To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe on 4 July, Official Report, column 577, if he will now state to what extent, either implicitly or explicitly, pensions were taken into account in each of the years from 1960 onwards in determining home civil service pay; and if he has a precise figure for the extent that pensions were taken into account for any particular year.

Civil service pensions are an important part of the total remuneration package and are fully taken into account in setting pay levels. Assessments of the value of the civil service pension scheme have been made for the purposes of pay negotiations under the previous pay comparability arrangements and under the pay determination framework introduced as part of the new flexible pay arrangements. In 1980, the last year of the earlier arrangements, the reduction in pay levels averaged over men and women to take account of civil service pensions was 7.9 per cent.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what are the value added tax rates in each European Community state in respect of hotel accomodation and restaurant meals; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 16 July 1990]: The information requested is contained in the publication "VAT in Europe", published by the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation, a copy of which is located in the economic affairs section of the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by police area the number of firearms certificates and shotgun certificates which were in force in England and Wales on 31 December 1989.

The information requested is not yet available. The latest information, for the number of firearms certificates and shotgun certificates on issue at 31 December 1988, is shown by police force area in tables 2 and 4 of the Home Office statistical bulletin 18/89, a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received from organisations in England and Wales in relation to police right of entry to working men's clubs.

I have received 31 such representations, all from working men's clubs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to seek to amend the law relating to police right of entry to working men's clubs.

We have no plans to amend the law in this respect.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, pursuant to his answer on suicides by prison officers in Brixton prison, Official Report, 3 July, column 485, he will give the figures for suicides in other local and trainer prisons in 1989.

The table gives, for each prison service establishment, the number of inmates who died by their own hand in 1989 and, of these cases, the number in which verdicts of suicide were returned at coroners' inquests.Before 1 January 1990 no central record was kept of the causes of deaths of prison officers. That information is therefore not readily available and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

Deaths of inmates of Her Majesty's prison service establishments at their own hand in 1989
Establishment	Suicide verdicts	Other verdicts	Total self-inflicted deaths
Acklington	—	—	—
Albany	—	—	—
Aldington	—	—	—
Ashford	—	—	—
Ashwell	—	—	—
Askham Grange	—	—	—
Aylesbury	—	—	—
Bedford	—	—	—
Birmingham	—	—	—
Blantyre House	—	—	—
Blundeston	—	—	—
Bristol	1	—	1
Brixton	2	6	8
Brockhill	—	—	—
Buckley Hall	—	—	—
Bullwood Hall	—	—	—
Camp Hill	—	—	—
Campsfield House	—	—	—
Canterbury	2	1	3
Cardiff	—	1	1
Castington	—	1	1
Channings Wood	—	—	—
Chelmsford	—	—	—
Coldingley	—	—	—
Cookham Wood	—	—	—
Dartmoor	1	—	1
Deerbolt	—	—	—
Dorchester	—	—	—
Dover	—	—	—
Downview	—	—	—
Drake Hall	—	—	—
Durham	2	—	2
East Sutton Park	—	—	—
Eastwood Park	—	—	—
Erlestoke	—	—	—
Exeter	1	—	1

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to move the re-entry visa section from Petty France to Lunar house; and if he will make a statement.

We are keeping the arrangements for the readmission of visa nationals under review. But no plans have been made to move the re-entry visa section at the London passport office to Lunar house.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time for the processing of a re-entry visa for each of the offices in the United Kingdom.

Information is not available in precisely the form requested. The table shows the maximum processing times for straightforward, non-urgent applications as at 11 July 1990:

Office	Working days
Glasgow	2
Liverpool	5
London	8
Newport	5
Peterborough	6
Lunar House, Croydon	1—
Belfast	2—
1Same day service for counter applications.
2 Following initial processing in Belfast applications are dealt with in London.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons are employed at the (a) passport office and (b) re-entry section in each office in the United Kingdom for the years (i) 1970, (ii) 1975, (iii) 1980, (iv) 1986, (vi) 1987, (vii) 1988, (viii) 1989 and (ix) at present.

The information is not available in precisely the form requested. Table (a) shows the number of permanent and casual staff in post at each office on 31 May for each year since 1984 when the Home Office assumed responsibility for passport issuing in the United Kingdom. Table (b) shows the number of staff employed on re-entry visa work in the London passport office on 31 May for each of the years 1985 to 1990. In other passport offices re-entry visa applications are handled by staff whose main function is the issue of passports. The staffing resources required for re-entry visa work in such offices cannot be identified separately.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has introduced to help with stress-related illnesses for the workers at the passport offices.

