To ask the Attorney-General if he will bring forward legislation to remove liability of the takeover panel and its members in defamation proceedings arising from the publication of its bona fide reports.

No such legislation is contemplated.

To ask the Attorney-General what steps he is taking to expedite a decision by the European Court of Justice on the cases referred to it by the House of Lords in May 1991.

I refer the hon. Member to the second answer that I gave the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) on 13 January 1992, at column 417.

To ask the Attorney-General if he has submitted evidence on behalf of the Government to the European Court of Justice on the cases referred to it by the House of Lords in May 1991; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the third answer that I gave the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) on 13 January 1992, at column 417.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make it his policy to take steps to give local authorities crown immunity in order to enable them to discharge their responsibilities under section 47 of the Shops Act 1950.

I have no plans to take the action suggested by the hon. Member. The question whether local authorities should be obliged to give cross-undertakings in damages when seeking, by means of an interlocutory injunction, to enforce the Shops Act 1950 was recently considered by the Court of Appeal in Kirklees borough council v. Wickes Building Supplies Ltd. 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 Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the implications for road safety of the new regulations on tyre tread introduced on 1 January.

The new tyre tread regulations requiring a tread depth of 1·6 mm over three quarters of the width for passenger cars, light vans and light trailers should improve the general condition of tyres and hence have a beneficial effect on road safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he will publish the collated results of the consultation survey carried out by MRM Consultants into people's preference for the route of the A36 bypass of West Wellow;(2) when he expects to announce the preferred route for the A36 bypass of West Wellow.

I hope to make a further announcement about the A36 West Wellow bypass later this year. The results of the poublic consultation will be announced at that stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Her Majesty's Government has responded to the proposals for a European high-speed rail network prepared by the EC working group; when they will be considered by the Transport Council in the European Community; whether the Government approve the proposals for the Belfast/Dublin/Holyhead/Crewe routes; and what are the longer-term implications for the Belfast/Larne/Stranraer/Carlisle routes.

The proposals of the EC working group were interim ones. The group is doing further studies which are now expected to be ready by the end of this year. I am sending the right hon. Gentleman a copy of the joint statement made on this subject on 2 December 1991 by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland and and Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether London boroughs will be required to subject their new services under the Road Traffic Act 1991 to compulsory competitive tendering from the inception of these services in 1992;(2) what is the proposed date of the application of compulsory competitive tendering to the new responsibilities of local authorities under the Road Traffic Act 1991.

[holding answer Tuesday 14 January 1992]: It is the Government's intention that local authorities should be required to subject their new services under the Road Traffic Act 1991 to compulsory competitive tendering. This proposal is included in the consultation paper "Competing for Quality". No decisions on timing can be taken until consultation has been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what guidance is given in the most recent programme letters to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's various business groups in regard to the choice of contractors for independent evaluation of land restoration at each of the nuclear establishments operated by the authority.

The relevant programme letters between the Department of Energy and AEA Technology assume that AEA nuclear sites will ultimately be cleared to a "green-field" state allowing unrestricted use without prior knowledge of previous use of the site. The extent to which independent evaluation may be required of the work needed to achieve this condition will be assessed at the appropriate time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what policy statements have been made by Her Majesty's Government since 1987 concerning the identification by electricity companies in bills sent to consumers of the element that comprises costs from nuclear-generated electricity; and if he will make a statement.

The Government's policy is that the costs of nuclear electricity generation, and of the requirement on the regional electricity companies to contract for non-fossil generating capacity, should be fully transparent. These objectives are achieved through, respectively, the published accounts of Nuclear Electric and the duty on the Director General of Electricity Supply to publish the rate of the fossil fuel levy. However, how the regional electricity companies structure their bills is a matter for them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has assessed the possibility of the United Kingdom nuclear reprocessors, British Nuclear Fuels plc and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority taking thermal oxide irradiated reactor fuel from countries of eastern Europe for safe management following the collapse of the organisation of the civil nuclear industry of the former Soviet Union.

The United Kingdom nuclear industry is offering a variety of services, on commercial terms, to potential customers both in eastern Europe and elsewhere. Any contract offered for reprocessing spent fuel would need to include options for the return of wastes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has received from the International Atomic Energy Agency on the comprehensive safeguards agreement establishing a joint Brazilian-Argentinian agency for accounting and control of nuclear materials.

