossing facilities between Chichester and Tangmere, and a study of options to improve traffic management and enhance journey time reliability through Worthing and Lancing.

  Contaminated Land
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to issue the technical and procedural guidelines for the treatment of contaminated land. [39731]

  Angela Eagle
  I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North, (Ms Walley), on 23 April 1998,Official Report, column 670.

  Disabled People (Taxis and Coaches)
  Mr. Levitt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what were the outcomes of the recent consultation exercises on the accessibility of(a) taxis and (b) coaches to disabled people. [40829]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Informal consultation on our proposals for taxis and for buses and coaches under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 has recently been completed. A large number of responses have been received from industry, from local authorities and from disability organisations. Those responses are still being analysed and the results will be incorporated in a further stage of consultation on the basis of draft regulations which will take place later in the year.

  Regional Development Agencies
  Sir Raymond Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 8 April 1998,Official Report, column 286, on regional development agencies, if he will list the nominations submitted for regional development agencies; if unsuccessful nominees will be informed of the reasons for their rejection; and if they will be considered for any vacancies which occur after the boards are set up. [40828]

  Mr. Caborn
  All dealings between Ministers and candidates for appointment are private; we do not intend to list the nominations submitted nor publicise the reasons for the rejection of candidates. We are considering a large number of high calibre candidates, not all of whom can be appointed this time round. We will therefore reconsider those who have been unsuccessful this time when future appointments come to be made.
  328

  Litter
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people have been prosecuted for leaving litter in a public open-air place under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. [40776]

  Angela Eagle
  During 1996, 626 people were prosecuted for littering offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990; of these 468 were convicted. Figures for 1997 are not yet available.

  Travel Agents
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many travel agents in the United Kingdom operate under(a) ATOL, (b) IATA and (c) ABTA. [40850]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Travel agents in the UK are not required to hold Air Travel Organisers' Licences. However, some travel agents do hold ATOLs because, as well as being agents, they also act as travel organiser principals. There are 1,740 ATOL holders at present but we are unable to say how many of these also undertake agency business. Information obtained from IATA and ABTA indicates that the number of travel agent members of these organisations is presently 1,548 and 2,330 respectively.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the operation of ATOL. [40851]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) scheme was introduced in 1972 to protect air passengers in the event of the failure of a tour operator by ensuring the availability of funds to repatriate passengers stranded abroad and reimburse those who had paid for their holidays but had yet to travel. The scheme is operated by the Civil Aviation Authority under the Civil Aviation (Air Travel Organisers' Licensing) Regulations 1995, as amended in 1996 and 1997.

  To hold an ATOL, a travel organiser must put up a bond and satisfy certain financial fitness criteria established by the CAA. The bond is determined according to the projected level of turnover and the nature and risk of the business. In the event of failure the CAA may call in the bond to provide funds to repatriate and reimburse customers of the failed operator. If the bond proves insufficient to cover the liabilities a back-up fund, called the Air Travel Trust Fund (ATTF), is available to meet any shortfall.

  The ATOL scheme operates effectively to protect passengers and the bond levels imposed by the CAA are generally sufficient to cover the majority of failures. Although the CAA monitors carefully the performance of ATOL holders, unpredictable and sometimes very large failures do occasionally occur.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for changes in the regulation of travel agents by the Civil Aviation Authority. [40852]
  329
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Civil Aviation Authority does not regulate travel agents. This is a matter for consideration by the Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs at the Department of Trade and Industry.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the total value of the bonds held by the CAA under the ATOL scheme; and what plans he has to raise the level of the ATOL bond. [40853]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The total value of bonds held by the CAA under the ATOL scheme is £1.3 billion. Bond levels are an operations matter for the CAA but I am advised that they have no plans to increase the level of bond.

  Traffic Management, Harrogate
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received regarding the decision of North Yorkshire County Council to reject the proposals by Harrogate Borough Council for the use of on-street car parking revenues for traffic management in Harrogate; and if he will make a statement. [40396]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  No representations have been received regarding this matter. Under the provisions of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 it is for the County Council as highway authority to decide how any surpluses from on-street parking charges are spent, subject to the restrictions set out in Section 55 of the Act.

  Plutonium Waste
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans the Government have for the management of the plutonium waste held in the United Kingdom; and what plans he has to fund research into its safe disposal. [40184]

  Mr. Battle
  I have been asked to reply.

  There are quantities of plutonium waste, usually referred to as plutonium contaminated material, or PCM, held at a number of sites owned by BNFL, UKAEA, and MoD. Subject to compliance with all the relevant legislation, the management of these wastes is the responsibility of the owners of the material.

  It was intended that this material should be disposed of to the repository which Nirex hoped to build if investigations near Sellafield had shown the site to be suitable. Planning permission for a rock characterisation facility at that site was not, however, granted. The waste will therefore remain in safe, secure storage pending the recommendations of the House of Lords Select Committee which is inquiring into radioactive waste management, and wide consultation on this topic which my right. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has indicated will follow the report of that Committee.

  The waste owners will no doubt review what research it is appropriate to fund in the light of the forthcoming recommendations.

TREASURY

  Amusement Machines
  Mr. Purchase
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional yield was anticipated from skill-with-prizes machines following increases in amusement machine licences duty in(a) 1996–97 and (b) 1997–98; and what are the actual yields. [39730]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 29 April 1998]There were no increases in amusement machine licence duty in 1996–97 and 1997–98. Separate figures for the duty yield from skill-with-prizes machines cannot be calculated. The actual yield in 1996–97 from amusement machine licence duty was £128 million and in 1997–98 was –131 million (provisional figures).

  Tax Credits
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the National Audit Office has approved the change in presentation in the Red Book explained at paragraph B60 in which tax credits are netted off against tax receipts. [39772]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 27 April 1998]The NAO have not been asked to look at how the public finances projections are presented in the FSBR. At the Chancellor's request, they have audited key assumptions and conventions underlying the projections of the public finances.

  Mrs. May
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the expenditure on working families tax credit in 1999–2000 identified in the Red Book(a) will comprise payments to recipients and (b) relates to initial set-up and other costs. [40326]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]All expenditure on the Working Families Tax Credit identified in the Red Book relates to payments to recipients.

  Fuel Duty
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what data he has evaluated indicating that increasing the duty on fuel results in lower car use; and if he will make the studies available in the Library. [39780]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 27 April 1998]The Government have evaluated many studies based on evidence from both trends over time and from different countries, which demonstrate that higher fuel costs dissuade motorists from using their vehicles. The majority of these studies are available publicly, and are too numerous to be placed in the Library. A review of these studies was compiled by Professor P. Goodwin and was published in the Journal of Transport and Economics and Policy (May 1992).

  In addition, the DETR published the National Road Traffic Forecasts Great Britain (1997) last October, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House. The

  331
  forecasting methodology takes account of the effect of motoring costs on vehicle use through a relationship based on data going back to 1950.

  Taxation
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will provide estimates of the amounts of(a) income tax, (b) NICs, (c) VAT, (d) other indirect taxes, (e) local taxes (i) paid by typical families in each year since 1995–96, and (ii) forecast to be paid in 1998–99 on a basis consistent with Table 13.7 of the Treasury Tax-Benefit Reference Manual; [35235]

  (2) if he will update to include the latest information from 1993–94 to 1998–99 the figures for the burden of direct and indirect taxation in the format used in the answer of 26 February 1996, Official Report, columns 339–51, taking into account (a) changes made in the 17 March Budget and (b) revisions to figures for earlier years, providing separate figures for (i) VAT, (ii) other indirect taxes and (iii) the council tax. [37885]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answers 23 March and 7 April 1998]The available information, which shows tax payments at multiples of median full-time earnings, is given in the table.

  Income Tax, National Insurance, Child Benefit and Family Credit/Working Families Tax Credit at multiples of median full-time earnings

  1998–99

  50%

  75%

  100%

  150%

  200%

  300%

  Single

  Gross income

  168.50

  252.75

  337.00

  505.50

  674.00

  1,011.00

  Income tax

  17.72

  37.10

  56.47

  95.23

  146.25

  281.05

  NICs

  11.73

  20.16

  28.58

  43.38

  43.38

  43.38

  Net income

  139.05

  195.50

  251.95

  366.89

  484.37

  686.57

  Percentage of earnings

  Income tax

  10.5

  14.7

  16.8

  18.8

  21.7

  27.8

  NICs

  7.0

  8.0

  8.5

  8.6

  6.4

  4.3

  Income tax and NICs

  17.5

  22.7

  25.3

  27.4

  28.1

  32.1

  Net income

  82.5

  77.3

  74.8

  72.6

  71.9

  67.9

  Married (no children)

  Gross income

  168.50

  252.75

  337.00

  505.50

  674.00

  1,011.00

  Income tax

  12.24

  31.62

  50.99

  89.75

  140.77

  275.57

  NICs

  11.73

  20.16

  28.58

  43.38

  43.38

  43.38

  Net income

  144.53

  200.98

  257.43

  372.37

  489.85

  692.05

  Percentage of earnings

  Income tax

  7.3

  12.5

  15.1

  17.8

  20.9

  27.3

  NICs

  7.0

  8.0

  8.5

  8.6

  6.4

  4.3

  Income tax and NICs

  14.3

  20.5

  23.6

  26.4

  27.3

  31.6

  Net income

  85.8

  79.5

  76.4

  73.7

  72.7

  68.5

  Married (2 children)

  Gross income

  168.50

  252.75

  337.00

  505.50

  674.00

  1,011.00

  Income tax

  -55.04

  3.86

  30.24

  69.00

  120.02

  254.82

  NICs

  11.73

  20.16

  28.58

  43.38

  43.38

  43.38

  Net income

  211.81

  228.74

  278.18

  393.12

  510.60

  712.80

  Percentage of earnings

  Income tax

  -25.7

  1.5

  9.0

  13.6

  17.8

  25.2

  NICs

  7.0

  8.0

  8.5

  8.6

  6.4

  4.3

  Income tax and NICs

  -18.7

  9.5

  17.5

  22.2

  24.2

  29.5

  Net income

  125.7

  90.5

  82.5

  77.8

  75.8

  70.5

  Married (2 earners, no children)

  Gross income

  168.50

  252.75

  337.00

  505.50

  674.00

  1,011.00

  Income tax

  0.00

  12.80

  30.82

  68.71

  107.47

  185.79

  NICs

  6.61

  15.04

  23.46

  40.31

  57.16

  78.70

  Net income

  161.89

  224.92

  282.72

  396.48

  509.37

  746.51

  332
  Changes which will take effect in 1999 will offer significant help to families, particularly low income families. A one earner couple with 2 children with half median earnings (£168.50 per week) will gain £18.68 a week from the introduction of the Working Families Tax Credit. No family with children with earnings less than £220 per week will pay income tax. Child benefit for the eldest child will be increased by £2.50, the largest real increase since 1978. And all employees earning more than the Lower Earnings Limit will gain £1.28 a week from the abolition of the NICs entry fee. Moreover figures in the table do not take account of the additional help with childcare available to working families through the childcare tax credit within the WFTC. A 2 earner couple on median earnings, with 2 children and childcare costs of £80 per week will gain £46 per week towards this cost. Further consideration is being given to whether the information provided is typical of families in the UK. Similarly, estimating the impact of indirect taxes is imprecise as spending patterns vary widely between households with the same composition and income. The level of council tax payments will also vary depending on where families live. Further consideration is being given to whether the conventions, assumptions and sampling methods can be improved in order to provide information which is meaningful and reliable.
  333

  Income Tax, National Insurance, Child Benefit and Family Credit/Working Families Tax Credit at multiples of median full-time earnings

  1998–99

  50%

  75%

  100%

  150%

  200%

  300%

  Percentage of earnings

  Income tax

  0.0

  5.1

  9.1

  13.6

  15.9

  18.4

  NICs

  3.9

  5.9

  7.0

  8.0

  8.5

  7.8

  Income tax and NICs

  3.9

  11.0

  16.1

  21.6

  24.4

  26.2

  Net income

  96.1

  89.0

  83.9

  78.4

  75.6

  73.8

  Including tax and benefit measures announced in the Budget and due to be introduced in 1999 (MCA at 10%, abolition of employee NI entry fee, introduction of WFTC, increase in Child Benefit)

  1998–99

  50%

  75%

  100%

  150%

  200%

  300%

  Single

  Gross income

  168.50

  252.75

  337.00

  505.50

  674.00

  1,011.00

  Income tax

  17.72

  37.10

  56.47

  95.23

  146.25

  281.05

  NICs

  10.45

  18.88

  27.30

  42.10

  42.10

  42.10

  Net income

  140.33

  196.78

  253.23

  368.17

  485.65

  687.85

  Percentage of earnings

  Income tax

  10.5

  14.7

  16.8

  18.8

  21.7

  27.8

  NICs

  6.2

  7.5

  8.1

  8.3

  6.2

  4.2

  Income tax and NICs

  16.7

  22.2

  24.9

  27.1

  27.9

  32.0

  Net income

  83.3

  77.9

  75.1

  72.8

  72.1

  68.0

  Married (no children)