Visas issued by passport office since 1985
	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90	1990–912	Total
London	53,086	49,247	43,816	47,958	52,516	17,007	263,630
Liverpool	5,729	5,527	5,063	5,831	6,139	2,299	30,588
Peterborough	3,280	3,296	3,177	3,774	4,705	1,919	20,151
Newport	2,815	2,331	2,285	2,542	2,877	915	13,765
Glasgow	2,236	2,029	1,885	2,121	2,845	889	12,005
Belfast1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	67,146	62,430	56,226	62,226	66,237	22,140	340,139
1 Following initial processing in Belfast, applications are dealt with in the London office.
2 The figure for 1990–91 is for April to June 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any temporary limit has been placed on the admission of prisoners to Brixton prison.

Prison officers voted in June to take national industrial action over staffing levels and overcrowding. The local branch of the Prison Officers Association at Her Majesty's prison Brixton, together with other branches, took industrial action between noon on 6 July and noon on 9 July. This took the form of reducing the prison population to its certified normal accommodation level by refusing admission of prisoners. As a result of this action at Brixton, 40 prisoners were accommodated in police cells overnight on 6 July and 43 prisoners overnight on 7 July.

Internally mounted management courses for Home Office managers contain an input on the management of stress and passport office managers attend such courses. All staff also have access to staff welfare facilities. I am not, however, aware that staff in passport offices are particularly prone to stress-related illnesses.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visas have been issued from each passport office in the United Kingdom from 1985 to the present.

The information requested is shown in the table for the financial years 1985–86 to the present:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present establishment for (a) prison officers and (b) all staff at Brixton prison; and what plans there are to increase it.

There are at present 916 in post at Brixton prison of whom 718 are prison officers (including principal and senior officers and specialists). The target officer-in-post figure set by regional management for 31 March 1991 is 720.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role he envisages for the Broadcasting Standards Council in commenting upon the suitability of programme material distributed via video cassette rental.

Although we have not included the video industry within the statutory functions of the Broadcasting Standards Council in the Broadcasting Bill, the council's general remit extends to video on a non-statutory basis. We understand that the British Board of Film Classification, in discharging its function under the Video Recordings Act 1984, will take account of the council's code of practice on the portrayal of violence and sex and standards of taste and decency and that the council will consult the board, among others, when drawing up or revising the code.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to finalise his views on the recommendations of the report on the self-regulation of the security industry, submitted to him in July 1989.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member on 3 May at column 666.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees from Somalia and their dependants have so far been granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom; how many applications have been refused; and how many are awaiting a decision.

The information requested for years from 1979 to 1988, including the number of Somalian applications for refugee status and asylum awaiting a decision at the end of 1987 and 1988, is published in Home Office statistical bulletin "Refugee Statistics, United Kingdom, 1988", a copy of which is in the Library. Revised figures, including provisional figures for 1989, will be published shortly in the bulletin for 1989 and are given in the table. Figures for the number of applications outstanding especially at the end of 1989 overstate the position because of under-recording of decisions made earlier.

Revised and more up-to-date information on applications received for refugee status or asylum from Somalian citizens
	11987	11988	21989
Grants of refugee status or asylum	57	346	1,170
Grants of exceptional leave	385	73	305
Refusals of exceptional leave or refugee status	389	9	10
Applications outstanding at end of year	3600	580	1,820
1Revised figures.
2Provisional figures.
3These figures are unaltered.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time taken by his Department to investigate cases referred from overseas posts in order to assess whether the maintenance and accommodation requirements of the immigration rules have been met.

[holding answer 16 July 1990]: The information is not available in the form requested. But the estimated average time taken by the immigration service to deal with all categories of cases deferred by entry clearance officers during the past 12 months was about 60 days.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long it takes for a decision to be made on a case of (a) naturalisation, (b) registration, (c) immigration, (d) eastern European casework and (e) asylum and related casework from the opening of the letter.

[holding answer 10 July 1990]: The available information relates to the average times taken from the date of receipt of applications to their completion. Applications for naturalisation and registration completed in June 1990 took 30 months and 22 months respectively. After-entry immigration applications, applications from eastern European nationals and applications for asylum completed in the first quarter of 1990 (the latest period for which information is available), took 102 days, 108 days and 9.5 months respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Association of Chief Police Officers concerning reports on pet theft given to him by the national Petwatch organisation; and with what result.

We have not discussed this with the Association of Chief Police Officers, but we sent material provided by National Petwatch to the association which then circulated it to all chief constables in England and Wales. The investigation of alleged thefts is a matter for the police to whom all incidents should be reported.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will initiate the process to have the sentences of those persons prosecuted under the Ministry of Defence's bylaws at RAF Greenham Common, which were the subject of the House of Lords ruling of 12 July, reviewed or quashed; and if he will make a statement.

