To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact on bus and rail travellers in Greater London of the reduction in transport facilities recently announced by London Regional Transport.

London Buses Limited has announced that it is planning to make a number of alterations to local bus services to match them more closely to passenger demand. Details of all the proposed services are not yet available; they will be the subject of public consultation over the next few months. I understand that the changes that London Underground is developing are mainly reduced counter services at booking offices, made possible by the introduction in recent years of very reliable new ticket machines. I am advised that the changes to train services envisaged by London Underground are modest and are, in the main, aimed at improving reliability on lines where there are problems in providing a full complement of trains.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will allocate funds to ensure that the West Yorkshire passenger transport authority is able to introduce in 1992 the railway link between Halifax and Huddersfield.

If the West Yorkshire passenger transport authority seeks resources for this project, we will consider it on its merits, and taking account of the claims of other projects. Credit approvals for 1991–92 have, however, already been allocated, so the earliest that resources for new projects could be made available is 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many separate traffic engineering projects have been undertaken for the purpose of improving Rookery crossroads on the A45 over the past 10 years; how much this has cost in 1990 values; and whether he has any proposals for futher works;(2) what steps he is taking, together with the Suffolk county council, to help prevent further accidents at Rookery crossroads on the A45; and how soon he expects to publish plans for grade separation of Sow lane traffic entering and exiting Rougham industrial estate and east-west traffic on the A45.

There have been six engineering projects costing approximately £50,000 to 1990 prices. I shall write to my hon. Friend with details of proposals for further works.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the number of injury accidents on or near the A45 at the Rookery crossroads at Rougham near Bury St. Edmunds in each of the past 10 years.

The number of recorded fatal, serious and slight injury accidents at or within 20m either side of junction in each of the past 10 years is as follows:

Year	Fatal	Serious	Slight	Total
1980	—	—	1	1
1981	—	1	—	1
1982	—	2	—	2
1983	—	3	—	3
1984	—	—	1	1
1985	—	1	—	1
1986	—	—	1	1
1987	—	1	—	1
1988	—	1	1	2
1989	—	1	5	6
1990	1	—	1	2

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce his decision on rail electrification of the Western Region main line west of Reading.

British Rail has no current plans for electrification of the main line west of Reading.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to his answer of 4 February 1991 Official Report, column 4, whether he will consult the chairman of British Rail in relation to the United Kingdom's participation in the European Commission high level working group with respect to low-platform wagon technology for through freight trains using the channel tunnel.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects United Kingdom approval of a standard low bogie system for running Berne gauge freight trains through the channel tunnel on to the United Kingdom railway network to be announced.

Technical approval of freight wagons for operation in the United Kingdom is a matter for British Rail. Freight wagons for operation through the channel tunnel also require approval from Eurotunnel, the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority in consultation with Her Majesty's railway inspectorate, and other European railways. There is no proposal to run Berne gauge trains in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to introduce stricter limits on carbon dioxide emissions for cars.

I refer the hon. Member to the strategy set out in "This Common Inheritance"—Cmnd. 1200.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with British Rail concerning their response mechanism to requests by fire services for trains to be stopped in emergency situations; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for British Rail. I understand that BR is reviewing arrangements for emergency communication with fire services, and that BR aims to identify one railway control location for each geographical area of its operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what formal machinery exists for meetings between British Rail and representatives of local emergency services.

British Rail liaises at all levels with the emergency services. Emergency procedures are regularly rehearsed both as theoretical and practical exercises to ensure that the emergency services are in a position to deal effectively with any incident that may occur.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the full provisions of the armed forces pension schemes are set out; and if he will summarise them.

The provisions of the armed forces pension scheme are set out in separate documents for each of the three services. For naval personnel, in Orders in Council; for Army personnel, in the Army Pensions Warrant 1977; for RAF personnel, in Queen's Regulations for the Royal Air Forces.Overall, the provisions of the scheme are extensive and detailed. In broad terms the following are provided for:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the contributions made in cash and in equipment by each of the allied countries involved in the Gulf war.

The following nations have committed naval, land or air forces, or medical units, to the coalition forces or are providing practical assistance to these forces:

• Argentina
• Australia
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Belgium
• Canada
• Czechoslovakia
• Denmark
• Egypt
• France
• Greece
• Hungary
• Italy
• Kuwait
• Morocco
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Niger
• Norway
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Poland
• Portugal
• Qatar
• Romania
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• Syria
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States of America

A contingent of Afghan Mujaheddin is also serving in Saudi Arabia.In addition to making practical contributions to the coalition force, a number of nations, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and South Korea, are also providing financial support. Japan, Germany and Hong Kong are making a financial contribution to the coalition and Turkey has agreed that the United States may use Turkish bases for operations into Iraq.The following countries are providing financial or practical assistance, including medical support, to the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the redeployment of units of the United States air force in the United Kingdom will have any bearing on the future of RAF Greenham Common as one of their standby bases.