  Gross income

  168.50

  252.75

  337.00

  505.50

  674.00

  1,011.00

  Income tax

  14.07

  33.44

  52.82

  91.58

  142.60

  277.40

  NICs

  10.45

  18.88

  27.30

  42.10

  42.10

  42.10

  Net income

  143.98

  200.43

  256.88

  371.82

  489.30

  691.50

  Percentage of earnings

  Income tax

  8.3

  13.2

  15.7

  18.1

  21.2

  27.4

  NICs

  6.2

  7.5

  8.1

  8.3

  6.2

  4.2

  Income tax and NICs

  14.5

  20.7

  23.8

  26.4

  27.4

  31.6

  Net income

  85.5

  79.3

  76.2

  73.6

  72.6

  68.4

  Married (2 children)

  Gross income

  168.50

  252.75

  337.00

  505.50

  674.00

  1,011.00

  Income tax

  -74.39

  -23.97

  26.45

  68.33

  119.35

  254.15

  NICs

  10.45

  18.88

  27.30

  42.10

  42.10

  42.10

  Net income

  232.44

  257.84

  283.25

  395.07

  512.55

  714.75

  Percentage of earnings

  Income tax

  -44.2

  -9.5

  7.8

  13.5

  17.7

  25.1

  NICs

  6.2

  7.5

  8.1

  8.3

  6.2

  4.2

  Income tax and NICs

  -38.0

  -2.0

  15.9

  21.8

  23.9

  29.3

  Net income

  137.9

  102.0

  84.1

  78.2

  76.0

  70.7

  Married (2 earners, no children)

  Gross income

  168.50

  252.75

  337.00

  505.50

  674.00

  1,011.00

  Income tax

  0.43

  14.63

  32.64

  70.54

  109.30

  187.62

  NICs

  4.05

  12.48

  20.90

  37.75

  54.60

  76.14

  Net income

  164.02

  225.65

  283.46

  397.21

  510.11

  747.24

  Percentage of earnings

  Income tax

  0.3

  5.8

  9.7

  14.0

  16.2

  18.6

  NICs

  2.4

  4.9

  6.2

  7.5

  8.1

  7.5

  Income tax and NICs

  2.7

  10.7

  15.9

  21.5

  24.3

  26.1

  Net income

  97.3

  89.3

  84.1

  78.6

  75.7

  73.9

  Notes:

  1. Income tax payments are calculated on the basis that the households receive no tax reliefs other than the standard allowances and have income only from employment. All earners including wives, are assumed to pay Class 1 national insurance contributions at the contracted-in rate.

  2. Earnings are taken to be the median gross weekly earnings of all full-time employees on adult rates with pay unaffected by absence. (Median earnings are more representative of the population as a whole than mean male full-time earnings). The level of earnings in 1998–9 is based on a stylised assumption in line with the actual outturn for earnings growth in the year to January 1998.

  3. A family with 2 children is assumed to have one child aged under 11 and the other between 11 and 15.

  4. In line with the convention in the Tax Benefit Reference Manual, child benefit is treated as negative income tax. Following the introduction of the Working Families Tax Credit, Family Credit, although it is not part of the tax system, has been treated in the same way so as to provide comparability with the tax system following the introduction of the WFTC.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he expects to answer the question from the hon. Member for Gordon of 23 March 1998 (35235) on taxation paid by typical families; [40425]

  (2) when he expects to answer the questions from the hon. Member for Gordon of 7 April 1998 on (a) the costs of resolving the millennium bug problem in the National Health Service (37992) and (b) the burden of taxation (37885); what factors underlie the delay in answering; and if he will make a statement. [40426]

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  Question 37992 about the millennium bug problem in the National Health Service was addressed to the Secretary of State for Health, not to me. Questions 35235 and 37885 have been answered today.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to answer the question from the hon. Member for Gordon of 23 January 1998 (24778) on receptions held at 11 Downing Street, what factors underlie the delay in answering; and if he will make a statement. [40424]

  Mrs. Liddell
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor did so on 26 February 1998,Official Report, columns 358–59.

  Credit Unions
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review existing arrangements for those saving via credit unions. [40400]

  Mrs. Liddell
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Mr. Love) on 20 March 1998,Official Report, columns 743–44.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 8 April 1998, Official Report, column 243, if he will estimate the number of employees in respect of whom employers will pay higher NICs as a result of the measures announced in his recent Budget. [39242]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 20 April 1998]From April 1999, employers will no longer pay NICs in respect of up to one million employees earning between £64 and £81 a week. Employers will also pay lower NICs in respect of approximately twelve million employees earning between £81 and £450 a week (broadly, male average earnings). Employer NICs will increase in respect of approximately seven million employees. The majority of these employees will be earning more than average male earnings.

  Electronic Version Return System
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what indemnity is offered to consumers for errors in tax status as a result of using the EVR system. [39927]
  336
  Dawn Primarolo
  The Electronic Version of the Tax Return (EVR) has the same status as a conventional paper Return and carries with it no indemnities for error in completion. The taxpayer is required to sign the same declaration on the EVR as on Paper returns.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future development of the EVR system. [39925]

  Dawn Primarolo
  There are no immediate plans to develop the EVR system further. The Inland Revenue is looking at possible options and will consult appropriately when it is in a position to make proposals.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many copies of EVR have been issued to taxpayers since its launch; and how many have been used. [39924]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Just over 120,000 copies of the EVR have been issued to taxpayers since its launch. For the tax year 1996–97 around 70,000 copies were issued and at least 28,000 were used to file a tax return. For the 1997–98 tax year just over 50,000 copies of the EVR have been issued to date.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the profit made by Her Majesty's Treasury following sales of EVR. [39926]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The EVR pack is not sold but is freely available to any taxpayer who requests it. There is therefore no profit attached to provision of the EVR.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the amount spent by the Inland Revenue on developing and marketing the electronic version of the return EVR system. [39922]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The amount spent by the Inland Revenue on project managing, prototyping, developing and testing the electronic version of the return was £600,000. There were no marketing costs as the EVR is offered to individual taxpayers only as an alternative to the paper return.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what payments(a) Her Majesty's Treasury and (b) the Inland Revenue have made over the last two years to EDS for the development of the EVR system. [39923]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Inland Revenue, a Department of Her Majesty's Treasury, has paid £201,000 to EDS for the IT development of the EVR system.

  Married Couples Allowance
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what amount the real value of the over 65 married couples allowance will have changed between 1990–91 and(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000 taking account of the reduction in the rate at which the allowance is given and assuming that the allowance is increased in 1999–2000 in line with inflation and that it is increased to protect its real value to pensioners, when the rate at which the allowance is given is reduced. [40161]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The information is given in the tables. These compare the level of the 1990–91 revalorised married couple's allowance against the actual
  337
  level in 1998–99 and 1999–2000. It is assumed that allowances in 1999–2000 are indexed in line with an illustrative assumption of 3¼ per cent. given in the Financial Statement and Budget Report, March 1998.

  Married couple's allowance (aged 65–74)

  £

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  1990–91 revalorised level

  2,885

  2,985

  Actual level

  3,305

  5,135

  £

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  1990–91 revalorised value1

  Lower rate taxpayer

  577

  597

  Basic rate taxpayer

  664

  687

  Higher rate taxpayer

  1,154

  1,194

  Actual value2

  496

  513

  Reduction in value

  Lower rate taxpayer

  81

  84

  Basic rate taxpayer

  168

  174

  Higher rate taxpayer

  658

  681

  1MCA given at marginal rates.

  2MCA given at 15 per cent. in 1998–99 and 10 per cent. in 1999–2000.

  Married couple's allowance (aged 75 and over)

  £

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  1990–91 revalorised level

  2,935

  3,035

  Actual level

  3,345

  5,195

  £

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  1990–91 revalorised value1

  Lower rate taxpayer

  587

  607

  Basic rate taxpayer

  675

  698

  Higher rate taxpayer

  1,174

  1,214

  Actual value2

  502

  519

  Reduction in value

  Lower rate taxpayer

  85

  88

  Basic rate taxpayer

  173

  179

  Higher rate taxpayer

  672

  695

  1MCA given at marginal rates.

  2MCA given at 15 per cent. in 1998–99 and 10 per cent. in 1999–2000.

  VAT (Sporting Facilities)
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how much revenue would be raised in (i) 1998–99, (ii) 1999–2000, (iii) 2000–01, (iv) 2001–02, and (v) 2002–03, if the supply of sporting facilities was subject to VAT liability at 17.5 per cent. [40159]

  Dawn Primarolo
  If VAT were to be charged at 17.5 per cent. on the supply of sporting facilities by non-profit making organisations, the estimated annual revenue yield would be some £40 million.

  Beer Brewing Industry
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the methodology and structure of the model used by Oxford Economic Forecasting to study the implications of different levels of duty for the beer brewing industry. [40086]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Officials from Customs and Excise and HM Treasury have met Oxford Economic Forecasting to discuss their work on forecasting the impact on the economy of a cut in beer duty. We do not believe that this work demonstrates that cutting beer duty would provide a sustainable benefit to the economy.

  Oil and Gas Revenue
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the net annual income obtained by the Treasury from the extraction of oil and gas in the North Sea in the last year for which figures are available. [39990]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Government revenues from North Sea oil and gas were £3.4 billion in 1997–98.

  Inheritance Tax (Access Agreements)
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the location of and access arrangements for items within Derbyshire in respect of which owners have been granted exemption from inheritance tax on condition of reasonable access being given to the public. [39698]

  Mr. Laxton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the location and access arrangements of sites in Derbyshire where owners have been granted exemption from inheritance tax on condition that reasonable public access is given to the land. [39959]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Details of conditionally exempt works of art and other objects to which public access is by appointment only, including those in Derbyshire, are listed in the Inland Revenue's Register.

  The computerised Register is available on the Internet at www.cto.eds.co.uk. The Register may also be consulted at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, and the Ulster Museum, Belfast.

  The statutory rules on taxpayer confidentiality prevent me from providing the requested information about other conditionally exempt assets.

  Milk Development Council
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Milk Development Council will be exempt from corporation tax. [40103]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I cannot disclose details of anybody's tax position. However, I understand from its Annual Report that the Milk Development Council regards itself as a scientific research association. Whether an organisation qualifies as a scientific research association and is therefore eligible for tax relief under section 508, Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988, is decided by the Department of Trade and Industry. They are reviewing their criteria for this status.

  Migration
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people(a) emigrated from and (b) immigrated into the United Kingdom in each of the past 10 years. [40597]

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

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Andrew George, dated 5 May 1998:
  As Director of the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about estimates of international migration into and out of the United Kingdom.
  The information requested is shown below:

  Overall international migration: 1987 to 1996

  Thousands

  Inflow to UK

  Outflow from UK

  1987

  257.4

  227.3

  1988

  273.4

  255.5

  1989

  314.3

  223.4

  1990

  340.2

  251.9

  1991

  337.0

  263.7

  1992

  286.6

  251.5

  1993

  272.2

  236.8

  1994

  321.4

  212.6

  1995

  320.7

  212.0

  1996

  331.4

  238.4

  The estimates in the table are derived from data on migration intentions obtained from the International Passenger Survey, from information on migration to and from the Irish Republic obtained from the National Health Service Central Register and the Irish Labour Force Survey, and from data on short-term visitors who were granted an extension of stay obtained from the Home Office.

  International Debt
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt was owed to the Department for International Development by each individual debtor country at 31 December 1997. [39668]

  Clare Short
  I have been asked to reply.

  At 31 December 1997 a total of £160,777,000 was outstanding to my Department in the form of loans agreed under bilateral arrangements.

  The following list shows the individual amounts due to be repaid.

  Total bilateral debt outstanding at 31 December 1997

  Country

  £

  Brazil

  2,569,000

  Cameroon

  67,000

  Cayman Islands

  265,000

  Colombia

  222,000

  Costa Rica

  1,434,000

  Cyprus

  161,000

  Ecuador

  12,421,000

  Falkland Islands

  7,000

  Gibraltar

  185,000

  India

  13,643,000

  Jamaica1

  47,347,000

  Laos

  4,000

  Liberia

  78,000

  340

  Total bilateral debt outstanding at 31 December 1997

  Country

  £

  Malaysia

  3,814,000

  Nigeria

  4,929,000

  Paraguay

  2,109,000

  Philippines

  3,459,000

  Seychelles

  7,580,000

  Solomon Islands

  3,833,000

  St. Kitts

  3,023,000

  St. Vincent

  3,552,000

  Swaziland

  2,247,000

  Turkey

  34,318,000

  Zimbabwe

  13,510,000

  Total

  166,777,000

  1Subject to review in April 1999

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Western Sahara
  Ms Kingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government during their presidency of the EU to support the United Nations peace plan for Western Sahara. [39950]

  Mr. Fatchett
  At every available opportunity we continue to urge Morocco and Polisario, and to a lesser extent Mauritania and Algeria, to co-operate with MINURSO. We are in regular contact with the Moroccan Embassy and Polisario office in London and with the Moroccan Government in Rabat.

