Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Friday 28 February 1992

Education And Science

Students (Concessionary Fares)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will re-introduce travel grants for students;(2) if, when he next meets the chairman of London Underground, he will raise the issue of concessionary fares for students.

Under the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations, students who are disabled, who are attending a place away from their main college as part of a medical, dental or nursing course or who are attending an institution outside the United Kingdom as part of their course may have their travel costs reimbursed. The first part of any expenditure is disregarded in deciding claims. We have no plans to change these arrangements nor would we wish to raise the issue of concessionary fares for students with the chairman of London Underground.

London Docklands

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish his Department's expenditure in relation to projects aimed at regeneration and redevelopment in London docklands in each year from 1980–81 to 1990–91.

Expenditure related to projects aimed at regeneration and redevelopment in London docklands is a matter for the Secretary of State for the Environment. This Department pays grant in respect of capital expenditure at voluntary-aided and grant-maintained schools. Records of such expenditure cannot easily be disaggregated to show spending only in the docklands area of the local education authorities concerned.

Pupil Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many pupils in each local education authority are educated in special schools outside their own local education authority area.

[holding answer 19 February 1992]:The table shows the numbers of pupils belonging to the area of each authority who in January 1991 were attending maintained special schools outside that authority's area.

Pupils¹belonging to the area of each local education authority who in January 1991 were attending maintained special schools outside that authority's area.
	Number
City of London	3
Camden	109
Greenwich	110
Hackney	172

	Number
Hammersmith and Fulham	89
Islington	123
Kensington and Chelsea	178
Lambeth	222
Lewisham	171
Southwark	200
Tower Hamlets	101
Wandsworth	144
Westminster	129
Barking	27
Barnet	78
Bexley	78
Brent	72
Bromley	20
Croydon	51
Ealing	60
Enfield	101
Haringey	91
Harrow	36
Havering	52
Hillingdon	40
Hounslow	25
Kingston	18
Merton	57
Newham	62
Redbridge	55
Richmond	30
Sutton	45
Waltham Forest	19
Birmingham	28
Coventry	17
Dudley	69
Sandwell	63
Solihull	20
Walsall	19
Wolverhampton	21
Knowsley	10
Liverpool	22
St. Helens	38
Sefton	21
Wirral	21
Bolton	56
Bury	51
Manchester	43
Oldham	22
Rochdale	47
Salford	19
Stockport	39
Tameside	82
Trafford	27
Wigan	23
Barnsley	19
Doncaster	14
Rotherham	33
Sheffield	6
Bradford	13
Calderdale	13
Kirklees	29
Leeds	12
Wakefield	49
Gateshead	19
Newcastle	10
North Tyneside	10
South Tyneside	17
Sunderland	5
Isles of Scilly	0
Avon	9
Bedfordshire	15
Berkshire	36
Buckinghamshire	73
Cambridgeshire	10
Cheshire	72
Cleveland	7
Cornwall	29
Cumbria	6
Derbyshire	53
Devon	5
Dorset	11

	Number
Durham	73
East Sussex	32
Essex	113
Gloucestershire	11
Hampshire	64
Hereford and Worcester	26
Hertfordshire	56
Humberside	27
Isle of Wight	1
Kent	67
Lancashire	84
Leicestershire	19
Lincolnshire	28
Norfolk	12
North Yorkshire	51
Northamptonshire	27
Northumberland	28
Nottinghamshire	18
Oxfordshire	12
Shropshire	22
Somerset	10
Staffordshire	48
Suffolk	26
Surrey	78
Warwickshire	53
West Sussex	27
Wiltshire	43
¹ Pupils aged 5 and over (as at 31 August 1990).

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many pupils in each local education authority area in local education authority maintained special schools live in other local education authority areas.

[holding answer 19 February 1992]:The table shows the numbers of pupils attending maintained special schools in each authority in January 1991 who belonged to the area of other LEAs.

Pupils¹attending maintained special schools in each local education authority who in January 1991 who belonged to the area of other authorities
	Number
City of London	0
Camden	219
Greenwich	185
Hackney	180
Hammersmith and Fulham	265
Islington	100
Kensington and Chelsea	86
Lambeth	305
Lewisham	95
Southwark	147
Tower Hamlets	42
Wandsworth	349
Westminster	90
Barking	14
Barnet	49
Bexley	4
Brent	40
Bromley	36
Croydon	20
Ealing	14
Enfield	37
Haringey	55
Harrow	12
Havering	3
Hillingdon	2
Hounslow	18
Kingston	37
Merton	10
Newham	16
Redbridge	27
Richmond	18

	Number
Sutton	28
Waltham Forest	312
Birmingham	137
Coventry	30
Dudley	3
Sandwell	21
Solihull	6
Walsall	18
Wolverhampton	33
Knowsley	39
Liverpool	53
St. Helens	17
Sefton	14
Wirral	3
Bolton	36
Bury	32
Manchester	159
Oldham	92
Rochdale	12
Salford	62
Stockport	8
Tameside	6
Trafford	15
Wigan	57
Barnsley	19
Doncaster	7
Rotherham	8
Sheffield	83
Bradford	40
Calderdale	1
Kirklees	6
Leeds	52
Wakefield	9
Gateshead	15
Newcastle	56
North Tyneside	9
South Tyneside	1
Sunderland	37
Isles of Scilly	0
Avon	34
Bedfordshire	6
Berkshire	38
Buckinghamshire	13
Cambridgeshire	18
Cheshire	40
Cleveland	40
Cornwall	0
Cumbria	0
Derbyshire	22
Devon	26
Dorset	14
Durham	10
East Sussex	33
Essex	31
Gloucestershire	12
Hampshire	66
Hereford and Worcester	35
Hertfordshire	103
Humberside	12
Isle of Wight	0
Kent	41
Lancashire	25
Leicestershire	4
Lincolnshire	19
Norfolk	10
North Yorkshire	25
Northamptonshire	6
Northumberland	14
Nottinghamshire	34
Oxfordshire	35
Shropshire	11
Somerset	5
Staffordshire	26
Suffolk	19
Surrey	132
Warwickshire	144
West Sussex	28
Wiltshire	3

¹ Pupils aged five and over (as at 31 August 1990).

Transport

Cash Limits

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he proposes to his Department's non-voted cash limits for 1991–92.