On 7 December 1991, the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency approved the text of a safeguards agreement for the accounting of nuclear material between Argentina, Brazil, and the IAEA. On 13 December, the agreement was signed at the IAEA in Vienna by President Menem of Argentina and President Collor of Brazil. The agency has publicly reported these events.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provisions govern the amount of the salary of chief officers of local authorities; and what information he has on the level of pay rises for chief officers for the forthcoming year.

There are no statutory provisions governing the pay of local authority employees. In the case of most authorities, the pay of chief officers is related to a national pay spine determined by the joint negotiating committee (JNC) for chief officers of local authorities, although authorities decide for themselves the point within this context at which their chief officers' pay is set. About two dozen authorities have opted out of these national negotiations and set the pay of their chief officers locally. Salaries within the scope of the JNC were increased by 6·4 per cent. from 1 July 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate the respects in which the provisions in England and Wales for the disposal of fallen and diseased animals diverge from the standards applying in the EC for the environment with particular reference to the possible pollution of water resources through on-farm burial and how it is monitored.

The disposal of fallen and diseased animals from premises used for agriculture is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The disposal of such animals from other premises must comply with the provisions in the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990. These Acts meet the requirements of EC legislation on the disposal of waste. The National Rivers Authority is a statutory consultee for waste disposal licensing and is also responsible for monitoring water pollution in England and Wales in order to ensure compliance with EC legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation he has had with the chairman of the National Rivers Authority regarding the level of pollution in the rivers and brooks in the Rochdale borough.

The National Rivers Authority (NRA) has the duty to monitor pollution of watercourses and has wide powers to review discharge consents, and to prosecute those that breach their consents, or discharge pollutants without consent. It is the NRA that is responsible for taking action in individual cases. There have been no consultations with the chairman of the NRA on this case.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance was given to councils to exempt from paying the community charge residents in residential care homes, nursing homes, mental nursing homes or hostels and sheltered dwellings.

Paragraph 9 of schedule 1 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988 provides that a person is an exempt individual on a particular day if at any time on the day he has his sole or main residence in a residential care home, nursing home, mental nursing home or hostel and is receiving care or treatment—or both—in the home or hostel. There is no exemption for residents of sheltered dwellings. A practice note prepared jointly between the Department of the Environment and the local authority associations convering the subject of exemptions was distributed to all local authorities in May 1989. A copy was placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, when implementing the EEC construction products directive interpretation document TC 2/020 "Safety in Case of Fire", he will require the independent certification of emergency equipment including emergency lighting and fire alarms to the appropriate European standard.

The EC construction products directive, 89/106/EEC, has been implemented in the United Kingdom by means of the Construction Products Regulations 1991 (S.I. 1991, No. 1620). These regulations came into force on 27 December last year.The subordinate requirements for the certification of those construction products within the scope of the directive will be established at EC level. The decisions on this will be taken by the European Commission and the Standing Committee of Member States' representatives set up under article 19 of the directive.The Department recognises the vital health and safety significance of construction products used to secure protection in case of fire. The line taken in EC negotiations on certification requirements will be determined in the light of negotiations with appropriate United Kingdom trade, professional and regulatory authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next plans to meet representatives of the construction industry to discuss the effects of the recession in industry.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and his Ministers are engaged in a continuing round of discussions with representatives of the construction industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom contribution to ecological restoration in the Gulf region in regard to (a) dugong habitats, (b) coral reef protection, (c) capping of oil wells, (d) oil pollution of the Kuwaiti desert, and (e) removal of Iraqi mines.

The United Kingdom was the first and largest contributor to the International Maritime Organisation's special trust fund to assist environmental recovery in the Gulf. Our £1 million contribution has been successfully used with those of others to clean up some of the Gulf's most sensitive habitats, including salt marsh and mangrove. I understand that no floating oil remains at sea. A United Kingdom expert, flown out with Government assistance to survey important Kuwaiti coral islands, found little evidence of damage.All oil well fires are now out, some capped by a British group of companies which is continuing work on the reconstruction and repair of pipelines in the Sabriyah and Bahra fields. Other British consortia are bidding for recovery work to clear inland lakes of oil and the Natural Environment Research Council is helping to advise the Gulf states on pollution monitoring. Royal Ordnance plc is carrying out minefield clearance operations in Kuwait.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial or logistical support Her Majesty's Government have given to the organisers of the '92 global forum to be held in conjunction with the Earth summit at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in June in the current year.