We are currently considering the terms of the House of Lords ruling of the RAF Greenham Common byelaws and will of course consider any representations made by those who have been convicted under those byelaws.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to reduce overcrowding in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

The Government are tackling the problem of overcrowding by policies designed to ensure that imprisonment is not used in the case of persons who can be adequately punished in the community, and by a massive prison building programme. On 13 July there were 45,483 people in prison or temporarily held in police cells. This is the lowest July figure since 1984.Under the prison building programme, eight prisons have been completed since 1979, and 12 are under construction, with more planned to follow. Between now and March 1992 the programme will produce over 5,000 new places, and this figure will rise to nearly 7,000 by March 1993. The new establishments are being built to a high standard, and places in them will have integral sanitation; and with their completion, the number of places available to the prison service of category B standard will rise by one third. Over 5,000 of the new places will be used for prisoners in local prisons or remand centres, thus relieving directly the areas of greatest pressure.There is also a substantial programme of projects producing places at existing establishments. Over the next three years 3,000 places with integral sanitation will come into use at existing establishments. About half these places will be in local establishments.I concluded towards the end of last year that the distribution of the prison estate needed attention. In particular, with the welcome fall in the young offender population, young offender accommodation was not full, while the adult system remained under considerable strain. A review has been carried out of the prison estate as a whole with the aim of providing the necessary places through the most cost-effective and efficient mix of establishments, in particular by examining what scope and options exist for changes and adjustments to the young offender estate and to the role of establishments in order to bring planned capacity and expected population levels more closely into line. The prime purpose was to seek ways of relieving the burden of overcrowding in the adult estate, where the need is for good quality and secure accommodation.The main proposals which have emerged from the review are as follows. First, three large young offender institutions will become adult prisons for category C prisoners. Her Majesty's prison Wellingborough, which has accommodated with success the bulk of the Grendon population while building work has been going on there, will continue as an adult prison when Grendon returns to operation during the autumn. Her Majesty's young offender institution The Mount will become an adult establishment (the purpose for which it was originally built) before the end of the current financial year, and Her Majesty's young offender institution Castington similarly in 1992–93. While some security work will be necessary to make them fully suitable for their new role, all three establishments offer modern and secure accommodation and will be most valuable additions to the adult estate. Secondly, a number of establishments will change their functions in whole or in part so as to provide a resource more fitted to the expected population. This may involve the provision of local, training or young offender places as required in the particular area. In some areas, these changes will help to move young offenders on remand out of adult local prisons. For example, part of the existing young offender institution at Everthorpe has been redesignated as a prison to enable it to hold such offenders and to give immediate relief to Her Majesty's prison Hull. In 1992, it is intended that Her Majesty's prison Thorp Arch should take young offender remand prisoners so as to reduce or even eliminate the young offender population in Her Majesty's prison Leeds.It was always clear that as we sought to develop plans for the better use of the estate, the possibility could not be ruled out of closing establishments, particularly young offender establishments, where their accommodation was uneconomic, poorly located, or in other respects below standard. It is proposed that HM young offender institution Campsfield House and HM young offender institution Lowdham Grange should close by the end of the current financial year, and HM young offender institution Eastwood Park and HM prison Northeye by the end of 1992–93. Campsfield House offers no more than 70 places with low security. To fill this up with prisoners not suitable for these conditions would be to put the public at risk. The establishment could discharge any alternative and secure function only following virtual rebuilding at high cost and considerable delay. Similar considerations apply to Eastwood Park and Northeye. Lowdham Grange is an open young offender establishment which has for some time been only partly occupied as the young offender population has fallen. Inmates suitable for open conditions can be accommodated elewhere within the system. Staff, trade unions and boards of visitors will be consulted on the basis of these proposals.These initiatives will produce a more efficient prison estate in which accommodation is better located, better fitted to its tasks, and with better facilities than now exist.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action has been taken since 1987 to tackle the crime of rape.

The Government continue to attach a high priority to action against rape, including the detection and punishment of offenders; the provision of help and support to victims; and the development of prevention policies.The enhanced police response to rape allegations is reflected in the increases in the recorded crime statistics. Victims of rape have been encouraged to come forward. Changes in police practice have meant that a higher proportion of rape allegations have been recorded as crimes. A high percentage of recorded rapes are cleared up by the police (71 per cent. in 1987 and 74 per cent. in 1989) and the police now have their disposal improved detection methods such as DNA fingerprinting with which to provide the courts with evidence of guilt. The maximum penalty for attempted rape was increased to life imprisonment in 1985. In 1986 the Court of Appeal gave guidance on sentencing in rape cases in

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply of 12 July to the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford, when he expects the remaining part of the compulsory purchase order relating to the Bar End-Compton section of the M3 will be made.

A date for making the compulsory purchase order for the Bar End-Compton section of the M3 has not yet been fixed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he plans to introduce new regulations for the control of the transport of toxic materials on rivers and estuaries.