  We believe our role, and that of the EU, should be to support the work of the United Nations, where our seat on the Security Council, and our position as co-ordinators of the Friends of Western Sahara Group, enabled us to play a central role in the negotiations over the extension of MINURSO's mandate to 20 July.

  I held talks with the new UN Special Representative to the Western Sahara, Mr. Charles Dunbar when he visited London on 19 February on his way to the territory. I underlined our continued support for the Secretary General, Mr. Baker, and Mr. Dunbar, and our readiness to assist.

  We were instrumental in altering EU policy on visits to the Western Sahara so that Ambassadors and senior officials can visit the territory, whereas beforehand visits had been restricted to junior staff.

  Foreign Office officials visited Laayoune in January and March. As well as bringing us up to speed on developments and establishing an important visible presence, they were able to support MINURSO on the spot and provide a full report for the EU on developments there.

  Officials propose visiting Tindouf, Algeria, in June, as part of our next visit to the territory. Our Ambassador to Rabat is in northern Mauritania at the present time.

  Visits (Universities)
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 26 March 1998,Official Report, column 238, what factors

  341
  underlay the selection of universities his Department's officials will visit; and what plans his Department's officials have to visit Exeter University. [40203]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  Our aim is to visit each university every 4–5 years. In addition we are paying particular attention to:

  former polytechnics

  good source of minority ethnic students according to the Windsor Fellowship

  high proportion of female students

  good hard language department

  leading university in the field of EU studies (included from 1997).

  Exeter university was last visited in 1993 and will be targeted for either a careers fair or careers presentation this autumn.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Alasdair Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the minutes of the discussions between Her Majesty's Government and the Governments of the USA and Georgia concerning the forthcoming shipments of radioactive material from Georgia to the United Kingdom. [39900]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]: In July 1997 US officials approached the UK and France, via our respective Embassies in Washington, to ask whether we would consider accepting approximately 5kg of fresh and spent highly enriched uranium fuel from Tbilisi, Georgia. The US also provided written details of the fuel. The proposal was subsequently considered by UK Ministers and officials. In early February 1998 the UK informed the US that we had decided to accept the material. After the decision to accept the fuel had been made, UK and US officials met to discuss how best to arrange to transport the fuel to the UK safely, securely and in conformity with national and international requirements. No official minutes were taken at that meeting.

  No discussions were held between the UK and Georgian Governments prior to UK agreement. The British Embassy in Tbilisi informed the Georgian Government of our decision on 2 March.

  Papers relating to this transfer will be laid in the House shortly, in line with the commitment made by the Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson) on 22 April 1998, Official Report, columns 821–27.

  Regional and Minority Languages
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Dafis) of 9 March 1998,Official Report, column 56, when he expects to announce the United Kingdom's signing of the Council of Europe Charter on Regional or Minority Languages. [40600]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The relevant Government Departments are continuing to take the question forward and an announcement will be made regarding UK signature and ratification of the Charter in due course.

  Treaty of Rome
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement identifying the types of derogation from the Treaty of Rome, as amended, that are without time limit. [40479]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  There are a number of Articles in the Treaty of Rome which allow Member States to derogate from the normal application of Community law rules. Examples are Articles 36, 55, 56, 222 and 223.

  Derogations may also be found in the protocols to the Treaty, for example the protocols which permit the UK and Denmark not to move to the third stage of economic and monetary union.

  Unlike transitional provisions which give newly acceded Member States certain derogations of limited duration, these derogations are not time limited in their application.

  Child Labour (Pakistan)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet the Pakistani High Commissioner to discuss the issue of bonded child labour in Pakistan. [40438]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Neither my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary nor have I immediate plans to meet the Pakistan High Commissioner. Pakistan law prohibits bonded labour. We raise the issue with the Pakistan authorities both bilaterally and with EU partners. We shall continue to urge them to implement the legislation fully.

  Sudan
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Sudanese Government to ensure that food aid can be delivered rapidly to the areas affected by famine. [40460]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Through our Ambassador in Khartoum we have urged the Government of Sudan (GoS) to facilitate the rapid delivery of aid to the areas affected by famine. We welcome the GoS decision to resume aid flights to Bahr El Ghazal and will be pressing them to agree to requests by the UN for increases in the daily aid flights.

  Kenny Richey
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United States Government on behalf of Kenny Richey, a British citizen currently sentenced to death in the State of Ohio. [40401]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  We have been aware of Mr. Richey's case since 1990 and are watching developments closely (though this is not always easy because Mr. Richey is not a British citizen and because of the strict privacy laws in the United States). As Mr. Richey's case is under appeal, we are not intervening directly with the US authorities at this stage, but we shall keep this under review.

  Iraq
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the
  343
  conditions contained in United Nations Security Council resolutions which require to be fulfilled before sanctions on Iraq can properly be lifted. [40427]

  Mr. Fatchett
  United Nations Security Council resolution 687 provides that the Security Council will consider lifting the sanctions imposed on Iraq"in the light of the policies and practices of the Government of Iraq, including the implementation of all relevant resolutions of the Security Council".

  These of course include resolution 687 itself which imposed obligations on Iraq with regard to the elimination under international supervision of weapons of mass destruction.

  Broadcasting Expenditure
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's estimated expenditure on(a) radio programming, (b) television and (c) British Satellite News, for the current financial year; and what were the figures for each service over the last three years. [40428]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Total expenditure on(a) radio programming, (b) television and (c) British Satellite News (BSN) for the current financial year and last three years is as follows:

  £

  1998–99 budget

  1997–98 outturn

  1996–97 outturn

  1995–96 outturn

  Radio

  1,644,000

  1,475,338

  1,245,544

  1,343,000

  Television

  997,637

  1,512,719

  1,289,864

  1,844,883

  BSN

  2,102,000

  2,322,187

  2,257,477

  2,147,546

  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's future spending plans for international broadcasting; and if he will make a statement. [40429]

  Mr. Fatchett
  We are examining with the Treasury how we deploy all our resources, including those dedicated to the World Service, as part of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review.

  Court of Human Rights
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what instructions his Department gave to Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Council of Europe to inform the British Parliamentary Delegation to the Council of Europe of the advantages of a particular candidate for the post of British candidate for the Court of Human Rights; [40578]

  (2) if he will make a statement on the procedures followed by his Department in choosing the British candidate for the Court of Human Rights indicating (a) the criteria determining the selection of candidates, (b) the means by which the shortlist was made, (c) the number of candidates interviewed before the final selection was made and (d) those officials, departments and ministers involved in the selection; [40584]
  344
  (3) for what reasons Her Majesty's Government prioritise their candidates in order of preference for the position of British judge in the Court of Human Rights; [40579]

  (4) for what reasons his Department did not accept the recommendations of the Kirkhill Sub-Committee of the Committee of Legal Affairs of the Council of Europe on the most suitable British candidate for the Court of Human Rights; [40583]

  (5) from which (a) countries and (b) individuals his Department received requests for advice on whom to vote for among the British candidates for the post of judge for the Court of Human Rights; [40585]

  (6) if he will list those members of the Council of Europe who prioritised their order of preferences for candidate judges for the Court of Human Rights; [40582]

  (7) whether, following the recommendation of the Kirkhill Sub-Committee of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe on the Sub-Committee's preferred candidate, his Department made any approaches to the Chairman or other members of the Committee or the Secretariat as to the Sub-Committee's recommendation; [40586]

  (8) which ministers and officials were responsible for (a) choosing the British candidates for the Court of Human Rights and (b) determining the order of preferences of the candidates; [40611]

  (9) what response officials in his Department gave to inquiries from (a) foreign nationals and (b) others seeking advice on whom to vote for in the election for the British judge in the Court of Human Rights. [40580]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  This Department, in collaboration with the Lord Chancellor's Department (LCD) and the Home Office, drafted a set of objective criteria for the selection of candidates for the European Court of Human Rights. These criteria incorporated the requirements for election as a judge set out in Protocol 11 to the European Convention on Human Rights, and included in addition the criteria applied by the LCD for the selection of circuit judges. The criteria were used for the selection of candidates by the assessment and interview panel established for the selection process. They were also made available to candidates.

  The assessment and interview panel consisted of two judicial members (Lord Justice Simon Brown and the Lord President Lord Rodger of Earlsferry), two legally qualified Government officials (Sir Thomas Legg, then Permanent Secretary at the LCD, and Sir Franklin Berman, FCO Legal Adviser) and a lay member (Ms Joanna Foster, Director of the BT Forum and former Chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission).

  Following advertisement of the position in the national and legal press, the panel met to consider which of the candidates to invite to interview. Of the 33 candidates identified, the panel interviewed five. The panel proposed three candidates to my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor in a specific order of preference, while making it clear that each of the three was a highly creditable candidate. My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor sought and received formal agreement to these candidates from me. This correspondence was copied for information to my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, the

  345
  Attorney-General and the Chancellor of the Exchequer and my noble Friends the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor-General. The selection procedure for the three UK candidate judges was a model process which, as far as we are aware, went beyond procedures in other Council of Europe countries for transparency and thoroughness.

  We decided to submit the names of the three candidates in the order of preference recommended by the panel because it believed that the rigorous national selection process had identified a clear order of suitability in respect of the three candidates. We believed it was right to reflect the results of this process in submitting the candidate list to Strasbourg. There are no rules, procedures or understandings in Strasbourg to prevent this, and 29 of the 39 states parties to the Convention submitted candidate lists, explicitly or implicitly, in order of preference.

  We considered it important to discuss these matters with the UK Parliamentary Delegation to the Council of Europe. I met the leader of the UK Parliamentary Delegation in December to discuss the list before it was sent to Strasbourg.

  We were not required to take a position on the recommendations of the Council of Europe Sub-Committee chaired by my noble Friend Lord Kirkhill, which made recommendations on the appointment of judges to the Parliamentary Assembly. Officials did however make unambiguously clear to the Council of Europe Secretariat and others outside the Parliamentary Assembly that the Government, considering the comprehensive national selection process they had undertaken, believed that the order in which the list of candidates had originally been submitted to the Committee of Ministers' Deputies in Strasbourg best represented the relative suitability of the three candidates for the post, particularly with regard to their potential contribution to the new Court.

  Officials had no contact with any individual seeking advice on how to vote in the election of the British judge. Following Protocol 11, we took the view that the election was strictly for the Parliamentary Assembly and, accordingly, neither spoke to nor lobbied any member of the Assembly about the election. Nor did the Government lobby the Chairman or members of the Sub-Committee.

  British Government officials were in touch with a number of officials in other member states of the Council of Europe, and officials in the Council of Europe Secretariat, as they are on a regular basis. UK officials also had contact with members of non-governmental organisations in the UK.

  Officials made it clear that we continued to support the candidates in the order it had been proposed, for the reasons set out in this response, but that the final selection process was entirely a matter for the Parliamentary Assembly. The UK Permanent Representative in Strasbourg took this line with members of the UK Parliamentary Delegation when the issue was raised during a meeting in Strasbourg on 20 April.

  From the large number of votes received by our first candidate, Nicolas Bratza QC, who since 1993 has been the British member of the European Commission of Human Rights, it is clear that our opinion was widely shared in the Assembly. We welcome his appointment and
  346
  wish him and his colleagues well in establishing procedures for the new Protocol 11 Court, which will be the central instrument in guaranteeing human rights in Europe.

  I will write separately to my hon. Friend with the details of the states parties that submitted their candidate lists in order of preference. A copy of the letter will be deposited in the Library of the House.

  Cuba
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's relations with Cuba. [40538]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  We have normal diplomatic relations with Cuba and support normal trade relations in civil goods and services. The EU' s Common Position on Cuba, binding on all Member States, enshrines the principle that constructive dialogue and co-operation, not isolation, is the best way to promote change to a pluralist democracy, and encourage respect for human rights, in Cuba.

  UK firms are encouraged to exploit the growing civil market opportunities which arise as Cuba undergoes a process of economic liberalisation. We have opened a dialogue with the Cuban Government on the issue of outstanding debt to ECGD and UK firms.

HEALTH

  Asthma
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported cases of child asthma there have been by area health authority, in each of the last five years. [40402]

  Ms Jowell
  The information for in-patient treatment for children aged 16 years or under is contained in tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library. They are based on finished consultant episodes, which represent the number of episodes of care under individual consultants. The same child may be counted more than once if they have more than one episode of care.