The Government are contributing to international funding to enable government experts and representatives of non-governmental organisations from developing countries to attend UNCED and its preparatory committees. It is also providing financial support to British NGOs to enable them to contribute to United Kingdom preparations. It is the Government's priority to concentrate effort on ensuring the widest possible participation of governments and NGOs in the United Nations conference itself rather than the other events that are being held in parallel in Rio de Janeiro.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if has has any plans to meet (a) the British chambers of commerce and (b) non-governmental organisations in regard to plans for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June.

My hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside has held a number of meetings with environment and development nongovernmental organisations and with representatives of the business community, including the United Kingdom section of the International Chamber of Commerce, on British preparations for UNCED. Further meetings are planned between now and the conference itself.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what preparations or proposals his Department has made for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June;(2) if he will make a statement on the progress made to date in preparing proposals and reaching agreement on international environmental protection protocols and conventions for the Earth summit at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in June.

The Department of the Environment is responsible for co-ordinating the United Kingdom's preparations for UNCED in close consultation with other Government Departments and the non-governmental community. A number of wide-ranging British proposals have been put forward in the preparatory committees and in the parallel negotiations for conventions on climate change and biological diversity which we hope will be signed in Rio de Janeiro in June. A booklet on the United Kingdom's overall approach to UNCED has been prepared by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what draft guidance notes have been issued for consultation, pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to date this year; and what further notes are expected to be issued this year.

Consultation has already been undertaken in respect of all 50 process guidance notes for local authority air pollution control under part I of the Act which were published in February and July 1991. The following 27 such guidance notes have also been issued in draft for consultation:

• PG1/10 — waste derived fuel combustion processes less than 3MW.
• PG6/10 — coating manufacturing.
• PG6/11 — manufacture of printing ink.
• PG6/16 — printworks.
• PG6/17 — printing of flexible packaging.
• PG6/18 — paper coating.
• PG6/19 — fish meal and fish oil.
• PG6/20 — paint application in vehicle manufacturing.
• PG6/21 — hide and skin processes.
• PG6/22 — leather finishing.
• PG6/23 — coating of metal and plastic.
• PG6/24 — pet food manufacturing.
• PG6/25 — vegetable oil extraction and fat and oil refining.
• PG6/26 — animal feed compounding.
• PG6/27 — vegetable matter drying.
• PG6/28 — rubber processes.
• PG6/29 — di-isocyanate processes.
• PG6/30 — composting.
• PG6/31 — powder coating (including sheradizing).
• PG6/32 — adhesive coating.
• PG6/33 — wood coating.
• PG6/34 — respraying of road vehicles.
• PG6/35 — metal and other thermal spraying processes.
• PG6/36 — tobacco processing.
• PG6/37 — knackers yards.
• PG6/38 — blood processing.
• PG6/39 — animal by-product dealers.

A further draft note on reheat and heat treatment furnaces (PG1/11) is expected to be issued this year.Consultation was also undertaken on the six guidance notes published during 1991 by the chief inspector of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. The following draft guidance notes have so far been issued by him for consultation:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations his Department has had with UK Nirex Ltd. between the initial announcement of the low and intermediate level nuclear waste repository plans and the public announcement of substantial revisions in the plans.

None. It is for Nirex to bring forward plans for the deep disposal facility for low and intermediate-level radioactive waste.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the payment of loan charge contributions to local authorities in England and Wales in respect of defective housing expenditure.

It has recently come to light that the statutory basis for making defective housing loan charge contributions to local authorities, originally contained in section 569 of the Housing Act 1985, was inadvertently repealed when making provision for the commutation of loan charge contributions through section 157 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. We have always made it clear to local authorities that they should expect to receive these payments until commutation took place. Local authorities' total audited final claims in respect of 1991–92 are likely to amount to almost £21 million.To ensure that local authorities do not incur financial loss, it has been agreed with the Treasury that although payments in respect of 1991–92 claims cannot be made under the 1989 legislation, local authorities will be recompensed the full amounts that would have been due to them by means of ex-gratia payments.We shall be seeking legislation at the earliest possible opportunity in order to restore the original statutory position, and allow the commutation of defective housing payments including sums by way of loan charges to go ahead as quickly as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his timetable for establishing a local government commission.

[holding answer 13 January 1992]: The commission will be formally established at an appropriate point following parliamentary approval of the relevant provisions of the Local Government Bill.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total amount of money received from North sea oil revenues.

Total revenues to the Exchequer from the North sea since 1969–70 have been £72 billion. At 1991–92 prices—by reference to movements in the gross domestic product market prices implied deflator—revenues have been £112 billion.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give figures for the change in the volume of manufactured exports over the last 48 months.

