To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the normal retirement age for the post of director of the field operations division of the Health and Safety Executive; what is the age of the current occupant; and if he will make a statement.

The normal retirement age for the post of director of field operations is 60. The present postholder is being retained in the post for a year beyond his normal retirement date, to June 1992, to assist in the implementation and consolidation of the major reform of the field organisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish copies of (a) the spring 1991 review of the Health and Safety Executive and (b) the field operations division impact study 1991.

(a) The 1991 spring review was a series of meetings at which the Health and Safety Executive's senior management reviewed the performance of its divisions against plan in the 1990–91 financial year. A full account of HSE's performance is given in the Health and Safety Commission Executive annual report 1990–91, which was laid before the House on 12 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many premises are registered with the field operations division of the Health and Safety Executive; how many were inspected thoroughly in 1990–91; what is the current backlog of inspections; and what proposals he has to clear the backlog.

On 28 September 1991 there were 653,397 fixed premises registered with the Health and Safety Executive's field operations division—FOD. Between 1 April 1990 and 31 March 1991, FOD inspectors made a total of 100,232 planned inspection visits to fixed premises.At 31 March 1991, a total of 107,486 fixed premises in the field for inspection in the period 1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991 had not received a planned inspection visit in that year. The figure includes premises which have a low inspection rating based on inspectors' judgment of risks, site standards and management control, those which have been visited for purposes other than planned inspection and those for which records are held but may no longer exist.A reduction in the number of premises in the field for inspection and not visited continues to be an aim of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive. As part of this, FOD has carried forward and developed special inspection initiatives on a local or regional basis across a range of industries.Between 1 July and 31 December 1991, FOD is carrying out a pilot exercise to assess the feasibility of employing visiting officers to identify establishments for inspection. Two of the objectives of the exercise are to eliminate redundant records from the factory inspectorate establishment database and to provide data on establishments that make up the backlog.Additionally, a recent study carried out by FOD has addressed the question of improving the impact of the work of the field force, including the backlog of inspections. Recommendations from the survey are currently being considered by HSE.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many of the factory inspectors responsible for the inspecting chemical works do not have degrees in chemistry or chemical engineering.

There are currently 56 factory inspectors responsible for the inspection of chemical plants who do not have degrees in chemistry or chemical engineering. Inspection assignments for factory inspectors are not made solely on specialist technical qualifications; detailed technical support is available to field inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive's technical specialists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many of the factory inspectors in the field operations division of the Health and Safety Executive are trainees.

On 1 December 1991, a total of 182 factory inspectors in the field operations division of the Health and Safety Executive were trainee inspectors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many factories registered with the factories inspectorate have not received a basic inspection for three, five, seven, nine and 11 years; and what were the figures two years ago.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 29 January 1991, Official Report, columns 782–83. To update this information would incur disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the cost in the financial year 1990–91 and what it is so far for the financial year 1991–92 for fees paid by the Health and Safety Executive for private employment agencies for the recruitment of staff at Baynards house; and if he will end such expenditure henceforth.

No fees have been paid to private employment agencies in either financial year by the Health and Safety Executive for the recruitment of staff in Baynards house.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what recent initiatives have been taken by the Health and Safety Commission's construction industry advisory committee in establishing new improved standards for site health and safety.

The HSC's construction industry advisory committee has taken a number of recent initiatives to promote improved standards of health and safety in the construction industry. The main initiatives are:

undertaking a comprehensive revision of guidance on the management of health and safety in construction projects. This will support forthcoming new Construction (Design and Management) Regulations which will place clear duties on clients, their professional advisers, designers, and contractors to bring about a coherent structure for managing health and safety;

meeting professional institutions to encourage their greater involvement in health and safety matters, including improved training for the professions. A major conference is also planned for senior representatives of construction companies on the role of the professions under the proposed new legislation;

a review of the use of heavy building blocks to produce guidance and consideration of a weight limit for manual handling above which mechanical assistance would be required;

revising guidance on the safe use of site dumpers; and publishing a long-term strategy to give its effort clear direction while remaining sufficiently flexible to respond to important immediate issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment has been made by his Department of British industry managers' views of the current proposals by the European Commission for action in the social area.

The United Kingdom is unique in the European Community for its wide consultation of industry on the proposals in the social area. The significant majority of responses from industry to the Department's consultation documents support the Government's view that a number of the proposed directives under the Commission's social action programme would impose damaging costs on employers, destroy flexibility and limit our international competitiveness. These views have been endorsed in many representations received from individual employers and from employer organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from TECs over the lack of funds to meet the responsibilities to provide youth training in line with targets set by the Government; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has regular contact with all training and enterprise councils on a variety of matters. The Government remain firmly committed to their youth training guarantee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a list of companies which have given firm commitments to the Employment Service's disability symbol for employers; and how long a company can express a firm commitment without actually using the symbol, and still remain on the list.

Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service executive agency are the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred this question for reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has for the staffing of training and enterprise councils in the longer term.

On 26 July 1991 I wrote to the chairmen of all TECs proposing that discussions should begin with TECs, with the relevant trade unions and with seconded staff about arrangements to secure the objective of freeing TECs to be the direct employers of their staff on terms and conditions decided by TECs.I am writing today to TEC chairmen setting out the broad arrangements for phasing out secondments to TECs from the civil service by October 1996. These will give TECs the freedom to offer secondees employment in their TEC. Secondees in turn will be free to accept TEC employment or return to the Department when their secondment period ends. TECs will be provided with the funding to offer former secondees pension provisions broadly comparable with the principal civil service pension scheme. Subject to normal parliamentary procedures for notifying the giving of non-statutory guarantees and indemnities, I also propose to meet the costs of redundancy entitlements for past civil service employment in the event of a redundancy arising as a direct result of Government action within the first five years of the start of former secondee's employment in a TEC.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement in response to the representations made to him by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe on behalf of employees of Mirror Group Newspapers about the losses incurred by their pension fund.