With the agreement of my right hon. and learned Friend the Chief Secretary, the cash limit DTp/LACAP—Department of Transport/local authorities capital—covering credit approvals issued by my Department will be increased from £269,081,000 to £272,081,000. This increase will be matched by a reduction in the cash limit on class VII, vote 2 from £237,614,000 to £234,614,000.

Midland Metro

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on line one of the Midland metro.

I strongly support the concept of the Midland metro line one. On present information, the scheme appears to meet the criteria for grant under section 56 of the Transport Act 1968. A decision on whether the project will be eligible for grant must await firm figures for capital costs based on tenders. I understand that the West Midlands passenger transport executive will be seeking tenders later this year. Provided the scheme meets the grant criteria in the light of these figures and provided sufficient resources are available, I can see no present reason why a grant for the construction of the project should not be made available at the appropriate time. The Government have already provided resources of £1·5 million for development work on the project. I am today authorising a further £3 million for development and preparatory work in the forthcoming financial year.

Blackwall Tunnel

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now keep, or request the Metropolitan police to maintain, a log of significant interruptions to free flow traffic conditions in and around the area of the Blackwall tunnel, and publish periodically the record of delays and their respective causes, together with any subsequent preventative action or investigation that is taken.

Police controllers at the Blackwall tunnel keep a record of incidents. The Department's agents for the Blackwall tunnel also maintain an incident log. This ensures that information is readily available for those operating the system. Preventative action and investigation based on these logs and other information takes place as and when needed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the respective duties, responsibilities and functions, including those for capital and other expenditures, of his Department, the London borough of Greenwich and the Metropolitan police for the Blackwall tunnel and its immediate approaches, together with a statement of the regular system of consultation and co-ordination between those officials most immediately concerned with its efficient management and maintenance.

The Secretary of State for Transport is the highway authority for trunk roads in England, including the Blackwall tunnels. The London borough of Greenwich is the Department's agent for the tunnels and the southern approach roads. The London borough of Tower Hamlets is the Department's agent for the northern approach roads. The traffic control systems unit is the Department's agent for installing and maintaining electrical and communication equipment. The Metropolitan police are responsible for managing the traffic flows, reporting offences and attending incidents. There is efficient co-operation and co-ordination between these parties who regularly discuss all the issues associated with day-to-day management of this section of the trunk road network.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out schedules of expenditure relating to the annual maintenance and improvement, respectively, of the Blackwall tunnel and its immediate approaches which show the costs of recent and planned capital improvements, the annual costs of structural and highway maintenance, respectively, the estimated cost of police surveillance and contracts relating to the removal of vehicles, distinguishing between the liabilities of each public body concerned, and stating the actual or notional interest charges arising from major improvments, including that of the recently installed traffic control system.

Through its agents the London borough of Greenwich and the traffic control systems unit, the Department has spent £5·5 million over the past three years on maintenance and capital improvements for the Blackwall tunnels. In addition £21 million is being spent over five years on refurbishing the northbound tunnel. The east London traffic control system was equipped by the Department at a cost of £3·4 million. I will write to the hon. member shortly with the more detailed information he has requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the function of the new central traffic control system for the Blackwall tunnel and its surrounding area, together with the functions it is capable of performing additional to those of the system that it replaces, and the future functions that it could perform without significant further capital expenditure.

The new east London traffic control system provides for the operation of tidal flow in the Blackwall tunnels, emergency tunnel closures, and the operation of signals on the tunnel approaches. It is easier to operate, maintain and repair than the old system, and provides additionally for the detection of incidents, queues or slow moving traffic. The system is capable of controlling traffic management on all major roads and tunnels in the east London area with additional expenditure only on roadside equipment.

London Docklands

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish (a)total expenditure on the docklands light railway, (b)total expenditure on all other new rail and bus transport projects directly related to docklands regeneration, (c)total expenditure on all road developments and improvements and (d)any other expenditure by his Department to assist in London docklands regeneration showing revenue and capital separately for each year from 1981–82 to 1991–92 (estimated) and plans for 1992–93 to 1994–95.

Expenditure on the docklands light railway is:

£ million
	Investment	Revenue
1984–85	33·1	0
1985–86	33·0	0
1986–87	16·2	0
1987–88	60·6	3·5
1988–89	51·4	4·6
1989–90	93·1	7·7
1990–91	139·0	10·4
1991–92	¹162·8	¹15·0
1992–93 to 1994–95 3 year total £115 million¹
¹ Forecast.

It is not possible to distinguish expenditure on docklands by London Buses Ltd. and London Underground Limited's core business from their expenditure on other parts of London. The table gives investment on the Jubilee line extension:

	£ million
1990–91	40
1991–92	¹101
1992–93	¹393
1993–94	¹614
1994–95	¹454
¹ Forecast

British Rail plans to spend £20 million refurbishing Stratford by 1996 when the docklands light railway and Jubilee line extensions are expected to be open.The following schemes in the national road programme which serve the London docklands area have been completed or are expected to be under construction by 1994–95.

A2 Rochester Way Relief Road
A13 Improvements Tower Hamlets/Newham
A13 Heathway to M25 Improvements
A12 Hackney to M11 Link
East London River Crossing
A406 South Woodford-Barking Relief Road
East London Traffic Control System

Expenditure on those schemes is:

	£ million
²1987–88	119
1988–89	11
1989–90	10
1990–91	15
1991–92	¹14
1992–93	¹50
1993–94	¹170
1994–95	¹310
¹ Forecast
² Up to

The Department is also responsible for maintenance and minor improvements to trunk roads in this area, and for the operation of the Woolwich ferry. Expenditure is as follows. Detailed figures for years prior to 1987–88 are not readily available.

	£ million
1987–88	3
1988–89	6
1989–90	11
1990–91	¹10
1991–92	¹9
1992–93	¹10
1993–94	¹10
1994–95	¹10
¹ Forecast.

In addition, there is expenditure on refurbishment of the Blackwell tunnel as follows:

£ million

1991–92

¹10

1992–93

¹7

1993–94

¹5

¹ Forecast.

The Thames RiverBus service received a £500,000 grant in 1989–90 to promote and improve the service in recognition of its road decongestion and docklands regeneration benefits.

Supplementary credit approvals totalling £200,000 were given in February to the London borough of Newham in respect of bus priority schemes. Further resources are being held for possible allocation to Tower Hamlets when details are provided of their firm proposals.

Subsidies

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the total of revenue subsidy given to (a)London Underground, (b)London Buses, (c)Network SouthEast and (d)British Rail in each year from 1980–81 to 1994–95 (estimated), showing the financing sources for such subsidy in each year.