The redeployment of United States dual capable aircraft in the United Kingdom, announced by my right hon. Friend on 5 February, will not have any effect on the future of RAF Greenham Common as a United States standby base.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest estimate of the cost of the Trident programme; and if he will make a statement.

I am pleased to announce that for the fifth year running there has been, in real terms, a reduction in the estimated cost of the Trident programme. The revised estimate now stands at £9,863 million, based on the exchange rate used for the long-term costing of the defence programme, which this year is £1 = $1·56.Although this estimate represents a cash increase of £483 million compared to that announced last year, after allowing for the effects of inflation and exchange rate variations, there has been a real reduction of £126 million, and a real reduction of £1,838 million over the original 1982 Trident II estimate. This is additional to the savings resulting from the decision to have United Kingdom missiles processed in the United States facility at King's bay, Georgia.The proportion of the programme to be undertaken in the United Kingdom has increased from 69 to 71 per cent.The Select Committee on Defence previously asked that when announcing the annual revised estimate, I should report on the state of the project as a whole. I am pleased to say that the Trident programme remains on schedule to enter service in the mid-1990s. There has been no slippage in the in-service data since the decision to purchase Trident II was announced in March 1982. I am, as in previous years, sending to the Chairman of the Select Committee on Defence and the Public Accounts Committee a more detailed report covering the points on which the Select Committee on Defence sought advice. I am also placing a copy of this report in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, further to his written answer of 28 January, Official Report, column 423, whether British Gas has any enforceable obligation to make safe any gas escape free of charge or to provide safety checks free of charge where the customer is not elderly or disabled and living alone.

The obligation to make gas escapes safe free of charge is enforceable as part of British Gas's authorisation. However, there is no obligation on British Gas to offer safety checks free of charge for customers who are neither elderly nor disabled.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many nuclear plants are located near the west coast of Great Britain.

There are 12 operating civil nuclear plants located near the west coast of Great Britain. In addition, two Magnox stations, at Berkeley and Hunterston, are in the process of being decommissioned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will take steps to ensure that people who applied for shares in the electricity distribution companies are refunded immediately with the funds they submitted for shares with which they were not allocated; and if he will make a statement.

The receiving banks sent refunds before Christmas to the vast majority of the applicants to whom they were due. They deployed substantial resources throughout January to resolve the majority of the relatively small number of outstanding cases, and are dealing with the few that remain as a matter of priority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the sum of money submitted for shares in the electricity distribution companies; who has had the use of the money submitted for shares which were not allocated; and what arrangements are being made to pay interest to the owners of the money who have not yet had it returned.

About £7 billion was submitted in respect of the public offer. Surplus application money was returned to applicants as rapidly as possible: the interest earned on this money in the interim will accrue to the taxpayer. The terms and conditions of the sale made it clear that no interest on such funds would be payable to applicants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations he has had with the Director General of OFFER and the chairmen of the regional electricity companies regarding the security of supply of electricity for space-heating and cooking to the elderly, the infirm and the very young during the current cold snap.

The code of practice operated by the regional electricity companies makes it clear that no consumer in genuine difficulty with their payments will be disconnected, provided that they contact their regional electricity company and agree and keep to a payment arrangement. In addition, the Prime Minister announced on 7 February that cold weather payments to vulnerable groups in receipt of income support had been increased to £6 from 1 February and that the whole of the United Kingdom would qualify for the period from 1 to 7 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations he has had with (a) the chairmen of the regional electricity companies and (b) the Director General of Electricity regulation regarding the level of cut-offs in domestic electricity supply during the present cold snap.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given him today. The latest available 12-monthly figures show disconnections for non-payment of bills standing at their lowest level since records began in 1976.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer of 30 January, Official Report, column 507, for what reasons he decided not to maintain figures concerning the proportion of eligible homes in England and Wales with thermostats installed on 50 per cent. or more radiator valves.

The energy efficiency industry provides the Energy Efficiency Office in my Department with information on the sales of various types of insulation and heating products, including thermostatic radiator valves, thus enabling the Energy Efficiency Office to monitor trends in the industry. However, the information provided does not enable the incidence of installation of thermostatic radiator valves in domestic premises to be monitored, and my Department does not require such information in the normal conduct of its business.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he intends to publish forecasts as to when he anticipates different energy efficiency measures will achieve 50 per cent. of the eligible market.

I have no plans to publish such forecasts. Although the Government will continue to promote and encourage greater energy efficiency in the home, the take-up of individual measures by householders will depend on numerous factors, which will vary from product to product. The Energy Efficiency Office in my Department seeks to assess the success of its programmes and activities by evaluations, market research surveys, examination of trade sales figures and so on, but does not attempt to forecast future levels of market penetration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on the proportion of lighting which has been converted to energy-efficient lighting at (a) the Palace of Westminster, (b) Government buildings, (c) establishments owned or occupied in each Government Department and (d) local authorities.

