To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has had about the effect acceptance of a top-up loan will have on students' further overdraft facilities.

It will be for the lender to decide what account to take of a client's borrowing under the top-up loans scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many persons above the age of (a) 60, (b) 65 and (c) 70 years he has appointed to public bodies in each of the last 10 years.

The Department's policy is to make the best appointment possible for the task in hand, irrespective of age. No consolidated record of the age of members of public bodies is maintained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many letters he has received since the beginning of the autumn school term from head teachers of schools within the Wakefield metropolitan district; what were the concerns expressed in these letters; and what action is being taken to respond to these concerns.

My right hon. Friend receives a number of letters from head teachers about various aspects of education provision. All letters to this Department will continue to receive appropriate replies which I hope the recipients find helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the contribution made by the Open university in environmental studies, research and education.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 16 May 1989 at column 124.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he intends to publish a consultative document on teacher appraisal dealing with the mechanism of the process;(2) when he intends to introduce a scheme of teacher appraisal in schools; and if he will make a statement;

My right hon. Friend received in July this year the report of the national steering group (NSG) responsible for overseeing the school teacher appraisal pilot study which ended this summer. The report, which was published in October, sets out recommendations for a national framework within which teacher appraisal should be implemented across England and Wales.My right hon. Friend has now initiated consultation on the national steering group's recommendations, which cover head teachers and teachers, and deal with both the process of appraisal and the question of who should appraise whom. Consultation ends at Easter next year arid will be followed by the issue of guidance for local education authorities and schools. As part of this consultation, we have sought views on the appropriate date for bringing in, through regulations, a national framework which would require the appraisal of all members of the teaching profession.When regulations are introduced a date will be set by which time appraisal must be extended to all teachers and head teachers. Training to assist teachers and head teachers in the operation of appraisal is important; guidance about this will be given to local education authorities. We are ready to support expenditure on appraisal training of up to £15 million through the Local Education Authority Training Grants Scheme in 1990–91.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all the executive posts in the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland which have been recruited in the last four years for which figures are available, together with the salaries and grades; and if he will give the length of contract for each post.

The recruitment of permanent staff to the Northern Ireland Civil Service is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Commission which allocates successful candidates to individual Departments in response to their needs. Details of executive recruits appointed to the Department of Health and Social Services over the last four years are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next expects to meet the Irish Prime Minister; and what matters he proposes to discuss.

I have no current plans to meet the Taoiseach. I paid him a courtesy call in Dublin before the last intergovernmental conference on 30 November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total amount of public expenditure by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries Division, on the stocking of rivers and lakes with fish, in each year since 1980; and if he will give details by district council area.

[holding answer 7 December 1989]: Spending by the Department of Agriculture on the stocking of the Department's public angling waters since 1980 has been:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with BR about the operation of British Rail Maintenance Ltd; and if he will make a statement.

None. The operation of British Rail Maintenance Ltd. is a management matter for British Rail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those Welsh lines due to have a super sprinter train service by mid-1990.

Decisions on the allocation of rolling stock to specific railway lines are for the British Railways Board.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on when British Rail plans to electrify the Crewe to Holyhead line.

I am unaware of any plans by British Rail to electrify this line.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what resources he intends to make available to British Rail to encourage the greater frequency of trains on the Cambrian coast line between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury and Pwllheli.

The Government have approved over £400 million (1989–90 prices) of investment in new rolling stock for the provincial sector since 1983. It is for British Rail to decide the detailed disposition of resources within the sector in the light of the public service obligation which requires the board to continue to provide a level of service generally comparable to that in April 1988. They are free to provide additional services where that does not lead to an increase in grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with British Rail about its plans for direct passenger travel through the Channel tunnel from 1993 (a) from Cardiff and (b) from Holyhead in terms of year of commencement and proposed frequency; and if he will make a statement.

British Rail will be setting out its proposals in the plan which it will shortly be publishing, in compliance with section 40 of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987. I have discussed progress on this work with British Rail from time to time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with British Rail about running passenger through trains on the central Wales line from Manchester to Milford Haven.

Decisions on the routing and timetabling of rail services are for the management of British Rail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on when the Paddington to Swansea line will be electrified.

