To ask the Attorney-General whether the Lord Chancellor intends to amend or clarify the law in order to ensure that the intentions of the House of Commons are not frustrated by courts imposing requirements which are contingent on the outcome of an unresolved appeal to the European Court.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Kirklees Borough Council v Wickes Building Supplies Ltd in which it was held that the council was required to give a cross-undertaking in damages when seeking, by means of an interlocutory injunction, to enforce the Shops Act 1950. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on this decision because it is shortly to be appealed to the House of Lords.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will seek an early date for the hearing in the European Court of Justice on the alleged conflict between article 30 of the treaty of Rome and United Kingdom legislation on Sunday trading.

The United Kingdom has asked the European Court of Justice for an early date for the hearing of this issue.

To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his statement of 27 November, Official Report, column 918, if he will seek clarification from the European Court on the obscure reference in its decision in the Torfaen case, to which he referred, and in particular of those comments which have been interpreted as implying a conflict between United Kingdom Sunday trading legislation and article 30 of the treaty of Rome.

In two current cases on Sunday trading the United Kingdom has submitted observations to the European Court of Justice which discuss the effect of previous decisions of the court.

To ask the Attorney-General when he expects the European Court of Justice to reach a decision on Sunday trading; and if he will make a statement.

The European Court of Justice has not yet fixed a date for the hearing of the references by English courts, but the United Kingdom has asked for an early hearing.

To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what recent representations he has received from civil service unions on job satisfaction.

I meet civil service unions from time to time to discuss a variety of issues. It is the job of managers in departments and agencies to achieve our aim of having an efficient, effective and well-motivated civil service.

To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will commission research to update the Race Relations Employment Advisory Service report into how to identify and overcome barriers to fair employment across the civil service.

That report focused on the Department of Employment group. Similar recommendations were incorporated into the civil service programme for action on race, launched in 1990. Last month my department published the first progress report. It showed that departments and agencies have made a good start. The Government are determined to see further progress in this area.

To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will visit Wales to discuss music training.

I visited Wales in May and October last year, and shall be visiting the Principality again on 21 February to attend a performance by Welsh National Opera of "Pelleas and Melisande". Musical training in Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales; but I should be pleased to discuss any matters falling within my own remit.

To ask the Minister for the Arts when he next intends to visit the northern region to visit theatres.

I visited the northern region twice last year, and I hope to do so again soon. I will be happy to consider invitations to theatres in the region as part of that visit.

To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received about his proposals to retain the country's artistic heritage in the United Kingdom.

I have received a number of representations on the approach suggested by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and on the other option which I floated as an alternative. I look forward to receiving further representations by the end of March.

To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement about business sponsorship of the arts.

Business sponsorship of the arts is holding up extremely well. Last year £44·5 million was attracted. I have now increased the budget for the business sponsorship incentive scheme, by £1 million, to £4·5 million from 1992–93, to sustain the growth of sponsorship which makes a vital contribution to the well-being of the arts in this country.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce a system of independent and objective evaluation of competitive tenders for the provision of local authority services, in cases where private sector agencies are in competition with direct labour organisations.

We have no proposals to remove the responsibility for tender evaluation from local authorities. Our approach is set out in the consultation document "Competing for Quality—Competition in the provision of local services", published on 5 November. We expect our proposals to result in a clearer and fairer framework for compulsory competitive tendering.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the quality of service performance indicators adopted by each of his Department's executive agencies since their establishment; and separately identify those quality of service performance indicators already operative prior to agency status.

The following quality of service performance indicators have been adopted in each of my executive agencies. Unless otherwise specified, they have been adopted since the establishment of the agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the first degree obtained by the chief executive of each of his Department's executive agencies; and from which university or polytechnic it was awarded.

The information is as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff were in post on the date that each of his Department's executive agencies was established; and how many staff are in post now in each case.

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was spent on events and publicity surrounding the launch of each of his Department's executive agencies; and whether the cost was borne by the parent department or the new agency.