On a balance of payments basis, the volume of United Kingdom exports of manufactures is estimated to have risen by 26 per cent. between November 1987 and November 1991.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the calculations for United Kingdom payments to the own resources element of funding of the European Community value added tax-related payments for 1991 and give (a) the expected total yield of value added tax for the 12 months of 1991, (b) the amount payable to the European Community consequent on the calculation and (c) the sum (b) as a percentage of the sum (a).

[holding answer 13 January 1992]: Final accounting data for the calendar year 1991 have not yet been produced but payments have been made monthly based on estimates. Using current estimates the United Kingdom's net VAT yield and VAT-based contribution to the European Community are calculated to be:

(a) net VAT yield for the calendar year 1991—£35,796 million;

(b) amount paid to the European Community, net of the United Kingdom abatement—£771 million;

(c) net contribution as a proportion of VAT receipts —2·2 per cent.

The 1991 United Kingdom abatement, referred to above and made under the terms of article 4 of Council decision 88/376 dated 24 June 1988, amounts to £2,497 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Cash) of 28 November, Official Report, column 570, what progress has been made in removing or mitigating the effects of the draft European directive on data protection on canvassing voters' intentions.

The draft directive is still under consideration in the official working group in Brussels. I understand that the Commission will produce a redraft in the light of the opinion of the European Parliament. The opinion is not expected before next month.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward a measure to amend schedule 4 to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 to include offences under section 47 of the Shops Act 1950.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 16 December 1991, Official Report, columns 10–11, to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Congleton (Mrs. Winterton).

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will arrange for the Benefits Agency to amend the statement in leaflet FB31 that social fund payments do not usually have to be paid back.

The wording of leaflets is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy in regard to selective intervention in circumstances of inward economic investment by foreign companies in (a) the regions of England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland, respectively.

Regional selective assistance (RSA) is available to encourage inward investment in the assisted areas of England, Wales and Scotland. Investors with a choice of location are offered the same level of RSA to go to assisted areas of equal status. A similar scheme operates in Northern Ireland but higher levels of assistance are available and may be offered.

To ask the Prime Minister what correspondence his office had with Mr. W. R. Burton on nuclear waste disposal over the past three years.

As far as I am aware, none.

To ask the Prime Minister what plans Her Majesty's Government have to contribute new proposals to the World Commission on Environment and Development when it reconvenes in London on 21 to 24 April.

I am delighted that the World commission will reconvene in London in April. The purpose of the meeting is to enable the commissioners to make their independent assessment of the prospects for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The commissioners are not seeking proposals from Governments but, in view of the importance of the event, Her Majesty's Government are giving financial and other support to the organisers, the Centre for our Common Future.

To ask the Prime Minister what resources have been committed by Her Majesty's Government to ensuring wide public distribution of preparatory committee reports and decisions for the Earth summit at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June.

The Government have provided reports on decisions so far taken at UNCED preparatory committees to a wide range of interested organisations and individuals through the United Kingdom committee for UNEP.

To ask the Prime Minister what information he has received on the international meeting of non-governmental organisations held in Paris in December to formulate agreed proposals to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June.

It is important that the views of the non-governmental community should be taken fully into account in preparations for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. I understand that agreement was not reached on all items addressed by the Paris meeting in December but that a partial set of proposals will be forwarded to the UNCED secretariat. These will be discussed at a meeting today between officials of the Department of the Environment and the British representatives of non-governmental organisations who attended the Paris meeting.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will obtain for his Office's library a copy of the recently published "Women and the Environment" compiled by Annabel Rodda.

I have already done so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the guidance given by his Department to medical practitioners providing medical reports under regulation 10 to the Education (Teachers) Regulations 1989; and whether the teacher has the right to access to the report before it is sent to the Secretary of State.

Guidance to local education authorities and others on the suspension or termination of a teacher's employment on medical grounds is contained in circular 1/88 "Physical and Mental Fitness to Teach of Teachers and of Entrants to Teacher Training". Copies are available in the Library.Whenever the Secretary of State requests a medical report to consider a person's exclusion from teaching on medical grounds, individual guidance is given about the nature of the report required. The teacher may have access to the report before the Secretary of State determines his or her case, except where the medical practitioners concerned consider that disclosure might not be in the teacher's best interests. The teacher also has the right to submit a separate report from a medical practitioner of his or her own choosing.The Secretary of State has no power to require a medical report for the purpose of considering barring a person from teaching or related employment on the grounds of misconduct. However, he may, in appropriate cases, suggest that it would be helpful for the teacher to provide one. In all cases, the teacher's written consent to the report's being seen by the Secretary of State is obtained before the report is commissioned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what arrangements he made to ensure that the standards of testing by local authorities for seven-year-old readers was of a nationally consistent standard; and if he will state the names of any local authorities not sending in returns.

