To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much extra money would be available in the current year to each secondary school in Kendal, Sedbergh, Kirkby Stephen, Windermere, Milnthorpe, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cartmel and Coniston, in Cumbria, if the local education authority delegated 85 per cent. of its potential schools budget to the nine schools.

As stated in my reply to my right hon. Friend on 20 December 1990 at col. 274, Cumbria is delegating 82·53 per cent. of its potential schools budget in this financial year. If the LEA were to delegate more services to meet the proposed new requirement of 85 per cent., the actual distribution to schools of the additional resources would depend on which services were delegated and how the expenditure on each service was allocated between the primary and secondary sectors. If Cumbria were to allocate these resources pro rata to the existing budget distribution between primary and secondary schools, a secondary school would receive on average an extra £34,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the reason for the length of the period of notice given to county councils in August 1990 in respect of changes to the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations; if he will make it his policy in future to give longer notice; what assessment he has made of the impact of these changes; and if he will make a statement.

It is my right hon. and learned Friend's policy to give as much notice as practicable to local education authorities of the content of the annual Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations for which he intends to seek Parliament's approval.Local education authorities were informed of the main rates of student grant and the parental contribution scales proposed for academic year 1990–91 by an official circular letter in January 1990. Further letters and announcements between then and August notified them of the supplementary grant rates, revised arrangements for EC students and for the termly payment of tuition fees, and other mainly technical changes. The current regulations were made by SI 1990 No. 1628 on 7 August 1990 and came into force on 1 September 1990.As usual, there had been extensive consultation with the local authority associations and others, from October 1989 onwards, about various planned changes. Most authorities should therefore have had early warning of these. The Department continues to keep awards arrangements under regular review, in consultation with the local authority associations and others.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the sporting activities and aspects of physical education which will make up his Department's proposed flexible definition of physical education at key stage 4 in the national curriculum.

My right hon. and learned Friend expects to publish his statutory proposals for physical education in the national curriculum later this year. Meanwhile he intends to offer guidance on the question raised by the hon. Member in his reply to the letter from the chairman of the national curriculum physical education working group. This correspondence will be published with the working group's interim report. I shall send the hon. Member a copy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance he has given in relationship to primary schools who opt for grant-maintained status who then wish to establish a nursery class; and if he will make a statement.

If a primary school which had acquired grant-maintained status wanted subsequently to propose a significant change in its character by the establishment of a nursery class, the governing body would be required to publish proposals for that purpose under section 89 of the Education Reform Act 1988. The Department's circular No. 10/88 stated that the Secretary of State would not normally approve proposals for a change of character at a school within five years of its acquiring grant-maintained status.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether money allocated for a nursery class in a grant-maintained primary school will not be available for alternative use should the nursery class close.

Funding is related to pupil numbers. If a nursery class were to close, and a result the school reduced its overall pupil numbers, its grant would fall.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what stage has been reached in the review of school premises regulations covering playing field provision at state schools; when this review will be completed; and if he will make a statement.

We are shortly to begin the public consultation stage of the review which is covering all aspects of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981 including playing field provision. The results of the review are likely to be available towards the end of next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the number of students taking A-level examinations in (a) schools and (b) further education colleges in 1979–80, 1983–84 and the latest available figures.

For the academic years in question and for 1988–89, the total numbers of school leavers and home full-time students in further education colleges taking A-level examinations were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his answer of 14 December, Official Report, column 514, by what date his Department intends to introduce amendments to section 42 of the Education Act 1986 to remove disincentives for third parties seeking to invest in dual-use projects.

The amendment of section 42 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 is being considered for inclusion in the legislative programme at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime it remains our policy to encourage dual-use arrangements for the benefit of the whole community.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what local arrangements he envisages for administering the assessments of 14-year-olds.

