To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make an announcement on the planning application by Dewsbury rugby league club at Owl lane, Dewsbury, Ref. GO/62/04666/82.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment expects to announce his decision about the planning application shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the proposals put forward by the International Chetek Corporation to destroy toxic wastes through vaporisation by underground nuclear explosions.

We have seen reports of the proposals but no approach has been made to us by the company about them and we do not know the details. However, we would expect to take a very cautious approach to the use of peaceful nuclear technology for waste disposal.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) of 7 February, Official Report, column 303, he will set out those organisations and individuals with whom UK Nirex Ltd. is consulting over its current proposals for an underground nuclear waste repository.

This is a matter for UK Nirex Ltd.

To ask the Attorney-General what action he intends to take to initiate proceedings to have Liverpool city council's city treasurer declared a vexatious litigant.

I have no plans to initiate proceedings of this kind.

To ask the Attorney-General how many orders for repossession were granted in favour of building societies, banks or the mortgage lenders by the county court covering Neath in 1979, 1990 and 1991.

The 1979 figures are not available. The total number of mortgage possession actions entered, suspended orders and orders made during 1990 and 1991 in each county court in England and Wales is contained in two lists which have been placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament. These figures do not indicate how many houses have been repossessed through the courts as not all of the orders made will have resulted in the issue and execution of warrants of possession. At this stage the 1991 figures are provisional and therefore liable to revision in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total cost to public funds of grants paid towards site acquisition and construction of the former Circaprint NI complex at Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim.

The total grant paid by the Industrial Development Board to Circaprint (NI) Ltd towards the purchase of, and improvements to, the factory buildings at Monkstown amounted to £219,378.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Industrial Development Board or Department of Economic Development will receive any repayment of grants as a result of the sale of Circaprint NI Ltd. including all grant aided plant and equipment.

The Industrial Development Board has claimed sums repayable by Circaprint (NI) Ltd. To date no repayments have been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 28 January, Official Report, column 521, which political parties have used the facilities now available at Belfast international airport.

The management of Belfast international airport is a matter for Northern Ireland Airports Ltd. However, I am advised by them that facilities at the airport have been hired by the Conservative party.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the number of inspectors employed to monitor scientific procedure establishments in Northern Ireland.

Three.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many automatic cameras have been installed at traffic-light-controlled junctions; and how many more are planned this year.

Seventeen closed circuit television cameras have been installed for traffic signal control purposes. No additional cameras are planned this year.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has reached a decision on the location of his Ministry's regional service centre for Devon and Cornwall.

Following a further study, I have concluded that Devon and Cornwall will be served by two centres. The regional service centre, with 72 regional administrative posts, will be at Exeter; and the region's capital grant work will be carried out by a unit of 20 posts at Truro. The decision to keep a unit in Cornwall reflects my conclusion that the Ministry's responsibilities for agriculture and the general health of the rural economy are best served by maintaining an administrative presence in this isolated and remote part of the country.This decision means that in total there will be 99 posts in Truro when account is taken of the ADAS state veterinary service and other MAFF posts which continue to be located there. The overall impact on jobs in the Truro office is minimal.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent information he has received about the decline in mink farming.

The number of mink farms in England and Wales has halved over the last three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science on what date he received from the Council for Accreditation of Teachers in Education its report on the review of the training of teachers to teach reading; and when he proposes to make the report publicly available.

My right hon. and learned Friend received the report on 31 December. It will be issued in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his announcement of 11 February, "More Capital for Popular Schools", if he will identify (a) any additional sums of money for this purpose and (b) the rule whereby voluntary-aided schools could be allowed to expand only where there were no spare places in county schools nearby.

The decision on the additional resources to be set aside each year to enable popular schools to expand will be taken in the light of next year's public expenditure.It has hitherto been the policy of successive Governments not normally to make capital available to allow voluntary-aided schools to expand their capacity where there are spare school places in other maintained schools in the area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state, in relation to his Department's survey of local education authority expenditure on adult education (a) how many authorities were contacted, (b) the names of the authorities, (c) the level of expenditure on further and adult education in each case, with the averages for the sample, (d) the level of expenditure identifiable as relating to adult education, with the average for the sample and (e) the definition of further and adult education employed; and if he will deposit the survey in the Library.