The teachers who carried out the reading tests used standard materials and marking schemes, and used books chosen from a national list.Each local education authority was required to secure consistency between its assessment standards and national standards, and training was provided for LEA assessment staff.Tower Hamlets and Lambeth LEAs did not submit their schools' returns by the due date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will tabulate in respect of each local education authority making returns of their assessments tests for seven-year-old readers, the number of schools making or not making returns, respectively, and the appropriate number and percentage within each authority contributing to the test results.

The tables published by my right hon. and learned Friend on 19 December were based on the usable returns from the following percentages of maintained primary schools with seven-year-olds in each LEA.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the outcome of his consultations about university titles.

My Department and the Welsh Office are today writing to higher education institutions in the following terms:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has about (a) the number of students from the United Kingdom receiving higher education in the Republic of Ireland and (b) the number of students from the Republic of Ireland receiving higher education in the United Kingdom; whether the United Kingdom Government pay for the fees for the Irish students in the United Kingdom; and whether the Republic of Ireland authorities pay the fees for United Kingdom students in the Republic of Ireland.

Information is not collected centrally on the number of United Kingdom-domiciled students attending courses of higher education in the Irish Republic. However, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, there were 814 United Kingdom students in full-time higher education in the Irish Republic in the academic year 1988–89. In the academic year 1990–91 there were 4,823 students from the Irish Republic on higher education courses in the United Kingdom. Under article 7 of the treaty of Rome, nationals of other EC states are entitled to have access to higher education on the same terms as apply to nationals of the host state. Accordingly, Irish students who attend higher education courses at United Kingdom institutions, and who fulfil broadly the same eligibility conditions as those applied to United Kingdom students, may qualify for an award which covers the cost of tuition fees up to a prescribed maximum level. The Irish Government have similar obligations under the EC treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current status of (i) the 1963 partial test ban treaty and (ii) the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty in the light of the dissolution of the former Soviet Union.

The rights and obligations of the Soviet Union as a party to the 1963 partial test ban treaty have been inherited by the Russian federation, which has continuity of statehood with the former Soviet Union. The United Kingdom is not a party to the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty, but we would assume that the same considerations apply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what agreement has been reached with the new Government of the Russian federation to establish Russia as a third depositary state for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in place of the disbanded Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

None. The rights and responsibilities of a depositary Government of the non-proliferation treaty have been inherited by the Russian federation which has continuity of statehood with the former Soviet Union.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review Her Majesty's Government's policy in relation to the supply of all arms and provision of military training to Indonesia in light of the report of the massacre in East Timor.

The Government's policy on the supply of arms and the provision of military training is kept under constant review. All applications to export defence equipment are carefully scrutinised on a case-by-case basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution was made by United Kingdom experts to the United Nations study, "Verification in all its Aspects; a Study on the Role of the United Nations in the Field of Verification", documents A/451372, presented to the General Assembly in August 1990; and what subsequent developments there have been arising from the report that affected United Kingdom policy on international verification.

A consultant from the Verification Technology Information Centre (VERTIC) was appointed to the United Nations Secretary-General's governmental experts' study on the role of the United Nations in the field of verification. The United Kingdom made a significant contribution to the successful outcome of the study.The experts' report was considered at the United Nations General Assembly's --45th session. Resolution 45/63, adopted without vote, requested member states to give active consideration to the experts' proposals and asked the United Nations Secretary-General to report the outcome at the Assembly's 47th session in 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial resources the United Kingdom has committed to the United Nations guards contingent in Iraq; and what proportion of the total budget for the contingent is contributed by the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom initially committed $6,000,000 in cash and kind to the United nations guards contingent in Iraq. On 17 December 1991 it pledged a further $1,000,000. This constitutes approximately 14 per cent. of the total budget so far committed for the contingent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response was made by Her Majesty's ambassador to the United Nations to the plea by Iraq's Foreign Minister to the United Nations on 21 November 1991, that it establish a team of United Nations experts to determine the level and possible danger of radioactive depleted uranium shells used by allied forces in Desert Storm and Operation Granby in 1991.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise at the next Foreign Affairs Council meeting the issue of weapons usable enriched uranium and plutonium seized by customs authorities in Italy, originating in the former Soviet Union; and if he will instruct the United Kingdom ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency to urge an immediate agency investigation into the clandestine commerce in weapons-usable nuclear materials.