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the post, grade and maximum salary payable, including performance-related elements, in each case where appointments from the private sector have been made to his Department's executive agencies at grade 7 or above, since their establishment.

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether a group bonus scheme is in operation in each of his Department's executive agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the last annual report for each of his Department's executive agencies was published; and when the next one is due.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those new facilities for staff nurseries and health care schemes which have been introduced in each of his Department's executive agencies since their establishment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the new forms of alternative working patterns introduced into each of his Department's executive agencies since their establishment; and provide a breakdown by grade of the number of staff taking up each new working pattern for each new agency.

These are matters for which each chief executive has day-to-day management responsibility. I am therefore asking each chief executive—including that of the Ordnance Survey, which is a separate Government Department for which I have ministerial responsibility—to write to the hon. Member. A copy of their letters will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the maximum salary payable to the chief executive of each of his Department's executive agencies, including performance-related element, and the length of time of the chief executive's contract in each case.

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the total amounts unpaid by the Property Services Agency to contractors for work completed which remain outstanding for periods in excess of (a) two years, (b) three years, (c) four years and (d) five years.

PSA Services' policy is to make payment promptly as soon as this is due under the terms of the contract; payment will normally be made within 30 days of the presentation of a valid invoice.Final accounts on major projects often contain claims by contractors for additional costs claimed to be outside the contractor's control. Substantiating these claims can be a slow process. Interim payments are made as sums are justified, but overall the average settlement figure is only 20 per cent. of the original amount claimed. Because of the complex nature of contractors' claims it is not possible to say with any accuracy how much will eventually be paid to contractors for claims currently being discussed and negotiated.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average cost for an appeal against business rate valuations in Southend.

In England the average cost in 1990–91 to the Inland Revenue Valuation Office of handling proposals by ratepayers to alter rating lists is estimated at approximately £230. Separate figures for Southend are not available.The average cost to the Essex valuation and community charge tribunals—VCCT—of dealing with all types of appeal is estimated at approximately £100 per appeal cleared in 1990–91.These costs are not, of course, borne by the appellant, though in the case of appeals beyond the VCCT to the Lands Tribunal costs may be awarded.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department first contacted the director general of the Forestry Protection and Nature Conservation Authority in Indonesia requesting information on CITES annex C2 species; and if he will make a statement.

We have had no direct contact with the Indonesian authorities. I understand that the European Commission wrote to them in 1987, and again in 1988, 1990 and, most recently, on 2 December this year. Officials from the Commission and the CITES secretariat have also discussed wildlife issues with the Indonesian authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of appeals for opencast sites his Department has granted since 1980 to British Coal and private companies, the names of the companies, and the location of the sites.

The information requested is available only in respect of decisions issued since 1 April 1987. The Department's records show that the number of planning appeals granted for opencast sites in each financial year were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what initiatives his Department has undertaken to encourage construction firms (i) to ensure maximum standards of energy efficiency in buildings and (ii) to use energy efficient materials;(2) if he will review all aspects of the Building Regulations and codes of practice with a particular view to improving the long-term durability of construction and energy efficiency;(3) if he will make it his policy to adopt new standards for house building and introduce a requirement for all newly built, converted or renovated properties to undergo energy audits.

The Building Regulations and codes of practice are kept under review. The Department supports a programme of research at the Building Research Establishment and elsewhere with annual expenditure of £10 million.Provisions in the Building Regulations for higher standards of energy efficiency came into force in April last year. The Government are committed to seeing how these standards could be further strengthened, including improved provisions when properties are converted or renovated.A Government "standard assessment procedure" for comparing home energy labels was introduced on 18 December. It is our intention that this system should be developed to enable it to be incorporated into the Building Regulations when these are next amended.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has any plans to carry out an audit of low-income households to identify the steps needed to make homes energy efficient.

The 1991 English house condition survey will include an "energy audit" of dwellings in the sample and record achieved room temperatures and fuel consumption. It will provide an estimate of the energy efficiency of the housing stock, including the homes of low-income households, and the measures needed to make dwellings energy efficient.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce the decision of the public inquiry on the routing of the A13 trunk road through Havering.