The existing Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Regulations 1981, as amended, which govern the transport of toxic materials on rivers and estuaries within the United Kingdom, will be revised to take account of recent internationally agreed conditions for the transport of marine pollutants by ships.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many collisions and other accidents involving ships in the River Usk, Gwent have taken place in the past three years; and how many of these involved ships carrying toxic wastes.

Records show that there have been two accidents involving ships in the River Usk in the past three years. The details are:

Date of accident	Name of vessel	Type of accident
13 November 1989	Hargevan	Grounding
24 April 1990	Bell Ranger/Morias	Collision

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 6 July to the hon. Member for Newport, West, Official Report, column 737, if he has any additional information (a) on the condition of the containers and (b) the severity of the collision.

I have no information on the condition of the containers as commissioned for use but none was damaged in the incident in question.As to the severity of the collision, both vessels sustained only minor damage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what discussions his Department has had with the Metropolitan police about the case for ensuring a stronger enforcement of regulations as to the illegal use of bus lanes by other motor vehicles; and if he will make a statement;(2) what discussions he is having with London councils about an extension of the present provision of bus lanes within the Greater London area; and if he will make a statement.

The provision of bus lanes and the enforcement of the regulations applying to them are being considered with the development of our proposals for improving traffic management and parking control in London set out in "Traffic in London". Discussions are under way with the Metropolitan police and the local authorities concerned in connection with the priority route pilot scheme planned in north and east London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with the Metropolitan police about the removal of any existing bus lanes in central London; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has had no recent discussions with the Metropolitan police on this subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what road improvements are pending between Cumbria and the A1 in the light of the proposed upgrading of the A1; and if he will make it his policy that the upgrading of the A66 will be completed before the A1 upgrading is completed.

On the A66 between Penrith and Scotch Corner there are three improvement schemes planned. Works are expected to begin in September on a dual carriageway scheme between the Bowes bypass, in Durham, and the Cumbria border.The two other schemes are in preparation. These are between Stainmore and Banksgate and at Temple Sowerby and works are planned to start from mid-1992.The trans-Pennine study, now being carried out by consultants commissioned by the Department, will consider the need for further improving the road links across the Pennines, including the A66.As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State explained in his announcement on 3 July 1990, the upgrading of the A1 from London to Tyneside will inescapably be spread over a number of years. Within this period and with the outcome of the trans-Pennine study the future needs for the A66 trunk road will become more defined.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average age of British merchant ships; and what information he has on the world average age.

As at 31 March 1990, the average age of United Kingdom-registered trading vessels was 13.7 years: the average age of all world trading vessels was 12.7 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has yet received the Civil Aviation Authority's advice on United Kingdom airport and airspace capacity, which was commissioned for his Department in July 1988; and if he will make a statement.

The Civil Aviation Authority is publishing today its advice on airport and airspace capacity. Copies of the report are being placed in the Library.The CAA's work has had two main elements: first, an examination of what additional runway capacity appears to be needed to serve the south-east; and, secondly, an analysis of the technical feasibility, in airspace and air traffic control terms only, of the options for providing that capacity.The CAA has reassessed its traffic forecasts. It has reached the view that extra runway capacity to serve the south-east will be required around the year 2005.The authority looked at eight options for further development at existing airports. At my request, it did not consider green field sites. Sir Christopher Tugendhat, the chairman of the CAA, has noted in his covering letter to me that the Government will need to take account of many wider factors before making a choice. He has also acknowledged that the wider view might lead us to reject some locations which, from an airline or air traffic control viewpoint alone, might appear favourable.The Government are in no way committed to any of the options identified by the CAA. I am acutely aware of the impact of airport development on the environment, on employment, and on local infrastructure. These matters will need to be thoroughly addressed and there will be no question of any major new runway development taking place without full public consultation and a public inquiry into any objections.As the next step, I propose to establish a working group to examine these factors, and to make recommendations. Representatives from bodies representing local and environmental interests, from airport and airline operators, from the tourism and travel industry, and from Government Departments, will be invited to participate.In their 1985 White Paper on airports policy, the Government expressed their view that a second runway should not be built at either Stansted or Gatwick. The considerations which led to that view remain compelling.I shall be reminding the working group of the undertakings which have been given in the case of Gatwick and Stansted and of the acute environmental problems which gave rise to the views which the Government expressed on those airports in the 1985 White Paper. Obviously, the wider considerations the chairman referred to are no less relevant at Heathrow.In its advice, the CAA has said that it believes that traffic at regional airports will continue to grow rapidly, but that this will not be an effective substitute for additional London area capacity. I shall be asking the working group to assess this conclusion most carefully and to gauge the extent to which regional airports can play a part in meeting the overall growth in demand, into the next century.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many orange badge holders were registered in England and Wales for the year 1988; and what is his Department's projected figure for 1991 under the new proposals.