The Department's survey related to all expenditure on further education colleges and adult education centres in the financial year 1989–90. It asked LEAs to divide this expenditure between education of the type set out in schedule 2 to the Further and Higher Education Bill [Lords] and other education. It was addressed to all LEAs in England except those in Inner London, which were not in existence in 1989–90, but were sent a copy of the survey for information. Responses have been received from over 70 LEAs but a consultant has been employed to seek out further responses and to examine the position in Inner London. The consultant's report is expected towards the end of this month and I will deposit a copy in the Library. However, it is not the practice to disclose individual responses to Government surveys.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the business sponsorship scheme for sport.

I am happy to announce today further details of how the business sponsorship scheme for sport is to operate in England. We aim to start the scheme as soon as possible in the coming financial year. Its initial funding in England, where it will be run by the Institute of Sports Sponsorship, will be £3 million.The scheme will provide a much needed boost to business sponsorship of sport at the grass roots level, ensure that business gets better value for its sponsorship and promote partnership between sport and business at the local level. It will be aimed particularly at the inner cities and at promoting opportunities for young people. Since it is targeted at the grass roots, national events in the sporting calendar will be excluded and it will not cover sponsorship of individuals.Subject to the discretion of an indpendent panel, the awards will match first time sponsors pound for pound with a minimum of £1,000 and a maximum of £75,000. Existing sponsors seeking to renew their sponsorship of a grass roots event or project will also be eligible for pound for pound matching of any increase in their sponsorship.It will be open to either the sponsoring company or the sports body to apply for the award of matching finance. Each award will be used by the sports body to enhance the value of the sponsorship and offer the sponsor an even better deal. The award will be paid to the sports body once the sponsor had made his own contribution.There is no limit to the number of awards a business can receive. The scheme will be open to applicants throughout the year for any eligible sports events or projects, whatever the size of the sports body.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid the United Kingdom has provided to Hungary to help her deal with refugees from the conflict in the former Yugoslavia; and if he will make a statement.

The European Community has so far contributed some 2 million ECU to the refugee problem in neighbour countries of the former Yugoslavia, mainly via UNHCR and ICRC. UNHCR has itself recently carried out a mission in Hungary and is now preparing a budget for this year's activities. This will enable it to continue helping the Hungarian authorities provide basic assistance and secure conditions in anticipation of early repatriation. We are major contributors in both the EC and UNHCR.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide details of how the joint funding scheme of the Overseas Development Administration is monitored.

All agencies receiving funds through the joint funding scheme are required to provide annual audited accounts which separately identify the joint funding scheme grant.Five agencies to which we provide block grants to finance a number of projects are required to provide a project description for all new projects and, each quarter, to submit a statement of project expenditure showing the duration of the project and the total financial commitment. Each agency provides an annual report on all continuing projects. All other agencies supported under the scheme are required to submit financial reports on their projects at least every six months. Progress reports are required annually and a final report is called for on the completion of each project.Review visits to selected projects are carried out at least twice a year by advisers and officials. Evaluations of specific projects are carried out by professional advisers on an ad hoc basis.Overall expenditure is monitored throughout the year to ensure that the scheme's financial targets are met.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide a full list of countries in which joint funding scheme projects were implemented, for the most recent year.

A full list of countries in which the joint funding scheme projects were implemented in the last financial year is as follows:

• Afghanistan
• Angola
• Bangladesh
• Belize
• Benin
• Bhutan
• Bolivia
• Botswana
• Brazil
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Chad
• Chile
• China
• Colombia
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Ethiopia
• Fiji
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Grenada
• Guinea Bissau
• Haiti
• Honduras
• India
• Indonesia
• Jamaica
• Jordan
• Kenya
• Laos
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Mexico
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Nepal
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Panama
• Papua New Guinea
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Rwanda
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Solomon Islands
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Sri Lanka
• St. Lucia
• Sudan
• Swaziland
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Togo
• Uganda
• Uruguay
• Vanuatu
• Vietnam
• West Bank
• Yemen Arab Republic
• Zaire
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much Government assistance was provided to voluntary agencies through the joint funding scheme in each year from 1985 to 1990, in cash and real terms.