The decision will be announced when the inspector's report has been considered in conjunction with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Transport.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what funds he has made available to enable London boroughs to buy back from right-to-buy owners houses found to have concrete cancer.

Authorities may choose whether to repurchase or repair dwellings designated under housing defects legislation. Annual housing investment programme HIP—allocations take account of numbers of unreinstated designated dwellings reported by authorities. Recently announced 1992–93 HIP allocations for London boroughs included £56·7 million for specified capital grants, of which £3·7 million was allowed for housing defects obligations. These are notional, indicative figures, and authorities may spend more, or less, according to their statutory obligations. Exchequer contributions are paid to meet 75 per cent of the net cost of repurchases or repairs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the total and percentage increase over the previous year for the standard spending assessment for Shropshire for 1990–91, 1991–92, and 1992–93 in respect of education, personal services, and total expenditure.

The information requested is shown in the following table. The increases for 1990–91 are based on a comparison with 1989–90 grant-related expenditure assessments adjusted to take account of changes in authorities' responsibilities between the two years. Those for 1992–93 are based on the provisional standard spending assessments announced on 26 November 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to release the results of the linked planning inquiry into the siting of merchant chemical waste incinerators on Teesside and Tyneside.

My right hon. Friend will release the results of the three linked incinerator inquiries on Teesside and Tyneside, along with his decision on the applications, as soon as it is practicable to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the Mencap document regarding the charging for, and provision of, day care centre and educational facility plans for mentally handicapped people.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance his Department proposes to give to those charitable organisations which provide shelter to homeless people in the Greater Manchester area over the Christmas period.

In 1991–92, the Government are providing £4·5 million in grants to voluntary organisations throughout England for practical projects to prevent and relieve homelessness. This will rise to £6·1 million in 1992–93—an increase in real terms of around 30 per cent. Among the projects currently funded are three in Greater Manchester—Hulme Action Research Project, SHADES City Centre Project and the Selcare Trust.The concentrations of rough sleepers in individual local authority areas outside London are comparatively small and I would expect individual local authorities to make emergency provision for people sleeping out in their areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much is to be spent on improvements to the Woolwich Common estate; how much is Government funded; when the homes were built; and what the spending is, averaged across the number of dwellings and the number of residents.

I recently approved, under the 1991–92 estate action programme, a scheme on the Woolwich Common estate totalling £9·910 million. Estate action resources will contribute £5·527 million or 56 per cent. of the total scheme costs and will help to improve the living conditions in 688 of the 1,350 dwellings on the estate. The best estimate that we have of the number of residents affected is 2,000. Woolwich Common was built in four phases between 1968 and 1981. Under the proposed scheme a 93-dwelling Bison tower block, built under phase I, will benefit from improved heating, insulation and communal facilities. The security problems of 488 low-rise flats, which were among the last buildings to be constructed on the site, will also be addressed. The scheme also involves reroofing and rewiring these dwellings and others. The average costs per unit for all dwellings included in the scheme is £14,500.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which inner London boroughs have not applied for central funds to give help equivalent to the right-to-buy discount to council tenants who wish to purchase a home elsewhere.

In 1991–92, 28 London boroughs are running approved cash incentive schemes and are issuing grants under section 129 of the Housing act 1988 to enable council tenants who could not otherwise do so, to buy a home in the private sector. All are utilising resources made available under the 1991–92 homeless initiative. The five London housing authorities that have not applied to operate a scheme are Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, City of London, Greenwich and Newham.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether landlords of houses in multiple occupation will be liable for the council tax.

Yes. We intend to include the necessary provisions in regulations under clause 8 of the Local Government Finance Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether students in households where the landlord is liable for payment of the council tax and passed on this cost through higher rents will be eligible for compensation through a rebate system; and if he will make a statement.