  There are no comprehensive data on the number of children with asthma. On the basis of all the information available, it has been estimated that
  "the prevalence of asthma sufficiently severe to require regular medical supervision is from 4–6 per cent. in children."

  This estimate is quoted in "Asthma: An Epidemiological Overview" (Central Health Monitoring Unit, 1995), which brought together a broad range of the best statistics on asthma. Copies are available in the Library.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the cost to the Health Service of treating asthma(a) nationally and (b) in London in (a) 1994–95, (b) 1995–96, (c) 1996–97 and (d) 1997–98. [40155]

  Ms Jowell
  The available information about the cost of prescriptions for asthma in the community is shown in the table. Information on the other costs to the National Health Service is not available centrally for individual conditions. However, a discussion document "Burdens of
  347
  Disease" was issued in October 1996 which illustrated one approach to estimating the burdens of particular diseases on the NHS. This suggests that in 1992/3 the total cost of other, non-prescribing costs of the NHS services for treating asthma was of the order of £150 million.

  Net ingredient cost of prescriptions dispensed in the community in England and London for asthma medication, 1994 to 1996

  £ million

  Year

  England

  London

  1994

  378.9

  45.2

  1995

  410.9

  49.0

  1996

  437.5

  51.4

  Notes:

  1. The data cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. The information was obtained from the Prescription Cost Analysis system for drugs used in the treatment of asthma contained in British National Formulary sections 3.1 (bronchodilators), 3.2 (corticosteroids) and 3.3 (Cromoglycate and related therapy). Some of the drugs may be used for the treatment of other conditions.

  2. The net ingredient cost refers to the cost of the drug before discounts and does not include any dispensing costs or fees. It does not include any adjustment for income obtained where a prescription charge is paid at the time the prescription is dispensed or where the patient has purchased a pre-payment certificate.

  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of nv-CJD have occurred in families which have a history of CJD. [40765]

  Ms Jowell
  None of the cases of new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (nvCJD) confirmed by the National CJD Surveillance Unit to date has occurred in families which have a history of CJD.

  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many victims of nv-CJD died in the first quarter of 1996. [40766]

  Ms Jowell: Five of the cases of new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (nvCJD) so far confirmed by the National CJD Surveillance Unit died in the first quarter of 1996.

  Hospital Waiting Times
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) upon what regularly published data series he relied in making his announcement on 1 April with regard to NHS patients waiting longer than 18 months for surgery; [40461]

  (2) how many patients were waiting 18 months or longer for surgery in the NHS on (a) 19 February and (b) 1 April. [40462]

  Mr. Milburn
  Information on the numbers of patients awaiting admission to hospital, whether it be for surgery or some other form of treatment, and how long they had been waiting is published quarterly and shows the position at the end of the quarter. Figures showing the position on 19 February and 1 April are not therefore available. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State based his announcement about the number of patients waiting longer than 18 months on 31 March on management 348
  intelligence obtained from health authorities and trusts as a special exercise. Detailed provisional figures for 31 March will be published later this month.

  Antibiotic Resistance
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of recent reports on the risks of human beings dying as a result of the development of antibiotic resistance. [40376]

  Ms Jowell
  Antibiotic resistance can complicate the treatment of some frail patients in hospital and can occasionally be life threatening. In any individual patient, it is usually very difficult to assess the contribution of antibiotic resistance on the outcome of an infection, since many of them are seriously ill from other conditions.

  Such resistance is, to some extent, an inevitable result of antibiotic use. Nevertheless, the increasing prevalence of resistant strains is something we are taking very seriously indeed. That is why we have set in hand a number of initiatives to tackle the problem of resistance, including a review of the clinical use of antibiotics and their use in the food chain.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made on the impact on the health of the population of the use of antibiotics by farmers to promote the growth of animals. [39947]

  Ms Jowell
  A working group of the independent expert Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food has been carrying out an in-depth review of the issue of antibiotic resistance in the food chain and hopes to report later this year. Views have been sought from a wide range of organisations to assist the working group in its deliberations.

  Continence Services
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what budget has been allocated to continence care in real terms in each year since 1990–91 in the South and West Devon health authority area. [40761]

  Mr. Milburn
  The budget allocated to continence care in real terms in each year since 1990–91 in the South and West Devon Health Authority area is as follows. Figures are at 1997/98 outturn price levels.

  Year

  £

  1990–91

  430,000

  1991–92

  430,000

  1992–93

  430,000

  1993–94

  430,000

  1994–95

  1830,000

  1The large increase in 1994/95 is explained by the clarification of obligations by health authorities to fund continence care in nursing homes.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the NHS plans to issue national guidance on the treatment of incontinence. [40190]

  Mr. Milburn
  The National Health Service Executive will conduct a review of continence policy to ensure that the most appropriate and effective continence services are
  349
  being planned and delivered. The aim will be to issue further guidance on continence services based on the conclusions of the review once it has been completed.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of funding his Department has given to voluntary organisations providing support for incontinent people in each year since 1990–91. [40191]

  Mr. Milburn
  The Department runs a scheme whereby voluntary organisations operating in the health and personal social services field can apply for grants under Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968. The following amounts have been paid under this scheme:

  Year

  £

  1990–91

  10,000

  1991–92

  nil

  1992–93

  56,250

  1993–94

  197,572

  1994–95

  164,559

  1995–96

  197,593

  1996–97

  182,492

  1997–98

  56,000

  1998–99

  54,750

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has undertaken into the number of incontinent people in the UK seeking advice and products outside the NHS. [40192]

  Mr. Milburn
  The Department has not conducted any research into this specific area. However there have been four recent research studies on continence.

  The Department commissioned the Social Policy Research Unit of York University to research and produce a report on 'The Role of the Continence Advisers in England and Wales'. This was published in January 1994 and distributed to all health authorities, National Health Service trusts and continence advisers.

  Three other research projects on incontinence have recently reported:
  a feasibility study on costs, quality and effectiveness of continence services (Social Policy Research Unit, University of York);
  the development of methodologies to identify urinary incontinence and set targets for health gain (Health and Community Care Research Unit, University of Liverpool);
  evaluation of Health Interventions by Continence Services and Primary Health Care Teams on Patient Outcomes Related to Incontinence (Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Oxford).

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds have been allocated to improved continence services from the winter funding budget, following his Department's press release of 14 October 1997. [40193]

  Mr. Milburn
  An additional £159 million was allocated to health authorities in England in October 1997 to help ease pressures on the health and social care system during the winter period. This money funded some 1,500 schemes, many of which involved continence services and other services in the community.

  Prescription Charges
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons Parkinson's Disease is not included in the list of medical conditions exempted from prescription charges. [26198]

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to review the pre-payment certificate scheme for prescription charges in respect of those suffering chronic illness on low incomes; [40180]

  (2) if he will make the prescription charge exemption scheme for patients with chronic illnesses available to those who suffer from acute rheumatic arthritis; [40178]

  (3) if he will list the criteria for access to the prescription charge exemption scheme for long-term illness; and when he next expects to review the types of illnesses which qualify for exemption. [40179]

  Mr. Milburn
  The list of medical conditions exempt from prescription charges was agreed in 1968 following extensive discussions with the medical profession. These resulted in a limited list of readily identifiable, permanent, life-long conditions all of which require regular medication.

  All aspects of prescription charges are being examined as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review which will report in the summer. The review in the Department of Health is being undertaken in the context of our manifesto commitment:
  "if you are ill or injured there will be a national health service there to help; and access to it will be based on need and need alone—not on your ability to pay, or on who your general practitioner happens to be or on where you live".

  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make diagnosed Sjogren's Syndrome sufferers eligible for free dental and prescription costs. [40355]

  Mr. Milburn
  All aspects of prescription and dental charges are being examined as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, which will report in the summer. The Review in the Department is being undertaken in the context of our manifesto commitment:"if you are ill or injured there will be a national health service there to help; and access to it will be based on need and need alone—not on your ability to pay, or on who your general practitioner happens to be or on where you live".

  Respite Services
  Mr. John Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to health authorities and community healthcare trusts following the LU Bournewood Community and Mental Health Trust judgment to prevent the sudden withdrawal of respite services to adults with severe learning difficulties without alternative provision being in place; and if he will make a statement. [40014]

  Mr. Boateng
  General guidance about the implications of the Court of Appeal judgment has been issued by the Department and by the Mental Health Act Commission. The note issued by the Commission includes discussion of the arrangements for provision of respite care for patients who lack capacity but the implications of the judgment for this group of patients are not clear and trusts
  351
  are therefore advised to seek formal legal advice. This is one of the issues that will be raised in the appeal to the House of Lords which is due to be heard in early June.

  It is for health authorities and trusts to decide locally what action they should take and whether there is a need to alter existing arrangements for respite care. I expect National Health Service managers to make every effort to ensure that any changes are implemented with minimum disruption to patients and their carers.

  Cannabis
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the meeting held on 10 March between the Chief Medical Officer and departmental officials and the BMA called to discuss the report on the therapeutic uses of cannabis. [40008]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Chief Medical Officer met British Medical Association representatives to discuss future action on the BMA report "Therapeutic Uses of Cannabis" on 10 March. There was agreement on the importance of encouraging research on cannabinoids because of the potential benefits for people with multiple sclerosis and those with chronic pain, especially during terminal care. Research could take place within existing legislation and the Chief Medical Officer confirmed that the Home Office and Medicines Control Agency are prepared to look sympathetically at bona fide research proposals.

  Residential Care
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by local authority the number of local authority residential homes for the elderly(a) in 1992 and (b) at the latest available date; and if he will make a statement. [40007]

  Mr. Boateng
  Copies of a table giving the information requested have been placed in the Library.

  The independent sector has flourished during the period. Local authorities need to ensure in commissioning services, whether from the public or independent sector, that users' needs are considered, and that good quality, cost effective services are provided.

  Myasthenia Gravis
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the improvements in the purity of Pyridostigmine Bromide have resulted in improved resolutions in the medical treatment of myasthenia gravis. [40109]

  Ms Jowell
  Pyridostigmine bromide is a well established treatment for the management of myasthenia gravis. The European Pharmacopoeia specification has recently changed (with effect from 1 January 1998) and tighter and more detailed limits for impurities have been set. However, there is no reason to suppose that this would result in any improvement in the treatment of myasthenia gravis and the Medicines Control Agency has received no evidence on the effect of these improvements in the purity of pyridostigmine bromide.

  Public Health
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the 352
  impact of an increase in the price of Britain's sports facilities on the efficacy of advice given to take regular exercise. [40160]

  Ms Jowell
  The Department's advice on the benefits of physical activity does not depend on the use of special sports facilities. The main thrust of the Active for Life campaign, which is administered by the Health Education Authority, is that significant health benefits accrue from simple regular physical activity, such as walking and cycling. These activities can be built into people's normal routines and, therefore, do not require the use of special facilities.

  Accident and Emergency Units
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria determine the level of provision of accident and emergency units in a given area. [40466]

  Mr. Boateng
  Health authorities and National Health Service trusts should provide an accident and emergency service which meets the needs of local people. The number and size of accident and emergency departments will therefore vary according to local circumstances.

  There is evidence that seriously ill and injured patients do better in larger departments where a high proportion of care is offered by consultant staff, with access to back-up from a range of specialist departments.

  In order to help inform local decisions the Department published in January 1997 a review of accident and emergency departments as part of the Health Care Needs Assessment series. In addition in May 1995 the Department published the "Review of Literature on Accident and Emergency Departments and Clinical Outcomes". Copies are available in the Library.

  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have died from contracting MRSA in hospital in the last 10 years. [40177]

  Ms Jowell
  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection can take the form of many different diseases from trivial skin infections to pneumonia or septicaemia. Often the causative micro-organism is not specified on the death certificate. MRSA does not have a distinct code within the revision of the International Classification of Diseases used for encoding death registration data at the Office for National Statistics. Consequently there are no centrally held statistics on deaths from this cause.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to fund research into methods of controlling the spread of MRSA in hospitals. [40175]

  Ms Jowell
  We are considering, with the Medical Research Council and others, the need for any new research in this area and in the whole area of antimicrobial resistance, including taking account of the recommendations of the recent report of the House of Lords Committee on Science and Technology into antibiotic resistance.
  353
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of MRSA there have been in eazch of the last 10 years. [40309]

  Ms Jowell
  Information on the total number of cases of infection or colonisation with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is not collected centrally.

  National epidemiological data on MRSA are compiled by the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) rather than centrally by the Department, from isolates submitted voluntarily by hospitals in England and Wales for specialist microbiological tests. From these data the number of incidents of MRSA—three or more patients infected or colonised by the same strain of MRSA in a month from the same hospital—is recorded. A table showing the number of incidents for the years 1992–1997 is given. Data before 1992 are not available.