The amount of Government assistance provided to voluntary agencies through the joint funding scheme in each year from 1985 to 1990 was as follows:

Cash terms
	£ actual
1985	4,765,068
1986	5,367,279
1987	6,410,954
1988	9,790,591
1989	15,050,146
1990	19,786,309

Real terms (1990–91 prices)
	£ actual
1985	6,382,427
1986	6,946,604
1987	7,904,414
1988	11,330,125
1989	16,285,327
1990	19,786,309

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all United Kingdom overseas aid which directly benefits Malawi in the current year; and if he will provide details of his present plans for 1992–93.

In 1990 (the latest year for which comprehensive figures are available), British bilateral aid to Malawi comprised the following:

	£ million
Project aid	12·0
Technical co-operation	6·6
Programme aid (balance of payments support)	9·6
Aid and trade provision	0·2
Debt relief	1·7
Investments by the Commonwwealth Development Corporation	7·1
Total gross bilateral aid	37·2

In 1992–93, we shall continue our efforts to reorient the programme away from large-scale infrastructure projects and towards projects in the social sectors of more direct benefit to the most vulnerable social groups. We have meanwhile made clear to the Malawi Government that future levels of programme aid in particular will take account of performance on human rights issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implementation of the renewable natural resources research strategy since April 1990.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Esher (Mr. Taylor) on 19 December 1991 at column 232.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those countries where nationals need a work permit to gain employment in Britain.

Nationals of all countries, except member states of the European Community and Gibraltar, need a work permit to gain employment in Britain, unless the individual is covered by another provision of the immigration rules.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work permits have been issued over the past five years; and if he will list the countries of origin of those to whom permits have been granted.

The number of work permits issued over the past five years to 31 December 1991 is 111,478; the countries of origin of those to whom permits have been granted are as follows:

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Andorra
• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Australia
• Austria
• Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belize
• Benin
• Bermuda
• Bolivia
• Botswana
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Burma
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Cape Verde
• Cayman Islands
• Chile
• Colombia
• Commonwealth of Dominica
• Congo
• Costa Rica
• Cuba
• Cyprus
• Czechoslovakia
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Estonia
• Esthiopia
• Fiji
• Finland
• Gabon
• Gambia
• German Democratic Republic
• Ghana
• Greece
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guinea
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Hungary
• Iceland
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel
• Ivory Coast
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kenya
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Libyan Arab Republic
• Liechtenstein
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Mali
• Malta
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montserrat
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Nepal
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Nigeria
• North Korea
• Norway
• Oman
• Other Commonwealth
• Pakistan
• Panama
• Papua and New Guinea
• Paraquay
• Peoples Republic of China
• Peru
• Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Puerta Rica
• Qatar
• Romania
• Rwanda
• San Marino
• Sao Tome and Prinicipe
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• Somalia
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• St Helena
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent
• Sudan
• Suriname
• Swaziland
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Syrian Arab Republic
• Taiwan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Tibet
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Uganda
• United Arab Emirates
• United States of America
• Uruguay
• USSR
• Venezuela
• Vietnam
• Virgin Islands
• Western Samoa
• Yemen Arab Republics
• Yugoslavia
• Zaire
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether it is his intention to provide more industrial tribunal members and premises to cope with the increased workload following changes to training contracts to permit employers to recover training costs from employees who leave their employment.

Industrial tribunal membership and premises are always kept under review in the light of the tribunals' work load.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether it is his intention that employees who leave their employment prematurely because they feel they (a) are not being given enough responsibility or (b) are being denied promotion unfairly will have to pay their employer a proportion of their training costs;(2) whether it is his intention that employees who leave their employment prematurely because

The Government's White Paper, "People Jobs and Opportunity" (cm. 1810) invited views on how the law relating to the enforceability of training contracts might be clarified, and the procedure for enforcing such contracts simplified. Such contracts between employer and employee are voluntarily entered into, and their terms a matter for the parties not for Government. We are not proposing to alter that position. The Government will take a decision on how to proceed on clarifying the law relating to their enforceability only when it has had the chance to consider the results of its consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what arrangements he proposes to make to ensure that the public sector compensates the NHS for the employment of staff trained by the NHS.