We view all reports of clandestine traffic in nuclear materials with great concern and are active in seeking to prevent such trafficking. In doing so, we naturally consult with our partners and with the IAEA where appropriate. We have discussed the present case with the Italian authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of recent decisions taken at the United Nations General Assembly's fifth committee on budgetary affairs in regard to (a) the United Nation's advance mission to Cambodia and (b) the United Nation's Iraq-Kuwait observation mission; and what contribution the United Kingdom has made in respect of these missions.

At its 46th regular session, the United Nations General Assembly decided, on the recommendation of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), to appropriate and assess the sum of $13,967,300 to finance the United Nations advance mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC) for a six-month period beginning November 1991 and the sum of $33·6 million to finance the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait observer mission (UNIKOM) for the period 9 October 1991 to 8 April 1992. Both recommendations were accepted by the General Assembly.The United Kingdom-assessed share, at the special peacekeeping scale of the cost of both these missions is 6·1 per cent. There are 20 United Kingdom observers serving with UNIKOM and three with UNAMIC.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards Somalia.

The Government are deeply concerned by the continuing instability in Somalia. We have called on the parties to halt the indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas in Mogadishu and to allow secure distribution of humanitarian relief supplies. We continue to support international initiatives to bring about a ceasefire. We deplore the refusal of some Somali leaders to accept mediation.On 8 January I announced a further £2·2 million food aid, raising the total humanitarian aid to Somalia since January 1991 to £7·42 million, including our share of EC assistance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he sent a letter to the hon. Member for Gower informing him that his Minister of State was to visit Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, sited in the village of Gowerton, Swansea.

It is standard practice for my private office to notify right hon. and hon. Members, in writing and in advance, of my official visits to their constituencies. I regret that owing to an oversight, no letter was sent on this occasion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to improve the A44 trunk road between Gelli Isaf and Dyffryn Castell hotel, Ponterwyd, during the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Consideration is being given to undertaking an improvement scheme on this stretch of road during the next five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many farms were initially put on the restricted list following the radioactive fallout contamination from the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986; if he will list the number of farms and their respective acreage taken off the list in each subsequent year; and what steps he is taking to restore to full usage the remaining farms.

Restrictions were first introduced in Wales in June 1986 and affected about 5,100 holdings and approximately 1,013,000 acres of land. During 1986 and 1987 some 4,684 holdings and approximately 804,000 acres were derestricted, with a further nine holdings and approximately 4,000 acres derestricted in 1991.The extent of the restrictions depends on the levels of radioactivity found in sheep grazing the area. Monitoring results from sheep leaving the restricted area, under the mark and release scheme, and results from regular monitoring of sheep at selected sites throughout the restricted area are continually assessed. This information assists in the identification of suitable locations for intensive monitoring to assess the prospects for derestriction. As a result of these procedures I was able to lift restrictions on nine holdings in 1991. Work, including research and development, will continue to be carried out to achieve further derestrictions as soon as it can be shown that it is safe to do so. Meanwhile, the "mark and release" arrangements are designed to ensure that normal sheep farming practices within the restricted area continue with the minimum of disruption consistent with the protection of the foodchain.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) for what reason it is his Department's policy that separate charges are made when a doctor in Wales prescribes a course of treatment which involves two active ingredients when the ingredients are packaged as a single entity by the manufacturers;(2) for what reason it is his Department's policy that a single charge is made when a doctor in Wales prescribes a course of treatment which involves two active ingredients when the ingredients are formulated together in a single package.

The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliance) Regulations 1989 provide that a prescription charge is payable in respect of each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed unless the patient is exempt. Where two or more ingredients are supplied in a single tablet or capsule, a single charge is made. If, for the convenience of the patient and to improve compliance, two or more kinds of tablet or capsule are supplied in one package, each carries a separate prescription charge.The Government are concerned to ensure that patient's liability to meet prescription charges is applied in an equitable manner. It would not be appropriate to allow manufacturers' packaging arrangements, which provide a benefit to some patients, also to determine the number of charges a patient may have to pay.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce the names of the chairmen and chief executive of both the further and higher education funding councils for Wales.