  Year

  Number of incidents

  1992

  342

  1993

  544

  1994

  1,064

  1995

  1,616

  1996

  2,107

  1997

  11,136

  1Data for first six months only.

  The Department is currently discussing with the PHLS ways of improving surveillance systems to provide more complete data on MRSA.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to control the spread of MRSA in hospitals. [40176]

  Ms Jowell
  All hospitals have specialist infection control teams whose function is to advise on the precautions necessary to prevent the spread of infection in the individual circumstances of each hospital and according to the type of patient. The 1998/99 Priorities and Planning Guidance makes it clear that the obligations which health authorities have for communicable disease control in relation to the protection of the public health, must be fulfilled, (EL(97)39).

  Copies of current Departmental guidance to the National Health Service on the control of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and on hospital infection control, (EL(94)74,HSG(95)10) have been placed in the Library. The Department has worked closely with professional organisations on the preparation of new guidelines to the NHS on the control of MRSA, which are scheduled for issue later this year.

  Infant Formula
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines his Department has issued or intends to issue on the written information that can be made available by manufacturers on infant formula. [40312]

  Ms Jowell
  We aim to issue guidelines on donations of materials and of equipment for information and education relating to infant formula later this year.

  Rural General Practitioners
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the costs of the dispensing of medicines by rural GP practices in the last year for which figures are available. [40317]

  Mr. Milburn
  Information on the dispensing costs by rural general practitioner practices only is not available. However, the costs associated with prescriptions dispensed by doctors in England in 1997–98 are shown in the table. This includes items administered personally such as influenza vaccines as well as items dispensed by dispensing general practitioners.

  Payments made for prescriptions dispensed by doctors, 1997–98 England

  £ million

  1997–98

  Basic price

  291.4

  Discount

  26.9

  On cost allowance

  30.6

  Percentage addition to basic price

  —

  Fees

  32.8

  Container allowance

  1.3

  Total payment oxygen

  0.1

  VAT

  38.3

  Total cost

  367.6

  Notes:

  1. Information obtained from the Prescription Pricing Authority form PD1(A)DD.

  2. The information relates to prescriptions dispensed in the periods February to January, most of which are paid in the periods April to March.

  3. The information includes items personally administered by dispensing doctors.

  Community Hospitals
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 30 March 1998,Official Report, column 431, if he will now announce his decision on the proposals for service changes put forward by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Health Authority. [40421]

  Mr. Milburn
  The importance of this issue to local people is recognised, and it requires careful consideration. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be making a decision at the earliest opportunity on the proposals for service changes put forward by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Health Authority.

  Medical Devices Agency
  Mr. Caplin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the key targets for 1998–99 for the Medical Devices Agency. [40926]

  Ms Jowell
  We have agreed the Agency's key targets for 1998–99, and placed copies in the Library.

  Multiple Sclerosis
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have multiple sclerosis in(a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands. [40227]

  Mr. Boateng
  Multiple sclerosis is not a notifiable disease and therefore no register is kept of the number of patients in Coventry Health Authority or the West Midlands.
  355
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of treatment for those with multiple sclerosis in(a) the West Midlands and (b) England. [40228]

  Mr. Boateng
  The National Health Service provides a wide range of services to which people with multiple sclerosis have access, and such patients are seen within a wide range of hospital specialties. Patients can discuss the options available to them with their general practitioner, and they may also request an assessment of their needs 356
  by local authority social services departments. It is currently up to health authorities and GP fundholders to assess the needs of their local population and commission services appropriately.

  The "New NHS" White Paper sets out a clear vision of the kind of NHS to which we are committed—a truly national service which has quality at its heart. We want to improve quality through a range of initiatives which will drive up standards of care in those areas where they are lacking.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Child Asylum Seekers
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions are given to immigration officers on how to identify an unaccompanied child seeking asylum in the absence of documentary evidence about the child's age. [39857]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Immigration officers identify unaccompanied minors by appearance and demeanour in making an initial assessment. Where there is no independent evidence of age, the burden of proof rests with the applicant to show that he/she is under 18, although the Immigration Service errs on the side of caution when age is in dispute.

  There are currently no specific guidelines to immigration officers on the identification of minors, but the drafting of such guidelines is under consideration.

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were committed by

  Table 1: Crime against adults and domestic property committed by school aged children (under 16)

  Proportions (%)

  Contact crime against people aged 16 or over

  Theft

  Vandalism

  All BCS offences

  Proportion of BCS incidents in which victim could say anything about offender

  99

  24

  36

  43

  Proportion of the above where victim said offender was of school age (under 16)1

  10

  21

  55

  21

  1If more than one offender, at least one was of school age.

  Notes:

  Contact crime comprises: wounding, common assault, robbery and snatch theft.

  Theft comprises: theft from the person, burglary, other household theft, thefts of and from vehicles—all including attempted thefts. Vandalism includes damage to vehicles and household property.

  Source:

  1996 British Crime Survey. Weighted data.

  Table 2: Number and proportion of persons cautioned or convicted at all courts by age group and type of offence, 1996

  England and Wales

  000

  Aged under 16

  All ages

  Type of offence

  Number

  Percentage

  [=-100%]

  Indictable

  68.1

  14

  489.9

  Summary non-motoring

  25.1

  4

  581.3

  Summary motoring

  1.1

  0.2

  640.6

  Total

  94.2

  6

  1,711.8

  Source:

  Cautions and Court Proceedings databases

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if references to imprisonment in section 9 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 include(a) detention in a young offender institution and (b) detention and training. [40188]
  358
  children under the age of 16 years in England and Wales (a) in total and (b) as a percentage of the total number of crimes committed. [40124]

  Mr. Michael
  Information reported by the police on notifiable offences does not include details on the offenders themselves. However, some information on the number and proportion of offences committed by children under 16 is available from the British Crime Survey (BCS) and the Cautions and Court Proceedings databases.

  The BCS information is given in table 1. The survey measures the extent of crime against adults and private households and gives victims' assessments of the age of offenders. For contact crimes—mugging and other violence—this will be fairly accurate. For other types of crime, the victim often cannot say anything at all about the culprit so the BCS findings will not be an accurate representation of the proportion of all domestic crime that is committed by children under the age of 16.

  The information from the Cautions and Court Proceedings databases on cautions and convictions is given in table 2.

  Mr. Michael
  In answer to(a), for the purposes of section 9 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997, references to imprisonment do include detention in a young offender institution. By virtue of clause 97 of the Crime and Disorder Bill, currently before Parliament, which inserts a new section 9A in the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997, the crediting of remand time measures in section 9 of that Act will apply to sentences of detention in a young offender institution.

  In answer to (b), section 9 of the 1997 Act will not apply to sentences of detention under the new detention and training order. Instead, clause 70(6) of the Crime and Disorder Bill states that, in determining the term of a detention and training order for an offence, the court shall take account of any period for which the offender has been remanded in custody in connection with the offence, or any other offence the charge for which was founded on the same facts or evidence. The purpose of these different remand time arrangements in respect of the detention and training order is to ensure that a period of custody under the new order is sufficient to allow constructive

  359
  engagement with the young offender rather than the application of the section 9 direction, which might result in impractical very short periods in custody.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young persons aged over 18 years and under 21 years were held in adult prison accommodation at the most recent available date. [40189]

  Ms Quin
  The latest available provisional information is for 31 March 1998. On that date, 1,150 males aged 18–20 years were held in adult prisons. All are normally accommodated separately from adult prisoners.

  There are no separate young offender institutions for young women but they are held in designated accommodation operating under Young Offender Institution rules within adult establishments. On 31 March, there were 358 females aged 18–20 years in prisons in England and Wales.

  Prisoners
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners completed(a) programmes accepted by his Department as being effective in reducing re-offending and (b) the sex offender treatment programme, in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [40027]

  Ms Quin
  Since 1996, the Prison Service has been accrediting offending behaviour programmes where research evidence exists that such programmes are effective in reducing offending behaviour. The numbers prior to 1996 relate to programmes which were subsequently accredited.

  Sex offender treatment programme (SOTP)

  Number

  SOTP Core Programme

  1993–94

  439

  1994–95

  554

  1995–96

  406

  1996–97

  564

  1997–98

  1533

  SOTP Booster/Relapse Prevention

  1995–96

  33

  1996–97

  116

  1997–98

  1138

  Cognitive Skills

  Reasoning and Rehabilitation

  1993–94

  63

  1994–95

  44

  1995–96

  115

  1996–97

  190

  1997–87

  1405

  Enhanced Thinking Skills

  1993–94

  46

  1994–95

  241

  1995–96

  631

  1996–97

  580

  1997–98

  11,164

  1Provisional figures

  360
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average amount of time spent by(a) sentenced and (b) remand prisoners (i) in their cells, (ii) on education and other projects, (iii) working and (iv) on recreation; and if he will make a statement. [40076]

  Ms Quin
  The Prison Service does not monitor activity time or the time prisoners are unlocked by type of prisoner.

  (i) The Prison Service monitors the time that is available for prisoners to spend out of their cell, based on normal prison routines, rather than actual time that prisoners spend in their cell. At the end of February 1998, the average amount of time that prisoners spent unlocked was 10.9 hours per day on weekdays and 9.7 hours per day at weekends.

  (ii) In 1997–98, prisoners on average spent 4.2 hours per week in educational activity. This includes day-time and evening education, vocational, construction and industrial training.

  (iii) In 1997–98, prisoners on average spent 13.2 hours per week engaged in work. This includes support to works and maintenance staff around the prison, workshops, farms, gardens, kitchen and other domestic work.

  (iv) In 1997–98, prisoners on average spent 28.5 hours per week in recreation. Recreation covers time spent unlocked and able to participate in structured recreational or leisure activities, including mealtimes taken in association.

  All data for 1997–98 are still provisional but are not expected to change significantly.

  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were released from Prison Service custody in each of the three most recent years for which figures are available. [40082]

  Ms Quin
  Information on the number of persons discharged from determinate sentences in England and Wales, 1995–97 is given in the table.

  Year

  Number discharged from determinate sentences1

  1995

  59,810

  1996

  63,650

  19972

  68,500

  1 Excludes discharge following recall after release on Licence, non-criminals and fine defaulters.

  2 Provisional figures.

  Information regarding the number of persons discharged from determinate sentences in 1995 and 1996 is published in successive volumes of "Prison statistics, England and Wales" (tables 3.14, 4.12 and 5.11 of the 1996 edition, Cm 3732), copies of which are in the Library.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average amount of time spent by prisoners on(a) education, (b) vocational training, (c) Prison Service employment and (d) employment involving sale of products or services to the private sector in (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97 and (iii) 1997–98; and if he will make a statement. [40220]
  361
  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]The total time spent by prisoners on education from the calendar year 1995 to date is detailed in table A.

  Comparable statistics for vocational training are not available. There is a wide range of accredited vocational and educational courses at various levels available which range from Associated Examination Board Basic Skills Tests in English and Arithmetic, through Wordpower and

  Table A

  Education provision for prisoners 1995–1998

  Year

  Hours of student study

  % reduction on previous year

  Teaching hours bought

  % reduction on previous year

  Average class size

  1995

  9,413,457

  —

  1,245,580

  —

  7.56

  1996

  8,947,305

  4.95

  1,169,717

  6.09

  7.65

  1997

  8,879,747

  0.75

  1,119,589

  4.28

  8

  1998 (to date)

  2,177,464

  —

  283,962

  —

  7.6

  Table B

  Time spent by prisoners in constructive activity 1995/96–1997/98

  Activity

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  Works

  14.3

  13.5

  13.2

  Education

  5.0

  4.3

  4.2

  (of which vocational, construction and industrial training courses)

  1.4

  1.2

  1.1

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are presently employed on work which involves payments from the private sector for services or products provided; and if he will make a statement. [40219]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]The total number of prisoners presently employed on work involving payment from the private sector is 3,334.

  Prisons
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria the Prison Service uses to allocate resources to individual prisons. [40019]

  Ms Quin
  Operational Directors and their area managers determine the budgets for individual establishments within the overall budget for each operational directorate. Budget proposals are discussed with each governor on the basis of the establishment's proposed strategic plan. Criteria include: planned changes in prisoner numbers or types of prisoner; changes in property requirements, for example, on security or drug treatment; local pressures or factors; and the comparative efficiency of each establishment, as indicated by cost comparisons between prisons, which are produced centrally.

  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the methodology used by his Department to compare the cost of public and private prisons; if he will publish details of the latest comparison; to what factors he attributes the differences in costs; and if he will make a statement. [40081]

  Ms Quin
  The methodology used to compare the cost of publicly and privately managed prisons was developed by Coopers & Lybrand for their Review of Comparative Costs and Performance of Privately and Publicly Operated
  362
  Numberpower to GCSE and GNVQs, and there has been a significant rise in the number of prisoners taking them. There is also a wide range of training for work.