It is for British Rail to come forward with any proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether British Rail has sought approval for investment in a Berne gauge freight line (a) from the Channel tunnel to south Wales and (b) from the Channel tunnel to north Wales.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received a request from British Rail for funding of a main line rail link to Cardiff Wales (Rhoose) Airport.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to place a consultancy with the Energy and Environment Research Unit of the Open university on environmental effects of future road planning.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the full roads report referred to in paragraph 32 of the White Paper "Roads for Prosperity" is to be published.

In the new year.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the number of farms available for rent in the private sector for each of the last 10 years.

None.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he proposes to take any action to prevent the sale of scrapie-infected sheep protein for use as feed for pigs.

Scrapie is one of the oldest known animal diseases and has been the subject of extensive research. There is no scientific evidence to indicate that such action is necessary.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department has produced a planting, growing and husbandry manual for walnut trees.

Guidance on growing walnut trees is given in Forestry Commission Bulletin 62, Silviculture of Broadleaved Woodland (ISBN 011 710 154 0), available in the Libary of the House.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for innovative multi-culture agro-forestry development in the United Kingdom for commercial scale (a) flour, (b) dye and (c) biomass production.

None. My Department is, however, separately funding research on both agro-forestry and novel crops.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to introduce technologies to increase the mean soil temperature in the United Kingdom by 2°C, and what would be the implications for crop yield of such an increase in soil temperature.

The Minister has no plans to introduce technologies to increase the mean soil temperatures in the United Kingdom by 2°C.The effect of increased soil temperature on crop yield would be dependent on the extent of seasonal fluctuations in that increase and the effect of other associated climatic changes, for example, in the level and pattern of rainfall. If it is assumed that the temperature increase remains constant throughout the year and is a direct result of increased radiation, and that water supply remains adequate, then yields of cereals and other field crops are likely to increase. In many spring crops such as cereals, potatoes, sugar beet, peas and beans increased yield potential would be a result of warmer spring temperatures allowing earlier planting-sowing so as to avoid the worst effects of mid-summer drought.

To ask the Minister for the Arts in determining public expenditure plans for 1990–91 what provision was made for the cost of (i) libraries and (ii) museums and galleries.

In 1990–91 the central Government provision for libraries is £112 million and for museums and galleries £182 million. (These figures do not include local authority spending).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest position in drawing up the specifications for the new Government telephone network; and whether public tenders will be sought from qualified suppliers.

Decisions have not yet been made on whether, or how, to proceed with an integrated voice and data network for Government. The findings of the study announced by my right hon. Friend the then Paymaster General on 6 March 1989 are under consideration.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy on the charging of value added tax on goods which facilitate mobility of disabled people.

Most specialised equipment designed for use by disabled people and the charities that serve them is relieved of value added tax, but zero-rating does not extend to general purpose goods or services which can equally well be used by the able-bodied as by the disabled.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the rate of inflation in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland for each month since the Republic of Ireland became a full member of the European monetary system.

[holding answer 7 December 1989]: The information requested is as follows:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in rank order for each region in Britain (a) the average household income by region and ( b) social security benefits as a proportion of household income; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 7 December 1989]: The latest regional estimates for average household income and social security benefits relate to households covered in the family expenditure survey for the calendar years 1986 and 1987 and are given in table 31 of the report of the family expenditure survey 1987, a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what relocations of his Department's staff, or agencies relating thereto, are currently being considered; and what are the numbers of staff affected.

A review of the location of the Treasury's activities is currently taking place under the policy that my right hon. Friend the then Paymaster General announced on 31 March 1988 at cols. 610–11. No decisions have yet been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether it is his intention to implement the recommendations of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission obliging health care professions to allow their members to use unsolicited mailshots as a means of promoting their services.

When the MMC report on the supply of services of registered medical practitioners in relation to restrictions on advertising was published in March 1989, the Director General of Fair Trading was asked to seek undertakings that rules on advertising would be changed in accordance with the findings and recommendations of the MMC in a form to be agreed with him. A number of changes have already been made and the Director General of Fair Trading informs me that negotiations continue on the remaining restrictions, including that of unsolicited distribution of leaflets by general practitioners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the implementation of the insider dealing directive.