[holding answer 13 July 1990]: According to information supplied by local authorities, whose task it is to administer the scheme, about 930,000 badges were in circulation in England and Wales in March 1988.Changes currently proposed to the regulations are designed to ensure that badges are issued only to those people who most need them. The scheme is not being modified with any specific target in mind for the number of badge holders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what are the most recent traffic flow figures for the A428 and the A6 in Bedford and of the number of vehicles passing over the Prebend street, High street and Newnham street bridges;(2) what is his Department's estimate of the traffic expected to be taken off the A428 at Bedford following the upgrading of the A45 and the completion of the southern route through Elstow to the M1.

[holding answer 16 July 1990]: The most recent traffic flows are shown in the table together with the anticipated reduction at the opening of Bedford southern bypass. These figures allow for a transfer of traffic from Bedford to take account of the improvements along the A45 and the completion of the M1-A1 link route.

16 hour Annual Average Weekday Traffic (all vehicles)
Location	1989	Predicted reduction1
A428 West of Bedford	21,000	6,500
A428 East of Bedford	18,000	11,500
Longholme Way/Newnham Avenue Bridge	29,000	15,000
A6 North of Bedford	20,000	—
A6 Town Bridge (High Street)	29,000	—
Prebend Street Bridge	27,000	—
1 On opening of Bedford southern bypass.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made of the cost to Bedford for failure to tackle the traffic problems in the town.

[holding answer 16 July 1990]: The net present value (NPV) of the proposed road improvements, using my Department's standard cost-benefit analysis method, gives a guide to the overall cost. The proportions of value/cost accruing to Bedford alone are not calculated. The NPV of Bedford southern bypass has been estimated at between £33 million and £85 million (at 1988 cost and prices), depending on the rate of economic growth assumed over a 30-year period. The NPV of a proposed improvement to the west of Bedford has not yet been estimated.Benefits may also accrue from the proposed town centre improvements which are the responsibility of Bedfordshire county council as the local highway authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make a decision about the route of the proposed Folkington link on the A27/A259 trunk road which is part of the proposed Polegate bypass.

[holding answer 16 July 1990]: My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to make an announcement about the A27 Folkington link extension of the proposed Polegate bypass later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many towns in the south-east of the size of population of about 80,000 remain to be bypassed.

[holding answer 16 July 1990]: The towns in the south-east of the size of population of about 80,000 outside the M25 ring, on trunk roads, that do not have a bypass are:

Town	Progress
Bedford/Kempston	At planning stage
Norwich	Construction of the southern bypass has recently started
Dunstable	At planning stage
Hastings Bexhill	At planning stage
Brighton and Hove	Bypass under construction
Worthing	At planning stage
*St. Albans
*Milton Keynes
*Luton
*Southend

Although through traffic passes through the towns marked with an asterisk, the Department has no proposals for a bypass.Road schemes are not planned around the size of populations, but to assist economic growth by reducing transport costs, to improve the environment by removing through traffic from unsuitable roads in towns and villages and to enhance road safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any proposals for linking developments (a) at Thurleigh and (b) at Poddington airfields with the A1.

[holding answer 16 July 1990]: No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at how many points the A1 between Newcastle and the border is currently reduced to one-way operation during roadworks; and at how many points it is expected to be restricted to one-way operation during the forthcoming Scottish and English bank holiday weekends.

[holding answer 16 July 1990]: There are three points on the A1 between Newcastle upon Tyne and the border which are currently reduced to one-way operation for roadworks. These are at adjacent locations on the Alnwick bypass to allow for road maintenance and the provision of marginal strips, and on the Berwick bypass.There will be no one-way operation on this section of the A1 during the forthcoming Scottish bank holiday. Maintenance works are to start south of Scremeston in August. Consideration will be given to the possibility of removing one-way operation for the forthcoming English bank holiday weekend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that major road improvements on the M20, junctions 3 to 5 and 5 to 8, and the M2, junctions 1 to 3, will be completed before the channel tunnel is due to open.

[holding answer 16 July 1990]: The proposed widening of the M20 between junctions 3 and 5 was added to the roads programme in the May 1989 review. My Department's consultants are investigating possible options with a view to the announcement of a preferred scheme in autumn 1991.Proposals to improve the M20 between junctions 5 and 8 were considered at a public inquiry earlier this year. Subject to the completion of the statutory procedures it is hoped to start work next summer for completion by the time the channel tunnel is planned to open in 1993.The timing for the proposed widening of the M2 between junctions 1 and 3 is being reviewed following the addition to the roads programme earlier this year of a scheme to improve the motorway between junctions 3 and 4.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether proposals for upgrading trunk roads to motorways are subject to public inquiry procedure.

[holding answer 16 July 1990]: In all cases we will publish orders under section 16 of the Highways Act 1980. If any statutory objections are received we will undertake a public inquiry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether, in bringing forward proposals for upgrading trunk roads to motorways, he will give consideration to the need to offer alternative road arrangements or compensation to users of agricultural and other vehicles prohibited from using such roads for local journeys.