I have written to the right hon. Gentleman.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his answer of 2 December, Official Report, column 39, what was the level of the United Kingdom's liability for contribution to EC funds in each year since 1973 (a) gross and (b) net, in cash terms and after adjusting for inflation, before refunds or abatement.

The information requested is set out in the table:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is yet in a position to announce the outcome of the Government's review of unitary tax with the United States Treasury.

The review of unitary tax conducted jointly by the Inland Revenue and the United States Treasury has now been completed and the Government have endorsed the conclusions reached in the report. A copy of the review report, which has been published today, is being placed in the Library.The report highlights the main points in a complicated issue. It identifies not only where progress has been made to date but also assesses the best practical means of taking matters forward.In accordance with the report's conclusions, both Governments take this opportunity to restate their commitment to work together to secure the elimination of the worldwide combined reporting method of unitary taxation.At present we believe that the best means of achieving this goal is to support companies litigating in United States courts against worldwide unitary tax. Both Governments will continue to give such support.In the meantime the British Government intend to retain the legislation contained in section 812 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. No further guarantee is contemplated as to the effective date of the

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the contribution to EC funds in each year since 1986 made by each of the 12 members of the EC (a) gross and (b) net, in constant prices.

The gross contribution to the EC budget by each member state in constant prices for the years 1986–1990 is in the table. Details of member states' gross contributions for 1991 will be published in the "Statement on the 1992 Community Budget" early next year. Details of member states' net contributions are not published by the European Commission.legislation were it to be triggered, beyond the guarantee, previously given, that it would not apply to dividends paid on or before 31 December 1989.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action the Central Statistical Office will be taking in its assessment of the trend in retail sales and related indicators of activity to take account of the Sunday opening of many shops this December.

No action is necessary. The usual procedures for the compilation of the monthly retail sales index will ensure that Sunday sales are properly reflected.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate for 1991–92 the number of (a) corporate taxpayers and (b) income taxpayers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

About 350,000 companies pay corporation tax and 25·1 million individuals pay income tax in the United Kingdom. Information for Great Britain and Northern Ireland is not separately available for 1991–92.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people receive (a) the married couple's allowance, (b) the additional person's allowance and (c) the widow's bereavement allowance.

In 1991–92 the numbers of individuals benefiting from the specified allowances are estimated to be about (a) 11·1 million, (b) 600,000 and (c) 140,000.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the revenue yield from freezing the married couple's allowance, additional personal allowance and widow's bereavement allowance—but not the married couple's allowance for pensioners—(a) in the first year, (b) in a full year, assuming this is introduced at the beginning of 1991–92, (c) in the first year and (d) in a full year, assuming this is introduced at the beginning of 1992–93, with (i) the current system of tax allowances and (ii) restricting all tax allowances and reliefs except the single person's allowance to the basic rate.

It is estimated that, at 1992–93 levels of income, freezing the married couple's allowance for taxpayers aged under 65, the additional personal allowance, and the widow's bereavement allowance in 1992–93 would yield about £140 million in the first year and £180 million in a full year with the current system of tax allowances compared with the illustrative 4 per cent. indexation shown in table 4·2 of the autumn statement 1991. If all tax allowances and reliefs except the basic personal allowance were restricted to the basic rate, the yield from freezing the specified allowances would be about £130 million in the first year and £170 million in a full year. These allowances were not increased in the 1991 Budget.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the availability of special enterprise zone capital allowances—100 per cent. initial allowances or 25 per cent. writing down allowances—where a purchaser buys an unused building in an enterprise zone.

The intention underlying the enterprise zone capital allowances legislation is that the purchaser of an unused building should be entitled to initial allowances provided that the actual construction expenditure was incurred either within 10 years of designation of the zone or under a contract entered into during that period. Contrary to the Revenue's previous view and practice recent legal advice has indicated that the purchaser is not entitled to initial allowances, where an unused building is purchased after expiry of the 10-year life of the zone. The Government therefore intend to bring forward amending provisions in the 1992 Finance Bill to ensure that allowances remain available in these circumstances. The legislation would have effect from today. In the meantime, with my approval, the Inland Revenue has today issued an extra-statutory concession under which it will continue to apply its existing practice to past and current transactions. The impact of this measure on tax receipts will be nil. It simply gives effect to the tax treatment originally intended.The Government also intend to amend the regulations defining an enterprise zone property trust to ensure that the measures I have described feed through to the investors in these trusts. Under the existing regulations investors in EZPTs only have the benefit of enterprise zone allowances where an unused building is acquired during the lifetime of the zone. The cost to the Exchequer of aligning with other purchasers the entitlement of these investors to initial allowances is estimated at £5 million in 1992–93 and £35 million in 1993–94.The Government intend to bring forward two further amendments to the enterprise zone legislation in the 1992 Bill, also with effect from today. The existing rule that a purchaser may only receive initial allowances where a building is sold unused, adversely affects developers who face a delay in securing a purchaser and who may want to let the building in the interim. This rule may act as a disincentive to the occupation of buildings and to business activity in enterprise zones. To mitigate that effect we intend to bring forward legislation providing that initial allowances will be available to a purchaser buying the building within two years of its first being used. The proposed provision would apply to buildings first brought into use after today. The basis for making any quantitative estimate of the effects of this extension on the yield of corporation tax in 1992–93 and 1993–94 would depend on many factors and be highly speculative. Any estimate of the total revenue effects and the impact on receipts as between individual financial years would therefore be very uncertain.Finally, the Government propose to curtail the existing open-ended nature of relief for expenditure incurred under a contract entered into during the life of the zone. In future, it is proposed that such expenditure would only be eligible for initial allowances if it is incurred within 10 years of expiry of the zone.These changes do not alter the Government's general policy towards enterprise zones announced by the Secretary of State for the Environment in his written answer of 17 December 1987, that there would not be a general extension of the enterprise zone experiment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms in the building trade and the furniture trade have gone into liquidation in each year since 1979 inclusive; and, in each year, how many of those firms in each category were based in Tottenham or Edmonton prior to going into liquidation.