As part of the Government's drive to improve energy efficiency in Government buildings, my Energy Efficiency Office gives advice, and encourages Departments to adopt cost-effective energy efficiency measures including lighting. However each Department has responsibility for the energy management of its own estate, and the information requested is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he, or officials of his Department, have been invited to participate in the conference on the electricity industry post privatisation, to be held in London on 15 April.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will protest to the Turkish Government about the recent confiscation of the magazine Towards 2000 and the summonsing to military court of Mahmut Dikerdem.

We have no plans to raise these cases with the Turkish authorities. But we have repeatedly urged the Turkish authorities, at ministerial level, to respect their obligations under international human rights conventions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many research and development agreements and contracts have been funded by departments in the Foreign Office, excluding ODA, at universities and polytechnics; how many universities and polytechnics have received those research and development contracts and agreements; what is their total value in each of the last five years; and if he will list them.

There have been only two research contracts or agreements funded by the FCO at universities or polytechnics in the last five years. They were:

(i) Study by London University (School of Slavonic and East European Studies) on "The Inter-War Party and Political System in the present non-Soviet Warsaw Pact countries and its relevance today" (1990).

(ii) Study by London University (School of Oriental and African Studies on "Muslim militancy in sub-Saharan Africa") (1990).

The combined cost was £13,245·00.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to his answer, Official Report, 4 February, column 1, whether he will instruct the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia to seek an assurance from the president of Aramco that Aramco will not penalise those British nationals under contract to the company who do not attend work during air raid warning periods.

Employees of Aramco are under a contractual agreement to the company. We understand that a few, employed on essential services, are required to work through air raid warning periods. Such persons may, in the circumstances, wish to terminate their contracts. As I informed the hon. Member on 4 February at column 1, the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia has been assured by the president of Aramco that the company would not penalise those who sought to leave because of the war, and that accrued benefits would not be forfeited.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Kingdom delegation to the 1990 nuclear non-proliferation fourth review conference in Geneva supported paragraphs 1 to 8 of section VIII, concerning attacks on nuclear facilities contained in the addendum to document NPT/CONF.IV/ MCIII/L.1/ADD.2.

The United Kingdom did not take a position on the language to which the hon. Gentleman refers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases of breach or suspected breach of sanctions in regard to trade with Iraq have now ben received by the United Nations or brought to the knowledge of Her Majesty's Government.

We follow up reported sanctions breaches both bilaterally and at the UN: these are treated confidentially and no figures on the numbers of suspected or actual cases of sanctions breaches are publicly available. Any cases of sanctions breaches by United Kingdom nationals and companies are a matter for the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take action through the United Nations to require Israel to allow Lebanese Government forces to take up their positions in south Lebanon.

We joined in the unanimous vote of the Security Council on 30 January to review the UNIFIL mandate and to reiterate support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognised boundaries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the number of civilians in East Timor who have been killed or died from starvation since the invasion by Indonesia.

Reliable statistics are unavailable. We believe that the figure may be in the region of 100,000 deaths.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he or officials of his Department has had any contact with the Falantic Liberation Army in East Timor since the invasion by Indonesia.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which EC budget the recently agreed 40 million ecu of EC food aid for Romania and Bulgaria is to be paid; and from which Department's budget are Britain's contributions paid to that budget.

The European Council on 10 December 1990 agreed 100 mecu of emergency food aid for Romania and Bulgaria; 30 mecu will come from savings in the 1990 agriculture budget. Following consideration by the 21 December Council, discussion continues on the source of the remaining 70 mecu. The United Kingdom share of this 100 mecu will form part of our contribution to Community own resources in line with all other EC budget expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which member states of the allied military force in the Gulf war remain subject to special licensing procedures for military sensitive exports from the United Kingdom.

All exports of military equipment are subject to stringent licensing control, whatever their destination.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions when he or his predecessors have met the Syrian Foreign Minister since 1979; and if he will make a statement on the most recent meeting.

The right hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dr. Owen), the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, met the Syrian Foreign Minister in London in March 1979. As Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met the Syrian Foreign Minister in Damascus in October 1979 and in London in September 1981 and July 1982. My noble Friend the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Pym, met the Syrian Foreign Minister in London in September 1982 and in Damascus in October 1982. My right hon. and learned Friend for Surrey, East (Sir G. Howe), the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, had meetings with the Syrian Foreign Minister in New York in September 1983, in Damascus in January 1984, again in New York in September 1984 and lastly in London in March 1986.The meeting that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs had with Mr. Shara' on 6 February provided the first opportunity since the resumption of diplomatic relations with Syria to discuss regional and bilateral matters at ministerial level. It was timely and valuable.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will conduct an investigation and review of the Food Labelling Regulations 1989 (S.I., 1989, No. 768) to ensure that they do not permit the adulteration of alcoholic beverages as indicated in a recent report from the trading standards department of Cleveland county council, a copy of which has been sent to him.