Government grant is not paid separately to London Underground and London Buses. London Transport makes a claim for block grant each year on the basis of the external financing limit announced in the previous year's autumn statement. It is not possible, in advance of the claim, to apportion the grant for future years between revenue and capital. Over the next three years, Government grant to LT will be about £3·7 billion.Subsidy is paid by the Government to the British Railways Board in the form of the public service obligation grant under EC regulation 1191/69 and section 3 of the Railways Act 1974, which compensates BR for maintaining loss-making passenger services. Grant is paid as a total to the board and the Government do not formally allocate it between sectors or geographical areas. However, estimates on the split for future grant allocations are now produced by the Department of Transport. Previous figures for NSE have been produced by BR in its document "Network Factfile 1991". The table shows BR's and NSE's PSO grant and LT revenue grant.

1990–91 prices (£000m)
	PSO grant	PSO (NSE) grant	LT revenue grant
1980	1,039	n.a.	⁴166
1981	1,231	n.a.	⁴135
1982	1,249	¹471	⁴286
1983	1,250	¹359	⁴257
1984–85	1,487	¹326	208

	PSO grant	PSO (NSE) grant	LT revenue grant
1985–86	1,085	¹65	166
1986–87	883	¹184	85
1987–88	925	¹214	56
1988–89	606	¹141	44
1989–90	541	¹92	51
1990–91	600	¹153	84
³1991–92	850	325	⁵114
³1992–9 3	900	350	—
³1993–94	700	275	—
³1994–95	500	75	—
¹ Source:NSE document "Network Factfile 1991".
² 1984–85 was a 15-month period. The figure quoted is the 12-month equivalent.
³ Estimates—source: Department of Transport Report 1992.
⁴ LT was the responsibility of GLC in these years.
⁵ Forecast outturn.

Liverpool-London Air Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport is he will ensure that the landing slots made available in London through the withdrawal of British Midland Airways of its Liverpool-London service are allocated only to an airline providing a similar service.

No. An airline is free to decide how to use the take-off and landing slots that it holds. It is a matter for British Midland's commercial judgment whether to use the slots on another route, or to return them to the airport co-ordinator for re-allocation.

Coaches

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet representatives of London local authorities to raise the issue of improving coach parking facilities.

I have already chaired a working group considering initiatives to improve tourist coach parking facilities for the 1992 season. Representatives from London boroughs have been members of this group. I am also chairing meetings with London Transport and some of the central London boroughs most affected by coach traffic to discuss coach terminal and off-street parking facilities. I hope that an announcement can be made shortly about measures to improve coach parking facilities in central London.

Thames River Bus

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conditions for public funding for the Thames Riverbus service were set with respect to requirements for information to be available to help visitors at landing stages.

None; but at the piers at which their vessels call, Riverbus provides a real-time passenger information system giving the expected time of arrival of the next service which is updated at minute intervals based on the position of vessels. Leaflets, posters and timetables are also provided.

Prime Minister

South Africa

To ask the Prime Minister if he raised at the meeting with Mr. De Klerk on 1 February, the proposition of giving the white electorate a veto on any agreement reached at the Conference for Democratic South Africa or otherwise over the negotiating process.

For President de Klerk to continue with his reforms, he has to have the support of the whole electorate. I discussed these reforms with President de Klerk on 1 February. I believe that the path of reform on which South Africa has embarked under President de Klerk's leadership is the only course which will allow her reintegration into the international community and enable her to attract the investment she needs for economic growth. That economic growth is in the interest of all South Africans.

Home Department

Parole

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a prisoner's continued denial of his or her guilt is a factor taken into account in deciding whether or not to accept a recommendation by the Parole Board to grant parole.

When my right hon. Friend considers Parole Board recommendations to release prisoners, his principal concern is the risk involved. Denial of guilt per se does not dictate the outcome of the decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recommendations of the Parole Board in each year since 1986 were (a)accepted, and (b)rejected in England and Wales.

The information requested is given in the table.

Recommendations¹for the release of prisoners on parole or licence by the Parole Board: by the outcome of recommendation 1986–90
	Accepted	Rejected
1986	3,651	29
1987	3,636	35
1988	3,811	29
1989	4,688	45
1990	3,282	77
¹ Excluding release on licence of prisoners detained for a period other than life under section 53(2) Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parole decisions were referred by the Parole Board to him in each year since 1986 in England and Wales.

The information requested is given in the table. Under the provisions of section 60(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 only recommendations for release on parole are referred to the Secretary of State by the Parole Board.

Recommendations for the release of determinate sentence prisoners on parole by the Parole Board: 1986–1990
	Recommended for parole by the Parole Board
1986	3,560
1987	3,524
1988	3,749
1989	4,614
1990	3,221

Notifiable offences recorded by the police
	Metropolitan Police District (including City of London)
12 months ending	Total	Violent crime	Burglary	Homicide ¹
September 1981	625,646	29,256	142,682	173
September 1982	675,501	31,436	154,206	184
September 1983	677,548	33,187	154,100	161
September 1984	703,686	34,640	166,212	181
September 1985	738,574	38,003	158,238	170
September 1986	774,898	41,432	158,173	186
September 1987	746,658	42,780	150,664	210
September 1988	739,437	48,658	147,596	164
September 1989	745,354	53,042	145,143	172
September 1990	812,285	57,421	166,863	182
September 1991	916,648	64,644	188,999	181
England and Wales
September 1981	2,895,403	138,228	700,714	606
September 1982	3,174,843	147,088	774,109	614
September 1983	3,252,585	153,250	810,582	553
September 1984	3,418,609	156,554	868,561	623
September 1985	3,587,206	166,856	874,380	615
September 1986	3,793,368	177,691	915,582	637
September 1987	3,891,364	192,451	914,078	682
September 1988	3,788,107	212,267	841,127	651
September 1989	3,778,544	236,411	804,402	654
September 1990	4,326,357	245,582	944,996	643
September 1991	5,135,595	261,409	1,169,713	690
¹ Includes murder, manslaughter and infanticide.

Mandatory Life Imprisonment

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons sentenced to a mandatory term of life imprisonment have served (a)more than 10 years, (b)15 years or more, (c)20 years or more and (d)25 years or more, in each year since 1987 in England and Wales.

The readily available information is published annually in "Prison Statistics England and Wales" (Table 8.3 of the latest volume, for 1990, Cm. 1800), copies of which are in the Library.