The information on company liquidations resulting from insolvency in timber and furniture manufacturing and in construction for England and Wales is as follows. Information is not collected by location; nor is furniture collected separately from timber. No sectoral breakdown is available for voluntary liquidations.

Year	Timber and furniture manufacturing	Construction
1979	116	789
1980	211	949
1981	203	990
1982	350	1,422
1983	294	1,776
1984	382	1,831
1985	495	1,975

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the decision of the European Commission to clarify the role and activities of car intermediaries; and how his Department plans to monitor the activities of intermediaries to ensure that the Commission's regulations arc enforced.

The Government take the view that intermediaries should be free to operate within the EC car market. Intermediaries have a role to play in helping car buyers to obtain cars at the lowest price within the Community. Enforcement of European Commission regulations is a matter for the Commission. The EC Commission found that Peugeot had breached competition rules by upholding supply from Ecosystem. This case is now a subject of an appeal to the European Court of Justice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will issue guidance on the recycling of Christmas packaging paper before Christmas.

I have no plans to issue guidance specifically related to the recycling of Christmas packaging paper. My Department continues to encourage recycling of materials for which there is a market. No material should be collected unless an outlet has been identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information his Department has about the manufacture of leg irons in Britain, and the export from Britain of these products.

[holding answer 12 December 1991]: The Department has no information on the manufacture of leg irons. I refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave on this subject on 22 October 1991, Official Report, column 608.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 6 December, Official Report, columns 260–61, what policy considerations will govern the allocation of export credit cover for high-risk projects in vested countries to (a) the continuing Export Credits Guarantee Department or (b) NCM Credit Insurance with assistance from the Export Credits Guarantee Department under the national interest reinsurance facility; what the anticipated budget for each category of cover is for (a) the remaining months of this year and (b) the next two financial years; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 13 December 1991]: Export credit cover for project business in the vested markets will be given only by the continuing ECGD.NCM will provide cover in the vested markets for non-project business only. It will do this without any assistance from ECGD under the national interest reinsurance facility.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he received on his recent visit to Wandsworth prison on the level of post-release supervision of discharged mentally disordered prisoners.

My right hon. Friend has made no recent visits to Wandsworth prison.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners at present serving sentences in Her Majesty's prisons suffer from some kind of mental disorder; what percentage of these are receiving psychiatric treatment during their sentence; and what percentage receive specialist care upon release.

Information is not available in the form requested. However, Prison Service medical officers carry out medical monitoring at regular intervals within their establishments. The most up-to-date information held centrally is for September. At that time, approximately 3·5 per cent. of prisoners were receiving some form of mental health care.Where appropriate, arrangements are made for specialist care to continue after release. Short of an order under the Mental Health Act 1983, there are no powers to make medical treatment, or attendance for treatment, compulsory.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to permit the opening of off-course bookmakers shops during the evening hours.

We issued a consultation document in October inviting the views of all interested parties on whether licensed betting offices should be open in the evenings and, if so, at what times. The Government will give careful consideration to the views received in response to that document before deciding whether to allow evening opening.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he gives to magistrates adjudicating cases of shoplifting carried out in stores during Sunday trading.

It would not be appropriate for my right hon. Friend to give guidance to magistrates about the way in which they exercise their judicial discretion in cases before them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to bring forward the necessary statutory instrument to include the offence of illegal Sunday trading within the list of offences for which a confiscation order may be made under the terms of section 71 and schedule 4 to the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current certified accommodation for Wandsworth prison while the two wings are closed for refurbishment.

The current certified normal accommodation for Wandsworth prison is 965. This compares with a certified normal accommodation of 1,275 prior to the closure of D and K wings for refurbishment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the reduction on a like-for-like basis, of prisoner overcrowding at Wandsworth prison based on the figures for 1980 to 1990; and if he will make a statement.

The overcrowding at Wandsworth Prison over this period is shown in the table. The average percentage occupancy is based on the relationship between the certified normal accommodation figure—that is, the capacity of the prison without overcrowding—at the end of the year and the average population throughout the year.

Year	Average percentage occupancy
1980	114
1981	115
1982	109
1983	109
1984–85	115
1985–86	120
1986–87	121
1987–88	118
1988–89	128
1989–90	119
1990–91	109

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the variations between bail hostels as to regimes, curfews and emphasis on enforcement of rules, including the distinction between open and closed hostels.

Bail hostels are not divided into "open" or "closed". All bail hostels have 24-hour staff cover and operate a night-time curfew which may in individual cases be amended by bail conditions attached by the court. Hostel rules set out what conduct is acceptable and residents are required to comply with these rules as well as the conditions attached to their bail. Residents who fail to observe the curfew or comply with the rules are liable to be brought back to the courts to determine their disposal.The regimes of individual hostels and their policy on enforcement of curfews and hostel rules are matters for local hostel management and such information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the effect of locating bail hostels on the crime rate in the local area;(2) what publicly available research evidence has been produced either by, or at the instigation of, his Department on the social and economic effects of bail hostels upon the communities where they are located.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on the extent to which bail hostel functions may be contracted out to private organisations in the future.