I am today publishing a consultative document on the Government's proposals for changes to the insider dealing law. The proposals reflect both our experience of the operation of our present law, and the insider dealing directive which was unanimously agreed by the Council of Ministers on 13 November.The directive sets minimum requirements for member states to follow in prohibiting insider dealing. We have in a number of areas gone beyond these requirements. We are also suggesting a substantial change by relating the offence to transactions done by or through authorised persons under the Financial Services Act rather than to the current complex structure of deals done on or off a recognised stock exchange.We are inviting comments by the end of February 1990. I am arranging for a copy of the paper to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cars and vans were produced in (a) the Federal Republic of Germany, (b) France, (c) Italy and (d) Spain in 1988.

[holding answer 4 December 1989]: Figures for cars are:

(a) 4·3 million, (b) 3·2 million (c) 1·9 million, (d) 1·5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cars and vans were produced in the United Kingdom in 1988.

[holding answer 4 December 1989]: 1·2 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the percentage of cars and vans which were produced in 1988 in (a) the Federal Republic of Germany, (b) France, (c) Italy and (d) Spain were exported.

[holding answer 4 December 1989]: Figures for cars are:

(a) 58 per cent., (b) 57 per cent., (c) 36 per cent., (d) 53 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the cars and vans which were produced in the United Kingdom in 1988 were exported.

[holding answer 4 December 1989]: 18 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate (a) the total loss in receipts to the Exchequer and (b) the extra cost to Government Departments arising from the closure of the British American Tobacco factory in Liverpool; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 6 December 1989]: No realistic estimates are practicable. As to the possible principal effects, no significant loss of tobacco duty or VAT is expected since the factory manufactures for export. Corporation tax payable by BAT will depend upon the company's overall trading results. Unemployment benefits and social security costs depend upon the number of claimants, their individual circumstances and the time before they find other work. The Government's existing programmes to assist enterprise and creation of new jobs are of course available in this area but any such costs would be met from existing provisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will assess the effect on the economy of Liverpool of the proposed closure of the British American Tobacco factory; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 6 December 1989]: No realistic assessment is practicable. British American Tobacco would no longer pay rates on the site but, in that it intends to offer the factory free to the Merseyside development corporation, it seems likely that the premises will again be beneficially occupied and thus rates will again become payable. Unemployment benefits and social security costs depend upon the number of claimants, their individual circumstances and the time before they find other work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will meet the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside and other Liverpool Members to discuss the implications of the proposed closure of the British American Tobacco factory in Liverpool.

[holding answer 6 December 1989]: I would be happy to meet the hon. Members concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total non-oil export volume in the United Kingdom for each of the last five years.

I have been asked to reply.The information required is in the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics, copies of which are available from the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much crack by weight and volume was confiscated in the United Kingdom or entering the United Kingdom in (a) 1987, (b) 1988 and (c) each month of 1989.

Seizures of crack reported by the police to the National Drugs Intelligence Unit were:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in determining public expenditure plans for 1990–91 what provision was made for the cost of (i) coroners' courts, (ii) probation and (iii) magistrates' courts.

