To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will list by location the number of churches waiting compensation from British Coal due to subsidence damage; and if he will show in his answer, when the claims were first submitted.

The Commissioners do not possess this information. I am, however, writing to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a timetable for (a) the appointment of teachers, (b) signing of a lease for the premises, (c) closing date for application by pupils, (d) projected opening date, (e) agreement on curriculum the school will pursue, (f) the announcement of the cost of the Exchequer's contribution for capital costs and (g) the announcement of the sponsors' contribution to capital costs at the Britschool city technology college Croydon; and if he will publish a full list of sponsors for the Britschool city technology college and their projected contributions (i) in cash and (ii) in goods and services.

The lease of the premises of the city college for the technology of the arts (CCTA) in Croydon is scheduled to be signed today. The opening date for the college will be September 1991. The British phonographic industry has undertaken to provide capital funding of 40 per cent. of an agreed £5·9 million, of which my Department will provide 60 per cent. It is for the project team appointed by the sponsor to decide appropriate dates for the appointment of teachers to the college, a closing date for applications by pupils, and the details of the college's agreed curriculum. The college's principal was appointed on 1 January this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the expected staying on rate in full-time education for the 16 to 18 years age group in 1992–93.

The projected participation rate for full-time students aged 16 and 17 in England for 1992–93 is 47 per cent. The ages are those at 31 August 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to remedy the poor attendance record of students in the later years of secondary schooling and in schools in deprived areas; and if he will make a statement.

The national curriculum and other educational reforms being introduced by the Government will increase opportunity and motivation for all pupils and thereby help to improve school attendance. In addition, a new category of education support grants, to raise attendance at designated schools, begins in April. The grants will support three-year projects in 35 English local education authorities at a total cost in 1990–91 of £2·34 million. Most of those grants are for projects in urban programme areas. Similar arrangements apply in Wales.The Department has recently published a survey report by Her Majesty's inspectorate which reviews school attendance and calls attention to examples of good practice in schools and local education authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out the total sum of bids by local education authorities for capital spending on further education colleges for 1990–91.

The bids by local education authorities for capital spending on further education colleges for 1990–91 totalled £186·1 million, as follows:

	£ million
Major building works1:
Started prior to 1990–91	50·0
To start in 1990–91	36·8
Minor works	25·4
Equipment and furniture	53·1
Other	20·8
TOTAL BIDS	186·1
1 Projects in excess of £200,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out, in 1987 prices, the expenditure on discretionary student awards in (a) 1984–85, (b) 1985–86, (c) 1986–87, (d) 1987–88, (e) 1988–89 and (f) 1989.

The available data are as follows:

Real terms1 expenditure on section 1(6) and section 2 discretionary awards2 1984–85 to 1987–88
England and Wales
	£ million
1984–85	156·8
1985–86	159·8
1986–87	169·0
1987–88	171·0
1 Real terms expenditure at 1987–88 prices.
2 Includes expenditure on fees and maintenance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of the education budget will be met by local authorities in the next financial year.

In the present financial year local authority expenditure on education is expected to account for some four fifths of the Department's total programme. Education budgets for 1990–91 are still being determined by local education authorities. As the bulk of central Government support for local authority spending is not hypothecated to individual services, it is not possible to determine on a service by service basis what percentage of those budgets will be met from local authorities' own resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what sum of money was added to higher education students' grants representing 20 per cent. of average community charge; and when the calculation from which that sum resulted was made.

The increased main rates of mandatory student grant for the academic year 1990–91 were announced on 19 December 1989. As in previous years these broadly reflected both the resources available and the net impact of several factors upon students' living costs. These factors included students' discounted liability for the community charge and the abolition of domestic rates. The basic maintenance grant is not earmarked in respect of any element of students' living costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of the number of students in further education who will take out student loans.

Top-up loans will mean extra resources for students in higher education. If 80 per cent. of those eligible were to apply, some 455,000 higher education students would receive top-up loans in 1990–91.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received regarding the Government's continued policy concerning footwear and leather imports from Taiwan and Korea; and if he will make a statement.

We have received a small number of representations on this matter. The European Commision is still considering the way forward in the light of member states' views.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will indicate, or place in the Library, the details of the scheme Her Majesty's Government intend to deploy to enforce the European Commission decision on applying for a voluntary restraint agreement covering leather and synthetic footwear imports from the Republic of Korea and Taiwan;

[holding answer 19 February 1990]: The Commission has still to decide what action, if any, to take. We understand that it may be considering Communitywide restraints on trade in leather and synthetic footwear from South Korea and Taiwan. Any restraints would, of course, have to be fully and economically justified. If, however, the industry has any evidence of unfair trading practices it should be forwarded to the DTI or the Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many of the specialists recruited for the development of the Securities and Investments Board and of its rule book are no longer required;(2) if he will give details of the steps taken in the preparation of the planned expenditure of the Securities and Investments Board for the year 1990–91 to contain expenditure to reflect the reduction in formation and development of the regulatory role of the Securities and Investments Board;(3) what are the premiums which the Securities and Investments Board will be required to pay in respect of salary and rental costs as a result of the decision to relocate within central London;(4) whether he has any plans to make available free of charge to the public in Scotland access to the Securities and Investments Board's Prestel system which holds details of all authorised firms;(5) whether the manpower levels within the Securities and Investments Board are intended only to reflect the minimum personnel required to maintain compliance standards;which locations outside London were considered for the possible relocation of the Securities and Investments Board.