A number of private sector organisations are already involved in the provision of new bail hostels in co-operation with probation and voluntary sector managers. For example, Greater Manchester probation service contracted with a private sector developer to deliver the new bail hostel in Oldham and Cheshire probation service are working with a housing association in the development of hostels at Sandbach and Ellesmere Port. The extent to which other bail hostel functions may be contracted out to private and voluntary sector organisations in the future is being considered following responses to the consultation paper "Partnership in Dealing with Offenders in the Community" which was issued in 1990. We hope to make an announcement early in 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines he has issued to the police in co-operating with management of bail hostels.

No specific guidelines have been issued centrally, but local managers liaise with station sergeants, community constables and other police officers on such matters as breach proceedings and security systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 28 November, Official Report, column 572–74, how many additional police posts were approved by the Kent police authority for funding for 1992–93; how many of those which he approved were for (a) channel tunnel duties and (b) motorway duties; and how many of these posts will be re-imbursed by Eurotunnel from January 1993.

My right hon. Friend has been asked to approve a total of 82 posts for Kent police for 1992–93. He has approved 42 posts to be funded in the normal way and 40 reimbursed posts. The 40 reimbursed posts are for the policing of the channel tunnel duties; 11 of the remaining 42 will be devoted to motorway duties. The chief constable will be able to deploy the remainder to general policing duties in Kent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has yet received the report of Sir Raymond Lygo's review of the management of the prison service.

I received Sir Raymond Lygo's report on 12 December and am today placing copies of it, together with Sir Raymond's covering letter, in the Library. It provides a wide-ranging set of recommendations and I am extremely grateful to Sir Raymond for the speed and thoroughness with which he has completed his task. I am also grateful to Lord Rayner for the assistance which he has given.The report acknowledges the particularly intractable problems with which the prison service has to deal, many of which are outside its control. Sir Raymond concludes, however, that it would be too easy to attribute all the problems of the service to external factors and that there are a number of fundamental managerial issues which need to be tackled. The most important of these is the relationship between the prison service and Ministers. Sir Raymond advocates a greater independence for the prison service from day-to-day ministerial oversight. This would be achieved by turning the prison service into an agency, appointing a part-time non-executive chairman of the Prisons Board, giving the board formal collective responsibility for the management of the service and establishing a supervisory board to advise me on major policy and resource issues. The post of director general would be filled by open competition.Sir Raymond also makes a number of other important recommendations on management and personnel issues. He proposes that the prison service should recruit people from outside into some of its senior management posts; that there should be more contracting out of support services such as catering, the provision of clothing, building maintenance and possibly workshop management; that prison governors should wear uniforms; that if industrial relations in the service do not improve legislation should he introduced to restrict industrial action; and that far more work should be devolved from headquarters to local level.A number of Sir Raymond's recommendations arc in line with developments already taking place within the prison service, but, taken together, they amount to a radical programme of change both within the service and for its relationship to ministers. I am therefore inviting comments on Sir Raymond's report before reaching decisions in the spring. Copies of the report are being made available to interested organisations, including the trade unions, with an invitation to submit comments by Friday 28 February to Her Majesty's Prison Service, Room 601, Abell House, John Islip Street, London SW1P 4LH.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now considered the report of the security audit of arrangements for holding and managing category A prisoners and the inquiry into the workings of DOC1 division in prison service headquarters, conducted by Mr. Ronald Hadfield and Mr. Gordon Lakes; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hadfield and Mr. Lakes submitted their report on 1 November 1991. It covers a wide field, ranging from detailed matters of physical security to wide-ranging proposals for collecting and disseminating intelligence. I am most grateful for the thorough way in which they have completed their work.The report is both helpful and reassuring. Mr. Hadfield and Mr. Lakes indicate that they have found no evidence of general complacency about security standards and that governors are alert to security needs. Where they identified improvements in procedural and physical security which needed to he made, they communicated these to individual governors in the course of their inquiry. Many of their broader recommendations have already been implemented. Some, with considerable resource implications, will need to be prioritised; some involving building work will need to he phased into existing prison building and refurbishment programmes; and others will need to be the subject of consultation with prison governors and others in the prison service and, in some cases, outside.There is only one recommendation which I have not accepted in its present form. With the aim of ensuring that attention is focused on prisoners posing the highest risk, Mr. Hadfield and Mr. Lakes proposed that standard risk category A prisoners in dispersal prisons should be re-categorised "category B (dispersal)". While I fully support this aim, I am concerned that re-categorisation in the form recommended could give rise to operational uncertainty or confusion whenever these prisoners need to be transferred or detained outside these very secure establishments. I therefore intend to consult the governors of dispersal prisons and others to see whether the underlying aims of the recommendation can be met in another way.As far as DOC1 division is concerned, Mr. Hadfield and Mr. Lakes found staff there to be hard working and well motivated. They have, however, made recommendations relating to the strategic management of the division and proposals for a more systematic approach to the collation and dissemination of information and intelligence. A feasibility study into this latter proposal is already under way. All other recommendations have been accepted.Mr. Hadfield and Mr. Lakes have prepared a version of their report which they have advised need not be withheld on grounds of security. I have accepted that view, and have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the target of December 1991 for the wearing of name badges by prison staff has been achieved.

Work is progressing on the commitment given in the white paper "Custody Care and Justice", to the wearing of name badges by all staff on duty in prisons. Necessary consultation with the trade unions on the detailed arrangements, and the procurement mechanisms necessary for the quantities that will be required, result in the need for a slower introduction than originally targeted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being taken to end slopping out in Chelmsford prison; when the practice is expected to end; and if he will make a statement.