I have not yet studied the report to which the hon. Gentleman refers. When I have done so, I will send him a detailed reply.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the consultative paper announced on 28 November, Official Report, column 437, is ready for issue; and if he will make a statement.

Copies of the consultative paper inviting comments on the proposals of myself and the Secretary of State for Wales for reform of the law on agricultural tenancies in England and Wales have been placed in the Library of the House today and made available to interested parties.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will use his powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act to have complaints in respect of the use of racially discriminating language or behaviour by police officers referred automatically to the Police Complaints Authority.

No. My right hon. Friend does not believe that it would be appropriate for him to do so.

Establishment	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	Total
Ashford	—	1	1	—	—	—	2
Hindley1	—	—	—	—	1	3	4
Risley	1	1	3	4	2	—	11
Total	1	2	4	4	3	3	17
1 Became a remand centre in spring 1989.

There have been no self-inflicted deaths since 1985 at the following remand centres: Brockhill, Feltham, Glen Parva, Latchmere House, Low Newton, Pucklechurch.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is given to prison officers and prison medical staff in dealing with remand prisoners who are (a) mentally disturbed, (b) drug addicts and (c) have AIDS.

Responsibility for the health care of prisoners in any prison service establishment rests with the managing medical officer—MMO—of the establishment. The MMO is also responsible for assessing the further

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints concerning the use of racially discriminating language or behaviour by police officers were made to the Police Complaints Authority in each of the last five years; and how many were upheld.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Hackney South and Shoreditch (Mr. Sedgemore) on 29 November 1990, at column 452, which gives the available information about such complaints. Figures for 1990 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were given political asylum in the United Kingdom in 1990; and what were the comparable figures for each European Community nation.

Full information on grants of asylum in the United Kingdom in 1990 is not yet available. To date, about 1,600 such grants, including associated dependants, are recorded, but this understates because of delays in recording. Information on grants of asylum in other EC countries in 1990 is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how much longer Linda Humphries is to be held at Risley prior to being sent to Ashworth hospital.

I understand that Miss Humphries will be admitted to Ashworth hospital very shortly, as soon as a bed is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of suicides in remand centres, and the centres concerned, for each year since 1985.

The numbers of self-inflicted deaths since 1988 by prisoners at establishments whose main role is that of a remand centre have been as follows:training needs of his or her health care colleagues and ensuring that, to the extent that resources permit, they are met either by making local arrangements for training—for example, by links with local NHS hospitals and clinics—by taking advantage of the wide range of external courses that are available to members of the medical and nursing professions or by securing places on courses organised centrally by the directorate of prison medical services.Recent courses organised centrally have included 24-week induction courses for hospital officers of which about six weeks are devoted to psychiatric care, one day to AIDS and a half day to drug addiction and dependency; a two-day course and a series of one-day seminars for medical officers on clinical aspects of AIDS; a 10-day course for hospital officers with an emphasis on the nursing care of AIDS patients; and a two-day seminar on drug misuse for medical officers and other staff from establishments for women.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the £4 million of famine relief for Sudan, announced on 5 February, will be paid for from the 1991–92 budget.

The full cost—estimated at £4 million—of the additional 20,000 tonnes of food aid for famine relief in Sudan, which I announced on 5 February, will be met from the 1991–92 aid budget. My officials are already discussing the detailed uses for this pledge with a number of non-governmental organisations. I hope to agree allocations shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take any action against Prudential Corporation plc for its failure to publish the salaries of directors in its latest accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Acts.

The information to which the hon. Member refers is disclosed at page 41 of the company's report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 1989.

To ask the Prime Minister what has been the total funding to date of the United Kingdom 200 initiative set up by his predecessor under the chairmanship of Mr. Richard Branson; which voluntary organisations have been involved; what have been the achievements of the initiative; whether he has any further proposals to develop this initiative; and whether he will make a statement.

Total Government funding to March 1991 will be £9·434 million. The partner voluntary organisations in England are the British Trust: for Conservation Volunteers, the Civic Trust, Community Service Volunteers, Groundwork, Friends of the Earth and the Royal Society for Nature Conservation. In Wales the organisations involved are the same apart from the Civic Trust, and in addition the Keep Wales Tidy Campaign. In Scotland, the organisations are the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Conservation Projects, Community Service Volunteers and Keep Scotland Beautiful.The main achievements have been high-quality, practical environmental improvement projects, training and work experience together with the creation of new environmental enterprises. This work has been carried out in partnership with the public and private sectors. In 1989–90 there were 717 projects which generated 7,819 training places and 54,218 volunteers and which attracted £2·423 million support from the private sector.In England United Kingdom 2000 phase 2 began on 31 March 1991 and, subject to performance, the voluntary organisations will continue to receive grant until March 1993. United Kingdom 2000 (Scotland) will be launched as a company limited by guarantee in April 1991. The initiative in Wales has recently been fully reviewed; the next steps are now under consideration.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will make it his policy to put forward proposals to amend the United Nations charter to provide for periodic elections of all members of the United Nations Security Council;(2) if he will make it his policy to put forward proposals to amend the United Nations charter to provide that United Nations Security Council members should have veto powers;(3) if he will make it his policy to put forward proposals to amend the United Nations charter to provide that in the event of war waged in the name of the United Nations basic decisions are taken by all member countries of the United Nations with an ad hoc executive committee to supervise the conduct of hostilities by the armed forces acting for the United Nations.