  The total time spent by prisoners on the sale of products and services to the private sector in 1997–98 is 78,750 hours per week. Figures are not available for earlier years.

  The average hours spent each week by prisoners on constructive activities are given in table B.

  Prisons (1996) and has been used in subsequent studies carried out by the Home Office. The latest study, by the Home Office Offenders and Corrections Unit, covered 1996–97. It showed that the cost difference had narrowed and the costs of privately managed prisons were 8 per cent. to 15 per cent. lower than the public sector. The report was published in December 1997 and copies placed in the Library.

  The Prison Service carried out a separate study of the reasons for the cost difference which showed it was due primarily to lower average staff costs and fewer staff per prisoner in privately managed prisons. Contributory factors included lower salaries and pension costs, a longer working week, shorter holidays and lower levels of sick absence. Copies of this report have been placed in the Library.

  Prison Service
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the use of service level agreements by the Prison Service; and if he will give details of those service level agreements currently in operation. [40080]

  Ms Quin
  The one service level agreement in operation within the Prison Service is at Her Majesty's Prison Manchester. There has been a service level agreement between the Prison Service and the in-house management team since January 1994. The current agreement runs until 15 October 2001, with an option to extend until 6 March 2008.

  The Prison Service Review, published in October 1997, recommended the more widespread use of service level agreements of the type used at Her Majesty's Prison Manchester. The Prison Service is now planning how such arrangements might be introduced into other directly managed prisons as a means of improving the level of service and value for money across the prison estate. Initially this would take the form of pilot schemes in 1999–2000.

  Prison Population
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the effect of
  363
  the provisions of the Crime and Disorder Bill [Lords] on the projected prison population statistics; and if he will make a statement. [40022]

  Ms Quin
  The Crime and Disorder Bill aims to reduce crime and disorder and to speed up justice. It provides for demanding new community penalties for young offenders and for drug-misusing offenders. As such, its overall effect should be to reduce the need for imprisonment. However, the legislation's impact on the prison population will largely depend on the independent sentencing decisions of the courts.

  The Home Detention Curfew provisions will have a direct impact on the prison population.

  If around half of the eligible prisoners are assessed as suitable this would result in around 4,000 prisoners being released under Home Detention Curfew at any one time and produce a reduction of around 3,000 in the estimated number of prison places required by the Prison Service.

  Prisoners on Licence
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions have been recorded under section 38 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 since the commencement of that Act. [40186]

  Mr. Michael
  Section 38 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 deals with the breach of licences by short-term prisoners and states:

  (1) A short-term prisoner—

  (a) who is released on licence under Part II—Early Release of Prisoners; and

  (b) who fails to comply with such conditions as may for the time being be specified in the licence, shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

  (2) The magistrates' court by which a person is convicted of an offence under subsection (1) above may, whether or not it passes any other sentence on him—

  (a) suspend the licence for a period not exceeding six months; and

  (b) order him to be recalled to prison for the period during which the licence is so suspended.

  (3) On the suspension of the licence of any person under this section, he shall be liable to be detained in pursuance of his sentence and, if at large, shall be deemed to be unlawfully at large.

  The information requested in given in the table.

  Number of offenders convicted for an offence1 under Section 382,3 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, 1992–96.

  England and Wales

  Convictions

  1992

  9

  1993

  64

  1994

  216

  1995

  350

  1996

  490

  1 Convictions for principal and non-principal offences given.

  2 An Offence of "failure by short-term prisoner to comply with licence conditions".

  3 S38 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 came into force on 1 October 1992.

  364
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the Parole Board has exercised its powers in relation to the release on licence of prisoners under section 37(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991. [40187]

  Ms Quin
  This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Fine Defaulters
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the average cost to public funds of the imprisonment of fine defaulters in each of the last three years.[40020]

  Ms Quin
  The Prison Service does not calculate the cost of imprisonment by offence type. The average net operating cost per place in each of the last three years is:

  1994–95: £23,900;

  1995–96: £24,200; and

  1996–97: £24,800.

  Fire Safety
  Mr. Fitzpatrick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce the proposed new fire safety legislation following the publication of the 1996 fire statistics; and if he will specify a timetable for its introduction. [40204]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The 1996 fire statistics reveal a worrying continuation of the upward trend in fires, deaths and casualties in the home. Most of these fires are accidental and should be prevented. That is why the Government and the fire service recognise the urgent need to refocus on fire prevention. We announced our new strategy to reverse the upward trend in domestic fires, deaths and injuries in reply to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble), on 7 April 1998,Official Report, column 177. We accepted, with the strong endorsement of the fire service, the recommendation of the Community Fire Safety Task Force that community fire safety should be made a statutory duty of the fire service. We are currently considering the precise terms and nature of such a duty.

  In reply to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, East (Mr. Heppell), on 8 April 1998, Official Report, column 254, we also announced that we have decided to proceed with a thorough overhaul of fire safety legislation, although some difficult areas, such as houses in multiple occupation and licensed premises, require more detailed discussion. We will now work up the detail of the proposals in close co-operation with interested parties. Subject to clear evidence of the cost effectiveness of the proposals, we aim to legislate as soon as practicable.

  Paul Magee
  Mr. Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what conditions about early release have been agreed with the Irish Government in respect of the proposed transfer of Paul Magee, convicted in 1993 of the murder of Special Constable Glenn Goodman; [40332]
  365
  (2) if he intends to recommend to the Irish Government that Paul Magee, convicted in 1993 of the murder of a police officer, should serve a minimum term of imprisonment following his proposed transfer to a prison in Ireland. [40333]

  Ms Quin
  Agreement was given to Paul Magee's application for repatriation to the Republic of Ireland on the basis of undertakings from the Irish authorities that his sentence would continue to be enforced and that he could therefore normally expect to serve a period similar to that which he could expect to serve if he remained here. These undertakings are subject to the Northern Ireland political agreement reached on 10 April under which both the British and Irish Governments have undertaken to put in place mechanisms for the early release of qualifying prisoners.

  Rural Policing
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors are taken into account when determining the level of Government support grant for constabularies in remoter rural areas. [40598]

  Mr. Michael
  Under the police funding formula, 0.5 per cent. of available resources are allocated on the basis of population sparsity. I have recently commissioned external research into the additional costs, if any, of policing sparsely populated rural areas. The results of this research will be available to inform the police settlement in 2000/2001.

  Police per 1,000 of population

  Police Force

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  Avon and Somerset

  2.1

  2.06

  2.04

  2.04

  2.03

  Bedfordshire

  2.13

  2.07

  2.07

  1.99

  1.97

  Cambridgeshire

  1.85

  1.84

  1.78

  1.85

  1.84

  Cheshire

  1.96

  1.98

  2.04

  2.09

  2.07

  Cleveland

  2.55

  2.57

  2.54

  2.61

  2.65

  City of London

  227.6

  169.5

  167.3

  165.8

  161.4

  Cumbria

  2.40

  2.38

  2.27

  2.33

  2.37

  Derbyshire

  1.91

  1.88

  1.84

  1.86

  1.83

  Devon & Cornwall

  1.91

  1.88

  1.88

  1.86

  1.89

  Dorset

  1.94

  1.91

  1.86

  1.88

  1.88

  Durham

  2.28

  2.23

  2.31

  2.4

  2.43

  Dyfed-Powys

  2.05

  2.06

  2.09

  2.11

  2.11

  Essex

  1.97

  1.95

  1.92

  1.96

  1.94

  Gloucestershire

  2.13

  2.12

  2.05

  2.04

  1.99

  Greater Manchester

  2.7

  2.73

  2.69

  2.69

  2.68

  Gwent

  2.21

  2.20

  2.31

  2.23

  2.21

  Hampshire

  1.9

  1.88

  1.92

  1.97

  1.99

  Hertfordshire

  1.98

  2.0

  1.99

  2.04

  2.01

  Humberside

  2.31

  2.28

  2.3

  2.31

  2.29

  Kent

  2.04

  2.02

  2.01

  2.09

  2.13

  Lancashire

  2.23

  2.26

  2.22

  2.28

  2.3

  Leicestershire

  2.0

  2.01

  2.07

  2.1

  2.11

  Lincolnshire

  2.0

  1.98

  1.87

  1.94

  1.93

  Merseyside

  3.26

  3.25

  3.09

  2.98

  2.97

  Metropolitan Police

  3.73

  3.69

  3.65

  3.53

  3.49

  Norfolk

  1.89

  1.82

  1.81

  1.84

  1.85

  North Wales

  2.06

  2.08

  2.09

  2.09

  2.09

  North Yorkshire

  1.83

  1.79

  1.81

  1.82

  1.88

  Northamptonshire

  1.98

  1.94

  1.92

  1.95

  1.95

  Northumbria

  2.49

  2.5

  2.55

  2.56

  2.57

  Nottinghamshire

  2.26

  2.25

  2.25

  2.25

  2.25

  South Wales

  2.36

  2.27

  2.27

  2.41

  2.43

  South Yorkshire

  2.31

  2.33

  2.36

  2.42

  2.42

  Staffordshire

  2.1

  2.12

  2.09

  2.09

  2.11

  Suffolk

  1.87

  1.83

  1.73

  1.78

  1.81

  Prostitution
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the maximum sentence for causing or encouraging the prostitution of girls under the age of 16 years; and if he will make a statement. [39978]

  Mr. Michael
  [holding answer 29 April 1998]The maximum penalty for causing or encouraging the prostitution of girls under 16 is two years imprisonment. The Government are sympathetic to the case for increasing the maximum penalty for those who cause child prostitution, which needs to be considered in the context of the whole range of offences and penalties which deal with prostitution and related offences rather than in isolation.

  Police
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers per 1,000 population there were for each police force in each of the past five years. [40592]

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

  The population figures are those provided by the Office for National Statistics. For 1997–98, the population figures used are the same as for 1996–97 (mid 1996) as mid 1997 population figures will not be available until later this year.
  367

  Police per 1,000 of population

  Police Force

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  Surrey

  2.17

  2.17

  2.12

  2.09

  2.07

  Sussex

  2.09

  2.02

  2.1

  2.1

  2.07

  Thames Valley

  1.95

  1.91

  1.79

  1.79

  1.79

  Warwickshire

  2.12

  2.04

  1.96

  1.85

  1.83

  West Mercia

  1.86

  1.83

  1.81

  1.82

  1.82

  West Midlands

  2.66

  2.67

  2.71

  2.69

  2.68

  West Yorkshire

  2.4

  2.4

  2.44

  2.47

  2.49

  Wiltshire

  2.17

  2.15

  2.06

  1.95

  1.97

  Average

  2.45

  2.43

  2.41

  2.4

  2.4

  Note:

  1. Police numbers used for 1997–98 are those for September 1997, the latest available.

  Small Claims
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ask the Prison Service to make a report to him on the use by prisoners of small claims court procedures; and if he will make a statement. [40118]

  Ms Quin
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave him on 20 April 1998,Official Report, columns 515–16. I have asked Prison Service officials to give further consideration to the current arrangements for prisoners to use small claims court procedures and to advise on the need for any changes.

  Probation Service
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources have been made available to the Probation Service in each of the last five years. [39499]

  Ms Quin
  The information requested is as follows:

  £ million

  Current and capital probation grant and credit approvals to local authorities

  Capital expenditure probation and bail hostels

  Current expenditure probation and bail hostels

  1993–94

  308.1

  3.1

  26.2

  1994–95

  324.7

  4.1

  23.7

  1995–96

  338.4

  3.0

  26.0

  1996–97

  349.5

  2.4

  23.9

  1997–98

  346.5

  3.1

  24.8

  Police IT Security Strategy
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the police forces in England and Wales have an IT security strategy; and what action his Department is taking to encourage the development of such strategies. [40360]

  Mr. Michael
  It is the responsibility of individual chief officers to ensure that their forces maintain appropriate Information Technology (IT) security measures.
  368
  Information is not held centrally to show whether all police forces in England and Wales have an IT security strategy. However, all forces have been issued with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Code of Practice for Data Protection and the ACPO Data Protection Audit Manual. These establish procedures and safeguards to promote the maintenance of good practice and compliance with data protection legislation. A copy of the Code of Practice is already in the Library; I am also placing there a copy of the Audit Manual.

  The Police Information Technology Organisation (a Home Office Non-Departmental Public Body since 1 April of this year) has separately issued to forces the Police National Computer (PNC) System Security Policy, Code of Connection. Police Information Technology Organisation is also working with the ACPO IT Committee to develop an overarching security policy to reflect the increasing need to exchange data between the police and other criminal justice agencies.