Preparatory work on providing in-cell sanitation at HM prison, Chelmsford, is now in progress. The first cells with in-cell sanitation will be available early in 1992 and the programme will be completed by 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners there were in Chelmsford prison on 1 December 1990 and 1 December 1991; what is the maximum number of prisoners meant to be in Chelmsford prison; and if he will make a statement on what actions are being taken to reduce overcrowding in Chelmsford prison;(2) if he will make a statement on the number of prisoners being held in police cells at Chelmsford police station; and what actions are being taken to alleviate the situation.

The readily available information for the period in question is as follows:

	Number
Monday 3 December 1990	376
Monday 2 December 1991	389

The certified normal accommodation—that is the uncrowded capacity of the establishment—is 232 and its operational capacity is 392.The prison service has now arranged for young men awaiting trial to be moved from Chelmsford prison and held in Rochester prison. This had removed the need for Chelmsford prisoners to be held in police cells. On 11 December, the latest date for which figures are available, there were five prisoners in Chelmsford police station who should have been held in Bedford prison.My right hon. Friend and I regard reducing the number of prisoners in police cells as a high priority for the prison service. Every effort is being made to make the most efficient possible use of existing prison accommodation. New prison accommodation which will be provided in eight prisons which are due to open in 1992 should make a significant impact on this problem.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure those television companies which have lost their franchises continue to broadcast a full range of locally orientated programmes for the duration of their licence; and if he will make a statement.

The ITV companies operate under contract to the Independent Television Commission until the end of 1992. It is for the ITC to consider whether the amount of local interest programming in each area is adequate.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar can expect answers to immigration case letters to his Department of (a) 11 March 1990, relating to Musse Kinsi Abdi (Ref.: 095413); (b) 20 November 1990 and reminders relating to Yussuf Amina Hussein (Ref.: A 444158); (c) 12 December 1990 and reminders relating to Ahmed Hassan Jama (Ref.: H 353673); (d) 21 January 1991 and reminders relating to Arraleh Abdillarhi Dualeh (Ref.: A 132858); (e) 20 December 1990 and reminders relating to Mohamoud Mohamed Adan (Ref.: M 495545); (f) 23 January 1991 and reminders, relating to Mohamoud Saleh Mohamed (No reference number); (g) 21 February 1991 and reminders, relating to Farah Kin Abdi (Ref.: 095413); (h) 20 May 1991, relating to Mohamed Ilhan Farah (Ref.: N3/1581/261/11:/89); (i) 11 September 1991, relating to Mattan Ahmed Jama (Ref.: A 419816/A 437821); and (j) 3 October 1991, relating to Arrale Abdool (Ref.: A 132858/7).

The hon. Member wrote to me on 15 November about each of these cases. I will be replying to that letter very shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether owners of a monochrome television receiver and a video recorder are required to pay the licence fee applicable for a colour receiver; and if he will make a statement.

While the Home Secretary still has responsibility for broadcasting policy matters, it now falls to the BBC to interpret the regulations and to determine the licensing requirements in individual cases.However, I can confirm that a colour television licence is required for the installation or use of a video cassette recorder in conjunction with a monochrome television set.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if proposals for local authorities to carry out the duties of the Royal Observer Corps outlined in his answer to the hon. Member for Westminster, North (Sir J. Wheeler) on 10 July 1991, Official Report, columns 393–96, will include extending the VHF radio network to local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Local authorities have had a statutory planning responsibility for civil defence arrangements, including communications arrangements, since 1983.The Home Office is considering the re-allocation to local authorities of the radio equipment previously used by the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation and the Royal Observer Corps in order to improve the facilities already provided by the emergency communications network.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans exist at present for the monitoring of nuclear burst information and radiation levels; what provisions govern the issue of dose rate meters; how these functions will continue after the abolition of the Royal Observer Corps; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend announced on 10 July that the arrangements for monitoring nuclear bursts and radioactive fallout in wartime must be restructured. The Royal Observer Corps has therefore stood down from its operational monitoring role at the end of September 1991.A radiation monitoring capacity has been planned and developed by local authorities since 1983. A total of 57,000 portable dose rate meters were issued to local authorities and the police and fire service in the mid-1980s and 22,000 meters have also been issued to other Government Departments. A further 9,000 are held in store to supplement existing issues stocks as necessary.We intend to issue further guidance, in the new year, to local authorities on the new monitoring arrangements which were outlined in my right hon. Friend's July statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the British Coal Mineworkers Pension Fund is fully protected both now and in the future, following the proposed privatisation of the industry; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have confirmed that the pension interests of both current and past employees of British Coal will be properly safeguarded, as has been the case with previous privatisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the present status of nuclear materials control and accountability at the Atomic Energy Authority's nuclear power development establishment at Dounreay.

Nuclear material control and accountability at Dounreay, as at other United Kingdom nuclear establishments, are carried out in accordance with carefully specified procedures and are subject to Euratom inspection. Those procedures identified a discrepancy and an investigation of the circumstances is now under way. It would be premature to anticipate the results of that investigation, which will be reported to my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals he has to encourage the generation and recovery of methane from waste not destined for combustion for electricity generation by means comparable to present regime for the encouragement of electricity generation by waste-based methane combustion provided under the renewables subsection of the non-fossil fuel levy.

My Department's R and D programme on landfill gas provides information for both electricity generation and heat producing applications and projects of the latter kind have been supported under the programme. Future policy on renewable energy is being considered by the renewable energy advisory group under my chairmanship.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to update or alter the Electricity (Non-Fossil Fuel Sources) (England and Wales) Order 1990 SI 1990, No. 263.