[holding answer 19 February 1990]: This is a matter for the Securities and Investments Board.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will review his Department's policy concerning funding for research into and development of electricity generation from offshore wave power devices; and if he will make a statement on his Department's assessment of the likely cost of such electricity per kilowatt hour.

A thorough review of the technical and commercial viability and prospects for wave energy in the United Kingdom is currently being undertaken, following which it will be possible to review the Department's policy concerning funding for research into and development of electricity generation from offshore wave power devices. Offshore wave energy is currently considered unlikely to be competitive, with estimated costs exceeding 10p/kWh, but reassessing these costs is fundamental to the review now taking place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any plans to require pylons to be moved away from urban settlements in view of the effect of the electrical fields generated beneath them on human health.

I have no plans to require pylons to be moved away from urban settlements in view of the presence of electrical fields. All types of electrical conductor, whether overhead or underground, and whether forming a power transmission or distribution system or simply the wiring and appliances in the home, create electric and magnetic fields.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road building objections in the form of Valentine cards he has received this month.

My right hon. Friend and I and officials on our behalf have received a number of road building objections in the form of Valentine cards. All those giving names and addresses will be taken into account in the consultation process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on his policy towards the location and development of motorway service areas by the private sector;(2) if he will make it his policy to allow the private sector to take responsibility for the location and development of motorway service areas; and if he will make a statement;(3) what representations he has received from the major oil companies regarding the development of motorway service areas; and if he will make a statement.

Representations have been made by certain oil companies that the initiative should be left with them to identify, seek planning clearance for, and obtain ownership of sites for new motorway service areas. The current general policy is for the Department itself to identify sites, usually on the basis of a private consultant's study, and itself to seek planning clearance and ownership, and to market the right to provide services there by competitive tender. The aim of this policy is to ensure the satisfactory choice, development and continued operation of sites, primarily from the point of view of road safety and traffic management considerations, to promote competition between operators in the interests of consumer choice and satisfaction, and to ensure an adequate return to the Exchequer by way of premium for the right to provide services at key locations on the motorway network.There are no present proposals to change this policy. It will however be kept under review in the light of experience and representations made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to consider the privatisation of the Civil Aviation Authority; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to privatise the Civil Aviation Authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority to discuss the shortage of Civil Aviation Authority examiners to test for the commercial pilot's licence and instrument ratings examinations; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for the Civil Aviation Authority. I have asked the chairman of the authority to write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he set down any ordering timetable before approving investment by British Rail in the trains necessary for the direct link from the Channel tunnel to the north of England and Scotland;(2) what is the number of trains for the direct link from the Channel tunnel to the north of England and Scotland for which he has given investment approval to British Rail; and what is the minimum number of such trains required.

While BR has outlined its plans for through services, it has not yet submitted its investment proposals with its estimate of the cost of the trains.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the types of trains for the direct link from the Channel tunnel to the north of England and Scotland for which he has given investment approval to British Rail.

BR published its plans for through services on 14 December and I refer to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Lee) on that date, Official Report, column 767. It has not yet submitted its investment proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what parameters for the completion and delivery of the order for the trains which will run from London through the Channel tunnel to the continent he set down before approving British Rail's investment in the new rolling stock;(2) what requirements he imposed when giving his approval to investment in new rolling stock for British Rail about the companies to be invited to tender for the order to produce the trains necessary for the direct link from the Channel tunnel to the north of England and Scotland.

None. These are commercial matters for the railways concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what will be the cost of the trains which will run from London through the Channel tunnel to the continent for which he has given investment approval to British Rail.

I refer to the answer my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington) on 11 December 1989 at column 486.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when reaching his decision about investment in new rolling stock for British Rail what consideration he gave to the extent to which continental trains could run directly through the Channel tunnel to the north of England and Scotland;(2) when reaching his decision on whether to approve investment in new rolling stock for British Rail, what consideration he gave to the extent to which existing British Rail trains would be able to run directly through the Channel tunnel to the continent from the north of England and Scotland.

Neither existing BR nor continental trains can use the Channel tunnel for a variety of safety and engineering reasons.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive from British Rail its investment proposal for the trains to be used for the through passenger services to be introduced from the continent to the north of Britain.

I understand that British Rail proposes to submit its proposals in April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the eastern alignment of the proposed Jubilee line extension.