Under the new planning total, the Government no longer make expenditure plans or provision for local authority spending but only for central Government support towards that spending. Central Government provide specific grant at the rate of 80 per cent. towards the costs of the probation service and magistrates courts.The planned grant provision in 1990–91 for magistrates courts is £184·1 million for current expenditure and £40·6 million for capital expenditure, and for the probation service £198·8 million for current expenditure and £7·5 million for capital expenditure. In addition, credit approvals for capital expenditure will be made available totalling £10·5 million for magistrates' courts and £3·8 million for probation. Coroners courts are supported not through specific grant but through revenue support grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to improve the working of the criminal injuries compensation scheme; and if he will make a statement.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board's annual report, for the year ended 31 March 1989 (Cm. 900, published on 6 December) shows that it received 43,385 applications—a record number—during the year. This year's intake is expected to show a further unprecedented rise to over 50,000 applications. The board has a backlog of some 96,000 cases, with consequent delays to all claims.My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have taken steps to meet these problems. We have increased staff from 220 in 1987 to 320. We have appointed more board members. Two thirds of the work is now dealt with by locally-recruited staff in a new office in Glasgow. A major computerisation programme will begin early next year. Despite the substantial increase in applications and the disruption caused by relocation of work to Scotland, the board resolved 38,830 cases last year, compared with 29,965 in the best previous year. On past performance we can expect far more cases to be resolved when the changes in staffing, location, and procedures have been fully absorbed. Meanwhile we have discussed with the chairman of the board the need for further improvements.The Criminal Justice Act 1988 provides for the scheme to be placed on a statutory footing. The board says in its report that to make the scheme statutory now would disrupt work and add to arrears. We accept that judgment. In view of the urgent need to tackle the backlog and improve the board's service to present and future claimants I have decided, with the agreement of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, and the board, not to make the scheme statutory yet but to make changes in the present non-statutory scheme to streamline it.The revised scheme will come into effect on 1 February 1990. The principal changes to which I should call attention are the discretion given to the board to delegate decision-making in the first instance to staff, and revised provisions for oral hearings. Delegation will allow more flexibility and efficiency. Under revised hearings provisions all applicants will retain a right to have their cases reviewed by at least two members of the board, but applications for a hearing may be considered by two members of the board on the papers and a hearing will be held only if the case warrants.I should also draw attention to an increase in the lower limit for compensation awards. This was last increased on 7 November 1986 to £550. The purpose of the limit is to exclude relatively minor injuries from the scope of the scheme and to concentrate resources on cases most deserving of compensation. With the passage of time it is right to raise the limit to £750. The new limit will apply to new applications.While not bringing the scheme set down in the Criminal Justice Act 1988 into effect, I am taking this opportunity to incorporate Parliament's wishes on several points. The revised scheme will cover claims arising from offences of trespass on a railway; payment of compensation in fatal injury cases to the cohabitee of the deceased person; payment to victims of a set sum for a child born as a consequence of rape; a limit on compensation for loss of earnings of one and a half times gross average earnings and removal of compensation for damage or loss of clothing.The Government are determined that victims should receive proper recognition under the criminal justice system, including the timely payment of compensation for personal injuries resulting from crime. The revised scheme will allow for better use of resources to achieve that end and contribute towards an improvement in the quality of service to claimants.The revised scheme is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department are detailed to handle the monitoring of, and plans to seek the release of, British hostages in the Lebanon.

A considerable number of officials both in London and in missions overseas are concerned with the hostage issue. The number involved at any one time depends upon the circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those states which are party to the partial test ban treaty but at the present time oppose its amendment to constitute a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing; and what are the declared reasons for each state's opposition.

It would not be appropriate for us to speculate on the views of other parties to the Treaty, or to reveal what has been said to us privately on this subject. However, 23 countries abstained or voted against the UN General assembly L25 resolution calling for the PTBT to be converted into a comprehensive test ban treaty. Those countries were the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the United Kingdom Government have taken since May 1979 to achieve the discontinuance of all test explosions of nuclear weapons.

The United Kingdom participated in the unsuccessful trilateral negotiations on this subject, which took place from 1977 to 1980. But, for the foreseeable future, our security will depend on deterrence, based in part on the possession of nuclear weapons. That means a continuing need to test these weapons to ensure they remain effective and up to date. A comprehensive test ban therefore remains a long term goal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has consulted with academic experts at the School of Slavonic and East Europe Studies at the University of London in formulating his policies in response to changing socio-political developments in eastern Europe in the past six months.

No, but Ministers and officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have frequent contacts with experts from the school, as they have with other academics, during which such matters are discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to have the opportunity to discuss with the new Foreign Minister of India the possibility of India joining the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans yet to meet the new Foreign Minister of India.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the chief Minister and other Ministers in Montserrat have been consulted about the adequacy of British aid to the island following the devastation caused by hurricane Hugo; and if he is satisfied that the aid given is adequate in terms of the island's medical and rehousing needs.

There has been, and continues to be, close consultation with the Government of Montserrat, particularly through our development division in Barbados. I have visited Montserrat twice since hurricane Hugo for discussion with the chief Minister and others. I am satisfied with the aid provided so far. Much remains to be done and we are urgently considering the longer term needs. The chief Minister is meeting ODA officials today, 8 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the achievements of the programme for progress in scientific culture, run by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation advanced studies unit at Erice, Italy.

NATO runs an advanced study institutes programme which makes grants to individuals who apply to organise summer schools at post graduate level. Some of these have taken place at the Ettore Majorama centre for scientific culture which is an Italian institution and not organised or directly funded by NATO. This programme is of benefit to scientists from both the United Kingdom and other NATO countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what benefits accrue to the United Kingdom Exchequer from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation advanced study unit at the Ettore Majorama centre for scientific culture in Erice, Italy; and what is the annual upkeep grant made available to this centre.