Most students do not have access to housing benefit; nor will they be entitled to council tax benefit. However, properties where all the residents are students will be exempt from the council tax. There will be a 25 per cent. discount in respect of any property with only one non-student resident. These arrangements will apply regardless of whether the students or their landlord would be the liable person.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the landlords of student halls of residence will be exempt from liability for the council tax.

The Government intend to make an order under clause 4 of the Local Government Finance Bill exempting student halls of residence from the council tax. We are presently discussing the details of this exemption with the local authority associations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how the system of personal discounts for the council tax will be implemented in relation to full-time students.

The Local Government Finance Bill provides for students to be eligible for discounts. Educational institutions will be required to provide students on request with certificates which local authorities will be able to use as evidence that a person should be disregarded.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce a system of joint and several liability for the council tax.

The Government's proposals for joint and several liability are set out in clauses 6(3) and 9 of the Local Government Finance Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the projected annual costs of collecting the council tax in the Easington district council area.

We have made no estimate of the cost of collecting the council tax for individual authorities, but over the country as a whole we would expect it to be no more than half the cost of collecting the community charge.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what sums have been allocated to the city of Manchester for the housing improvement programme in each of the last 10 years in (a) cash terms and (b) adjusted for inflation.

Since 1981–82 local authorities have been able to augment the borrowing power of their housing investment programme—HIP—allocations by using the prescribed proportion of their capital receipts. Manchester city council has made substantial use of receipts to fund capital expenditure over this period. HIP allocations and gross capital expenditure for the last 10 years were:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to update water management paper 23 on special wastes.

My hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside announced in July a timetable for the revision of waste management papers. Waste management paper No. 23, on special wastes, forms part of that timetable and is due to be issued for consultation in July this year and published in January 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new houses were constructed in the Easington district council area in each year since 1988–89, by (a) the council, (b) housing associations and (c) private companies.

The information for 1988 and 1989 is published in "Housebuilding in England by Local Authority Area 1980–89", and for 1990 in "Local Housing Statistics: England and Wales", volume No. 97. Copies are in the Library. Returns received for the first 11 months of 1991 show 80 dwellings completed in the Easington district council area, all built by private enterprise.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for what reasons waste management papers 4 and 26 do not envisage the granting of a waste disposal licence after planning permission from a district council.

Disposal licences under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 have to be issued in accordance with the Collection and Disposal of Waste Regulations 1988, SI 1988 No. 819, after planning permission has been obtained. The advice given in waste management paper No. 26 on landfilling of wastes is that an application for a licence can be rejected only on the grounds of danger to public health or risk of water pollution—paragraphs 2.50 and 2.54. This reflects the wording of section 5(3) of the Control of Pollution Act. Waste management paper No. 4 is a technical memorandum providing guidance on how a licence should be devised by a waste disposal authority. The paper refers to the extant guidance in WMP 26 and statutory requirements of the Control of Pollution Act on granting of licences and cases where they may be refused.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make it his policy to refuse any application for a light rail transit line between Coventry city centre and the Westwood Heath area;(2) what assessment he has made of the traffic and financial viability of the proposed light rail transit line from Coventry city centre to the Westwood Heath area;(3) if he will come to an early decision on the viability of the proposed Coventry city centre to Westwood heath light rail transit line;(4) if he will make it his policy to seek the views of

So far as the matters raised are for central Government, they will be for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Transport to consider. Until a firm proposal is made and detailed justification for it is submitted, no assessment can be made of the proposed route. However, local residents will be consulted on proposals affecting them and any objections will be considered at a public local inquiry.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, on the basis of the best information available, he will publish a table showing for each region and each class of local authority in England, for housing capital receipts and other capital receipts, showing (a) total cash backed capital receipts available to local authorities at 31 March 1990, and the amount of those receipts that were set aside as provision for credit

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what forecasts he has made as to the likely levels of (a) housing capital receipts and (b) other capital receipts, generated by local authorities in England in 1992–93; what proportion of those receipts is estimated to be required to be set aside as provision for credit liabilities, (b) the total of capital receipts received by local authorities in 1990–91 and the amount of those receipts set aside as provision for credit liabilities, (c) total capital receipts spent by local authorities in 1990–91, (d) the estimated total of capital receipts local authorities received in 1991–92, and the amount of those receipts that are likely to be set aside as provision for credit liabilities and (e) the estimated total of capital receipts spent on capital projects in 1991–92.