Following further work and negotiations with property developers and landowners, I am pleased to be able to authorise LRT to seek the leave of the House for the deposit of an additional provision to re-route the Jubilee line extension, from Canary Wharf to Canning Town via Greenwich point.The east London rail study which I announced in July last year, identified two possible alignments for the Jubilee line extension between Canary Wharf and Canning Town either via Greenwich point, or via the Brunswick foreshore. The pressure of a November deadline for LRT to deposit a Bill, for the extension, made it necessary to take a decision as early as September to plan on the basis of the shorter and cheaper alignment via Brunswick. The Bill that I authorised in November was drafted on that basis. However, since then further discussions have been held with property developers and landowners whose interests would be affected by both alignments to ascertain whether they would be prepared to meet the additional costs of providing a station and changing the route, as necessary. Each of the interested groups has offered to contribute on this basis but the financial case for proceeding with the Greenwich alignment is more robust and offers a number of additional benefits. It is essential to secure the regeneration of the industrial wasteland in the Greenwich peninsula and above all, by providing two further river crossings it will open up new areas in south London to the Underground network. I am sure this announcement will be welcomed in those areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to dispose of his shares in the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.

I have concluded that it would not be appropriate for the Government to seek to dispose of their ordinary shares in the company now in view of the inquiries by inspectors appointed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. My hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury and I have, therefore, decided that in accordance with the Government's general policy on Government shareholdings the ordinary shares should be transferred into the ownership of the Treasury. At the same time I intend to relinquish the right attaching to the special share which enables my right hon. Friend to appoint up to three directors of the company.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice or instructions are given by his Department as to the signs, illumination and positioning of warning signs at major road junctions or roundabouts when the traffic lights have failed.

Current guidance on these matters is contained in paragraph 5.7 of Department of Transport advice note TA 24/81, copies of which have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conditions are imposed on his traffic control systems units maintenance contractor as to the urgency and intensity of the efforts to restore normal working of failed traffic lights at the Hogarth roundabout on the A4 at Chiswick and at similar major junctions.

The priority to be given to repairing traffic signals in London is detailed in the TCSU's contract with its maintenance contractor and varies according to the seriousness of the incident and when it occurs. Complete failure such as happened at the Hogarth roundabout is accorded top priority and the contractor is required, if it is possible, to effect a full repair within two and a half or five hours of the fault, for weekdays or weekend respectively. If, as was the case recently at Hogarth roundabout, major civil engineering works beyond the scope of the maintenance contract are necessary to effect the repair, the maintenance contractor is required to make the installation safe and to place warning signs on approach roads until the civil works can be put in hand.I can assure my right hon. Friend that all concerned are alert to the need to effect repairs as quickly as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of investment in Network SouthEast has to earn an 8 per cent. return; and what investment projects do not have to earn this return.

The basic criteria for all replacement investment in BR's subsidised sectors such as Network SouthEast are that the existing service should be maintained and that the chosen project should be the least cost option. An 8 per cent. discount rate is used to compare the costs and benefits of options, but there is no requirement for replacement investment as a whole to earn a financial return of 8 per cent. It is only when an option for investment includes an element of enhancement, for example the provision of first-class accommodation, or air conditioning, or represents an addition to the asset base, that this additional expenditure must normally be justified by its ability to earn an 8 per cent. return. We have however made it clear in the new objectives set for BR in December that where, exceptionally, additions to NSE's asset base cannot meet an 8 per cent. financial return, it is appropriate to consider whether there is a case on cost-benefit grounds. Most investment projects include elements of both replacement and enhancement, so it is not possible to provide the percentages requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the major items of property sold by Network SouthEast over the last 10 years.

The sale of property and land no longer required for operational purposes is handled corporately by the British Rail Property Board. Its activities are covered on page 28 of the board's annual report and accounts for 1988–89, a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Minister for the Arts how many representations he has received concerning Government funding of the arts; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Mr. Watts) on 12 February, at column 51. I have no immediate plans to make a statement on arts funding.

To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has received on the number of organisations, regionally and nationally, which are planning to (a) cut their staff, (b) cut their operations or performances and (c) close down completely in the coming financial year, following changes in funding available to them from the Government; and if he will make a statement.

It is for the management of individual arts organisations to determine the level of their staffing and operations. Like any other organisation, they must set the scope of their operations within the limits of available resources. I am confident, however, that with an increase of 22 per cent. in the Arts Council's grant over the next three years, arts organisations will continue to build on recent successes.

To ask the Minister for the Arts if his Department has any plans to assist in the acquisition for the national collections of one of the two new facsimiles of the Book of Kells.

No. Decisions on acquisitions are a matter for the trustees of the national collections. I understand that a new facsimile is available for academic research in the university of London library, and that the British Library holds an earlier facsimile.

To ask the Minister for the Arts how many reported thefts from museums and art galleries in London there have been in each of the past five years.

Information on the number of reported thefts from museums and art galleries in London is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the function of the official whose signature has been sent to the hon. Member for Linlithgow under the printed phrase cleared and approved for release in the answer to written question No. 164 of 19 February from the hon. Member for Linlithgow to which the Secretary of State said he would reply as soon as possible.

It is the administrative practice in the Northern Ireland Office for the Parliamentary Clerk to satisfy himself, before answers to parliamentary questions as approved by the Ministers are dispatched to right hon. and hon. Members, that they contain no textual inaccuracies or other errors and to confirm to those responsible for their dispatch that such a check has been carried out.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will arrange for his officials to meet Sir George Terry to discuss the need for a wide inquiry into the affairs surrounding the Kincora boys' home.

[holding answer 19 February 1990]: I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a list of all primary, secondary and grammar schools in Northern Ireland which have been granted integrated status, showing the number of pupils attending each school in each of the last three years.