Applications^{1 2}received for asylum in the United Kingdom, by nationality: January to December 1991 and January 1992
	January 1991	February 1991	March 1991	April 1991	May 1991	June 1991	July 1991
Europe and Americas
Bulgaria	15	45	40	40	55	45	30
Colombia	20	15	15	10	15	—	5
Romania	25	65	80	50	35	25	40
Turkey	370	205	180	205	145	160	205
USSR	10	35	10	25	25	10	10
Others	^*	5	15	15	10	25	10
TOTAL	440	370	340	350	285	260	295
Africa
Angola	420	370	600	940	530	440	520
Congo	30	15	30	40	—	20	20

Crime Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish figures for (a)total recorded offences, (b)all violent crimes, (c) burglaries and (d)murders in (i) England and Wales and (ii) the Metropolitan police area, including the City of London, for each year from 1980–81 to 1991–92.

The available information is given in the table:

Aylum

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish a table showing the number of applications for asylum in the United Kingdom by country of origin of the applicants in 1991;(2) how many applications for asylum in the United Kingdom were received in each month in 1991; and how many were received in January 1992.

The information requested is given in the table.

	January 1991	February 1991	March 1991	April 1991	May 1991	June 1991	July 1991
Ethiopia	245	150	130	195	195	120	165
Ghana	195	225	245	330	370	230	230
Somalia	240	190	170	260	190	180	160
Sudan	70	40	35	40	40	35	135
Togo/Ivory Coast	65	50	80	200	175	50	190
Uganda	305	225	275	200	80	25	55
Zaire	435	375	615	1,150	550	520	625
Others	20	25	155	355	270	180	360
TOTAL	2,020	1,665	2,330	3,715	2,395	1,805	2,460
Middle East
Iran	65	55	35	65	35	35	35
Iraq	125	75	110	70	55	25	45
Lebanon	295	145	65	40	25	15	15
Others	—	—	25	45	30	20	40
TOTAL	485	275	235	225	145	95	135
Asia
China	20	50	45	60	55	40	55
India	230	185	160	165	170	175	165
Pakistan	350	255	305	320	305	290	245
Sri Lanka	585	450	385	355	360	275	255
Others	—	—	85	85	90	55	115
TOTAL	1,185	940	980	990	975	835	830
Other nationalities ³	240	195	—	—	—	—	—
GRAND TOTAL	4,370	3,445	3,885	5,275	3,805	3,000	3,725

	August 1991	September 1991	October 1991	November 1991	December 1991	1991 Total	January 1992
Europe and Americas
Bulgaria	20	30	15	20	15	375	25
Colombia	10	20	5	15	15	140	30
Romania	65	60	30	45	35	555	35
Turkey	155	145	125	125	95	2,110	205
USSR	20	25	25	20	25	245	20
Others	25	50	70	110	110	450	130
TOTAL	295	335	275	335	300	3,875	440
Africa
Angola	360	360	600	465	170	5,780	40
Congo	25	70	50	65	15	370	10
Ethiopia	110	150	115	65	45	1,685	65
Ghana	145	145	115	105	70	2,405	140
Somalia	140	145	135	110	80	1,995	125
Sudan	160	155	175	150	120	1,150	100
Togo/Ivory Coast	185	185	360	315	45	1,910	35
Uganda	15	55	65	50	90	1,440	15
Zaire	420	555	725	625	410	7,010	105
Others	345	500	745	625	155	3,740	95
TOTAL	1,900	2,320	3,090	2,580	1,205	27,490	730
Middle East
Iran	35	50	35	50	35	530	50
Iraq	75	55	70	110	85	915	125
Lebanon	35	20	35	30	35	755	35
Others	30	35	50	35	30	340	40
TOTAL	175	170	190	225	180	2,540	250
Asia
China	25	50	50	35	45	525	35
India	155	160	190	135	165	2,045	245
Pakistan	240	235	290	210	150	3,195	160
Sri Lanka	285	205	225	235	135	3,750	255
Others	265	50	65	40	35	890	55
TOTAL	970	700	815	655	530	10,405	745

	August 1991	September 1991	October 1991	November 1991	December 1991	1991 Total	January 1992
Other nationalities ³	—	—	—	—	—	435	—
GRAND TOTAL	3,340	3,525	4,375	3,790	2,210	44,745	2,165
¹ Excluding dependants.
² Figures rounded to the nearest five, with * = less than three.
³ Includes applications in January and February 1991 from nationalities not specifically identified above. From March 1991 these are included in the "other" category for the relevant geographical area.

Local Government Finance

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce regulations to require magistrates to use the power to remit the community charge in full or in part for those people who cannot pay as determined by the means inquiry at committal stage.

No.

Dangerous Dogs

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been made under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991; and if he will make a statement.

Criminal statistics are compiled annually. None are yet available in respect of prosecutions under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which came into force on 12 August last year.

Immigration

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes he proposes to make to entry qualifications for settlement from Pakistan after April; whether he will still accept applications for settlement on the basis of marriage from that date; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has no plans to make any changes in the immigration rules relating to the admission of Pakistani nationals.

Election Expenses

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to publish and bring into force an order on the variation of limits of candidates' election expenses.

Revenue Expenditure¹
£ million
Region	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90	²1990–91	³1991–92
Greater London	3,854	4,111	4,677	5,000	4,676	5,128	5,408	5,553	5,969	6,467	6,987
South East (excluding GL)	3,284	3,541	3,691	3,768	3,933	4,201	4,582	5,162	5,395	6,245	6,934
South West	1,425	1,549	1,595	1,613	1,683	1,879	2,047	2,211	2,397	2,735	3,008
East Anglia	593	659	675	693	720	776	839	941	1,034	1,179	1,306
West Midlands	1,894	2,015	2,126	2,146	2,243	2,377	2,675	2,907	3,112	3,617	3,974
East Midlands	1,303	1,478	1,523	1,528	1,577	1,754	1,943	2,118	2,203	2,550	2,802
North West	2,644	2,836	2,921	2,954	3,085	3,427	3,719	3,984	4,261	4,695	5,085
Yorkshire and Humberside	1,902	2,146	2,165	2,181	2,271	2,561	2,689	2,897	3,048	3,411	3,727
North	1,271	1,402	1,438	1,429	1,472	1,657	1,784	1,895	1,986	2,243	2,435
Total	18,171	19,737	20,809	21,312	21,661	23,760	25,686	27,667	29,404	33,142	36,256

The draft Representation of the People (Variation of limits of Candidates' Elections Expenses) Order 1992 was laid before Parliament on Friday 21 February, and will come into force following approval by both Houses. It will increase the permitted levels of candidates' expenses at parliamentary elections throughout the United Kingdom, and at local elections in Great Britain.