None. The White Paper "People, Jobs and Opportunity" invites comments on how to clarify the law on the enforceability of training contracts. The terms of any such contracts are a matter for negotiation between individual employers and their employees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many foreign nationals are in full-time employment in the United Kingdom.

Total revenue expenditure on services for persons with a learning disability (mental handicap)
	1987–88		1988–89		1989–90		1990–91
Region	£000 (cash)	£000 (at 1990–91 prices)	£000 (cash)	£000 (at 1990–91 prices)	£000 (cash)	£000 (at 1990–91 prices)	£000 (cash)
Northern	23,148	28,659	27,332	31,573	28,474	30,888	30,281
Yorkshire	22,913	28,369	27,158	31,373	28,360	30,765	29,400
Trent	35,107	43,466	41,144	47,530	43,638	47,339	47,843
East Anglian	14,420	17,854	17,467	20,178	20,052	21,752	21,429
North West Thames	28,592	35,400	33,964	39,236	37,316	40,481	40,215
North East Thames	26,702	33,060	31,750	36,678	34,386	37,302	35,831
South East Thames	24,516	30,354	25,701	29,690	25,858	28,051	29,077
South West Thames	39,607	49,038	45,509	52,572	48,143	52,226	50,636
Wessex	21,686	26,850	27,132	31,343	29,312	31,798	31,669
Oxford	16,395	20,299	20,205	23,340	23,144	25,107	25,519
South Western	34,983	43,313	38,395	44,354	38,088	41,317	37,164
West Midlands	37,200	46,057	43,595	50,361	46,684	50,643	49,252
Mersey	16,530	20,465	18,302	21,142	18,826	20,422	19,137
North Western	32,203	39,871	37,140	42,905	38,666	41,944	41,444

The available estimates from the Labour Force Survey show that in the spring of 1990 there were 768,000 foreign nationals in full-time employment in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations he has received requesting the age limit to be raised in employment training programmes.

We receive representations from time to time about the age limit in ET. The requirement that trainees enter training before their 60th birthday reflects our concern to ensure that participants are returning to the labour market for the longer, rather than the shorter term, and will justify the public expenditure incurred on their behalf.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors' surgeries, (b) hospitals and (c) clinics he has visited in the last 12 months.

My Ministers and I regularly visit doctors' surgeries, hospitals and clinics in the course of our official duties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the revenue expenditure of each regional health authority on health service facilities for patients with a mental handicap for each year since 1981, in cash terms and at 1991 prices.

Prior to the adoption of the recommendations of the Sixth report of the Steering Group on Health Service Information (the Korner Committee) in 1987–88, the information collected for England was incomplete and unrepresentative of the total expenditure provision for people with a learning disability (ie mental handicap). Information derived from Korner annual financial returns for the years since 1987–88 is shown in the table. Those financial returns provide a more complete indication of total expenditure but exclude general services costs and do not capture all relevant direct costs incurred within community health services.

To ask the Secretary of State for health what conclusions he has reached on the need for cholesterol testing of high risk patients; what requirements he makes for statistics to be kept on such tests either by hospitals or general practitioners; and what pilot screening programmes on patients at high risk of coronary heart disease are under way.

The Standing Medical Advisory Committee has reported on the cost-effectiveness of opportunistic cholesterol testing. The committee's report, issued for consultation, attracted a large number of wide-ranging responses. We have received further comment about this and related issues concerning the prevention of coronary heart disease as part of the consultation on the Green Paper "The Health of the Nation" (Cm. 1523), on which we hope to respond with a Government statement in the spring. No data are held or stipulated centrally concerning such testing or on any pilot screening programmes of patients at high risk of coronary heart disease.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current estimated number of 16 to 24-year-old males in Staffordshire and the west midlands.

Estimates of the number of males aged between 16 and 24 years inclusive at mid-1990 are given in the table:

	Thousands
Staffordshire	69·0
West Midlands county	182·5
West Midlands standard region	358·6

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by family health services authority the amount paid to the general practice with the highest claim for night visit payments in the most recent available period.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many foreign nationals have received free treatment under the national health service over the past three years; and what has been the cost to the NHS of this provision.