[holding answer 21 February 1990]: The table sets out the names of the seven integrated primary and secondary schools that have achieved voluntary maintained status, together with their pupil enrolments at January in each of the years 1988, 1989 and 1990:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what numbers of pupils presently attend an integrated school in Northern Ireland; what percentage of pupils this number represents, for (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) grammar schools; what information he has as to how many pupils attend such schools in each education and library board area; and how many in each board area are (i) Roman Catholic, (ii) Protestant and (iii) other, or as much of such information as is available to him.

[holding answer 21 February 1990]: The seven integrated schools that are grant-aided as voluntary maintained schools had an aggregate enrolment of 1,630 pupils at January 1990.Enrolment figures for all schools are not yet available for January 1990 but at the latest date for which comparable figures are available (January 1989) the five integrated primary schools had 646 pupils, representing 0·4 per cent. of all primary school enrolments in Northern Ireland and the two secondary schools had 773 pupils, representing 0·8 per cent. of all secondary school enrolments.In addition to the seven grant-aided integrated schools, there are three integrated primary schools operating as independent schools:

	Pupils
Windmill Integrated Primary School	59
Enniskillen Integrated Primary School	64
Braidside Integrated Primary School (Ballymena)	36

The figures for the four education and library board areas in which these schools are situated are as follows:

	Numbers
Belfast	687
South Eastern	688
North Eastern	115
Southern	140

Information as to the religious affiliations of pupils at schools in Northern Ireland is not readily available.

To ask the Attorney-General what paternity leave is allowed to staff in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

At present paternity leave is not available to civil servants. The Treasury is, however, finalising arrangements for the introduction of an entitlement to two days' paid paternity leave.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has for each of the years of the existence of BES on (a) the regional distribution of BES funds and the regional distribution of small firms, (b) the distribution of BES investments by two digit standard industrial classification, or as detailed as possible and (c) the average size of investment.

Information on the companies receiving investments through the business expansion scheme is published in chapter 7 of "Inland Revenue Statistics 1989". Further information that is readily available is as follows:

Companies receiving BES investments, 1987–88
Industry	Number of companies	Amount of investment
		£ million
Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry	21	9
Fishing	20	6
Manufacture of Metals, Minerals and Chemicals	28	3
Mechanical Engineering	26	2
Electrical and Electronic Engineering	50	5
Manufacture of Transport Equipment	20	7
Instrument Engineering	20	2
Food and Drink Industry	30	2
Textile, Clothing, Footwear Industry	23	1
Manufacture of Paper and Paper Products	38	3
Other Manufacturing Industries	47	4
Construction and Real Estate	45	34
Wholesale Distribution	34	6
Retail Distribution	87	27
Distribution and Repair of Motor Vehicles	24	3
Hotels and Catering	70	38
Transport and Storage Services	27	1
Business, Professional and Technical Services	68	6
Medical, Educational and Social Services	36	30
Recreational, Hairdressing and Personal Services	56	4
Others	12	2
Total	782	195

The average size of investment per company is as follows:

	£ thousand
1983–84	147
1984–85	183
1985–86	224
1986–87	226
1987–88	256
11988–89	180
1 Provisional.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for (a) 1960, (b) 1970, (c) 1980 and (d) the latest year, the number of single people with children who work and pay tax; and if he will estimate the numbers below the tax threshold.

In 1989–90 an estimated quarter of a million working lone parents pay tax and about the same number are in work, but below the tax threshold. Estimates are based on the 1987 family expenditure survey and are provisional. Figures for the earlier years are not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing annual consumers' expenditure and personal disposable income from 1979 to 1988 in (a) owner-occupier households and (b) other households.

An analysis of consumers' expenditure and personal disposable income is not available in the form requested. Estimates by tenure of average weekly household expenditure and income are published annually in the report of the family expenditure survey.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what data would be required to enable a reliable assessment to be made of the cost of extending payment of Civil Service widows' pensions to the widows of post-retirement marriages of civil servants who retired before April 1978;(2) if he will estimate the numbers of surviving retired male civil servants who retired before 6 April 1978.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 9 January 1990, at column 575. I regret that the information requested could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will undertake a review of the United Kingdom coinage so as to replace the present bronze 1p