The information requested is as follows. The figures are taken from local authority returns to the Department where available, estimates have been made for missing data.liabilities; and what amount of capital receipts are estimated to be spent on capital projects within the financial year.

Estimates of this nature are uncertain but at the time of the autumn statement total capital receipts likely to be generated by local authorities in 1992–93 were forecast at £3·0 billion. This total is likely to be split between housing and non-housing receipts in the ratio of 3:1. It is estimated that around two thirds of the total would be required to be set aside as provision for credit liabilities. It is further estimated that £1·2 billion of capital receipts, both accumulated and in-year, would be spent on capital projects during 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the relationship between a district council's planning responsibilities for pollution control and those of a county council.

The main land use planning responsibilities of district councils in England are the preparation of local development plans and decisions on planning applications for most types of development. County councils prepare structure plans, with which local plans must generally conform, and minerals and waste local plans; they are the development control authority for "county matters", principally mineral and waste disposal developments. In all of these functions, authorities may take into account the pollution aspects of development where they are relevant to the development and use of land. But we do not expect local planning authorities to use their planning powers to duplicate pollution controls under environmental protection legislation—whether operated by the National Rivers Authority, HM inspectorate of pollution, county councils as waste management authorities or district councils as pollution control authorities.We intend to publish a draft planning policy guidance note on planning, pollution control and waste management issues later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what statistics he has concerning homeless people in the Easington district council area who are aged (a) 16 and 17 years, (b) 18 to 20 years and (c) over 20 years.

Local authorities report the number of households for whom they accept responsibility to secure permanent accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act. The quarterly P1(E) returns identify such households by the category of need but not by age. The total number of households accepted by Easington district council under these provisions in the third quarter of 1991 was 25.In the second quarter of this year the return was revised to identify for the first time:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to meet representatives from the Campaign for Cold Weather Credits.

I have no such plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the costs to the poll tax payers in Easington for collecting the poll tax in 1990–91; and what are the projected costs for 1991–92.

The cost of collecting the community charge in Easington in 1990–91 and 1991–92 is estimated to be £699,000 and £793,000 respectively. Revenue expenditure is financed by Government grants, contributions from the non-domestic rates pool and withdrawals from reserves, in addition to community charges. It is therefore not possible to identify what components of these costs are financed directly by community chargepayers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a list of the areas that are being considered as part of his Department's further analysis of its survey into the granting of discretionary rate relief to voluntary sports clubs; what is the timetable for this further analysis; and by what date his Department will review its guidance to local authorities on discretionary rate relief to voluntary sports clubs.

The further analysis is of the policy statements provided by charging authorities about the way in which they granted discretionary rate relief in 1990–91 to charities and other non-profit making bodies including sports clubs. We expect the analysis to be complete by mid-February. Depending on the results of this analysis, and taken with details of the numbers of properties granted relief in 1990–91, we will decide whether our guidance to authorities needs to be reviewed. We expect to announce our conclusions following consideration of the analysis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the consultation paper on the modus operandi proposed to be used by Her Majesty's Government in implementing the European Community directive on the treatment of municipal waste water.

A consultation paper on the criteria for identifying sensitive areas and less sensitive areas—urban waste water treatment directive—and polluted waters—nitrate directive—will be issued within the next few months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans for the letting or sale of space in the Royal high school building, Edinburgh; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 16 December 1991]: The Crown Office buildings in Edinburgh have been occupied by the Crown Office since January 1982. There are no immediate plans to dispose of this building. Plans are in hand to colocate the Crown Office with the new Edinburgh sheriff court in 1994 and the future of this building will have to be reviewed closer to that date.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide information for 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91 on the levels of rent increases for rented accommodation for each county in England for (a) local authorities, (b) housing associations and (c) stock transferred from local authorities to housing associations.