[holding answer 16 July 1990]: In developing proposals to upgrade trunk roads to motorway the Secretary of State is required to consider the requirements of local planning and agriculture before making a scheme under section 16 of the Highways Act 1980 authorising a motorway. An order cannot be made under section 18 of that Act appropriating an existing road as part of a motorway unless the Secretary of State is satisfied that either another reasonably convenient route is available for prohibited traffic or that no such route is reasonably required for any such traffic. In the case of non-prohibited traffic he would of course also consider making alternative arrangements for persons undertaking local journeys which would formerly have involved the road to be upgraded but which could not in future be made.Entitlement to compensation is governed by statute and will depend on the circumstances of each case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider the introduction of P-plates to indicate that a motor vehicle is driven by a newly qualified driver; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 16 July 1990]: Yes, I am in the process of so doing.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has made an assessment of the animal welfare and human health implications of the intensive husbandry practices associated with the use of feedlots at Frans Buitelaar (Farms) Ltd. premises at Claygate farm in Lincolnshire; and if he will make a statement.

The Farm Animal Welfare Council has examined the feedlot system. Its conclusion was that it does not present a welfare risk as long as certain sensible precautions are taken. The state veterinary service has inspected the farm referred to and found no evidence of any unnecessary pain or unnecessary distress in contravention of the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968. I am not aware of any human health risk associated with the feedlot husbandry system.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the Government's current policy in relation to EEC proposals to restrict the time that live animals may be required to travel without rest; and if he will make it his policy to support a reduction below 12 hours.

The Government will support proposals to fix maximum intervals for the transport of animals without rest, food and water. These must relate to the welfare requirements of individual types of animal rather than be set at a fixed period to cover all animals.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will invoke article 36 of the treaty of Rome to prevent the export of live animals where those animals are likely to suffer transportation and slaughter conditions inferior to those operating in this country; and if he will make a statement.

I am advised that article 36 of the treaty cannot be invoked where, as in this case, there are Community measures on the subject in question. The Government however already prohibit the export of live animals for slaughter or for further fattening to countries which do not implement standards equivalent to those laid down in Community directives on the protection of animals during international transport and on the pre-slaughter stunning of animals.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the letter of 25 June to the hon. Member for Oxford, East, concerning banana exports from the Caribbean after 1992, whether price guarantees are included in his assurance of preferential access arrangements for Caribbean banana exporters.

Our objective is an effective preferential arrangement after 1992, which will enable a continuing flow of bananas from the Caribbean into the Community market, in line with our commitments under the Lomé convention. Current preferential access to the United Kingdom for Caribbean bananas does not guarantee prices. Commission proposals for post-1992 banana trade have not yet emerged. We cannot predict the mechanism by which preferential access will be protected.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to food from Devon to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

Yes. I understand the exhibition will be on display for one week from 5 November.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey, Official Report, 10 July, column 109, when he expects to be content that welfare-related problems will have been eliminated from the emerging alternative systems and that these systems are commercially viable.

Some alternative systems are already being installed successfully. The proposals now under discussion in the Council of Ministers provide for the Commission to report by 1 January 1993 on the welfare of sows kept in different degrees of confinement or in groups, and to submit appropriate proposals. I am hopeful that any remaining problems with alternatives to stall and tether systems will have been resolved by that time.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey, Official Report, 10 July, column 109, whether he will phase out the existing stall and tether systems if the alternatives prove not to be commercially viable.

I have made it clear that legislation requiring major changes to husbandry systems should be adopted on a Community basis. The action to be taken, should the Community not agree to the phasing out of stall and tether systems, would need to be considered at the time.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he intends to take regarding the recommendations made by the Farm Animal Welfare Council on 4 April 1989 concerning mink and fox farming.

The Farm Animal Welfare Council recommended that Agriculture Ministers should require that the state veterinary service carry out effective monitoring of standards of management on these farms. This is being done.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will amend the rules of the farm woodland scheme to permit farmers to make more than one application per holding.

Existing participants in the farm woodland scheme have shown interest in increasing their plantings under the scheme. The rule limiting them to one application per holding is preventing that. Agriculture Ministers have therefore decided from today to abolish the rule and to permit additional applications to be made up to the limit of 40 hectares per agricultural unit. I am pleased with the continuing interest in this innovative scheme which should bring environmental benefits for future generations.

To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to pay an official visit to Scotland in the near future.

I hope to visit Scotland later this year.

To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to make an official visit to the Channel tunnel site.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister what consideration has been given to the role of the security services in her Government's present options for change review; and if she will make a statement.

The options for change studies are concerned with the future structure and deployment of our armed forces.

To ask the Prime Minister what action she is taking to ensure that children in bed-and-breakfast hotels are living in safety and in receipt of full-time education when of school age.