Following advice from the School Examinations and Assessment Council (SEAC), the Secretary of State for Wales and I have decided that, subject to the negotiation of appropriate contracts, the local oversight of consistent and rigorous assessment arrangements for pupils aged 14 across all schools under the national curriculum should rest with the examining bodies which certify assessments at age 16. Assigning responsibility for auditing quality to the examining bodies will help to ensure consistency of standards between the testing of 14-year-olds and the GCSE examination, and across LEA-maintained, grant-maintained and non-maintained schools alike.In line with LEAs' duty under section 10 of the Education Reform Act to secure the implementation of the national curriculum in the schools they maintain, the Government will look to authorities to secure that their schools implement the assessment arrangements for 14-year-olds. The same duty will lie with the governors in grant-maintained schools. This will involve assuming responsibility for the professional development of the teachers making the assessments; supporting schools, where necessary, with help and guidance; and taking steps to put matters right in any schools where assessment standards slip.The Secretary of State for Wales and I have asked SEAC to enter into discussions with the examining bodies, LEAs and representatives of other schools concerned to consider the practicalities of local assessment arrangements for 14-year-olds based on this division of responsibilities, and to let us have further advice in March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of Kuwait's oil production comes from wells that (a) lie within 50 miles of the coast, (b) lie within 20 miles of the coast, (c) lie within 10 miles of the coast and (d) are found offshore.

I refer the hon. Member to the 1990 International Petroleum Encyclopaedia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what quantity of (a) low and (b) intermediate-level nuclear waste has been (i) transferred from and (ii) transferred to Sellafield from sites within the United Kingdom for each year since 1979; and if he will list, for (a) and (b) above, the sites concerned.

Details of the quantities of radioactive waste at nuclear sites in the United Kingdom are contained in the United Kingdom radioactive waste inventory published jointly by the Department of the Environment and United Kingdom Nirex Ltd., copies of which are in the Library of the House. Movements of waste between sites are management matters for the site operators, who must comply with the requirements of the regulatory authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what action his Department is taking to encourage the use of refined refuse-derived fuel by the small-scale off-site user.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave him on 14 January at columns 447–48, and to the answer that I gave him today in connection with current refuse-derived fuel research and development projects. My Department is considering all of the possible uses for refuse-derived fuels, outside the domestic sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to the answer of 14 January, Official Report, columns 447—48, what are his criteria for defining economically viable and environmentally acceptable.

Within my Department's renewables programme an economically viable technology is one where the rate of return offered to an investor is adequate to promote the investment, taking into account the particular circumstances of the market sector concerned.The environmental acceptability of renewable energy resources is being considered within the research and development programme undertaken by my Department. Renewable energy will be developed only if it can meet the various environmental standards appropriate for the activity concerned. Those technologies which can meet such standards are environmentally acceptable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the 12 refuse-derived fuels research and development projects currently operating; and if he will make a statement.

The 12 current refuse-derived fuel research and development projects are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) of 19 December 1990, Official Report, columns 162–63, if he will make it his policy to introduce a separate category of bio-fuels, apart from the generic heading of waste incineration, to cover such items as refined refuse-derived fuels.

My right hon. Friend will determine the technology bands to be included in the 1991 Renewables Order at a later stage, in the light of the statutory consultations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he intends to give planning permission to PowerGen and National Power to construct a lagoon to provide cooling water for the proposed combined cycle gas turbine developments at Killingholme; and if he will make a statement.

If either company wishes to construct such a lagoon they will need to apply for the Secretary of State's consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. When granting such a consent he may also give a direction that planning permission be deemed to be granted under section 90(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.No application for consent under section 36 to construct such a lagoon has been received.

To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to reach a decision on whether he will take over the case of Dr. Malde Mepa Moduadia; and if he will make a statement.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has a duty to represent the prosecution in the appeal of Dr. Malde Mepa Moduadia. Counsel has been instructed to represent the Director.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the number of road accidents in 1988, 1989 and 1990 involving vehicles carrying inflammable cargoes; and if he will list the number of fatalities and injuries as a result of these accidents.

The Department collects information only on road accidents involving personal injury. The standard report form, STATS 19, completed by the police for these accidents does not include information on cargoes carried by the vehicles involved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list, for both of his local department offices in Greenock and Port Glasgow how many claims for industrial injuries disablement benefit were lodged during each of the past six years; how many had their claims accepted; and what has been the total amount paid out in such benefits.

Figures relating to the number of claims accepted and the amount paid in benefit are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, as could figures for the number of claims made at Greenock before April 1988. Such information as is available is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has on the acquisition and ownership of consumer goods by pensioners in 1974, 1979 and 1990.

[pursuant to her reply, 11 December 1990, column 379]: The following information was incorrect:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received his Department's inspectors' report into the Barkley Thorpe site in Leicester.

The inquiry has been arranged for 23 July and is expected to last for seven days. The inspector's report will be submitted as soon as possible after the inquiry has closed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the number of jobs created under the urban regeneration grant for each year since 1987;(2) what was the amount of public money made available from his Department for each year since 1987, under the urban regeneration grant.