Subject to the Further and Higher Education Bill receiving Royal Assent, I intend to appoint Mr. Malcolm Wallace to be chairman of the Further Education Funding Council and Sir Idris Pearce to be chairman of the Higher Education Council. Both will be employed as chairmen designate on preparatory work.I have also decided after consulting the chairmen designate, that the councils should be serviced by a single secretariat. This should make close working arrangements between the two bodies very much easier. The important post of chief executive of the two councils will be filled by Professor John Andrews.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that the Wales tourist board should be able to carry on activities outside the United Kingdom in order to promote Welsh tourism.

The Government remain concerned that Wales should continue to receive the economic benefits which accrue from a strong and broadly based tourism industry. We have considered carefully that many representations which have been made suggesting that powers should be granted to the Wales tourist board to undertake activities outside the United Kingdom in order to promote tourism in Wales.The industry is expected to continue to expand rapidly worldwide, and there will undoubtedly be increasing competition for overseas visitors. The Government therefore support the intentions of the Tourism (Overseas Promotion) (Wales) Bill—which was introduced by the hon. Member for Delyn (Mr. Raffan)—to grant powers to the Wales tourist board corresponding to those enjoyed by the Scottish tourist board under the Tourism (Overseas Promotion) (Scotland) Act 1984. The Government are also prepared to offer drafting assistance if necessary.I have accepted the Wales tourist board's assurance that it would not exercise such powers unless it had undertaken full consultation with and obtained the agreement of the British Tourist Authority before embarking upon any overseas marketing activity, and that it would not seek a direct overseas presence by opening separate offices in overseas markets. My consent will only be given on this basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many homeowners in Cardiganshire have suffered repossession of their homes due to mortgage arrears in each year since 1980 until the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.The figures for the number of repossessions are not collected. The only information available on mortgage possessions is the number of actions entered and orders made in each county court. Two county courts deal with Cardiganshire cases—Aberystwyth and Carmarthen—and information is available, as set out below, for Aberystwyth county court for each year from 1987 to 1990 and the first 11 months of 1991.Not all these orders will have resulted in the issue and execution of warrants of possession. Carmarthen county court deals with a wider area than just Cardiganshire and it is not possible to separate these cases.

Mortgage possession actions entered and orders made in Aberystwyth county court
	Actions entered	Orders made
1987	37	22
1988	40	26
1989	35	19

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to ensure that employers comply with Government guidelines relating to minimum wages for hairdressers and trainee hairdressers.

Hairdressers are covered by the Hairdressing Undertakings Wages Council (Great Britain), and workers aged 21 years and over must be paid at least the statutory minimum remuneration agreed by that Council. The wages inspectorate provides information about the requirements of the Wages Act 1986 and checks that establishments comply with the law. A leaflet on the wages council system is freely available to all inquirers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new businesses are estimated to have been started since May 1979; how many were started in the previous five years; and if he will make a statement.

Between the end of 1979 and the end of 1990, there were an estimated 2,147,000 new registrations for VAT and 1,727,000 deregistrations—a net increase of 420,000. During the previous five years, between the end of 1974 and the end of 1979, there were an estimated 809,000 new registrations and 724,000 deregistrations—a net increase of 85,000.The available indicators for 1991 show that there continue to be more businesses starting up than closing down. For example, there have been over 1,000 starts a week under enterprise allowance alone.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on progress in his policy to abolish wages councils.

The wages councils have no permanent place in the labour market and their operation remains under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce powers for the English tourist board to promote England as a tourist destination overseas.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales is informing the House separately of the Government's views on whether powers should be granted to the Wales tourist board, corresponding to those enjoyed by the Scottish tourist board under the Tourism (Overseas Promotion) (Scotland) Act 1984. The Government are also considering whether, at an appropriate time, the English tourist board should be granted similar powers. I therefore intend shortly to arrange for representatives of the tourism industry to be consulted on this question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what specific proposals his Department has for the wide distribution of handtools to agrarian developing economies via the United Nations agencies and institutions.

We have no such plans. Except in cases of humanitarian need where we occasionally provide handtools via the United Nations system to aid post-disaster recovery, we do not consider the wide distribution of handtools to agrarian developing economies to be sound development policy. This process can distort and damage manufacturing sectors in these economies. We prefer instead to stimulate the local production of such tools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Overseas Development Administration gives to the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development to distribute its publications in the United Kingdom.

The ODA currently gives no assistance to the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the new agenda for Africa in the 1990s adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 1991; and what are the implications of this agenda for Her Majesty's Government's overseas aid programme.