NATO's advanced study institutes programme makes grants to individuals who apply to organise summer schools at post-graduate level. The programme is of benefit to the scientific community in the United Kingdom and in other Alliance countries. An analysis of the precise financial benefit is not available. Some of the summer schools have taken place at the Ettore Majorama centre for scientific culture. However, this is an Italian institution and is not organised or directly funded by NATO.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many market research and sample surveys were carried our by or for his Department in the last 12 months; what was the cost of each; what was the total cost; how many were carried out in house; how many were carried out for his Department by outside organisations; and what, percentage of the total expenditure was paid to outside organisations.

The latest period for which information is available is from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989. During this period, 35 market research, sample surveys and similar studies were carried out on behalf of the Department. None was carried out in-house. The costs involved were:

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update the figures given in the reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, on 23 June, Official Report, column 276, for the cost of diets for people with AIDS or HIV infection; if he will also give figures for the income support available to people under 25 years of age who are unemployed but still capable of work; and if he will make a statement.

Based upon the food component of the September 1988 retail prices index, the diet costed at £14·19 would now cost £15·43 and that of £9·46 would now cost £10·29. The income support available to people under the age of 25 years is £27·40 a week for all 18 to 24 year olds, and certain 16 to 17 year olds who, of necessity, have to live away from home; 16 to 17-year-olds who live in someone else's household may qualify for £20·80 a week.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what recent consultations he has had concerning the financial needs of people with AIDS/ARC and HIV; and if he will make a statement;(2) what representations he has received concerning the financial needs of people with AIDS/ARC/HIV; and if he will make a statement.

I have received various representations from organisations, including the Terrence Higgins trust, and from individuals. Officials have also had recent consultations with the Department of Health.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to be able to send a substantive reply to the letter of 12 July from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, on income support for people with AIDS/ARC/HIV; and if he will make a statement.

I hope to be able to reply to the right hon. Gentleman today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will specify any difference in treatment in regard to means-tested benefits between payments under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 and the £20,000 payments from the Macfarlane trust in respect of (a) children and (b) adults.

All payments from the Macfarlane trust are disregarded for benefit purposes. Lump sump payments made under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 are normally taken into account as capital, unless they are placed in trust for the recipient. They are then disregarded.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to introduce legislation for the establishment of a national registration and licence system for dogs.

We do not agree that the main problems caused by dogs would be solved by a national dog registration scheme, though consideration is being given to alternative schemes to deal with straying and fouling. Our proposed solutions are set out in the consultation paper "Action on Dogs" issued in August. Controls on dangerous dogs have already been significantly strengthened by the Dangerous Dogs Act 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to introduce legislation relating to dog registration; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave yesterday to the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. McAllion).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if data deposited with the proposed European Environmental Agency will be subject to the provisions of the Official Secrets Act.

Under the terms of the draft regulation on the proposed European Environment Agency, data supplied or or emanating from the agency may be published and shall be made accessible to the public, subject to compliance with the rules of the Commission and the member states on the dissemination of information.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the states parties to the Montreal protocol on chlorofluorocarbon control held in Geneva in November; and how the decisions taken at this meeting will affect Her Majesty's Government's policies to combat the greenhouse effect.

The meeting was one of a series of preparatory meetings for the second meeting of the parties to the Montreal protocol in London next summer. Its purpose was to identify the amendments and adjustments to the protocol which will be proposed at that meeting. This was achieved. The United Kingdom, acting in concert with the European Community, has taken a leading position on the timetable for phasing out CFCs which are greenhouse gases as well as ozone depleting substances.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to obtain for his Department's library from Channel Four television or Pip Limited a copy of (a) the transcript and (b) the videotape of the programme "Inside Sellafield" broadcast on 9 November.

The programme has been seen and studied by several of the Department's scientific and administrative staff. There are no plans to buy a transcript or videotape for the library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the trade unions representing the Nature Conservancy Council work force in Scotland concerning his proposed reorganisation of the National Conservancy Council; and if he will make a statement as to the nature of these representations.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any recent communication from the Open university's energy and environment research unit on the matter of environmental aspects of transport planning.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of acid rain deposition, and contamination of groundwater by acidity is caused by monocultural foresty development in the United Kingdom.