Property sales in 1988
	Range of consideration (lower limit)
	£0		£10,000		£20,000		£30,000		£50,000		£100,000		£250,000		All values
Region	Number1	Value2	Number1	Value2	Number1	Value2	Number1	Value2	Number1	Value2	Number1	Value2	Number1	Value2	Number1	Value2
North	21	98	21	310	21	507	24	910	10	639	2	256	1	415	98	3,135
Yorkshire and Humberside	21	80	39	606	48	1,227	46	1,745	22	1,448	4	513	1	994	182	6,613
East Midlands	21	92	25	375	33	849	50	1,980	36	2,386	6	855	2	1,292	173	7,829
East Anglia	6	15	6	93	6	149	26	1,111	41	2,785	8	1,058	2	1,371	95	6,581
South East	36	67	20	315	27	662	81	3,381	274	19,262	82	11,751	14	10,181	534	45,618
Greater London	30	42	16	231	13	326	25	1,035	167	11,934	60	8,773	14	13,684	326	36,025
South West	21	45	17	252	18	455	66	2,704	98	6,782	23	3,277	4	2,849	247	16,363
West Midlands	26	80	22	323	18	459	47	1,836	38	2,544	9	1,266	2	1,594	162	8,103
North West	40	160	42	643	58	1,460	57	2,192	31	2,083	5	731	2	1,394	234	8,664
Wales	18	69	15	220	26	654	30	1,171	16	1,026	3	416	1	498	110	4,053
England and Wales	240	748	224	3,368	268	6,747	452	18,064	733	50,890	203	28,894	42	34,272	2,162	142,983
1 Thousands.
2 £ million.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, South (Mr. Sumberg) on 6 February, at column 540. The excess cost to the Treasury of continuing to provide 1p and 2p coins in bronze as compared with copper-plated steel depends on metal prices and on the number of coins issued, but a reasonable estimate is between £2 million and £4 million a year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the smaller size denomination of 5p and 10p to be issued by United Kingdom banks; if he has the coinage under review; if he will issue a £2 coin for circulation; what other plans he has for a redesign of the reverse of the coinage; and if he will make a statement.

The new, smaller 5p coin will be issued by the United Kingdom banks in June 1990 and the new, smaller 10p coins will be issued in June 1992. These changes followed a general review of the coinage in 1987. The Royal Mint issued a pamphlet setting out various options for change and the public were invited to comment. The smaller 5p and 10p coins were the options preferred. Aspects of the coinage are always kept under review. £2 coins are issued for circulation from time to time only as commemorative coins. Two versions of the £2 coin were, however, issued last year to commemorate the Bill of Rights in England and the Claim of Right in Scotland. There are no immediate plans to issue a further £2 coin or to redesign the reverse of the coinage.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will provide a breakdown on a regional basis for the 1988 freehold and leasehold figures in table 15.1 of "Inland Revenue Statistics 1989".

I regret that reliable information is not available at the level of detail requested. Available information is in the table:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he will provide for the boroughs of Croydon, Merton and Hounslow the number and rateable value of houses and so on with a rateable value not exceeding £100 and by (a) £50 steps to £400, (b) £100 steps to £800, (c) £800 to £1,000, (d) £1,000 to £1,500 and (e) over £1,500;(2) whether he will provide for the boroughs of Ealing, Waltham Forest, Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham the number and rateable value of houses and so on with a rateable value not exceeding £100 and by

This information could not be produced without a disproportionate expenditure of time and resources.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cost in 1990–91 and in a full year of raising the lower limit for the reduced rate for corporation tax from £150,000 to £200,000; and how many firms would be affected.

[holding answer 9 February 1990]: About 20,000 companies would be affected at a cost of £30 million in a full year and £20 million in 1990–91, assuming company incomes at 1989–90 levels and that the change took effect from 1 April 1989.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the savings in a full year at 1989–90 rates of restricting all allowances and reliefs to the standard rate of tax; and if he will provide a breakdown of the category of allowances and reliefs.

[holding answer 12 February 1990]: Estimates of the direct revenue yield in a full year at 1989–90 levels of income from restricting the main income tax reliefs and allowances to the basic rate are as follows:

	£ million
a. Personal allowances	1,350
b. Mortgage interest relief	430
c. Employee's superannuation and personal pension contributions	200
d. Retirement annuity relief1	110
1 Including relief for retirement annuity payments made by employees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report, now or as soon as the figures are available to him, a table indicating for each county and district authority in Wales, the budgeted spending for 1990–91, the corresponding grant-borne and community charge-borne aggregate sums, and the proposed personal community charge level.

I will write to the hon. Gentleman when the figures become available and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the appeal procedure after the refusal of a grant of a waste disposal licence issued under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 in Wales.

Appellants are required to give notice of appeal on the form set out in schedule 7 to the Collection and Disposal of Waste Regulations 1988 and to provide the documentation as required by regulation 10(3).

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table to show such information as he has to hand from the schemes of local management of schools submitted for his approval by local education authorities to show the relative values of the general schools budget, the mandatory exceptions, the discretionary exceptions and the aggregate schools budget, on a comparable basis to that published by his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in his reply of 5 February to the hon. Member for Epping Forest, Official Report, column 451.

The following information has been taken from the local management of schools scheme submissions made by local education authorities to my right hon. Friend. The table gives the percentage figures requested; it is not possible to provide comparative cash figures because the information has been supplied using different price bases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for Wales and each major administrative division the number of (a) rateable domestic premises, (b) resident adults and (c) resident children together with (i) the