This information is not held centrally.Anyone not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom has to pay for NHS hospital treatment unless he or she is covered by one of a number of specific exemptions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given by his Department to hospitals with regard to charging patients for treatment following road traffic accidents.

The Department issued full guidance to health authorities in 1980 in a Health Notice (HN(80)7), a copy of which is available in the Library, about the basis for recovery charges under the the Road Traffic Act. This is still extant. Health authorities are notified periodically of increases in the charges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total amount charged by each health authority for treatment given to patients following road traffic accidents for each of the last 10 years; and if he will give the comparable figures for NHS trusts.

I shall let the hon. Member have such information as is available as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action will be taken following the failure of European Standing Committee B to support the Government's policy on a ban on Tobacco advertising.

The Government will put a motion to the House shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state for (a) each regional health authority and (b) each district health authority the number of women who died of cervical cancer for the most recent year available.

[holding answer 10 February 1992]: The information requested is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has for the cost in 1992–93 of abolishing charges for dental check-ups and sight tests; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 11 February 1992]: £65 million is a provisional estimate of the full cost in 1992–93 of abolishing dental examination charges. No corresponding estimate exists for sight tests; there are no charges for NHS sight tests, which are available to approximately 40 per cent. of the population.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many foreign nationals and their dependants are in receipt of social security benefits; and what is the cost to the public purse.

Nationality is not one of the determining factors in deciding upon entitlement to social security benefits. Consequently the information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many applications for review by a social fund inspector were outstanding for more than one month on 31 January;(2) how many social fund inspectors were employed on 31 January.

I am informed by the Social Fund Commisioner that on 31 January 1992, there were 69 social fund inspectors employed and 3,246 review applications outstanding for more than one month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow can expect to receive a reply to his letter of 23 December 1991, to the Minister of State, concerning a constituent's referral to a regional medical officer for examination.

I replied to the hon. Member on 27 January 1992 and will arrange for a copy of that reply to be sent to the hon. Gentleman today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to publish his response to the Social Security Committee's First Report of this session, HC 18, on public expenditure.

Yesterday we laid as Cm 1822, "Public Expenditure: Response by the Government to the First report from the Select Committee on Social Security Session 1991–92."

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate for likely expenditure on income support payments towards the cost of private or voluntary nursing or residential care during the current financial year.

[holding answer 6 February 1992]: The latest estimate for the 1991–92 financial year is £1,950 million.

To ask the Prime Minister what response he has made to the proposals made by the Vice-President of the United States of America on 9 February to link the outcome of the negotiations on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and European security commitments by the United States of America.

Vice President Quayle has confirmed publicly that he sees no link between GATT and the United States commitment to European security. Vice President Quayle and I agreed that the success of the Uruguay round was of vital importance to the world economy and that the European Community and the United States must work urgently for a successful agreement.

To ask the Prime Minister if he discussed the implementation of safeguards arrangements arising from South Africa's membership of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty during the recent visit of President de Klerk to the United Kingdom.

No. South Africa has signed an exemplary safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency and preliminary IAEA inspections are already taking place.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of (a) taking a vehicle without the owner's consent and (b) theft of a motor vehicle were reported to the police for the years 1980 to 1991.

Notifiable offences of theft of a motor vehicle include taking a vehicle without the owner's consent. Figures for 1980–89 are published in table 2.12 of "Criminal statistics, England and Wales, 1989" and figures for 1990 are published in Home Office statistical bulletin 13/91; copies of both publications are available in the Library. Figures for 1991 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list his proposals to reduce the incidence of car crimes.