No. The Government do not believe that reform of the United Nations charter is either necessary or desirable.

To ask the Prime Minister when he expects the United Nations Security Council to meet to discuss the conduct of the war in the Persian Gulf.

The United Nations Security Council has met frequently since the outbreak of hostilities in the Gulf on 2 August, most recently in informal consultations on 8 February.

To ask the Prime Minister what specific plans he has to improve investment in Lanarkshire.

The Lanarkshire working group, which met last month, will identify the main constraints to revitalising the Lanarkshire economy and recommend measures to resolve those problems. Investment in Lanarkshire from the private and public sector, is among the working group's concerns. The working group expects to report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland around the end of April.

To ask the Prime Minister what is the estimated additional cost incurred weekly by pensioners in Northern Ireland for heating, lighting and travel when expenditure is compared with that of pensioners in a comparable region in Great Britain.

Information on the expenditure of pensioner households¹ on heating, lighting and travel is available at household level from the family expenditure survey. Northern Ireland compares with Wales in terms of average normal weekly disposable income for all households, including pensioner households. The table providese information from the amalgamated results of the 1988–89 family expenditure survey for pensioner households.

Average Weekly Household Expenditure on Selected Items:
	Northern Ireland £	Wales £	Additional expenditure in Northern Ireland £
Total motoring and fares	5·20	4·29	0·91
Fuel, light and power	13·11	8·55	4·56
1 A pensioner household is defined as one in which at least three quarters of the total income of the household is derived from national insurance retirement and similar pensions.

To ask the Prime Minister when the holder of his office last attended a meeting of the royal commissioners for the exhibition of 1851.

I am not aware of such a meeting.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received from the probation officer based at Liverpool about salaries; and what reply he has sent.

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has received representations from seven probation officers from Merseyside about probation officers' salaries. They either have received or will receive official replies.

To ask the Prime Minister whether the policy of the Government with regard to correspondence between hon. Members and officials remains as set out in the letter from the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Forth) to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill, of 18 May 1989.

It is for Ministers in each Department to decide how correspondence will be handled. Following the recent scrutiny of ministerial correspondence, Departments are considering how to assist Members of Parliament to direct their inquiries to the point which is best able to give them a fast, informed and helpful reply.The Government reply to the eighth report from the Treasury and Civil Service Committee—Cmnd 1263—states that Ministers will normally ask the chief executive of an agency to reply to letters that concern day-to-day operational matters delegated to the agency.

To ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the Timor Gap agreement between Indonesia and Australia; and whether this agreement was discussed during his telephone conversation with Prime Minister Hawke of Australia on 5 February.

The Timor Gap agreement is a matter between Indonesia and Australia, who recognised East Timor's incorporation into Indonesia in 1979. The agreement in no way affects our own stance on recognition. I have not discussed the agreement with Prime Minister Hawke.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 12 February.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. I also called on Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and presented her with a gift from the Cabinet to mark her 90th year. 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 Prime Minister what steps have been taken by allied bombing sorties over Iraq to avoid disruption of the ecological balance of the marshes in the River Euphrates delta and to the habitat of the striped hyenas, jackals and wolves of the western desert of Iraq and northern Saudi Arabia.

[holding answer 8 February 1991]: Allied aircrews have instructions to attack only military targets which could pose a threat to allied forces or facilities supporting Iraq's occupation of Kuwait. The missions are carefully planned to minimise the risk of damage to other areas.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Worthing on 4 December 1990, Official Report, column 17, by what process British nuclear test veterans may seek to establish the Crown's legal liability for compensation for the effects of radiation while serving in Her Majesty's forces.

[holding answer 11 February 1991]: The process to establish the Crown's legal liability in this matter is the need, in common law, to show that participants in the test programme had been exposed to radiation due to Ministry of Defence negligence and that such exposure caused them harm. The Government commissioned a study by the National Radiological Protection Board into this and the report published in 1988 did not establish a causal link between participation and an increased incidence of cancer. A further study by the NRPB to validate the findings of the previous study has been commissioned and the report is due to be published in 1992.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will convene a working group comprised of representatives of the Departments of Health, Social Security and the Environment and of the public, private and voluntary sector providers, funders and user representatives to undertake an investigation into problems and issues involved in funding care for the elderly.