	Domestic rateable value at September 1989				Resident Population1 (thousands)
Local Authority	Number of hereditaments	Value £000	Average Domestic Rate Poundage	Yield £ million	Aged 0–17	Aged 18+
Alyn and Deeside	27,806	4,440	270·8	12·02	17·8	54·8
Colwyn	23,584	3,573	281·6	10·06	11·6	43·1
Delyn	25,618	3,970	269· 2	10·69	15·6	49·5
Glyndwr	17,285	2,206	276·1	6·09	9·3	32·2
Rhuddlan	22,262	3,412	269·5	9·19	11·8	44·3
Wrexham Maelor	45,356	6,126	278·5	17·06	28·5	88·5
Carmarthen	21,885	2,269	263·6	5·98	12·2	43·6
Ceredigion	26,626	2,957	256·0	7·57	14·8	52·2
Dinefwr	15,401	1,417	254·9	3·61	8·5	30·3
Llanelli	30,619	3,176	282·1	8·96	16·0	58·0
Preseli Pembs	28,825	3,047	252·3	7·69	16·7	54·0
South Pembroke	16,854	2,044	258·1	5·28	9·8	32·1
Blaenau Gwent	31,415	2,998	266·9	8·00	17·8	59·5
Islwyn	25,756	2,715	258·5	7·02	15·5	50·9
Monmouth	29,842	4,482	262·3	11·75	18·6	62·7
Newport	52,787	8,038	257·4	20·69	30·9	97·2
Torfaen	35,975	4,519	270·9	12·24	22·2	70·1
Aberconwy	22,623	3,233	261·4	8·45	11·2	42·9
Arfon	23,805	2,410	258·5	6·23	13·3	41·9
Dwyfor	13,683	1,519	259·9	3·95	5·6	21·4
Meirionnydd	16,265	1,818	263·0	4·78	6·6	25·0
Ynys Môn	29,151	3,727	258·1	9·62	17·6	53·5
Cynon Valley	26,710	2,181	273·1	5·96	15·0	49·3
Merthyr Tydfil	23,679	2,177	282·6	6·15	13·8	44·3
Ogwr	50,834	6,213	292·8	18·19	32·4	105·1
Rhondda	32,123	2,067	286·5	5·92	18·0	58·6
Rhymney Valley	39,172	4,181	292·0	12·21	26·8	77·7
Taff Ely	36,414	4,224	283·9	11·99	23·4	71·5
Brecknock	16,676	1,929	248·5	4·79	9·0	32·1
Montgomeryshire	21,521	2,497	229·9	5·74	11·4	39·8
Radnorshire	9,967	1,135	232·4	2·64	4·9	17·7
Cardiff	111,753	19,613	222·1	43·56	68·0	215·9
Vale of Glamorgan	43,548	7,287	230·0	16·76	28·6	90·9
Port Talbot	20,457	2,214	301·5	6·77	11·0	38·0
Lliw Valley	24,738	2,481	305·7	7·62	13·9	47·9
Neath	26,115	2,832	307·2	8·54	15·0	50·2
Swansea	73,859	9,958	315·0	31·37	42·8	144·2
Total Wales	1,140,989	145,085	265·6	385·14	665·9	2,190·9
1 Registrar General; 1988 mid-year estimates

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make it his policy that the timetable for implementation of the subsidiary legislation giving effect to part V of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 in respect of Wales should allow adequate time for local

Information for Wales and each district for 1989 is shown in the following table. The estimated yield from a 1 per cent. levy on the capital value of the housing stock in 1988 and 1989 is not available.authorities to assess the nature of their relationship with companies and make necessary adjustments in the light of the subsidiary legislation;(2) whether he will make it his policy to allow a period of six months between the publication of the subordinate legislation giving effect to part V of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 in Wales and the date from which such subsidiary legislation takes effect.

The implementation timetable will provide adequate time for local authorities to assess the implications of the controls on local authority companies. Part V of the 1989 Act defines a company and also specifies the tests which apply in establishing a local authority's relationship with companies for the purposes of the new regulatory system. The provisions are explained in greater detail in a consultation paper issued to local authorities in Wales last October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which Welsh voluntary wildlife bodies have indicated to him support for the Government's proposals for splitting the Nature Conservancy Council.

A number of other organisations in Wales have done so, including the National Farmers Union committee for Wales, the chairman and chief officers of the national parks and the committees for Wales of both the Nature Conservancy Council and the Countryside Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will respond to the Select Committee on Welsh Affairs report, "The Channel Tunnel: Implications for Wales," published on 21 June 1989.

The command paper should be published next month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the cost of a settlement for ambulance personnel in Wales of (a) 6·5 per cent. from April 1989 to 1990, backdated to April 1989 with an additional 3 per cent. from April 1990 with an offer of further negotiations in October 1990 and (b) 9 per cent. from April 1989, backdated to April 1989 with an offer of further negotiations in October 1990.

The information requested is as follows:

(a) £2·2 million

(b) £2·7 million

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each county education authority the number of teachers needed to (a) deliver Welsh language teaching at the primary and secondary levels as required by the national curriculum and (b) deliver all national curriculum subjects in Welsh secondary schools by teachers with the appropriate subject qualifications.

The current estimate, based on 1988 pupil numbers, of the number of teachers required to deliver Welsh language teaching when the national curriculum is fully implemented is:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether under the community charge system in Wales it is possible to identify the amount of revenue support grant attributable to each county council and to each borough and district council.