  Finally, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary reviews data protection management in forces as part of its regular inspections.

  Norwich Prison
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the budget allocation per prisoner in Norwich prison in each of the years 1992 to 1998. [40250]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]The information requested is given in the table.

  Norwich prison 1992–93—1998–99

  Year

  Total budget

  Average population

  Allocation Per prisoner

  1992–93

  9,701,346

  464

  20,908

  1993–94

  11,372,099

  416

  27,337

  1994–95

  12,034,122

  391

  30,778

  1995–96

  11,516,483

  348

  33,093

  1996–97

  12,061,866

  490

  24,616

  1997–98

  11,930,600

  715

  16,686

  1998–99

  11,939,030

  707

  16,887

  Prisoners (Halal Meat)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons provide halal meat for Muslim inmates. [40439]
  369
  Ms Quin
  Halal meat is available via a central call off contract for all penal establishments to use as and when necessary. Of the 74 prisons currently purchasing from the call off contract, 43 are purchasing some halal meat.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of halal meat provided in prisons was derived from animals which had been stunned before slaughter in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [40437]

  Ms Quin
  The information requested is not available.

  Human Rights Protocol
  Mr. David Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the United Kingdom has not ratified the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights enabling individual petition to the Human Rights Committee. [40364]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]The Government announced on 3 July 1997 that they intended to review the United Kingdom's position under various international human rights instruments, including whether to accept the right of individuals to submit complaints to the United Nations Human Rights Committee under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The review is in progress and the outcome will be announced when conclusions have been reached.

  Mr. David Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the United Kingdom has not ratified Protocol 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. [40368]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]Protocol 9 has been superseded by Protocol 11, which establishes the new permanent Court of Human Rights. The United Kingdom has ratified Protocol 11 and it will come into force on 1 November 1998.

  UN Torture Convention
  Mr. David Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the United

  British nationals subject to deportation action, 1990–19971

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  19942

  19952

  1996

  1997

  British Overseas citizens

  Notice of intention to deport issued and court recommendations for deportation made

  —

  —

  5

  5

  5

  5

  3—

  5

  Deportation orders made

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  Deportation orders enforced

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  3—

  —

  Other British nationals4

  Notice of intention to deport issued and court recommendations for deportation made

  70

  70

  105

  70

  70

  65

  50

  35

  Deportation orders made

  10

  10

  15

  5

  20

  25

  15

  3—

  Deportation orders enforced

  5

  5

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  5

  1 Figures rounded to the nearest 5.

  2 Revised figures.

  3 Denotes 1 or 2.

  4 British Dependent Territories citizens, British Nationals (Overseas), British subjects and British Protected Persons.

  370
  Kingdom has not made a Declaration under Article 22 of the UN Convention against Torture enabling individual petition to the Committee under the terms of the Convention. [40367]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]The Government announced on 3 July 1997 that we intend to review the United Kingdom's position under various international human rights instruments. This includes the right of individuals to submit complaints to the United Nations Committee Against Torture. The review is in progress and the outcome will be announced when conclusions have been reached.

  Mr. David Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the United Kingdom has not made a Declaration under Article 21 of the UN Convention against Torture recognising the competence of the Committee to consider a complaint under the Convention against the United Kingdom from another state. [40366]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  [holding answer 30 April 1998]The United Kingdom made a Declaration under Article 21 of the United Nations Convention Against Torture upon ratification of the Convention on 8 December 1988.

  Deportations
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) decisions have been made to deport, (b) deportation orders have been signed and (c) deportation orders have been enforced against (i) British overseas citizens and (ii) other British nationals who are not British citizens in each year since 1990; to which countries it has been proposed to deport these people; and how many such people against whom deportation orders were made left the country voluntarily. [40395]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The available information is given in the table. I regret that comprehensive information regarding the proposed removal destination for those persons under the deportation process is not available. No British Overseas citizens or other British nationals made a voluntarily or supervised departure during 1994–1997 following the making of deportation orders against them; the equivalent information relating to 1990–1993 is available only at disproportionate cost.
  371

  Immigration
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom outside the immigration rules due to compelling compassionate circumstances in each of the past five years; and when, and according to what criteria, they are expected to be granted indefinite leave to remain. [40404]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I regret that information on this particular reason for granting leave to remain is not collected separately. Any further applications from persons who have been exceptionally granted leave to remain on compassionate grounds are considered in the light of the particular circumstances at that time and of any concessionary policy under which the original leave may have been given.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) British overseas citizens and (b) other British nationals who are subject to United Kingdom immigration controls have been refused leave to enter the United Kingdom by the Immigration Service at the port of entry in each year since 1995; how many of these people (i) were granted temporary admission and (ii) are still in the United Kingdom on temporary admission; and to which countries his Department proposes to send them. [40405]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The available information is given in the table. I regret that information on the nationality of persons granted temporary admission is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Persons refused leave to enter the United Kingdom are removed to the country whence they embarked, or of which they are a national or citizen, or in which they have obtained a passport or other document of identity, or a country or territory to which there is reason to believe they will be admitted.

  Passengers refused leave to enter and removed, 1995–97

  Year

  British Overseas Citizens1

  Other British nationals2

  1995

  123

  39

  1996

  139

  50

  1997

  121

  40

  1 Comprises British Overseas citizens, British Dependent Territories citizens (BDTCs) where the territory is not recorded, British Protected Persons and British Subjects. Other BDTCs (excluding those from Hong Kong, see footnote 2) are not separately identifiable.

  2 Comprises British Dependent Territories citizens from Hong Kong and British Nationals (Overseas).

  Note:

  1997 data are provisional.

  Montserrat
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Montserratians have been admitted to the United Kingdom since the emergency to date; under what circumstances they will be asked to return to Montserrat; and, for those permitted to remain, when his Department will make them a grant of settlement. [40406]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  3,543 Monserratians had been admitted to the United Kingdom as evacuees by the end of March. We have made clear that we would not expect 372
  evacuees to return in the current circumstances. We hope to make an announcement about their future immigration status shortly.

  Sentencing Policy
  Mr. Levitt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had since 1 May 1997 with the Association of Chief Officers of Probation on alternatives to custody; and if he will make a statement. [40820]

  Ms Quin
  Home Office Ministers have had a number of meetings with the Association of Chief Officers of Probation over the past year, in which we have discussed ways of improving the effectiveness and credibility of the current range of community sentences, the new sentences for which the Crime and Disorder Bill provides and the Association's suggestions for adding further sentencing options.

  British Horseracing Board
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of his latest meeting with the British Horseracing Board. [40539]

  Mr. George Howarth
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 7 April 1998,Official Report, column 176. We will meet the British Horseracing Board at a mutually convenient time.

  Full Sutton Prison
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on(a) the causes of and (b) the methods of dealing with the disturbances at Full Sutton Prison during the week of 25 April. [40541]

  Ms Quin
  At 6.20 pm on 26 April, 32 prisoners on D Wing of Full Sutton prison refused to return to their cells and instead barricaded themselves into the communal association room. Control and restraint trained staff from five other prisons were called to assist Full Sutton, and the police and other emergency services notified as a matter of routine. Despite the efforts of staff to open a dialogue, the prisoners refused to co-operate. At 11.27 pm, in the absence of any sign of the disturbance ending, and with evidence of damage being caused to the room, prison staff commenced an operation to regain control of the area. This was achieved successfully shortly thereafter.

  Five staff sustained minor injuries during the incident; seven prisoners also received slight injury. All the prisoners involved have been transferred to other prisons. The police are conducting a criminal investigation into the matter, and charges under prison discipline rules have also been laid against all the prisoners concerned.

  The Director General has appointed a senior governor from Prison Service headquarters to undertake an inquiry into the incident. Until this inquiry is complete, I am unable to comment on the possible causes of the disturbance. However, I will write to the hon. Member once I have considered the inquiry report.

  Fines
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total sum raised by(a) court-imposed fines and (b) police-imposed fines, in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what was the total value of defaulted fines in each of the last five years; and what percentage of fine defaulters were imprisoned in each of the last five years. [40075]

  Mr. Hoon
  I have been asked to reply.

  Details of the sums raised by court imposed fines and road traffic fixed penalties, in each of the last five years, are shown in the table. The total value of fines written off as irrecoverable is also shown, as is the level of arrears. Information on fine defaulters imprisoned is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Table 2 shows the number of fine defaulters imprisoned in each of the last five calender years.

  Table 1: Fines

  £ million

  Year

  Fines1

  Fixed Penalties

  Fines Written-off2

  Fine Arrears3

  1992–93

  186.2

  34.0

  23.6

  186.2

  1993–94

  142.6

  79.7

  32.6

  212.9

  1994–95

  147.6

  65.8

  33.4

  223.2

  1995–96

  150.4

  60.8

  29.6

  240.1

  1996–97

  144.3

  72.9

  51.7

  248.1

  1997–98

  4114.8

  552.4

  647.1

  7269.4

  1 Includes road traffic fixed penalties enforced as fines.

  2 See note 1.

  3 See note 1. Include sums payable by instalment where the payment is not yet due as well as sums subject to enforcement.

  4 To 31 December 1997.

  5 See note 4.

  6 Provisional full year figure.

  7 See note 4.

  Table 2: Imprisoned fine defaulters1

  Year

  Males

  Females

  Total

  1993

  21,097

  1,306

  22,403

  1994

  21,015

  1,454

  22,469

  1995

  18,787

  1,370

  20,157

  1996

  8,094

  461

  8,555

  1997

  5,964

  372

  6,336

  1 Aged 18 and over.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Income Support (MIRAS Reduction)
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when homebuyers receiving income support will receive an increase in their assistance with mortgage interest to reflect the reduction in MIRAS implemented in April. [40226]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The administration of Income Support is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
  374
  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 30 April 1998:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking when homebuyers receiving Income Support (IS) will receive an increase in their assistance with mortgage interest to reflect the cut in Mortgage Interest Relief At Source (MIRAS) implemented in April.
  MIRAS was reduced from 15% to 10% with effect from 6 April 1998. IS customers who receive assistance with their mortgages and are eligible for MIRAS automatically received an increase in their benefit from 6 April 1998, in line with the routine uprating of social security benefits.
  I hope that this clarifies the situation.

  Poverty (Children)
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many children are living in households whose income is below half the national average; and how many of these are aged(a) 0 to 4, (b) 5 to 10, (c) 11 to 16 and (d) 17 years or above in respect of (i) one and (ii) two parent families; [40486]

  (2) how many benefit units containing dependent children are living in households whose income is below half the national average; and in what proportion of these is the youngest child aged (a) 0 to 4, (b) 5 to 10, (c) 11 to 16 and (d) 17 years or above in respect of (i) one and (ii) two parent families. [40487]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The information is set out in the tables.

  Distribution of children in Great Britain in households whose income is below half the national average by age and family type

  Thousand

  Before housing costs

  After housing costs

  Age of child

  One parent family

  Two parent family

  One parent family

  Two parent family

  0 to 4

  190

  500

  460

  710

  5 to 10

  370

  720

  640

  900

  11 to 16

  290

  620

  460

  740

  17 or over

  30

  70

  40

  90

  All children

  870

  1,920

  1,590

  2,430

  There are an estimated 2.8 million and 4.0 million children in Great Britain living in households, including those headed by a self-employed person, whose income is below half the national average before and after housing costs respectively.

  Proportion of benefit units containing children in Great Britain living in households whose income is below half the national average by age of youngest child and family type

  Percentage

  Before housing costs

  After housing costs

  Age of youngest child

  One parent family

  Two parent family

  One parent family

  Two parent family

  0 to 4

  37

  42

  45

  46

  5 to 10

  41

  34

  37

  32

  11 to 16

  20

  22

  17

  19

  17 or over

  2

  2

  1

  2

  All benefit units (numbers)

  420,000

  850,000

  840,000

  1,110,000

  There are an estimated 1.3 and 1.9 million benefit units containing children in Great Britain living in households, including those headed by a self-employed person, whose income is below half the national average before and after housing costs respectively.
  375

  Distribution of children in Great Britain living in households whose income is below half the national average by age and family type

  Thousand

  Before housing costs

  After housing costs

  Age of child

  One parent family

  Two parent family

  One parent family

  Two parent family

  0 to 4

  140

  360

  420

  540

  5 to 10

  310

  520

  610

  680

  11 to 16

  240

  460

  430

  540

  17 or over

  30

  50

  30

  50

  All children

  720

  1,390

  1,500

  1,820

  There are an estimated 2.1 and 3.3 million children in Great Britain living in households, excluding those headed by a self-employed person, whose income is below half the national average before and after housing costs respectively.