[holding answer 11 February 1991]: There are regular opportunities for interdepartmental consultation on the care needs of elderly people. Provider and user interests are fully reflected in this process. We believe that the creation of a formal working group of the kind suggested would add little to the existing effective collaboration machinery, and might in fact diminish its effectiveness.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will now place in the Library (a) the report of the Secretary of State for the Environment about the Toxteth riots, entitled "It Took a Riot", (b) the letter of the right hon. and learned Member for Surrey, East (Sir G. Howe) in response to that report and (c) the report of the former Central Policy Review Staff on problems of the inner cities; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 11 February 1991]: No.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the change in Treasury income during the 1991–92 financial year resulting from the introduction of tax allowance for child care costs equivalent to (a) £50 a week and (b) £500 a year, assuming one tax relief per family set against the taxable income of the mother, giving separate figures for (i) all families with children under the age of 16 years and (ii) families with at least one child under the age of five years.

Estimates of the cost of extra allowances to working married mothers and lone parents in 1991–92 are given in the table. They are based on projections from the 1988 and 1989 family expenditure surveys and are therefore provisional.

Cost (£ billion)
	Allowance of
	(a) £50 per week	(b) £500 per week
Allowance to those with
(i) children under 16	1·3	0·3
(ii) children under 5	0·4	0·1

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in public spending, in real terms, between 1979 and 1990, expressed as a percentage in (a) the national health service, (b) the social security programme, (c) local authority education spending, (d) higher and further education expenditure, (e) subsidies to councils and housing, (f) associations in pursuit of providing cheap housing for the less well-off, (g) housing benefit, (h) rate rebates and community charge rebates and (i) the arts; and if he will also give the real-terms increase in the gross national product over the same period.

Information is not readily available in exactly the form requested. Information is, however, available on general Government expenditure by function over this period and is given in tables 2.2—cash figures—and 2.3—real terms figures—of the "Statistical Supplement to the 1990 Autumn Statement"—Cm 1520. The percentage changes between 1979–80 and 1990–91 in the real-term figures for the functions covering items listed in the question are as follows:

	Per cent.
Health	+37
Social Security	+35
Education and Science	+16
Housing	-54
Arts and libraries	+38

Information on individual components within each function could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.A forecast of the gross national product for 1990–91 is not readily available to allow the corresponding percentage change to be calculated. Based on the autumn statement forecast for 1990–91, gross domestic product is estimated to have risen by about 25 per cent. in real terms over the period 1979–80 to 1990–91.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his Department's policy regarding the extent to which (a) quangos and (b) voluntary organisations which receive financial support are compensated for inflation.

Funding of non-departmental public bodies and voluntary organisations is a matter for the relevant sponsoring Department. There is no automatic compensation for inflation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received concerning the possibility of granting income tax relief to severely disabled people who have to pay for nursing attendant care in order that they may continue to work and to live as independently as possible; and if he will make a statement.

I have received one such representation, but, at this time of year, the right hon. Gentleman will not expect me to comment further.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to introduce fiscal initiatives to encourage motor manufacturers to produce more efficient cars.

I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget statement.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report all successful prosecutions made under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.

Information is published in the annual report of the Commissioners of Customs and Excise, a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for the progress of personal equity plans.

I am pleased to say that PEPs continue to be very successful. In the 15 months to March 1990 a total of 580,000 plans were taken out, with initial investment of £1,600 million. The provisional figures for the first two quarters of 1990–91 show that a high level of enthusiasm for PEPs continues, with a further 200,000 plans taken out and £600 million invested. The average amount invested remains approximately £3,000.The total number of plans taken out since PEPs started is now nearly 1·2 million. The total subscribed—ignoring investment growth—is almost £3 billion.The cost of the income tax relief is estimated at £20 million for 1989–90 and £45 million for 1990–91.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent local authority planning officers leaving their council employment and setting up private planning consultancies operating in their original areas of jurisdiction.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what number and what percentage of full-time students over the age of 18 years in Wales are studying in (a) further education and tertiary colleges and (b) maintained 11 to 18 years schools.

The number and percentage of full-time students aged over 18 years of age for 1989–90 are as follows:

	Number	Per cent.
Further education and tertiary colleges1
Aged 19	1,104	28
Aged 20 and over2	2,759	70
Maintained secondary schools3
11–18	39	1
Other4	21	1
Total students	3,923	100
1 Full-time and sandwich students on further education courses at higher and further education tertiary colleges. At 31 August 1989.
2 Includes age not known.
3 Aged 19 at 31 August 1989.
4 6th form colleges in Clwyd and South Glamorgan and senior comprehensive school (14–18) in Gwent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what numbers and what percentage of full-time students in further education colleges in each county of Wales are studying (a) A and AS level, (b) BTEC, first and national diploma and (c) GCSE.