The amounts of urban regeneration grant approved in each financial year from the introduction of urban regeneration grant in 1986 to its replacement by city grant in May 1988 were as shown in the table. These approvals in total, including projects not yet completed, are expected to provide 4,200 jobs in inner city areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the number of jobs created under the urban development grant, for each year since 1982;(2) what was the amount of public money made available for the urban development grant for each year since 1982.

The amounts of urban development grant approved in each financial year from the introduction of UDG in October 1982 to its replacement by city grant in May 1988 were as shown in the table. These approvals in total, including projects not yet completed, are expected to provide over 27,000 jobs in inner city areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all councils' sales of council houses since 1981, in the order of the number of houses sold as a percentage of the opening stock in 1981.

Twelve local authorities have so far transferred their entire housing stock to a housing association or private company: Chiltern, Sevenoaks, Newbury, Swale, Broadland, North Bedfordshire, Medina, Rochester upon Medway, South Wight, Mid Sussex, East Dorset, and Tonbridge and Mailing. A number of other local authorities are in the process of similar transfers. The available information on sales, giving total sales for each local authority for each financial year since 1979–80 and percentages, is placed in the Library each quarter. The tables showing available information to June 1990 were placed in the Library on 29 November 1990. An updated version of the table giving available information to September 1990 will be placed in the Library shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce legislation making it a criminal offence to commence building without planning permission.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received a request from the London residuary body to dispose of the Greening street SE2 playing field to the London borough of Greenwich; and when he expects to give his approval.

Yes. Before the application can be considered further information is being sought from the London residuary body.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what restrictions he is considering for the use of schedule A category products in incineration.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the regulations that the Department is preparing to prescribe processes and substances for control under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. It is not intended in the regulations to restrict the substances for incineration. Any restriction on the way products are incinerated will be described in guidance which is still being drafted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will consider using European Community guidelines as a basis for a new categorisation of refuse-derived compost other than industrial waste;(2) what steps his Department is taking to encourage the private sector and others to develop composting facilities for the processing of the vegetable content from the domestic wastes stream; and how such residues will be defined or classed;(3) whether recycled products produced from a combination of separate primary products will have their own primary status or be assigned the status of their main components for the purposes of statutory environmental controls.

My Department is spending about £140,000 in this financial year on research into the composting of domestic waste and uses for the end product. Householders have been encouraged to start compost heaps in their gardens. Any classification of compost will depend on its content and proposed use.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reconsider the classification of refined refuse-derived fuel with a view to removing it from a schedule A category base where levels of sulphur chloride and ash fall below emissions currently acceptable from fuels.

The Department is considering the responses to the consultation on the draft regulations which prescribe processes and substances for control under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The classification of the manufacture and burning of refuse-derived fuel is currently being reviewed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what research has been conducted into links between refuse-derived fuel combustion and river pollution; and if he will make a statement;(2) what steps Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is taking to accommodate the development of markets for refuse-derived fuel.

Development of markets for refuse-derived fuel is a matter for the manufacturers. No specific research has been conducted of the type described.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average length of time between the notice of decision to call in the planning application and the date of the commencement of the public inquiry in 19 cases of London call-ins since 1987 listed in his reply to the hon. Member for Twickenham on 22 October 1990, Official Report, columns 37–38.

The time between call-in and inquiry in those cases varied between four and 39 weeks, the average being just under 25 weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in the last year on problems of flooding and pollution along the River Severn.

In the last year the Department received four representations, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food two representations, about the problems of pollution and flooding respectively, along the River Severn.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue guidelines to ensure that the true through-life costs of landfill sites are calculated when tenders for such sites are assessed by local authorities and others who have a duty of care under the Environmental Protection Act.

Yes. Under the Environmental Protection Act, local waste regulation authorities will be empowered to impose conditions in waste site licences governing the period after the deposit of waste has ceased. My Department will issue advice to authorities, which they will be statutorily obliged to heed, that they should set such conditions requiring the operator to exercise and pay for continuing pollution control until the authority certifies that the site is safe. It is for site operators to price their disposal services so as to recover the long term costs of such pollution control. This licensing system will apply equally to landfill sites whether operated by local authority companies or the private sector. It will be for waste disposal authorities letting contracts for the disposal of their waste to ensure that all tenders include the costs of compliance with licence conditions and other statutory responsibilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in respect of the public inquiry due to commence on 5 February into the planning application for a Marks and Spencer foodstore at the River Thames embankment, Twickenham, if he will state on what date any informal or formal indication, whether by telephone, orally or in writing, was first provided by his Department to Marks and Spencer plc or Richmond-upon-Thames borough council as to the probable date of the inquiry; and on what dates a similar indication was first given to any known objector to the application.