I calculated the revenue support grant entitlements of all Welsh local authorities, under section 82(1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, following the approval of the Welsh revenue support grant report 1990–91 on 24 January. Authorities were notified of their entitlements on 1 February. Those entitlements are listed in the following table:

Welsh revenue support grant settlement 1990–91
	Revenue support grant
	£
Alyn and Deeside	3,596,953
Colwyn	2,725,742
Delyn	2,764,702
Glyndwr	1,721,119
Rhuddlan	3,178,226
Wrexham Maelor	5,893,988
Carmarthen	2,910,219
Ceredigion	3,673,507
Dinefwr	1,771,103
Llanelli	4,792,442
Preseli Pembrokeshire	3,854,649
South Pembrokeshire	2,743,440
Blaenau Gwent	6,435,008
Islwyn	4,976,825
Monmouth	3,031,576
Newport	10,154,847
Torfaen	5,646,991
Aberconwy	2,849,894
Arfon	3,692,376
Dwyfor	2,309,802
Meirionnydd	2,184,575
Ynys Môn	4,171,718
Cynon Valley	5,442,452
Merthyr Tydfil	5,561,740
Ogwr	8,624,883
Rhondda	8,295,768
Rhymney Valley	6,056,028
Taff Ely	5,803,832
Brecknock	2,202,866
Montgomeryshire	2,228,139
Radnorshire	989,607
Cardiff	17,925,825
Vale of Glamorgan	5,367,849
Port Talbot	3,988,218
Lliw Valley	3,180,384

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice has been given to the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Trust regarding the acquisition of salmon netting rights in Scotland.

Acquisitions of salmon fishing rights in Scotland are private transactions. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland does not advise on either the acquisition or sale of such rights.Advice is given by DAFS scientists to salmon interests including the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Trust (Scotland) on possible research or monitoring activities which they might fund or take part in. Discussions on this basis took place with the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Trust (Scotland) in March 1988 and in April 1989. Similar discussions are conducted with the Atlantic Salmon Trust, other research trusts concerned with particular river systems, individual district salmon fishery boards and the River Tweed commissioners. General discussions also take place from time to time with bodies representing the collective interests of district boards, anglers and netsmen.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to make a decision on the proposed scheme of salmon tagging being drawn up by the River Tweed commissioners.

On 26 January the River Tweed commissioners submitted formal proposals for a local scheme of tagging wild salmon in the Tweed area. The proposed scheme would be organised and financed locally but the River Tweed commissioners have sought my right hon. and learned Friend's views about possible new, local powers to support the scheme. These local powers would require primary legislation. I expect there to be further discussions with the River Tweed commissioners on these and other aspects of their proposals in the coming weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what evaluation his Department has made in 1990 of alternative methods of raising finance for Scottish local government other than the community charge.

A number of possible options for financing local government were evaluated before the decision was taken to abolish domestic rates and introduce the community charge. There has been no need since then for any study of alternative methods of finance. The Labour party's proposed roof tax is essentially a return to domestic rates and if introduced would mean a return to the many anomalies and unfairness of that system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of people who have gained financially from the introduction of the poll tax.

At the outset of the new system it was estimated that around 50 per cent. of households would benefit from the introduction of the community charge. Other changes in the local government finance system, introduced at the same time as the community charge, and the lack of information on what local authority budgets and rate poundages would have been under the previous system make it impossible to provide further information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to introduce regulations that allow voters to opt out or opt in to the sale of their name and address from electoral registers; whether he has had discussions with the Data Protection Registrar concerning the sale of names and addresses from the electoral register; and whether he will make a statement.

We have no plans to introduce such regulations. The operation of the electoral registration system requires that all the information in the register should be freely available to the public. The provisions of the Representation of the People (Scotland) Regulations 1986 governing the publication and supply of the register reflect this fact and the conclusion that its use by commercial organisations could not effectively be prevented. The Data Protection Registrar was consulted before the introduction of the provisions in those regulations governing the sale of the electoral register in data form.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to introduce regulations to alert voters to the fact that their name and address are routinely disclosed from the electoral register for poll tax purposes; and whether he will make a statement.

We have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to introduce regulations to protect voters who may be vulnerable to attack if their name and address appeared on an electoral register that is available for sale or inspection by the public; and whether he will make a statement.

We have no present plans to do so, but we shall continue to keep the position under careful review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has provided guidance to electoral registration officers concerning the privacy implications of the inspection or sale of the names and addresses from the electoral register without the knowledge or consent of the voter; whether his Department has studied the implications of linking copies of the electoral register information to that of the census or to other large databases; and whether he will make a statement.

The Scottish Home and Health Department has issued guidance to electoral registration officers on the electoral registration process, including the inspection and sale of the register, but not specifically on questions of privacy. Individual census records will not be available for linkage to the electoral register or other large databases.