	A and A/S levels		BTEC first and national diploma		GCSE
	Number	per cent.	Number	per cent.	Number	per cent.
Clwyd	451	13	1,528	45	251	7
Dyfed	50	2	1,337	51	40	2
Gwent	112	8	277	20	79	6
Gwynedd	69	4	782	48	—	—
Mid Glamorgan	75	2	1,281	38	53	2
Powys	13	2	420	52	40	5
South Glamorgan	50	3	605	39	36	2
West Glamorgan	—	—	89	30	—	—
WALES	820	5	6,319	42	499	3

Numbers relate to full-time and sandwich students following the required courses at higher and further education colleges, excluding tertiary colleges. They are shown as a percentage of the full-time and sandwich students on further education courses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment has been made of the effect of the compulsory teaching of Welsh at secondary level on the teaching of modern languages in those schools in non-native Welsh-speaking areas which have traditionally offered more than one modern language to GCSE level.

It is too early to gauge the effect of the introduction of Welsh in those schools in non-native speaking areas but I refer the hon. Gentleman to my right hon. Friend's announcement on 22 January about the structure of key stage 4 in the national curriculum in Wales. All pupils will be required to study both Welsh and

Relief: 1990–91
	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)
	Domestic rateable value	Relevant population1	Domestic poundage	Notional average domestic rates per adult	Forecast community charge	Difference between community charge and rates	Amount above £18 threshold
Local authority and community council	£	Number	P	£	£	£	£
Alyn and Deeside
Queensferry	99,749	1,536	270·8	176	184	8	-10
Shotton	341,760	4,817	270·8	192	184	-8	-26
Connah's Quay	845,875	10,717	270·8	214	184	-30	-48
Hawarden	777,984	9,157	270·8	230	184	-46	-64
Broughton and Bretton	348,856	4,123	270·8	229	184	-45	-63
Higher Kinnerton	104,213	1,123	270·8	251	184	-67	-85
Penyffordd	216,534	2,564	270·8	229	184	-45	-63
1 As specified in Appendix 2 of the Welsh Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report.

The information for 1989–90 is as follows:a modern foreign language. The proposed structure provide greater flexibility for parents and pupils to be offered a full choice of subjects including a second modern language.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide the detailed calculation of the transitional relief level for poll tax payers in the community of (a) Queensferry, (b) Shotton, (c) Connah's Quay, (d) Howarden, (e) Broughton and Bretton, (f) Higher Kinnerton and (g) Penyffordd.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 4 February at columns 22–24 for the method of calculation.The figures for the communities requested are given in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people with haemophilia in Wales who require factor VIII infusions are being treated with high purity monoclonal products; how many are being treated with the intermediate purity concentrates; and if he will break the figures down according to (a) product manufacturer, (b) the number of units of each product prescribed in the latest year for which data is available and (c) for each health authority.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to reintroduce the lime subsidy; and if he will make a statement.

I have no plans to extend grant aid for routine applications of lime. Farmers with improvement plans under the Farm and Conservation Grant Regulations can obtain grant assistance towards the cost of liming land where this is part of a programme of reseeding and regeneration. In the less-favoured areas, lime treatment alone is eligible for grant where it can be demonstrated to be genuine restoration and not routine treatment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many caravan sites there are in (a) Ceredigion and (b) Dyfed; what the corresponding figures were for each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps are being taken in Wales by his Department to help small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

My Department continues to attach a high priority to the promotion of enterprise and to helping small businesses. General economic policies at a national level, national enterprise support policies and initiatives that are unique to Wales such as the Enterprise Wales scheme are all helping to make Wales a place where small businesses can flourish. In Wales the latest annual figures —most recently published in July 1990—show that by the end of 1989 the total number of businesses registered for VAT was nearly 85,200, an increase of 21 per cent. on the stock of businesses at the end of 1979.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes the commissioning of the Deeside community hospital.

The time scale for commissioning the Deeside community hospital is a matter for the Clwyd health authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are his future plans for Mancot community hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Plans for Mancot community hospital are a matter for Clwyd district health authority at this time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to visit (a) Dobshill hospital, Clwyd, (b) Meadowsleigh hospital, Clwyd, and (a) Broughton hospital, Clwyd; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit these hospitals at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales in what quantities per nation annually European toxic waste has been imported by Wales for each year since 1979.

Information on the importation of waste by country of origin into the United Kingdom is available only for the period since the introduction of the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations in October 1988. The information available in respect of imports of waste for disposal in Wales from European Community states for the years to 31 March 1989 and 1990 is shown in the table.