Environment

Local Government Finance

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the statutory provisions relating to the levying by local authorities of a poll tax non-payment surcharge; and what is the total national cost of the non-payment surcharges levied by local authorities in England and Wales for 1991–92.

To comply with section 32 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, an authority must make adequate allowance for estimated non-collection when setting its charges.Before the £140 general reduction, local authorities had made provision for £600 million for non-collection in 1991–92 when setting their charges.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the total of local government (a)revenue and (b)capital expenditure by local government within each region, showing Greater London separately, for each year from 1978–79 to 1991–92 (estimated).

The available information is as follows:

Capital expenditure ⁴
£ million
Region	1985–87	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90	⁵ 1990–91	⁶ 1991–92
Greater London	1,362	1,433	1,592	2,593	1,431	1,369
South East (excluding Greater London)	1,147	1,265	1,648	2,103	1,450	1,457
South West	429	448	543	744	578	608
East Anglia	196	205	263	364	263	275
West Midlands	585	603	705	964	703	693
East Midlands	401	415	456	586	448	491
North West	801	846	856	1,098	893	910
Yorkshire and Humberside	514	591	695	872	644	677
North	411	417	447	497	379	410
Total	5,846	6,224	7,206	9,822	6,788	6,891
¹ Total expenditure figures are given for 1981–82 to 1989–90. Net revenue expenditure both are net of specific and supplementary grants, direct comparisons cannot be made as they derive from two different systems.
² Revised estimate.
³ Budget.
⁴ 1986–87 includes amounts charged direct to revenue or of her funds and not capitalised, and 1991–92 are not strictly comparable to earlier years owing to the introduction of Polytechnics were transferred out of local government from 1 April 1989.
⁵ Provisional outturn.
⁶ Local authority forecast.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money was paid to local authorities to cover the cost of the £140 reduction for poll tax bills.

The sum of £4·374 billion of grant is being paid in 1991–92 under the Community Charges (General Reduction) Act 1991. The sum of £4·346 billion of this had already been paid in respect of charge income forgone, and represents 90 per cent. of the amount due, based on local authorities' own initial estimates of charge income to be collected for the year. Further payments are to be made, with effect from 1992–93, to bring the total amount paid into line with the total income forgone on charges actually collected for the year. In addition, I estimate the £28 million will have been paid by the end of the financial year to reimburse authorities for rebilling and other administrative costs directly resulting from the Act.

Council House Building

To ask the Secretary of State for the Emvironment how many local authority permanent dwellings were started in Great Britain in each year since 1979.

The latest information for 1980 and 1990 is published in table 6.1 of "Housing and Construction Statistics: Great Britain: 1980–1990". Figures for 1979 appear in the 1979–1989 edition of the same publication. Provisional figures for 1991 were released in a departmental information bulletin (No. 87) on 5 February 1992—local authorities account for virtually all the starts by local authorities, new towns and Government Departments in 1991. Copies are in the Library.

Recycling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance he has provided for the development of paper, plastics and glass recycling plants in the United Kingdom; and if he has any plans to develop additional recycling plants.

Our preferred approach is for industry to come up with recycling initiatives that will stand the test of time in a free market. The Government's role is to provide the appropriate legal and economic framework to encourage recycling.The legal framework is set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990, certain provisions of which are designed to make recycling more attractive. The Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of the Environment have also commissioned a study of economic instruments having the potential to encourage higher recycling rates.Industry can seek funding for research and development through the environmental technology innovation scheme—ETIS—operated jointly by my Department and the Department of Trade and Industry, and the DEMOS —the Department of Trade and Industry's environmental management option scheme—and Euroenviron schemes, administered by the Department of Trade and Industry.Recent ETIS grants include £100,500 to British Glass and £835,100 to Anaplast Ltd. to support research into new methods of recycling waste glass and plastic respectively; under the DEMOS scheme, a grant of £283,000 was awarded to Drinkwater Saby Ltd. as part of a collaborative project involving the collection of recyclable household waste and its sorting into marketable fractions; and a grant of £700,000 under the Euroenviron scheme was given to a collaborative project, including a United Kingdom firm, Rosehill Polymers, which aims to research ways in which waste tyres and plastic bottles can be recycled into marketable higher grade products.

Unified Business Rate

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the entitlement to hardship relief for the unified business rate; and in what ways its availability is made known to businesses.

Section 49 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 gives a charging authority discretion to reduce or remit the payment of non-domestic rates. But an authority may not give relief unless it is satisfied that the ratepayer would otherwise sustain hardship and it is reasonable to do so having regard to the interests of its community charge payers. Guidance has been issued to all authorities but it is for them to consider the merits of each case and how the availability of relief should be made known to businesses. Seventy-five per cent. of the cost of any relief granted will be borne centrally by the non-domestic rates pool with the remainder being met locally by charge payers.

Redmire To Redcar Rail Link

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had about the environmental impact of the possible closure of the Redmire to Redcar rail link; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which the transfer of traffic from rail to road is in accordance with his Department's environmental objectives.

None. As my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Transport said in answer to the hon. Member today, British Steel has agreed to continue transporting limestone on the Redmire line until the end of September, and officials from his Department are to host discussions to explore the scope for keeping the limestone traffic on the line in the longer term.

Planning Authorities (Development Policy)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to encourage local planning authorities to make known a clear presumption against development in areas unsuitable for development, in order to deter repeated applications.

Guidance on the preparation of development plans in PPG12, published on 10 February 1992, emphasises that such plans provide the framework for sound and effective development control. While they must make adequate provision for development, full account must also be taken of the need to protect the built and natural environments. Planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. An applicant who proposes development which is clearly in conflict with the development plan would need to produce convincing reasons to demonstrate why the plan should not prevail.Development plans will therefore give much greater certainty about what development will and will not be acceptable in particular locations. Coupled with local planning authorities' power, under section 17 of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991, to turn away certain categories of repetitive planning applications, the new development plan system should reduce considerably the incidence of repeated applications.