Region/Islands Area	Number of domestic subjects at 1 April 1988	Total rateable value at 1 April 1988 of domestic subjects	Gross domestic rate yield 1988–89	Adult population (18 and over) at June 1988	Under 18 population at June 1988
Borders	46,209	26,621,187	15,120,834	80,306	22,286
Central	107,162	68,128,907	47,622,106	207,278	64,248
Dumfries and Galloway	61,855	38,539,073	22,314,123	114,364	33,118
Fife	141,111	89,981,175	62,446,935	263,032	81,685
Grampian	207,913	131,750,260	73,384,895	383,216	118,178
Highland	85,953	45,603,970	28,730,501	151,663	50,203
Lothian	312,045	230,025,097	169,988,547	582,047	159,132
Strathclyde	926,810	611,761,080	474,114,837	1,766,910	549,829
Tayside	170,187	105,941,973	73,523,729	304,985	88,763
Orkney	8,108	2,621,357	1,258,251	14,822	4,633
Shetland	9,076	3,277,446	3,310,220	16,210	6,154
Western Isles	13,295	3,577,367	2,575,704	23,214	7,725

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many households there are in Scotland with only one adult over the age of 18 years; how many of those are single-parent families with children; and how many are single people over pensionable age.

Information in the form requested is not available. However, it is estimated that at 31 December 1986, there were 564,000 households with one adult over the age of 16 (either living alone or with children under the age of 16) in Scotland; 70,000 of these are estimated to be lone-parent families, while 325,000 are estimated to consist of one person over pensionable age living alone.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide the most recent available breakdown of the Scottish adult population by household size in (a) total and (b) percentage terms.

Information in the form requested is not available. The estimates in the table are of the population in private households aged 16 and over, by the number of persons aged 16 and over in the household, at 31 December 1986:

Estimated population aged 16 and over in private households 31 December 1986, Scotland
Number of persons aged 16 and over in household	Population	Percentage
One	564,000	14·4
Two	1,921,000	49·0
Three	832,000	21·2
Four	438,000	11·2

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each region in Scotland the number of (a) rateable domestic premises before the poll tax came into effect, (b) resident adults and (c) resident children together with (i) the rateable value of the domestic premises, (ii) the yield from that rate and (iii) the estimated yield from a 1 per cent. levy on the capital value of the housing stock in 1988 and 1989.

The available information is set out in the table. Gross yield is calculated by applying poundages (net of domestic relief) to total rateable values. Figures on actual yield after allowing for reliefs, non-payment, and so on are not available separately for the domestic sector. Reliable estimates of the capital value of the housing stock are not available.

Number of persons aged 16 and over in household	Population	Percentage
Five or more	163,000	4·2
TOTAL	3,918,000	100·0

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the most recent household income figures for Scotland.

The most recent family expenditure survey shows that in 1987–88 the average income per household in Scotland was £234·23 per week.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the cost of (a) administering the (i) domestic and (ii) domestic and non-domestic rate rebate system in Scotland in 1987–88, (b) administering the poll tax rebate system in Scotland in 1989–90 and (c) administering the poll tax transitional relief scheme in Scotland in 1989–90 and 1990–91.

No information is held centrally on the cost of administering non-domestic rate rebates in 1987–88. Neither is it possible to distinguish between the costs for administering domestic rate rebates and those for rent rebates and rent allowances from the information which is submitted by local authorities. The total cost of housing benefit administration in 1987–88 was £15·3 million. Similarly, it is not possible to separate community charge rebates from the other elements of housing benefit administration in 1989–90, but the local authorities' estimate of the total cost is £21·7 million. The cost of administering the proposed personal community charge transitional relief scheme in 1989–90 and 1990–91 has not yet been established.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated cost of collecting non-domestic rates in Scotland in 1989–90.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 25 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the Government's most recent estimate of the (a) capital expenditure, (b) revenue costs and (c) extra staff employed by local authorities in connection with the establishment and maintenance of the poll tax register and with the administration and collection of the poll tax and poll tax rebate system in Scotland for 1988–89 and 1989–90.

Information on actual capital expenditure is not yet available centrally for 1988–89 or 1989–90 in respect of establishment and maintenance of the community charge system in Scotland. However, in order to assist local authorities in preparing for the introduction of the community charge, additional capital allocations were provided in 1987–88 and 1988–89 totalling £26 million. The administrative cost of community charge collection for Scotland in 1989–90 is estimated by local authorities at £23·3 million and the cost of registration work is estimated at £8·5 million. These figures are exclusive of the costs of operating the community charge rebate system. These costs are offset by the savings which local authorities made by no longer having to value domestic properties or collect domestic rates.It is not possible from the information collected to separate local authority expenditure on the administration of community charge rebates from that incurred on other housing benefits but local authorities have estimated the cost of administering housing benefits as a whole at £15·9 million in 1988–89 and £21·7 million in 1989–90.No information is held centrally on the number of staff employed by authorities on community charge work. The organisational arrangements for community charge collection are entirely a matter for the local authorities themselves.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total expenditure on the Health Service in Scotland in (a) gross terms and (b) net of pay costs in constant prices and indexed (1980=100) for each year since 1980 including estimated expenditure for 1990–91.

The information in the format requested is not fully available. Details of gross expenditure in both cash terms and adjusted by the gross domestic product deflator, are given in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of summary warrants granted for domestic rate arrears in Scotland in each year since 1985–86.

Information is not held centrally on the number of persons subject to summary warrant procedure for non-payment of domestic rates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of speculative bank account arrestments served in Scottish clearing banks for the recovery of outstanding debts to local authorities in each year since 1985–86; and how many were successful in (a) locating an account and (b) recovering the amount outstanding.

Information is not collected centrally on the use of bank account arrestments for the recovery of local authority debts.