Local authorities have considerable powers to control safety standards of houses in multiple occupation, which include bed-and-breakfast hotels. These powers have recently been strengthened. Responsibility for ensuring that all children of compulsory school age receive a proper education, including those in bed-and-breakfast accommodation, rests, under the Education Acts, with parents, schools and local education authorities. The Government are concerned to reduce the need for local authorities to use unsatisfactory bed-and-breakfast hotels and are making available, over the next two years, £250 million to local authorities and housing associations in London and the south-east, specifically to get homeless families out of such accommodation and into permanent homes.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will meet the President of Afghanistan to discuss renewal of diplomatic relations between the two countries; and if she will make a statement.

I have no plans to meet General Najibullah. Diplomatic relations between Britain and Afghanistan have not been broken.

To ask the Prime Minister how many subject access requests under the terms of the Data Protection Act her office has received; what was her estimate of the number of requests that would be received; what consideration she is giving to the subject access fee charged by her office as a result; and whether she will make a statement.

The total number of subject access requests received by my office is one. No specific estimate on the number of requests expected was made at the time as the amount of information held on computers in my office was small. The subject access fee charged was minimal to cover the cost of the work involved. The fee is set by the Cabinet Office, which has the responsibility for Data Protection Act matters for my office.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will publish in the Official Report her response to the letter of 15 June from Dr. Peter Jung and expert colleagues in minerals, molluscs and entomology of the naturhistorisches museum in Basel, about whether major collections can be actively cared for under proposals such as those for the natural history museum in respect of expert staff; and what action she proposes to take to discharge obligations in respect of scientists' work in building up collections to the benefit of smaller museums throughout the world.

I understand that my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts will shortly be placing a copy of the Government's response to Dr. Peter Jung's correspondence in the Library of the House.The Minister for the Arts has asked the Government's chief scientific adviser, who is in discussion with the natural history museum, to keep him informed of the museum's position in relation to the United Kingdom science base. The Minister for the Arts will also be meeting the chairman and director of the museum to discuss the corporate plan and the wider issues.

To ask the Prime Minister whether she will raise at her next meeting with the President of the Commission of the European Community his officials' search of the private offices of the chairman and chief executive of British Airways and examining of their private papers and personal bank statements.

I am advised that the visit was made by prior arrangement with the company and a legal representative of British Airways vetted documents (for relevance to the investigation and for possible legal privilege) before the Commission officials read them.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 July.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement concerning the use by the Crown prosecution service of lawyer agents in magistrates courts.

In the long term, as and when lawyer strength permits, it would be the aim of the Crown prosecution service (CPS) to employ agents to cover only 5 to 10 per cent. of court sessions.The number of sessions (half days) in magistrates courts undertaken by counsel and solicitors in private practice on behalf of the CPS in 1989–90 was 138,000. This represented 38 per cent. of all sessions undertaken by the CPS in the magistrates courts. The information given in annex 9 of the CPS evidence to the Home Affairs Committee was incorrect: the data had been wrongly interpreted. The percentage of court sessions covered by agents has remained at 38 per cent. for both 1988–89 and 1989–90. The revised figures are:

(a) Court sessions covered by agents
	National totals
1988–89	130,643
1989–90	138,066

(b) Percentage court sessions covered by agents
	Per cent.
1988–89	38
1989–90	38

(c) Expenditure on agents fees
	£
1988–89	14,793,896
1989–90	16,473,527

To ask the Lord President of the Council what proposals he is considering to review the format of the Order Paper.

It is understood that, once the decisions have been taken on the recommendations contained in the Procedure Committee's report on oral questions, the Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee will be prepared to consider a review of the format of the Order Paper. The hon. Member and any others with a contribution to make on this issue should send their comments to the Sub-Committee Chairman.

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list the reports of the Procedure Committee, published since 1983–84, which have yet to be dealt with on the Floor of the House; and when he expects them to be brought forward for decision.

The following are the reports from the Procedure Committee, published since 1983–84, which have neither been debated on a substantive motion nor "tagged" as relevant to a general debate on procedure: First Report (1988–89) HC 290 ("Conduct of Members in the Chamber and the Alleged Abuse of Parliamentary Privilege"); First Report (1989–90) HC 379 ("Oral Questions"). I hope to be able to give the House an opportunity in the near future to reach a decision on the report on oral questions. There are no immediate plans for a debate on a substantive motion on any of the reports from the Procedure Committee on which the House has not yet reached a specific conclusion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary were assigned to investigate allegations of irregularities in North Eastern education and library board contracting from June 1986 until August 1987; what was the level of qualification and experience within the Royal Ulster Constabulary of each officer involved in this investigation; how many man-hours were spent by each investigating officer on the assignment; how many witnesses were interviewed by Royal Ulster Constabulary officers; how many miles were travelled by Royal Ulster Constabulary officers investigating the allegations from June 1986 until 31 March 1987; and whether, in the period 1 April 1987 until August 1987, the investigating officers completed reports on hours worked, miles travelled and so on, throughout the period of the investigation.