Imports of Hazardous Waste into Wales for the Continent of Europe
Country of Origin	Quantity (Tonnes)
	1988–89	1989–90
Belgium	3,265	1,274
France	—	16
Federal Republic of Germany	—	331
Greece	—	5
Republic of Ireland	—	148
Italy	73	974
Luxembourg	—	17
Netherlands	351	281
Portugal	—	73
Spain	—	218

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what quantity of waste, in the last year for which figures are available, was imported for direct landfill within Wales.

Total amount of general grant paid to each district council from 1980–81 to 1988–89
Council	1980–81 £	1981–82 £	1982–83 £	1983–84 £	1984–85 £	1985–86 £	1986–87 £	1987–88 £	1988–89 £
Antrim	203,022	328,676	273,676	330,827	259,285	312,498	370,276	297,415	230,107
Ards	346,468	593,983	702,750	877,683	821,992	853,823	1,145,922	1,144,002	1,109,965
Armagh	502,001	671,488	692,015	854,148	774,515	806,218	874,313	934,594	917,120
Ballymena	299,894	375,831	393,015	408,572	429,719	416,316	515,209	441,014	468,248
Ballymoney	204,458	311,116	361,020	425,117	422,414	433,467	457,971	600,071	553,888
Banbridge	311,737	383,449	395,849	477,166	490,608	505,922	529,522	605,433	586,867
Belfast	2,010,941	2,285,195	2,987,789	3,999,843	4,365,614	4,692,549	5,122,136	5,368,404	5,680,258
Carrickfergus	351,657	433,369	523,866	508,389	447,617	423,650	430,674	462,328	449,508
Castlereagh	418,909	422,403	467,568	545,002	470,966	435,300	526,291	426,557	430,021
Coleraine	197,769	227,528	245,284	344,277	349,431	370,204	342,722	288,401	311,666
Cookstown	286,874	330,280	376,234	468,069	444,731	470,701	479,230	517,465	477,515
Craigavon	639,863	727,980	877,940	1,169,184	1,253,782	1,258,565	1,256,531	1,503,284	1,505,757
Derry	988,283	1,389,176	1,649,291	2,005,417	2,155,433	2,150,279	2,411,072	2,517,295	2,698,647
Down	458,227	677,867	750,882	916,544	901,658	1,059,929	1,235,652	1,427,921	1,437,359
Dungannon	511,942	606,880	735,385	886,125	908,574	945,193	887,350	971,853	942,600
Fermanagh	695,689	807,546	882,082	1,015,839	1,029,604	1,054,522	1,144,780	1,193,343	1,116,206
Larne	169,423	248,236	320,358	346,137	350,127	383,348	395,700	372,040	390,630
Limavady	239,746	305,037	332,150	372,369	382,499	428,037	486,044	522,866	607,730
Lisburn	361,035	511,401	674,101	889,998	915,718	798,696	1,089,944	1,015,680	1,117,620
Magherafelt	307,121	394,661	452,749	558,461	568,099	615,274	623,256	687,739	711,912
Moyle	183,634	229,752	265,262	326,380	386,676	372,579	447,260	463,143	457,943
Newry and Mourne	1,004,081	1,232,093	1,518,586	1,890,419	2,259,691	2,387,487	2,598,258	2,632,989	2,670,374
Newtownabbey	518,411	538,930	608,465	892,923	951,454	1,027,691	1,050,207	1,053,659	986,500
North Down	85,624	187,687	277,955	378,878	371,700	347,092	655,536	581,305	591,281
Omagh	440,336	629,884	792,264	958,572	1,064,991	1,109,986	1,026,753	1,114,700	1,106,807
Strabane	612,662	667,876	846,538	890,887	1,049,679	1,163,216	1,097,377	1,243,202	1,204,510

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide a table showing the district rate for each district council in ascending order for the year 1980–81 and each subsequent year.

I will write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the 1990–91 estimated gross expenditure for each district council in Northern Ireland; and what is the estimated population of each district.

The information is set out in the table.

No imports of hazardous waste for disposal at Welsh landfill sites have been notified under the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations 1988.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of waste incinerated within Wales is imported; and what are the projected levels of such importation for the next decade.

Figures on waste incineration are not maintained centrally and no future projections are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total amount of general grant factor given to each Northern Ireland district council in 1980–81 and each subsequent year.

The information is set out in the table.

1990–91 Estimated Gross Expenditure and Estimated Civilian Population
Council	1990–91 Estimated Gross Expenditure for each DC £	Population as at 30 June 1988
Antrim	3,904,746	45,700
Ards	7,131,700	64,000
Armagh	3,536,450	49,000
Ballymena	4,844,774	56,700
Ballymoney	2,088,880	23,900
Banbridge	2,631,476	31,900
Belfast	52,833,755	298,400
Carrickfergus	3,792,648	30,000
Castlereagh	5,379,512	58,000
Coleraine	5,178,013	48,100
Cookstown	2,218,294	27,600

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the increase in district rate for each district council in Northern Ireland since 1980–81 in both pence and percentage terms.