London Docklands

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish (a)the total grant paid to the London Docklands development corporation (b)expenditure by his Department outside the LDDC area but directly related to docklands redevelopment in east London and (c) other expenditure by his Department on regeneration within the LDDC area showing revenue and capital separately for each year from 1981–82 to 1991–92 (estimated) and plans for 1992–93 to 1994–95.

(a) Total grant paid to the London Docklands development corporation (LDDC) from 1981–82 to 1991–92 is:

	Revenue £ million	Capital £ (rounded)
1981–82	2	28
1982–83	8	33
1983–84	9	54
1984–85	11	48
1985–86	11	43
1986–87	12	53
1987–88	12	71
1988–89	18	98
1989–90	20	236
1990–91	22	311
¹1991–92	22	227
¹ Estimated.

The provisional allocation for 1992–93 is £21 million (revenue) and £81 million (capital).Levels of grant for 1993–94 and 1994–95 have not be determined.(b) My Department's inner-city programmes support various regeneration activities. Although it is not possible to quantify the value of schemes relating directly to docklands redevelopment, inner-city expenditure (capital and revenue) in the boroughs of Newham, Southwark and Tower Hamlets, is:

	£ million (rounded)
1981–82	2
1982–83	1
1983–84	3
1984–85	5
1985–86	4
1986–87	7
1987–88	8
1988–89	8
1989–90	9
1990–91	9
¹1991–92	13
¹ Estimated.

The allocation for 1992–93 has not yet been finalised, and grant levels for 1993–94 and 1994–95 have not been determined.(c) I will write to the hon. Member with this information.

Shelters, London

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of new provision of shelters and other accommodation for the roofless in Greater London in 1990, 1991, 1992, including the numbers of places made available at each location.

Between 1990 and 1992 my Department has provided 489 places in 19 hostels and 779 places in winter shelters in Greater London under the rough sleepers initiative. We have also provided bedspaces in permanent independent accommodation for rough sleepers to move on to. A list of the places made available in 1990, 1991 and so far in 1992 states:

List of hostel places
Managing Agency	Hostel Name	Beds	Opening date
St. Mungo Association	Nevern Square, SW5	20	December 1990
St. Mungo Association	Bassett Road, W10	22	December 1990
Providence Row	Crispin Street, E1	8	January 1991
Look Ahead HA	Princess Beatrice House, SW10	4	February 1991
St. Mungo Association	City Road, EC1	45	February 1991
English Churches Housing Group	Station Hotel, N1	33	April 1991
English Churches Housing Group	King George Hostel, SW1	100	April 1991
Centrepoint Soho	Vauxhall Hostel, SW8	60	May 1991
St. Mungo Association	Vartry Road, N15	19	May 1991
Providence Row	Crispin Street, E1	16	June 1991
English Churches Housing Group	Chevening Road, NW6	6	June 1991
English Churches Housing Group	St. Mark's Rectory, NW1	13	July 1991
De Paul Trust	Moorhouse Road, W2	16	July 1991
Shaftesbury Society	Sir John Kirk Centre, SE5	22	July 1991
Shaftesbury Society	Lansdowne Centre, SE1	22	August 1991
YMCA National Council	10–12 West Cromwell Road, SW5	34	September 1991
United Kingdom Housing Trust	Arlington House, NW1	7	September 1991
Shaftesbury Society	Aldershot Road, NW6	6	October 1991
De Paul Trust	Lord Clyde, SE11	36	October 1991

List of places in winter shelters
Managing Agency	Hostel Name	Beds	Opening date
London Borough of Hammersmith	Bulwer Street, W12	30	February 1991
			(closed September 1991)
Salvation Army	Blackfriars Road, SE1	80	February 1991
			(closed March 1991)
London Borough of Lambeth	Coronation Hall, SE1	16	February 1991
			(closed March 1991)
Croydon YMCA	Causton Hall, Croydon	25	February 1991
			(closed April 1991)
Centrepoint Soho	Soho Square, W1	40	February 1991
			(closed May 1991)
St. Mungo's Association	Paddington Green, W2	75	February 1991
City of Westminster	Bruce House, Kemble Street, WC2	60	February 1991
The Passage	Westminster Cathedral Night Shelter, SW1	40	February 1991
Crisis	Tooley Street, SE1	60	December 1991
English Churches Housing Group	Rame House, Tooting Bee, SW17	25	December 1991
Croydon YMCA	Causton Hall, Croydon	25	December 1991
South London Family Housing Association	Lawrie Park Road, SE26	50	December 1991
St. Christopher's Fellowship	Ealing Hospital, W5	25	December 1991
London Borough of Camden	Heysham House, NW3	30	December 1991
Salvation Army	St. Ann's Street, SW1	20	December 1991
London Borough of Lambeth	Cynthia Molsey House, SE11	25	January 1992
London Borough of Camden	Grays Inn Road, WC1	35	January 1992
London Borough of Camden	Parker Street, WC1	18	January 1992
Centrepoint Soho	Soho Square, W1	45	January 1992
Single Homeless Project	Abbey Centre, Marsham Street, SW1	35	February 1992
Salvation Army	Atlantic House, EC2	20	February 1992

In addition, we have provided 522 places in flats and houses leased from the private sector.

Homeless Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the total numbers of homeless individuals in (a) England, (b) Greater London, (c) outer London and (d) inner London in each year from 1980–81 to 1991–92.

The available information is on the numbers of households for whom local authorities accepted responsibility for securing permanent accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 and the Housing Act 1985. Estimates of the total number of persons in these households are not available centrally.

Year	England	Greater London	Inner London¹	Outer London
1980	60,400	17,100	9,820	7,280
1981	66,990	18,010	10,080	7,930
1982	71,620	20,630	11,880	8,750
1983	75,470	23,620	12,590	11,030
1984	80,500	24,740	15,330	9,410
1985	91,010	27,070	16,600	10,470
1986	100,490	29,380	18,160	11,220
1987	109,170	29,220	18,390	10,380
1988	113,770	28,880	16,680	12,200
1989	122,180	33,020	20,290	12,730
1990	140,350	36,480	21,890	14,590
²1991	110,740	29,310	17,920	11,390

¹ Inner London comprises City of London, Camden, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster.

² First 3 quarters only

A new reporting system was introduced for the non-metropolitan districts from the fourth quarter 1980 and for London and other metropolitan authorities from the third quarter 1982 and figures for 1980 to 1982 are not strictly comparable with those for later periods. From the second quarter 1991 the definition of acceptance was altered to exclude intentionally homeless and all earlier figures have been adjusted to the new basis.