The United Nation's new agenda for the development of Africa in the 1990s encourages African countries to make further progress on economic reform; improve the quality of their public expenditure programmes; and pay particular attention to human resource development and capacity building. It stresses the link between economic and social development and good governance.These are already the aims of our bilateral assistance programmes to African countries. Almost 50 per cent. of our bilateral aid goes to Africa. We have also taken the lead in promoting international consensus and action on debt relief for the poorest, most heavily indebted countries undertaking economic reforms, many of which are in Africa.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what activities have been undertaken by the Natural Resources Institute since its last annual report.

I have placed in the Library of the House copies of the Natural Resources Institute's report on operational programmes 1989–91 and the annual report and accounts 1990–91. These reports give details of work undertaken by NRI in support of the renewable natural resources sector in developing countries, and of the institute's performance in its first year as a "next steps" agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Cardiff, West dated 24 October 1991, regarding the enforcement of the right of free access to equipment, including nebulisers.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales will be responding to the hon. Member's letter of 24 October shortly. The individual cases to which he refers are being investigated by South Glamorgan health authority whose policy and practice in the supply of equipment such as nebulisers complies with the requirements of the National Health Service Act 1977.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (I) for what reason it is his Department's policy that separate charges are made when a doctor prescribes a course of treatment which involves two active ingredients when the ingredients are packaged as a single entity by the manufacturers;(2) for what reason it is his Department's policy that a single charge is made when a doctor prescribes a course of treatment which involves two active ingredients when the ingredients are formulated together in a single package.

The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 1989 provide that a prescription charge is payable in respect of each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed, unless the patient is exempt. Where two or more ingredients are supplied in a single tablet or capsule, a single charge is made. If, for the convenience of the patient and to improve

£ million
	1978–79	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90	1990–91	11991–92
Expenditure on Acute Services2
Inpatient care	1,621	3,372	3,589	3,885	4,372	4,736	—	—
Outpatient care	431	998	1,065	1,147	1,249	1,376	—	—
Total	2,052	4,370	4,654	5,032	5,621	6,112	—	—
As a percentage of expenditure on the HCHS3	46·4	45·5	45·1	44·6	44·8	45·0
Expenditure on geriatric services and services for people with mental illness and learning disabilities
Inpatient care
Geriatric		835	902	981	1,062	1,087	—	—
Mental Illness		937	998	1,146	1,262	1,323	—	—
Learning disability		477	496	527	586	620	—	—
Outpatient care
Geriatric		7	8	26	24	25	—	—
Mental illness		68	71	67	68	74	—	—
Learning disability		1	1	3	3	2	—	—

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the members of the Standing Medical Advisory Committee working party on the clinical and service aspects of haemoglobinopathies; when the working party will report; and what are its terms of reference.

[holding answer 20 December 1991]: The membership of the working party is as follows:

• Professor A. G. Johnson, Chairman
• Dr. E. Anionwu
• Professor A. J. Bellingham,
• Dr. M. Brozovic
• Dr. I Cox
• Professor C. J. Dickinson
• Dr. R. MacFaul
• Dr. B. Modell
• Professor A. Spence

The working party is due to hold its first meeting in the new year. Broadly, it will address issues of current good practice, screening, counselling and information for patients in respect of sickle cell disease and make recommendations to the medical profession. Terms of reference and the timescale for reporting to SMAC are currently under discussion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a table showing the amount and proportion of the national health service budget spent on acute hospital care, chronic and long-term hospital care, health promotion advice and services and primary health care in each of the years from 1985–86 to 1991–92.

[holding answer 13 January 1992]: Information is not collected centrally in precisely the form requested, but the available figures are given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will next meet representatives of the west midlands regional CBI to discuss industrial policy.

I shall be visiting a number of companies in the west midlands in March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet representatives of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce to discuss industrial policy.

From time to time I have met representatives of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, or of individual chambers, to discuss industrial policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from business men about the importance of maintaining for the international competitiveness of British industry a low regulatory burden.

I regularly receive representations from business on the importance of minimising regulatory burdens on business. In the Government's approach to national regulation and in negotiations on proposals for new EC regulations, the potential costs of compliance and impact on the competitiveness of United Kingdom industry are fully taken into account.The most recent record of progress under the Deregulation Initiative, "Cutting Red Tape for Business", was published on 13 May 1991 and a copy placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received about the regulation of direct mail.

I receive a small but steady flow of complaints from individuals and hon. Members about direct mail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take steps to outlaw vehicle transfer agencies; and whether he will make a statement.