I have no intention of updating or altering the Electricity (Non-Fossil Fuel Sources) (England and Wales) Order 1990 SI 1990, No. 263.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what his proposals are for his Department's research and development budget for renewable energy beyond the current year.

My Department's renewable energy research, development and demonstration programme will continue to follow the progressive development strategy published in Energy Paper 55, copies of which were placed in the Library of the House. The programme budget has risen from £20·8 million in 1990–91 to £24 million for the current year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals he has for the encouragement of DEFBOT—design, finance, build, operate and transfer—financing for those constructors interested in developing renewable sources of energy under the non-fossil fuel order, but not interested in long-term commitments to management of non-fossil fuel plant.

Developers are proposing a variety of mechanisms for the construction, financing and operation of renewable energy projects which are included in orders under the non-fossil fuel obligation. Comprehensive packages including design, construction and financing may well be the best arrangements in many circumstances and are therefore welcome. We will be monitoring arrangements developers make for projects and will be able to see to what extent this route is followed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to announce the completion of his negotiations with the European Commission regarding the extension beyond 1998 of the Renewable Subsection of the Electricity (Non-Fossil Fuel Sources) England and Wales Order 1991 and levy procedure; what consultations he has held on this with the Director-General of OFFER and the chairmen of the 12 regional electricity companies; and if he will make a statement.

Discussions with the Commission of the European Community about the extension beyond 1998 of the non-fossil fuel obligation for renewable sources of energy have begun. The results of those discussions will be announced in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what plans he has to increase the funding of the 'International Atomic Energy Agency.

The United Kingdom's contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency for 1992 has already been fixed and will be paid in due course. Contributions in 1993 and 1994 will be determined by discussion with other member states and in the agency's board of governors in which the United Kingdom will play an active part.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the names and ages of all the judges of (a) the Supreme Court and (b) the crown-county courts now aged 69 years or over.

On 1 December 1991, in addition to the Lord Chancellor and the four heads of divisions, there were 27 Lords Justices, 84 High Court judges, 457 circuit judges and 231 district judges. Those aged 69 or over represented about 19 per cent. of Lords Justices, 10 per cent. of High Court judges, 9 per cent. of circuit judges and 3 per cent. of district judges.The names of those judges, with their ages, at 1 December 1991, is as follows:

	Age
Heads of Division
Lord Lane	73
Lord Donaldson of Lymington	71
Lords Justices
Lord Justice Watkins	73
Lord Justice Fox	70
Lord Justice Purchas	72
Lord Justice Gibson	69
Lord Justice Stocker	73
High Court Judges
Mr. Justice Hollings	73
Mr. Justice Boreham	73
Mr. Justice Tudor Evans	73
Mr. Justice Hodgson	74
Mr. Justice Wood	69
Mr. Justice Eastham	71
Mr. Justice Sheen	73
Mr. Justice Mervyn Davies	73
Circuit Judges
Judge Paterson	73
Judge David QC	69
Judge Francis	70
Judge da Cunha	69
Judge Barr	71
Judge Figgis	73
Judge Lovegrove QC	71
Judge Macnair	72
Judge Powell	71
Judge Monier-Williams	71
Judge Rutter	72
Judge Rubin	71
Judge Lymbery QC	71
Judge Willcock QC	70
Judge Wakley	74
Judge Hickman	69
Judge Starforth Hill QC	70

	Date of appointment to Supreme Court	Date of appointment to current post	75th Birthday
Heads of Divisions
Lord Lane	30 September 1966	15 April 1980	17 July 1993
Lord Donaldson of Lymington	30 September 1966	30 September 1982	6 October 1995
Sir Stephen Brown	30 September 1975	11 January 1988	3 October 1999
Lords Justices
Lord Justice Watkins	19 April 1971	15 April 1980	11 November 1993
Lord Justice Fox	30 September 1975	9 February 1981	8 October 1996
Lord Justice Purchas	22 April 1974	30 September 1982	19 June 1994
Lord Justice Stocker	4 June 1973	3 February 1986	7 October 1993

To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the names, with dates of appointment, together with last possible date of retirement, of all unretired judges of the Supreme Court and crown/county courts who have already acquired sufficient years of service on the bench to qualify for the maximum appropriate judicial pension.

Judges of the Supreme Court must retire on their 75th birthday. Normally, circuit judges and district judges must retire at the end of the completed year of service in which they attain the age of 72, but may be extended in office by the Lord Chancellor, where he considers it desirable in the public interest, up to the age of 75. The last possible date of retirement for each judge is therefore 75.Set out in the table, with their date of appointment and 75th birthday, are the judges of the Supreme Court who on 1 December 1991 had served for at least 15 years in that capacity, the condition necessary to qualify for an immediate pension on retirement of half annual salary:

To ask the Attorney-General if he will request the Health and Safety Executive to provide him with information about the activities of the executive in connection with the accident to Holger Subir Majhi at Ambrosia creamery, Lifton, Devon, on 28 November 1990 with a view to requesting the Director of Public Prosecutions to initiate a prosecution under his powers under section 38 of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974.

I have received information from the Health and Safety Executive concerning the accident to Mr. Majhi on 28 November 1990 from which I have concluded that there is no basis for referring the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer of 10 December, Official Report, column 361, what was the date of the Coventry justices' seminar; how many magistrates attended; how many magistrates who did not attend have subsequently sat on poll tax cases; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the note referred to.

The Coventry justices' seminar was held on 19 June 1991; 123 magistrates attended. The number of magistrates who did not attend but subsequently sat on community charge cases could not be obtained without disproportionate expense. Notes passed between a justices' clerk and his justices are confidential and I do not have a copy.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the achievements of Her Majesty's Government over the past year.