[holding answer 17 December 1991]: The estimated annual percentage changes in average local authority rents and registered rents for unfurnished housing association tenancies, which cover the majority of housing association tenants, are as follows. Comparable information is not available for transferred stock.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many schemes his Department runs to provide help or finance for small firms; and if he will list them.

[holding answer 18 December 1991]: The only scheme my Department runs to provide help specifically for small firms is the preferential treatment they receive under the non-domestic rating transitional arrangements. However, small firms may also receive help under the following schemes:

• Environmental technology innovation scheme
• Urban programme
• Inner urban areas Act grants
• City action team special budgets.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ease the agricultural occupancy planning conditions attached to a farm dwelling when a farmer has had to go out of farming after a specified number of years.

[holding answer 19 December 1991]: Conditions that restrict the occupancy of a dwelling to an agricultural worker seek to keep the dwelling available for the purposes which justified its provision. The Department's model agricultural occupancy condition, in DOE circular 1/85, enables a dwelling to be occupied by either someone "last employed" in agriculture or an agricultural worker in the locality. If circumstances change, an application can be made to the local planning authority for the condition to be lifted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he intends to take to prevent the air pollution levels of the past week affecting the drinking water supply drawn from watercourses in the affected areas.

[holding answer 20 December 1991]:None. I am advised that the high air pollution levels recently experienced in London should not have had any adverse effect on the quality of drinking water as there was no concurrent rain to wash the pollution into the water supply. The current blustery weather conditions should have dispersed the pollution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has had from the Government of Malta about Lockerbie-related issues.

The Maltese Government co-operated extensively during the complex and lengthy investigation and were kept fully briefed on the findings of the investigation. We continue to maintain regular contacts with the Maltese Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition in the Palace of Westminster from 13 January 1992 to mark the 700th anniversary of Switzerland.

We understand that, under procedures agreed by the Services Committee, arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for this exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall for a week from 13 January 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which language common foreign and security policy texts adopted, pursuant to the footnote to article K of the treaty on European union will initially be written before they are translated into all the official Community languages.

The language of initial drafting is likely to depend on the presidency. Current practice in European political co-operation is for texts to be drafted and worked on simultaneously in English and French.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new initiatives are being taken to discover the fate of the remaining Kuwaiti citizens that have not been accounted for since the end of hostilities in the Gulf war.

We are maintaining pressure on Iraq to fulfil all its obligations under UN Security Council resolutions, including the return of missing Kuwaiti and third country nationals. We fully support Kuwait's efforts through the International Committee of the Red Cross to establish the whereabouts of its missing citizens. We shall continue to raise this question on appropriate occasions at the UN and elsewhere.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Governments of the Soviet republics in respect of the application of the principles of human rights to their proposals on citizenship rights.

On 31 December we in concert with our EC partners, recognised eight former Soviet republics as independent states, after they had provided satisfactory assurances inter alia on human rights including citizenship rights. We regularly raised human rights issues with the former Soviet authorities. We shall continue to do so with the governments of these newly independent states, making clear that their approach in this respect will influence the development of our bilateral relations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish at an early date a White Paper setting out the text of the contents of the treaty of Maastricht, less the articles which amend articles of the treaty of Rome, together with a second section which clearly shows the deletions, amendments, and proposed standing text of the putative treaty of Rome as it would stand, given full ratification of the agreements reached at Maastricht.

The full text of the treaty on European union, including amendments to the treaty of Rome, will be published as a White Paper after the definitive version has been signed by member states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the United Kingdom Government has had with the Government of the People's Republic of China concerning a comprehensive test ban treaty.

None recently, but both the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China are members of the conference on disarmament in Geneva, which includes discussions of nuclear testing matters on its agenda. China has made clear that it will undertake no further atmospheric testing of nuclear devices.