The Government are proposing a six-point action plan to tackle car crime.First, the prevention of car crime will be the central feature of our crime prevention campaign in 1992, which we have designated 'Car Crime Prevention Year'. The campaign, which was launched by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 11 February, seeks to engage the whole community in a co-ordinated effort to tackle car crime. It comprises a broad programme of national and regional activities and is supported by an extensive Home Office funded advertising and promotional campaign that aims to increase public awareness of the cost of crime, the importance of individual and community action in combating this crime and the steps that should be taken to reduce vehicle risk.Secondly, the motor vehicle manufacturers have a most important role to play in reducing the opportunities for car crime. My right hon. Friend and I met the manufacturers three times last year to stress the importance of improved vehicle security. The progress being made is encouraging, but much more could be done. In particular, we have stressed the need for the general introduction of effective and safe vehicle immobilisation systems, dead locks, and visible vehicle identification numbers. We are to meet again with the manufacturers next month for a report on progress.Thirdly, it is also important that motorists should be encouraged to take vehicle security seriously, and rewarded when they do so—not just being penalised when they do not. My right hon. Friend has therefore asked the Association of British Insurers to consider further providing incentives, including reduced premiums, for owners who improve the security of their cars, and take care of them.Fourthly, we are active on the European front. Trevi, the body which represents EC Ministers responsible for policing, has accepted our suggestion that car theft should be added to its agenda. Experts from across the Community are to meet in London on 25 February to discuss cross-border aspects of car crime. We are also pressing for the British Standard on vehicle security to be adopted as a compulsory EC directive.Fifthly, the Government have already taken swift action to tackle the criminals who take cars. The Aggravated Vehicle-Taking Bill, which is being considered by the House of Lords, shows our determination to deal with the menace of those who take cars and cause damage, injury or death.Finally, the police have the Government's full support in their fight against car crime. Provision has been agreed for up to a further 1,000 police posts in 1992–93. The police cannot, however, be expected to take on the task of detecting criminals, maintaining order and protecting the public on their own. They need the full support of the whole community.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has received from chief officers of police for an extension of the vehicle watch scheme as pioneered in Newport, Gwent, to other parts of the United Kingdom.

There are now more than 20 vehicle watch schemes in operation in England and Wales. Some cover whole force areas, while others are limited to police divisions or sub-divisions.The chief officers of the Welsh forces agreed last year to extend the Gwent scheme, which had been operating for one year, to cover the whole of Wales; this was launched on 11 September 1991.My right hon. Friend has received no representations about the further extension of vehicle watch. That is a matter for chief officers to decide. Arrangements are, however, in train for vehicle watch to be evaluated during this year, with a view to it being encouraged throughout England, if it is shown to be succesful in reducing vehicle theft.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were received into Brixton prison in the last week for which figures are available; and for what offences they were remanded.

The readily available information, which is given in the table, is based on the three weeks commencing 1 December 1991.

Average number of prisoners received into Brixton prison per week on initial committal as a remand prisoner1: by offence
Offence	Number2
Violence against the person	8
Rape	—
Other sexual offences	—
Burglary	4
Robbery	3
Theft and handling	6
Fraud and forgery	1
Drugs offences	2
Other offences	3
Not recorded	12
All offences	39
1 Untried or convicted unsentenced.
2 Rounded figures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of notifiable crimes committed in 1991; and what were the comparable figures for 1978.

Notifiable offence statistics for 1978 are published in table 2.2 of "Criminal statistics, England and Wales, 1989". Figures for 1990 are published in Home Office statistical bulletin 13/91; copies of both publications are available in the Library. Figures for 1991 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the figures for the percentage change in reported crime between 1979 and 1991 in (a) Neath, (b) south Wales and (c) the United Kingdom.

The available information shows that between 1979 and 1990 recorded crime increased by 94 per cent. in south Wales and 79 per cent. in England and Wales as a whole. Statistics are not collected centrally for Neath.The British crime survey provides a measure of reported crime as experienced by adults in England and Wales. The most recent available results show that there was a 30 per cent. increase in offences measured by the survey between 1981 and 1987, as against a 41 per cent. increase in comparable recorded offences. Estimates are not available for the change in Neath or south Wales.Figures for Scotland are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State of Scotland, and figures for Northern Ireland are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of each police force in England as to what proportion of the clear-up rate for crime in his area in 1990–91 is accounted for by voluntary admissions by convicted criminals; how many detectives are employed to obtain these admissions; and when the practice ceased.

Information for police forces in England on the number of offences cleared up by an interview of convicted offenders in custody is contained in the table below. Further information is not readily available.