Gravel

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what forecasts for gravel demand have been made by his Department for the next five, 10 and 20 years; and what steps are being taken to seek substitutes which would have less environmental impact than gravel extraction.

Independent forecasts of the long-term national demand for primary aggregates, which include gravel, were published for consultation by the Department in May 1991. These covered the 20-year period to 2011 and showed projected annual demand in England and Wales could reach between 421 metric tonnes and 490 metric tonnes by that time. The Government have a comprehensive programme of research projects examining alternative sources of supply of aggregates. This includes marine dredged aggregates and coastal superquarries. The Government are also committed to increasing the use of waste and recycled materials. Research into the scope for using these as aggregates was published by the Department in July 1991. The research suggested various ways to stimulate increased usage. These are being progressed at present.

Leigh Barton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment at the present level of four general craftsmen involved in repair work, when he expects the historic monument of Leigh Barton to be open to the general public; how much has been spent on restoration and renovation work since the monument was taken into public ownership in 1986; whether the funds are available to complete the necessary work; and if he will make a statement as to his policy on restoring historic monuments so that they can be safely open to the public.

Since its acquisition in 1974, work to Leigh Barton has cost about £300,000. English Heritage expects to have to spend another £250,000 before the programme of work can be completed. It has not been possible for it to give the work the priority that it would wish because of other demands on its financial resources. The work is now expected to recommence in 1994–95 and continue into 1995–96, when English Heritage will review the future opening arrangements.English Heritage is committed to putting its estate into good repair, maintaining it and managing it efficiently for the benefit of the nation. The properties in care cover a wide variety of England's historic buildings and monuments. In some instances it is appropriate for English Heritage to consider an alternative use for its properties, rather than maintain them solely for public access with a custodial presence. In the case of Leigh Barton, English Heritage is looking at a possible alternative use for the farmhouse which could generate an income and be compatible with some future public access.

Renaval

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the statement on 17 February, Official Report, column 27, and the answer by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, on 24 February, Official Report, column 380, when he will issue the necessary instructions to enable the RENAVAL programme in Plymouth to commence.

The RENAVAL programme for the travel-to-work area of Plymouth was approved by the European Commission on 20 December 1900. The inaugural meeting of the programme co-ordinating committee was held on 21 March 1991. Some European regional development fund payments have already been authorised in respect of the programme.

Un Environment Programme

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte report on the efficiency of the United Nations environment programme with regard to the United Kingdom's donations to UNEP.

My Department already has a copy of this report.

Ec Funding

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether those local authorities in areas eligible to receive European regional development fund assistance will enjoy an increase in their captial allocations to enable utilisation of European regional development fund allocations without a reduction in the proportion of supplementary credit allocation not available to match European regional development fund grant, but used to support housing, education, personal and social services and transport schemes.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement made in the House on 17 February by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in which he indicated that future public expenditure plans would show forecast ERDF receipts separately and this would demonstrate that public expenditure cover would be clearly available for such receipts. The detailed arrangements for this are still the subject of dicussion amongst the relevant Government Departments.

Rose Theatre

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give further consideration to including the site of the Rose theatre remains in Southwark in his schedule of ancient monuments.

I am pleased to announce that, following a joint request by CMD Property Developments Ltd. and BriTel Fund Trustees Ltd. and consultation with English Heritage, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has today included the site of the Rose theatre remains in his schedule of ancient monuments. Development of the Rose Court building which includes the provision of sufficient headroom over the remains to allow for their possible future display, is complete. Scheduling at this time will ensure that any proposals for works to the monument, including works in connection with its long term preservation and possible display, would be fully considered through the statutory scheduled monument consent procedures.

"This Common Inheritance"

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has completed the consultation on the policy of banning or discouraging all uses of asbestos as set out in the Government's White Paper, "This Common Inheritance—The First Year Report"; and if he will make a statement.

In September 1991 it was announced in the White Paper "This Common Inheritance—The First Year Report" that the Government were consulting on

"a policy of banning or discouraging all uses of asbestos, expect for a number of existing uses were detailed risk assessment has shown that suitable substitutes are either not available or do not offer a materially better option in safety or other terms".

Subsequently, the European Commission announced that it would propose a draft directive, to ban remaining types of asbestos, with exemptions for some uses of chrysotile (white asbestos).Consultations on the proposed policy and the expected directive have involved the Department of Trade and Industry, the Health and Safety Executive, the Department of the Environment's advisory committee on hazardous substances, the Confederation of British Industry and the asbestos industry. The consultation is now complete.In negotiating the expected draft directive, the Government's policy will be that remaining uses of asbestos should be limited to essential cases where less hazardous substitutes are not yet available, based on assessment of risks and costs during production, use and disposal. The Government's aim is to see this policy introduced Community-wide, as part of their strategy to assess, and where possible reduce, the potential health and environmental impacts of hazardous substances.The existing legislation, which prohibits the most dangerous types and uses of asbestos and controls work activities involving asbestos and disposal of asbestos, will remain. There will be no requirement to remove and dispose of asbestos materials already in place, such as in buildings (for example as insulation), in cars (for example, as brake pads) or in industrial situations (for example, as seals or gaskets). The Government advise that asbestos materials in poor condition should be removed, but that materials in good condition should remain in place. Further detailed advice is available in the Department of the Environment's booklet "Asbestos Materials in Buildings" which is available from HMSO.

Fuel And Power Industry Processes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, when the remainder of the process guidance notes for the fuel and power industry processes prescribed under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 will be available; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 4 February 1992, c. 137]: I am very pleased to report that we have today issued 26 more guidance notes covering almost all the remaining processes which are to be prescribed for local authority air pollution control under the Act from 1 April. These notes have been drawn up after consultation with relevant industries, local authorities and other interested bodies. They will provide a sound framework within which local authorities will be able to exercise their new air pollution control functions.A set of notes will be placed in the Library of the House. The notes are also being sent to district and borough councils and to port health authorities.These notes substantially complete the guidance for the processes prescribed for local authority control under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. All the published notes will, however, be reviewed regularly, and additional or amended notes will be issued if and when the need arises.

Renewable Energy Sources

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to publish a policy planning guidance note for the development of renewable energy sources.

A consultation paper inviting comments on a draft planning policy guidance note (PPG) on this topic was issued by my Department on 5 December. Separate but parallel consultation is being carried out by the Welsh Office. My right hon. Friends intend to publish this PPG later this year.