The Chief Constable has informed me that two officers from the RUC's serious crime squad were assigned to this investigation assisted as necessary by other officers and that all the officers involved were appropriately qualified for their work. I regret that the other particulars requested are not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of expenditure of funds saved by United Kingdom withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organisation and figures of how these funds were used in the main area of United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organisation activity for the financial years 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1989–90; and if he will ensure that the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organisation's savings will continue to be spent in the same manner until Her Majesty's Government decide to return to membership of the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organisation.

Figures for expenditure of funds saved by United Kingdom's withdrawal from UNESCO for 1987–88 and 1988–89 are:

	1987–88 £	1988–89 £
Overseas Development Administration (ODA) technical co-operation training programme	1,772,848	1,773,033
English language training courses	600,300	593,920
ODA shared scholarship schemes	320,000	320,000
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) scholarships and awards schemes	640,000	640,000
ODA cultural projects	100,000	92,000
Public expenditure survey transfer to FCO for cultural projects	100,000	100,000
Chinese student scholarships in the United Kingdom	950,000	950,000
Distance learning project in Commonwealth countries	100,000
Nassau fellowships	650,131	743,368
Commonwealth media development fund	150,000	150,000
Royal Society	112,000	116,000
Research in arid Commonwealth Africa	300,000	300,000
Inter-governmental Oceanographic Commission	80,864	78,000
Man and the Biosphere/International Hydrological Programme/International Association of Hydrological Sciences	200,000	200,000
Dissemination of results of research	200,000	200,000
Total	6,276,143	6,256,321

Figures for 1989–90 are not yet available.My hon. Friend may rest assured that in planning our aid programme priorities we will continue to take full account of the appropriate allocation of the funds saved by our withdrawal from UNESCO.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the Overseas Development Administration has given to setting up a global early warning system for new epidemics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

None; responsibility for global monitoring of notifiable diseases rests with the World Health Organisation. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is an international centre for epidemiology and public health, and works closely with the WHO. The ODA has recently agreed a package of assistance (£11 million over the next five years) for nine new research and training programmes in public health and tropical medicine at the school. These programmes will strengthen the school's (and the ODA's) capacity to provide practical advice to international agencies and Governments in developing countries on all aspects of international health policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will be in a position to make a decision in respect of further bilateral technical aid to Nicaragua.

No further decisions are needed. The modest technical co-operation programme which I announced on 2 April in a reply to the hon. Member for Brent, South (Mr. Boateng) at column 415 will be a continuing one.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to link British aid packages to agreements with the recipient Governments to limit the destruction of the rain forests.

While specific environmental conditions will often be appropriate at the project level, we do not favour conditionality based on a country's overall environmental record. We believe institution building and strengthening capacity to care for the environment and support for activities which help recipient countries limit rain forest destruction are more likely to be effective.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in ranked order the top 10 countries making financial contributions to the United Nations development fund for women.

The 10 highest Government pledges of financial contributions to UNIFEM in 1990 were:

1. Finland

2. United States of America

3. Netherlands

4. Federal Republic of Germany

5. Sweden

6. Italy

7. Australia

8. United Kingdom

9. Denmark

10. Belgium

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the work of the Overseas Development Administration towards achieving the aims of the Nairobi "Forward Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women" declaration.

ODA's policy is to take account in all its activities of the role of women as agents and beneficiaries of development aid. Our efforts focus on designing projects to ensure that these benefit women in developing countries; finding ways of increasing the numbers of women participating in training programmes both in the United Kingdom and in developing countries; trying to overcome constraints to the recruitment of women on ODA contracts in developing countries and improving ODA staff's understanding of women-in-development issues.The ODA encourages aid recipient Governments to adopt policies which would fulfil the aims of the Nairobi forward-looking strategies and has encouraged other donor agencies, including the World bank and the European Commission, to improve their performance on women-in-development issues. Britain plays an active role in the OECD's development aid committee women-in-development expert group and has contributed over £900,000 to the United Nations development fund for women ( UNIFEM) since it was established.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of nominations by developing countries under the technical co-operation training programme to study in Britain were for women in each year since 1980.

No central record is kept of the number of nominees for awards for women under the technical co-operation training programme (TCTP) but the number of women arriving to take up awards in this country since 1985 (earlier figures are not available) and as a percentage of the total is as follows:

Financial year	Woman TCTP arrivals	Total percentage of TCTP arrivals
1985–86	698	14.5
1986–87	964	16.7
1987–88	1,065	17.0
1988–89	1,122	17.8
1989–90	1,115	19.2