Offences cleared up by interview of a convicted prisoner in custody as a percentage of all offences cleared up
England	1989
Force	Percentage cleared up by interview of convicted prisoner
Avon and Somerset	9
Bedfordshire	—
Cambridgeshire	6
Cheshire	25
Cleveland	9
Cumbria	10
Derbyshire	3
Devon and Cornwall	7
Dorset	13
Durham	8
Essex	5
Gloucestershire	17
Greater Manchester	33
Hampshire	7
Hertfordshire	—
Humberside	8
Kent	4
Lancashire	10
Leicestershire	11
Lincolnshire	10
London, City of	6
Merseyside	44
Metropolitan Police District	1
Norfolk	19
Northamptonshire	19
Northumbria	29
North Yorkshire	23
Nottinghamshire	—
South Yorkshire	22
Staffordshire	18

Force	Percentage cleared up by interview of convicted prisoner
Suffolk	1
Surrey	1
Sussex	1
Thames Valley	3
Warwickshire	15
West Mercia	18
West Midlands	34
West Yorkshire	20
Wiltshire	3
ENGLAND	16

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the clear-up rates for every police force in England and Wales during the most recent year for which figures are available.

The latest available figures, for 1990, are published in Home Office statistical bulletin 4/91, which is available in the Library. They are annotated as provisional in the bulletin, but only south Wales's figure has since been revised, to 36 per cent. Figures for 1991 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend the powers of Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons so that he can inspect police and court cells holding prisoners.

I do not believe that it would be right to seek to extend the functions of Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons to include inspections of police and court cells. I am satisfied with the existing arrangements under which Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary, in the course of his inspections of individual police forces, will take account of the standard of accommodation provided for prisoners and the general conditions in which they are held.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 15-year-olds remanded into prison in each year since 1981 were subsequently found not guilty.

The readily available information is given in the table. Data for 1991 are not yet available.

Persons aged 15 on initial reception on remand into a Prison Service establishment in England and Wales who were not found guilty1: by year of initial remand and sex
	Male	Female
1981	3	—
1982	7	—
1983	11	—
1984	6	—
1985	8	—
1986	14	—
1987	20	—
1988	17	—
1989	15	1
1990	3	—

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 15-year-old prisoners were put into strip conditions either as suicide prevention or as a punishment in 1990 and in 1991; and in which prisons.

An inmate who is violent or refractory may be termporarily confined in a special cell or an unfurnished cell if this is necessary to prevent him from injuring himself or others, damaging property or creating, a serious disturbance. No inmates may be placed in such accommodation as a punishment.In 1990, six prisoners aged 15 were confined in special cells; none was for the prevention of suicide. Information on the use of unfurnished cells was not collected centrally. Data for 1991 are not yet available.An inmate may be deprived of his clothing only if this essential to prevent him from injuring himself of others. In such cases, the inmate must be provided with a suit of protective clothing so that he can be decently dressed. No information on prisoners deprived of their clothing in this way is collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been received into Feltham young offenders institution in the last week for which figures are available; and for what offences they were remanded or convicted.

The readily available information, which is given in the table, is based on the three weeks commencing 1 December 1991.

Average number of prisoners received into Feltham remand centre per week on initial committal as a remand prisoner1 :by offence
Offence	Number2
Violence against the person	6
Rape	—
Other sexual offences	—
Burglary	15
Robbery	3
Theft and handling	14
Fraud and forgery	1
Drugs offences	—
Other offences	8
Not recorded	4
ALL OFFENCES	53
1 Untried or convicted unsentenced.
2 Rounded figures.

Average number of prisoners received into Feltham remand centre or young offender institution per week on initial committal as a sentenced prisoner: by offence
Number of prisoners1
Offence	Remand centre	Young offender institution
Violence against the person	1	1
Rape	—	—
Other sexual offences	—	—
Burglary	4	1
Robbery	1	2
Theft and handling	6	2
Fraud and forgery	—	—

Offence	Remand centre	Young offender institution
Drugs offences	—	—
Other offences	5	1
Not recorded	2	—
ALL OFFENCES	20	7
1 Rounded figures.