Over the past year the Government have continued to pursue policies designed to remove barriers to choice and provide opportunities for all the people of this country, to lay a sound basis for future prosperity, to play a full part in Europe and to contribute to international peace and stability.Our firm financial policies, reaffirmed by our commitment to the exchange rate mechanism, have reduced inflation sharply and permitted interest rates to be substantially reduced. The conditions necessary for resumed growth have now been established.We have brought forward a Bill to provide for a new council tax, to replace the community charge in financing local government spending. The Budget helped businesses, large and small. We have taken initiatives to encourage innovation in industry and improve export performance. We have initiated joint action with industry to help identify and pursue export opportunities. Its first use in Kuwait in March 1991 has already led to orders worth £480 million for the United Kingdom. We have opened up telephone services to allow consumers to benefit from more competition.We have continued to promote wider share ownership. National Power, PowerGen and the non-nuclear electricity companies in England, Wales and Scotland, have been privatised, and a second tranche of shares in British Telecom sold to the public. One in four members of the adult population now owns shares.We have provided more effective training opportunities and are now offering a wider range of help than ever before to assist unemployed people in obtaining new jobs.We attach the highest priority to ensuring that everyone, whoever and wherever they are, will have access to high quality public services. The citizens charter White Paper announced a progamme of radical initiatives to improve efficiency and standards in the public services and the privatised utilities. Measures to implement the charter feature strongly in our legislative programme for 1991–92, and we have published a number of charters relating to individual public services.In education we have taken action to raise standards and improve parental choice. The new School Teachers' Review Body for England and Wales provides the means of improving teachers' status. The development of the national curriculum will encourage concentration on basic skills. Our legislation to provide parents with more information about the performance of schools and to improve school inspection will give parents the basis on which to exercise the choices they are now able to make.We have also introduced legislation to widen access to an expanded higher education system, to abolish the distinction between universities and other higher education institutions, and to raise the status of vocational education and of further education colleges. Spending on science by the Department of Education and Science will top £1 billion for the first time next year and will rise in real terms for the remainder of the planning period.The Government's health policies have led to an increase in the number of patients treated, a reduction in waiting times and lists, better quality of care and greater awareness of health promotion. The consultative document "The Health of the Nation", setting out a comprehensive strategy for better health, has been warmly welcomed. Record levels of resources have been made available: spending on the NHS in 1992–93 will be nearly £36 billion, a 55 per cent. increase in real terms since 1978–79.The NHS reforms are already yielding tangible benefits for patients. Fifty seven NHS trusts have already been established and 99 more approved for start-up in 1992. The growing enthusiasm for trust status within the NHS means that many more will follow. GP fundholding is also proving a success. The patients charter has set out patients' rights for the first time and the standards which will be set nationally and locally by the health service, including the first waiting time guarantees.We have maintained our determined efforts in the fight against crime. We have established a royal commission on criminal justice to examine the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in securing the convictions of those guilty of criminal offences and the acquittal of the innocent.In September we published "This Common Inheritance—The First Year Report" reporting progress on the whole range of environmental policies and concerns, and listing 400 separate measures taken during the year.We have continued to raise standards of food safety, ensure consumers are better informed, make environmental considerations central to agricultural policy, with significant extension of environmentally sensitive areas, as well as raising standards of animal welfare in Britain and taking the lead in setting higher standards throughout Europe.We have continued to invest record sums in the improvement of the United Kingdom's transport infrastructure, and to encourage greater private sector involvement in the provision of transport facilities.We have introduced legislation to enable the structure of English local government to be reviewed so as better to reflect the identities and interests of local communities.We have continued to work for the regeneration of our cities. The city challenge initiative encourages local authorities to work with their private, voluntary sector and local community partners, to regenerate key areas of their cities.In the housing field, the new emphasis on quality of performance will further improve the renovation and management of council housing in England and Wales. We have introduced pilot rent-to-mortgage schemes, to extend tenants' opportunities to buy their homes, and brought in new arrangements to ensure that tenants are actively consulted in local authorities housing plans. A special programme of hostels and permanent housing is reducing the numbers of people sleeping rough in central London.We have improved the position of children. We have increased child benefit, and pledged to increase it in line with inflation in the future. The Children Act, which came into effect this year, is a far reaching reform of children's rights. The new Child Support Agency, for which legislation was passed earlier this year, will improve the assessment, collection and enforcement of child maintenance. We are continuing to enhance the opportunities for disabled people to play an independent part in society. In 1991 we enacted legislation providing for two new social security benefits for disabled people.Nineteen-ninety-one has seen momentous events internationally. The United Kingdom's contribution to the liberation of Kuwait enhanced our standing in the world, strengthened the power of the United Nations and proved again the outstanding abilities of our armed forces. We responded rapidly to the Iraqi Government's persecution of their own people, proposing the safe-haven initiative to provide an effective response to the plight of ordinary Iraqis. Building on the experience of this we launched the United Kingdom's disaster relief initiative in August to provide the capacity for an immediate informed response to disasters round the world.The United Kingdom contributed significantly to the successful outcome of the Maastricht European Council. We have fully protected the United Kingdom's right to take its own decision at the appropriate time on a move to the final stage of economic and monetary union. On political union, we have agreed a series of pragmatic reforms, many as a result of our proposals. which will make the Community more efficient, accountable and effective internationally. The new treaty on European union will also strengthen inter-governmental cooperation outside the framework of the Community in important areas like the fight against crime.We have continued to make steady progress towards completing the single market by the end of 1992 and to the conclusion of the GATT Uruguay round. The Government welcomed the determination confirmed at the Maastricht European Council to keep the Community open to our European neighbours who are eager for closer links and eventual membership. It was agreed that in 1992 negotiations would take place on applications from countries of the European Free Trade Area to join the Community, and, in due course, consideration would be given to the further possibility of expansion towards eastern Europe.I chaired the successful G7 economic summit in July and the historic meeting between summit leaders and President Gorbachev of the Soviet Union. The Government vigorously denounced the attempted coup in the Soviet Union and supported President Yeltsin's courageous stand against it. I have co-ordinated the G7 programme of aid for the republics of the Soviet Union.The Government played an important part in concluding the treaty on conventional armed forces in Europe. We have continued to make a substantial contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, participating fully in adapting the alliance, and developing a stronger European defence identity in the Western European Union. We have taken steps to restructure the armed forces to reflect the changed international situation.We have made a determined effort to promote democracy and good government in the developing countries, as a means to improving the prospects for development and the reduction of poverty. My announcement at the Commonwealth conference in Harare in October that the United Kingdom would implement the Trinidad terms debt reduction initiative for the poorest and most indebted countries was widely and warmly welcomed. If all official creditors followed this lead, the total debt of the countries concerned would be reduced by some $17 billion. At our instigation, the European Community and the Commonwealth have taken a more positive attitude to the welcome developments in South Africa, and sporting links have now been re-established with that country.These policies will ensure that the United Kingdom is well placed and fully prepared to meet the challenges of the 1990s.