I will write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for amending building regulations to take account of energy efficiency factors.

The building regulations in England and Wales have contained specific requirements for the conservation of fuel and power since 1979. Revised requirements came into force on 1 April last year. These new provisions should achieve a saving of about 20 per cent. in energy requirements for space and water heating compared with buildings constructed to the former standards. The way in which the new requirements operate in practice will be monitored by the building research establishment as a basis for examining how the provisions might be further strengthened.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what quantity of (a) low and (b) intermediate-level nuclear waste is at Sellafield awaiting disposal or transfer to Scotland at present.

I have been asked to reply.Details of the quantities of radioactive waste at nuclear sites in the United Kingdom are contained in the United Kingdom radioactive waste inventory published jointly by the Department of the Environment and UK Nirex Ltd. copies of which are in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by what date Wessex Water will cease the dumping of sewage sludge into the Bristol channel; and what quantity was disposed of by this method in the latest two years for which figures are available.

I have been asked to reply.The sea disposal of sewage sludge is to be terminated as soon as possible, and by 31 December 1998 at the latest. Wessex Water is preparing plans to cease sea disposal by the end of 1993. The amount of sewage sludge deposited by Wessex Water in the last two years for which figures are available is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the reasons for the delay in the payment of hill livestock compensatory allowances; if he will arrange for early part-payments of hill livestock compensatory allowances; and when he expects to release the full value of hill livestock compensatory allowances.

The Government are not yet in a position to announce the arrangements for payment of hill livestock compensatory allowances in 1991. This is because problems have arisen over the detailed implementation of a new EC ceiling on payments of 1·4 livestock units per hectare. Claim forms and explanatory leaflets will be issued to producers as quickly as possible once these problems have been resolved. It is not possible to be precise when payments will be made but the Government appreciates the importance of making HLCA payments in the early part of the year and every effort will be made to ensure that payments commence quickly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many dairy farms there are in Northern Ireland; and how many of these farms produce less than 200,000 litres of milk per year.

In June 1989 there were 6,879 dairy farms in Northern Ireland; 4,984 produce less than 200,000 litres.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many farms produce cereals in Northern Ireland; and how many of these farms cultivate fewer than 75 acres of cereals.

The June 1990 agriculture census indicates 5,698 farms in Northern Ireland where cereals were grown, of which 5,439 grew less than 30 hectares (74·1).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the health and environmental implications of the decision by animal by-product plants not to accept diseased and fallen animals for disposal; and what measures he proposes to provide alternative means for disposal of such animals in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.

[holding answer 20 December 1990]: On 21 January I met the hon. Gentleman and a committee representative of the district councils in Northern Ireland to discuss the disposal of fallen animals. The meeting was constructive and encouraging with a full and frank exchange of views.I will be continuing discussions with one of the plants involved in rendering animal by-products on proposals that they have put forward for a long-term solution to the problem.I will continue to seek a short-term solution, but until rendering recommences in the interests of all in Northern Ireland, I hope and expect farmers to dispose of their fallen stock appropriately as is their responsibility.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what specific measures his Department has taken to promote energy efficiency; what further measures his Department intends to take to promote energy efficiency; and by what amount and what percentage of its total energy bill his Department's energy bill has been reduced over the past year.

In its contracts with business the Department includes energy efficiency as one of the subjects that it encourages firms to address in developing a comprehensive approach to environmental management.On energy usage directly under the Department's control, the Department has appointed energy managers in all its main establishments. They are undertaking energy audits and preparing action plans in pursuit of the target to reduce energy usage by 15 per cent. in the next five years. The Department has identified areas where draught proofing and insulation could reduce heat loss and has implemented a considerable amount of remedial action. Conventional lighting has been replaced by energy conservation fittings. The efficiency and the time of operation of heating and air conditioning plant have been reviewed with a view to reducing energy usage and operating times while maintaining an acceptable environment. These programmes will continue in the future. In addition, some inefficient boilers are being replaced and building energy management systems are being updated in main buildings.On savings achieved, responsibility for energy efficiency has until recently been shared between Department of Environment Property Holdings and the Department of Trade and Industry and the information has not been collected in the form requested. It will be available in future years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date he became aware of problems in the Levitt group.