The Department's acid waters review group in their second report, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House, concluded that the primary cause of acidification in sensitive areas of the United Kingdom was acid deposition from the atmosphere. Afforestation might increase the deposition of pollutants by 30 per cent. in a mature stand. The effect of the contamination of groundwater is difficult to quantify. Research by the Forestry Commission and within the Department's air pollution research programme on quantifying the effect of afforestation, including mono-cultural forestry, on acid deposition is continuing.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the number of large facilities which can handle low and intermediate level radioactive wastes for treatment and volume reduction in (a) the European Community, excluding the United Kingdom, and (b) the rest of the world.

The Department does not maintain a comprehensive list of large overseas facilities which can handle low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes for treatment and volume reduction.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many large chemical incinerators there are in Britain that can handle special wastes;(2) if he will give details of the amounts found by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution of polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxin in the flue gases from the Rechem international incinerator plant at Ponteg, Pontypool; and what information he has on comparable figures of large chemical incinerators in the mainland of Europe;(3) if he will provide an estimate of the total amount of special wastes dumped at the Leigh environmental waste disposal site at Walsall;(4) if he will summarise the results found by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution of tests for polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxin in herbage and soil samples around the Rechem incinerator plant at Ponteg, Pontypool;(5) what amounts of chemical waste were incinerated at the Rechem plant in Pontypool in each year from 1985 to the present time; and what quantities of polychlorinated biphenyls contaminated waste were handled each year;(6) what estimate he has of the cumulative total amount of polychlorinated biphenyls manufactured over the last 30 years in

I wrote to the hon. Member on 5 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in determining public expenditure plans for 1990–91 what provision was made for the cost of (i) refuse disposal, (ii) land drainage, (iii) cemeteries and cremation, (iv) environmental and port health, (v) planning control and implementation, (vi) recreation, (vii) refuse collection and (viii) community charge collection.

Information is not available in the form requested.An assessment of local authorities' revenue needs for these services and others was made in the standard spending assessment (SSA) for the other services block. The total SSA for other services for 1990–91 is £4,491 million. Within this total, £160 million was identified for land drainage.The public expenditure planning total includes the credit approvals issued to local authorities and central Government grants towards local authority capital expenditure but does not include local authority self-financed capital expenditure. The provision for 1990–91 includes credit approvals and capital grants of £9 million for land drainage. There is also provision of £193 million for credit approvals for local environmental services, which include the services mentioned in the question. Of this, £33 million will be issued to authorities needing to carry out remedial works on the build up of landfill gas at waste disposal sites and £39 million will be issued to the authorities responsible for waste disposal expenditure in Greater London and the metropolitan counties.The public expenditure planning total also includes provision for expenditure of £44 million by the Sports Council and £24 million by the Countryside Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will encourage British companies to conduct environmental audits.

I welcome the growing practice of environmental auditing which has been adopted by industrial corporations. Such audits help to safeguard the environment by ensuring a more judicious use of resources and energy and minimising waste.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the University of Bristol research report on possession action cases by local authorities.

I welcome this report by researchers at the university of Bristol which underlines the need for early action by housing managers when local authority rent arrears arise. Court proceedings can too easily substitute for effective housing management practice.The report, published today, was based on a study of 1,200 possession action cases brought by local authorities most of which were actions to recover rent arrears. It showed that there were considerable variations in the level of rent arrears before local authorities took action in the courts. Delays meant that rent arrears often increased substantially before cases were heard in court.The Lord Chancellor's civil justice review recommended several improvements to the current procedures for possession actions and suggested a new streamlined rent action to speed debt recovery and avoid some possession cases coming to court.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will review the data used in calculating the highway maintenance element of the standard spending assessment relating to the treatment of winter maintenance.

Following representations from my hon. Friend and others, I have concluded that the formula for the highway maintenance component of standard spending assessments (SSAs) does not reflect my right hon. Friend's desired treatment of winter maintenance. We have therefore today notified the local authority associations and informed all local authorities of a revised formula. After allowing for some other data changes, this will increase the standard spending assessments component for this service for a number of non-metropolitan counties which have a high incidence of snow. I have put details in the Library. As a result the standard spending assessment for north Yorkshire will increase by £3·1 million, which is equivalent to a £6 per head reduction in the community charge bill.