To ask the Prime Minister what contribution Her Majesty's Government intends to make to World Memorial Day on 1 January 1992.

The Government note the inauguration of World Memorial Day on 1 January 1992 by the Memorial Fund for Disaster Relief. Her Majesty's Government will continue to do all they can to promote a safer and better world which is the stated object of the fund.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to require Her Majesty's Stationery Office to use biodegradcable rice paper chips in place of styrofoam chips in packaging of parcels.

This question falls within the scope of the policy announced in Cm 1263: arrangements have therefore been made for the controller and chief executive of HMSO to respond direct. Copies of the letter will be placed in the House Library and with the Public Information Office.

To ask the Prime Minister what evaluation has been made of which countries have the know-how for safely dismantling nuclear weapons.

The five declared nuclear weapon states have to dismantle and reassemble their own nuclear weapons in order to maintain their stockpiles. The break-up of the Soviet Union may pose a range of problems, including the safe disposal of nuclear warheads. We are addressing these problems, in consultation with our allies and Soviet and Republic authorities.

To ask the Prime Minister if he has yet received the supplementary report from the Doctors and Dentists Review Body on pay for out-of-hours work for junior doctors.

This report has been published today and copies are in the Vote Office. I am grateful to the review body for the work they have put into preparing it.The report recommends new rates of pay for out of hours working by hospital doctors and dentists in training, following the agreement reached earlier this year which introduced new working arrangements and set limits on contracted hours of duty for such staff.The recommended rates of pay are:—

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from the German Federal Minister of Science regarding the exchange use of large scientific facilities; and what was his response.

My right hon. and learned Friend has not received any formal representations on this subject from the German Federal Minister of Science.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many requests for the booklet "Your Child and the National Curriculum" have been received from schools in Cleveland; how many will be distributed; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend published "Your Child and the National Curriculum"—as promised in the citizens charter—on Monday 9 December. Sample copies have been sent to all schools in England and they have been invited to order as many additional copies as they need to distribute to parents. One school in Cleveland has already put in its order. We expect many more to follow suit over the next week and in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will require establishments of further education to conduct a multi-professional assessment of the needs of students with special educational needs as a basis for their education provision; and if he will make a statement.

Colleges of further education already carry out assessments of their students' needs, seeking specialist support as necessary. These assessment processes are not prescribed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what approaches he has received regarding the establishment of independent schools in the Trafford Park area of Manchester; what response he has made; and if he will make a statement.

A group of people interested in establishing an independent primary school in the Trafford Park area of Manchester met members of Her Majesty's inspectorate in March this year. In November, a deputation representing the optimum schooling project, led by my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale (Sir F. Montgomery), came to see me about applying for voluntary aided status for any such school.No application has yet been made for registration as an independent school, neither have any proposals been made to establish a voluntary aided school.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out, by local education authority, the number of pupils taking free school meals for 1988–89 and 1989–90.

This information is available in table A15 of "Statistics of Education: Schools" 1989 and 1990 respectively, copies of which are in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps are being taken to make an assessment of the future capital requirements of further education colleges for new building and repairs.

The Department keeps under regular review the capital requirements of further education colleges for new building and repairs, in the light of information from LEAs and advice from HMI. Following the establishment of the new Further Education Funding Council, subject to the passage of the Further and Higher Education Bill, we shall look to the council for advice on colleges' future capital requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he intends to hold further discussions with interested parties about the implementation of new GCSE syllabus following his recent announcement on coursework; and if he will make a statement.

Officials of the Department and those of the School Examinations and Assessment Council and the examining groups are in close and constant contact about the implementation of my right hon. and learned Friend's recent decisions on GCSE coursework.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department has made any assessment of resources needed to implement fully at primary level the national curriculum in science and in technology; and if he will make a statement.

In determining education's share of the proposed local authority grant settlement an assessment was made of the broad range of pressures facing the education service, including the implementation of the national curriculum in primary schools. The proposed settlement allows for LEAs in England to spend £18,730 million on education in 1992–93. This represents an increase of 7·1 per cent. over last year's settlement, which was itself a 16 per cent. increase over the previous year. Within the grants for education support and training programme of support for the national curriculum in 1992–93, totalling some £176 million, £5·5 million will be earmarked specifically for training courses for primary science teachers, and £15 million will be made available for equipment.