It is not the Department's practice to give details of individual companies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the number of glazing companies that have gone into liquidation in each of the last three years.

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what restrictions exist on directors of recently liquidated companies setting up business and trading while previous company debts remain unpaid.

There are provisions under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 (CDDA 1986) which enable the Secretary of State to make applications in the civil courts as regards directors whose conduct in liquidations has been reported upon.There are also provisions under section 216 of the Insolvency Act 1986 whereby, with some exceptions, a director of a company which has gone into insolvent liquidation may not be involved with another with the same or a similar name within five years of the failure of the first company.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement, pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Linlithgow of 20 December 1990, on the progress of the EC discussions on the generally accepted biological meaning of the expression "variety" in relation to the EC proposal in relation to biotechnological inventions.

The draft EC directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions excludes both plant and animal varieties from patentability. For plants, this exclusion will probably be interpreted in accordance with a definition expected to be introduced into the international convention for the protection of new varieties of plants (UPOV convention) when it is revised at a diplomatic conference to be held in March. For animals, there is no generally accepted biological meaning of the expression "variety" and progress in determining the scope of the exclusion is slow. The next meeting to discuss the draft directive will probably be in April; however, it may be that the exclusion of animal varieties will not be comprehensively discussed until a final decision has been reached by the European patent office on an application which is presently before it for a method of producing transgenic animals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the fee agreed with Price Waterhouse for advising on the sale of British Technology Group.

The total costs of the proposed privatisation of the British technology group including the fees payable to Price Waterhouse, will be made available to Parliament after the privatisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library the corporate plan for British Technology Group.

The corporate plan is a confidential management document containing commercially sensitive information. However, copies of the annual reports and accounts of the National Enterprise Board and the National Research Development Corporation are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the budget for publishing or advertising of the British Technology Group sale.

The costs for publicity or advertising of the proposed British Technology Group sale will arise in the 1991–92 financial year, estimates for which will shortly be presented to Parliament.It is proposed that the Department's costs will be met from within the Department's vote.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the cost of the Coopers and Lybrand report on British Technology Group.

It is not the normal practice of my Department to disclose the costs of individual consultancies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library the Coopers and Lybrand report on British Technology Group.

This report was prepared in 1988 to advise my Department on the feasibility and mechanics of privatising the British Technology Group. It contains information which is confidential and commercially sensitive and it is therefore not for wider circulation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the cost of advisers' fees in (a) the sale of Rover, (b) the sale of Girobank and (c) the sale of British Telecom.

The fees paid to Government advisers for the sale of Rover Group were £270,229; and for British Telecommunications the figure was £12 million. The fees paid for advice to Government on the sale of Girobank are subject to commercial confidentiality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list for each year since 1979 the number of bankruptcies of private care homes.

[holding answer 24 January 1991]: This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list for each year since 1979 the number of bankruptcies of private nursing homes.

[holding answer 24 January 1991]: This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements are being made to ensure the availability of aerogrammes at post offices for the use of families of service men abroad.

[holding answer 24 January 1991]: This is a joint operational matter for the Post Office and for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence. However, following the question raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Field) in the House on Wednesday 23 January at column 312, my Department has been in touch with both the Post Office and the Ministry of Defence. I understand that because of a sudden upsurge in demand for them, stocks of free forces aerogrammes have been exhausted in some isolated areas. However, the Ministry of Defence has now arranged for substantial further supplies to be made available to the Post Office, which is distributing them to areas of shortage as a matter of urgency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list all the communities in Wales which will benefit from the new community charge reduction scheme which he is introducing in 1991–92; and if he will indicate those communities which did not previously qualify for transitional relief;(2) if he will estimate the amount of community charge reduction in 1991–92 for each of the local councils in Wales.

Information on the communities benefiting from the reduced community charges under the transitional relief scheme and/or the community charge reduction scheme are given in the following table. Compared with 1990–91 the amount made available by the Government for reductions in community charges in Wales has been increased by £42 million to £62 million; the number of qualifying communities has increased from 323 to 612 and the number of chargepayers who are expected to benefit has increased from around 750,000 to around 1·4 million out of a total of 2·1 million.