  Proportion of benefit units containing children in Great Britain living in households whose income is below half the national average by age of youngest child and family type

  Percentage

  Before housing costs

  After housing costs

  Age of youngest child

  One parent family

  Two parent family

  One parent family

  Two parent family

  0 to 4

  35

  44

  45

  49

  5 to 10

  43

  34

  37

  32

  11 to 16

  20

  20

  17

  17

  17 or over

  3

  2

  1

  2

  All benefit units (numbers)

  340,000

  590,000

  790,000

  810,000

  There are an estimated 0.9 and 1.6 million benefit units containing children in Great Britain living in households, excluding those headed by a self-employed person, whose income is below half the national average before and after housing costs respectively.

  Notes:

  1. Figures are for 1995–96.

  2. The data come from the Department's Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS) and covering Great Britain. All results are subject to sampling error, and numbers may not sum due to rounding.

  3. Income definition is that used in the published series from FRS based Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data.

  4. The reasons for using FRS based data are that time series information is not required and the FRS has a large enough sample to provide robust information.

  5. The income measure used is weekly net (disposable) equivalised income. The figures are given both before and after housing costs in line with usual HBAI practice.

  6. The income measures for the self-employed are inherently uncertain, particularly at the bottom of the income distribution. For this reason, results are presented both including and excluding the full-time self-employed. The latter excludes children in benefit units which contain one or more adults who normally work self-employed for 30 or more hours a week.

  7. A child is defined as an individual aged under 16 or an unmarried 16 to 18 year old on a course up to and including 'A' level standard.

  8. Numbers are given to the nearest 10,000 but because the figures come from a sample survey they are not accurate to this degree.

  Invalid Care Allowance
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the income limits for invalid care allowances were last revised; and what these limits would be if they had been revised in line with the rise in(a) earnings and (b) prices. [39444]

  Mr. Denham
  The current earnings limit of £50.00 for Invalid Care Allowance (ICA) was introduced on 12 April 1993. If this was revised it would be £59.85 if it had been uprated in line with the rise in earnings and £57.20 if uprated in line with the rise in prices.
  376
  The original earnings limit of £6.00 for ICA was introduced on 12 April 1976. This limit would be £37.25 if uprated by earnings and £26.40 if uprated by prices.

  Notes:

  1. The Retail Prices Index (All Items) and the Average Earnings Index (Whole Economy) as produced by the Office for National Statistics was used in these calculations.

  2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 pence at each uprating.

  3. The rules on expenses which can be deducted from earnings changed in November 1996.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if the full membership of the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board had access to the final amended report on the future of disability living allowance and attendance allowance before its publication on 12 March; [40760]

  (2) on how many occasions and on what dates the full membership of the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board discussed the report on the future of disability living allowance and attendance allowance before its publication on 12 March. [40759]

  Mr. Denham
  The Chairman of the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board informs me that the full membership of the Board were sent a near final copy of the discussion paper "The Future of Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance" on 23 September 1997. The final version of the paper was sent to members at the end of November 1997 and was discussed at one full board meeting held on 9 December 1997.

  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reasons her Department could not provide members of the Disability Benefits Consortium with copies of the reports(a) A Study of Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance Awards, (b) First Findings from the 1996–97 Disability Follow-up to the Family Resources Survey and (c) the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board discussion paper, the Future of Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance, before her meeting with the Disability Benefits Consortium on 12 March. [39615]

  Mr. Denham
  The reports were published on 12 March and, following normal conventions, they were not distributed to outside bodies until Parliament had been informed. The Disability Benefits Consortium were meeting my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State during the afternoon of 12 March to discuss the Benefit Integrity Project. As a courtesy, they were given copies of the reports at the meeting and were advised that a seminar would be arranged to discuss them. The seminar took place on 27 March and the majority of the Disability Benefits Consortium attended.

  Benefit Integrity Project
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if all decisions under the Benefit Integrity Project involving a reduction or lowering of benefit before 9 February will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement. [40485]
  377
  Mr. Denham
  On 9 February 1998,Official Report, column 76, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security introduced changes to the Benefit Integrity Project to ensure that no decision to reduce benefit would be taken without seeking additional evidence. We are concerned about those cases where a decision was taken without the benefit of the new procedure that was introduced on 9 February, and on which the claimant has not already sought a review of the decision.

  We are considering options for reviewing those cases but there are some legal and operational issues that we need to resolve as speedily as possible before deciding exactly how to proceed. I will ensure that the House is properly and fully informed of progress.

  Benefit Data
  Mr. Rhodri Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals she has to arrange full mutual disclosure of details of housing benefit and income support claims between the Benefits Agency and local authorities; and what consultations she has had with the Data Protection Registrar. [38568]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  We have made clear in our Green Paper "A New Contract for Welfare" our intention to build an Active Modern Welfare service. As part of that, our strategy for the delivery of Social Security aims to provide integrated services to meet customers' needs, and to cut out duplication of work between different Departments, and between central and local government.

  We are currently completing trials of an initiative to improve Local Authority access to Departmental benefit data, including Income Support data, through remote access computer terminals. These give Local Authority staff on-line access to Departmental benefit systems so that they can speedily obtain the information they require to administer Housing and Council Tax Benefits. We are now developing plans—in conjunction with local authority associates—to make these terminals available nationally.

  For the longer term, we are exploring whether—and, if so, how—Local Authority Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit computer systems can be linked to the planned new generation of Departmental computer systems. The aim of such links would be to give both Local Authorities and the Department full access to all mutually relevant Social Security data.

  In addition, we are exploring the possibility of using local authority Housing Benefit records to identify pensioners whose circumstances indicate a likely entitlement to Income Support. Once we have identified people, we will approach them to encourage a claim.

  We are also investigating new ways of working with local authorities to improve service delivery to clients, and to reduce duplication of effort, between the Benefits Agency and local authorities, and unnecessary administration.

  The Department has full regard to the requirements of data protection legislation in developing these initiatives, and consults the Registrar as appropriate.
  378

  Housing Benefit
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many housing benefit claimants under the age of 25 have(a) applied for and (b) received hardship payments at the discretion of local authorities under the Housing Benefit Regulations, since the single room rent restrictions on housing benefit came into force; [39415]

  (2) how many claims for exceptional hardship payments were made by housing benefit claimants; how many were paid by local authorities; and what was the average payment in the last year for which figures are available. [39413]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.

  Further information on the number of discretionary payments and the average payment will become available in June.

  Housing benefit recipients in Great Britain assessed under the local reference rent (January 1996) scheme with an additional discretionary payment made

  Recipients

  May 1996

  920

  August 1996

  1,890

  November 1996

  2,840

  February 1997

  3,970

  Notes:

  1. Recipients may be a single person or a couple.

  2. Number rounded to the nearest ten.

  Source:

  Housing Benefit Management Information System, caseload counts taken on the last working day in each quarter shown.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many housing benefit claimants renting from private landlords had their claims restricted and what was the average amount of those restrictions under regulations in force in(a) 1995–96 and (b) 1996–97. [39414]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.

  Number of rent determinations made by rent officers, in England and Wales, in which a restriction on the rent was made for housing benefit purposes, and the average weekly amount of the restriction

  Number of restrictions to rent made by rent officers

  Average weekly amount of restriction(£)

  1995/96

  431,000

  16.15

  1996/97

  524,000

  16.45

  Notes:

  1. Numbers of restrictions are rounded to the nearest 1,000 amounts to the nearest 5 pence.

  2. Figures cover England and Wales only. Comparable information for Scotland is not currently available.

  Sources:

  1. Figures for 1995 taken from "Rent Officer Statistics" second, third and fourth quarters 1995.

  2. Figures for 1996 and 1997 calculated from determinations supplied by the Rent Officer Service to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

  379
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of for State for Socal Security when she expects to announce the outcome of her review of the effects of the single room rent restriction on housing benefit claimants under the age of 25. [39411]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  We are still gathering information from a variety of sources to gauge the impact of the single room rent restriction. In addition, we have commissioned, jointly with the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions, a study on Housing Benefit and the private rented sector. We will decide the way forward once we have the findings from the study, which are expected in the summer, and sufficient information on the national impact of the changes.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much housing benefit was paid to claimants who were tenants of private landlords in (i) 1989–90 and (ii) 1996–97 in(a) England and (b) Greater London. [39412]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The information is set out in the table.

  Estimated housing benefit (rent allowance) expenditure

  £ million

  England

  Greater London

  1989–90

  1,162

  311

  1996–97

  5,290

  1,568

  Source:

  Departmental Reports and local authority returns to DSS

  Delayed Payments
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment she has made of delays in social security payments due to poor performance of the computer system; and what steps she is taking to address the problem. [39482]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  The Department continually monitors the performance of its computer systems to ensure any problems which may cause a delay in the issuing of Social Security payment are identified and remedied immediately.

  The total number of payments made annually is in excess of 200 million. Once payments have been calculated, the small number of instances of late issue (less than 0.1 per cent.) can be attributed to human error rather than poor performance of the computer system. There is a continuous programme in place between the Department's Information Technology Services Agency and its Service Providers to increase the level of automation in payment production, thus eliminating the need for manual intervention.

  Pensioners' Incomes
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will supply information on pensioner incomes based on the Households Below Average Incomes 1961–91 dataset, in response to questions from hon. Members for years for which the Pensioners Income series has not been constructed. [39576]

  Mr. Denham
  This Department does hold a copy of the Households Below Average Income 1961–91 dataset but, to date, it has not been used to analyse pensioners' incomes.

  The dataset was created by researchers at the Institute for Fiscal Studies. It is usual Government Statistical Service practice only to use datasets created within Government departments or under the direction of Government analysts for answering questions which require fresh analyses.

  Household Insurance
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the Government will introduce legislation to assist low-income families in buying household insurance. [39764]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  There are no plans to do so. No separate amounts for specific items such as household insurance are included in Income Support rates. However, local authorities and housing associations can, with insurance companies, set up low-cost home contents insurance schemes for their tenants, and a number have done so.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the cost to the Social Fund of replacing possessions stolen from, or damaged in, low-income households with no household insurance, in the most recent year for which figures are available. [39765]

  Mr. Denham
  The information is not available in the format requested. However, the total amount paid from the Social Fund in 1997–98 by way of crisis loans to meet urgent need for the replacement of essential household items as a result of fire or flood damage was just under £236,000.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when she will reply to the letters to her dated 6 January, 12 February and 18 March from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. and Mrs. F. Fowler, 13 Meldreth Drive. [40875]

  Mr. Field
  A reply to these three letters was sent to the right hon. Member on 5 May.

  Horses: Health and Welfare
  Horses: Health and Welfare
  Fish in UK Exclusive Economic Zone
  Fish in UK Exclusive Economic Zone
  Pesticides Safety Directorate: Performance Targets
  Pesticides Safety Directorate: Performance Targets
  Veterinary Medicines Directorate: Performance Targets
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  Veterinary Laboratories Agency: Performance Targets
  Veterinary Laboratories Agency: Performance Targets
  Farming and Rural Conservation Agency: Performance Targets
  Farming and Rural Conservation Agency: Performance Targets
  Meat Hygiene Service: Performance Targets
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  Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science: Performance Targets
  Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science: Performance Targets
  Central Science Laboratory: Performance Targets
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  Food Safety Incidents: Report
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  World Trade Organisation and Farm Animal Welfare
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  Farm Animal Welfare
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  Pesticide Residues in Food
  Pesticide Residues in Food
  Military Assistance to Foreign Governments
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  Roadside Emission Testing
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  Biocidal Products Directive
  Biocidal Products Directive
  Waterloo International and Ashford International Stations
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  Urban Traffic Management: Capacity Assessment
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  Allotment Closures
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  Firearms Consultative Committee
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  Terrorist Crimes: Pursuit of Perpetrators
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  War Crimes Prosecutions
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  Working Peers: Remuneration
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  Mentally Incapacitated Adults: Responses to Green Paper
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  House of Lords: Members' Ages
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  Employment Rights: Pregnant Women
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  Education Action Zone
  Education Action Zone
  Grammar School Selection: Ballots
  Grammar School Selection: Ballots
  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Statistics
  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Statistics
  Pensions Policy
  Pensions Policy
  National Insurance: SERPS Accruals
  National Insurance: SERPS Accruals
  Basic Pension: Uprating Cost
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  Medical Devices Agency: Targets
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  UNHRC Reports: Delays
  UNHRC Reports: Delays
  Yad Vashem, Jerusalem: PM's Visit
  Yad Vashem, Jerusalem: PM's Visit
  Achehnese Asylum-Seekers
  Achehnese Asylum-Seekers
  Tibetan Hunger Strikers
  Tibetan Hunger Strikers
  Cuba: Amnesty Appeal
  Cuba: Amnesty Appeal
  Cuba: US Economic Blockade
  Cuba: US Economic Blockade
  EU General Affairs Council 27–28 April
  EU General Affairs Council 27–28 April
  EU Business: May to October 1998
  EU Business: May to October 1998