New Parliamentary Building

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a progress report on the design of the new parliamentary building; and what arrangements are being made to show the proposals to hon. Members.

I have kept in close touch with the development of the design of the new building, including making a number of visits to the offices of the architect Michael Hopkins and Partners to see the work at first hand. The design is making good progress, has received a favourable response from the Royal Fine Art Commission, and the informal consultations with Westminster city council and English Heritage are progressing well prior to making a submission for planning consent under DOE circular 18/84. The work is on target for completion of the final sketch design stage by Easter 1992 and I am confident that the design will develop to provide a building which, as the Services Committee said:

"should come to be regarded world wide as an example of the very finest late twentieth century British architecture".

My right hon. Friend the Leader of the House has announced that there will be a debate on the design proposals on Monday 9 March. I understand that, to enable right hon. and hon. Members to form their own view on the proposals, the Accommodation and Works Committee has arranged for the model of the building together with plans, perspectives and elevations to be exhibited in Westminster Hall for two weeks from 2 March. A brochure describing the scheme is also being sent to all right hon. and hon. Members.

Employment

Social Fund (Vocational Training)

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether unemployed claimants who are receiving unemployment benefit who participate in European social fund vocational training courses provided either by (a) voluntary organisations or local authorities, or (b) training and enterprise councils or local enterprise companies, are required to be available for and actively seeking employment.

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

Industrial Relations

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a list of those who responded to the Green Paper, "Industrial Relations in the 1990s".

As with all previous Green Papers on this subject, the responses to "Industrial Relations in the 1990s" have been treated as confidential unless the organisations concerned have made their views public. This applies both to the content of particular representations and to the identification of their source. At the request of the hon. Member for Sedgefield, my Department has written to all those who responded to the latest Green Paper to ask if they would he willing to be identified.

Wages Council

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the current wages councils and the numbers of (a) workers and (b) establishments covered by each council.

The latest information available is given in the table:

Numbers of Establishments covered by wages councils in January 1990 and estimated numbers of workers covered in 1988
Wages Councils	Establishments	Workers
Aerated Waters	264	5,500
Boot and Shoe Repairing	2,970	5,000
Button Manufacturing	49	1,000
Clothing Manufacturing	6,513	147,000
Coffin Furniture and Cerement Making	21	200
Cotton Waste Reclamation	25	300
Flax and Hemp	10	500
Fur	187	1,500
General Waste Materials Reclamation	1,443	13,000

Wages Councils	Establishments	Workers
Hairdressing	33,941	64,000
Hat, Cap and Millinery	124	4,000
Lace Finishing	62	900
Laundry	1,067	26,000
Licensed non-Residential Establishments	67,734	492,000
Licensed Residential Establishments and Licensed Restaurants	34,758	379,000
Linen and Cotton Handkerchief and Household Goods and Linen Piece Goods	138	2,500
Made-Up Textiles	289	3,000
Ostrich and Fancy Feather and Artificial Flower	36	500
Perambulator and Invalid Carriage	30	2,000
Retail Bespoke Tailoring	481	4,000
Retail Food and Allied Trades	111,029	465,000
Retail Trades (Non-Food)	114,741	745,000
Rope Twine and Net	91	2,500
Sack and Bag	63	1,000
Toy Manufacturing	218	11,000
Unlicensed Place of Refreshment	18,897	96,000
Total	395,181	2,472,400

Labour Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the total number of employees in employment within (a) the south-east region, (b) Greater London, (c) outer London, (d) inner London and (e) each London borough in each year from 1980 to 1990.

Information for areas smaller than the standard economic regions is only available from the censuses of employment for 1981, 1984, 1987 and 1989. The available information can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the total number of registered unemployed people there were in (a) the south-east region, (b) Greater London, (c) outer London, (d) inner London and (e) each London borough in each year from 1980 to 1990.

The numbers of people claiming unemployment related benefits can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently in work in (a) the east midlands and (b) Derbyshire; and how many people were in work in these areas in 1979.

Estimates for areas within standard regions are available only from the census of employment. The earliest and most recent estimates for the county on a comparable basis are for 1981 and 1989. These are given in the table together with estimates for the region in 1979, 1991 and the two census dates.

Employees in employment
(Thousandds)
September of each year	East Midlands	Derbyshire
1979	1,565·4	—
1981	1,466·5	334·9
1989	1,573·6	353·3
1991	1,520·7	—

Trade Unions

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians' conduct of its affairs; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment has received no such representations. However, deficiencies in the register of members of the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians have been widely reported. These include the listing of people who are not union members. The Government intend to introduce legislation to strengthen the rights of union members against electoral fraud arising from such deficiencies in trade union registers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 25 February, Official Report, column 457, what representations he has received about the conduct of the elections for (a) officials and (b) other bodies of the former National Union of Seamen in 1984, 1985 and 1986; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment has received no representations about any of the elections mentioned. Statutory requirements covering elections for members of trade unions' principal executive committees first came into effect in October 1985. The current requirements, together with the additional proposals in the Green Paper "Industrial Relations in the 1990s" (Cm. 1602), are intended to ensure that the basic right of union members to free and fair elections is effectively protected.

Small Businesses

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received calling for legislation to help alleviate the problems caused to small businesses by the slow payment of bills; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment and I have both received representations for legislation from individual small business owners and managers, trade and other associations and from hon. Members. Although I understand the frustrations felt by small businesses because of delayed payments I remain to be convinced that legislation would be effective. The majority of organisations representing small firms share the Government's view that the effect of a legislative approach would be, at best, minimal and could even be damaging to the small firms sector. I have made it known, however, that I would be interested to receive views on how an effective legislative framework might operate.

My Department will continue to address late payment through a strategy of persuasion and education and, in addition to a number of measures already in place. I am keeping the issue under close review.

Social Security

Homelessness

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what discussions he has had with local authorities regarding the provision of hostels for the homeless to match the reduction of resettlement units; and if he will make a statement.

The management of the Ressettlement Agency and day-to-day negotiations with local authorities and voluntary bodies are matters for Mr. Tony Ward, the chief executive, although no unit is closed unless Ministers are satisfied with replacement proposals. He will write to my hon. Friend and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

Claimants, Leeds

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will show for each year from 1987 to 1991 the number of people in the Leeds metropolitan district who claimed (a) family credit, (b) income support and (c) community charge benefit both (i) in total and (ii) by benefit office.

The administration of benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in the Leeds metropolitan district (a) applied for social fund, (i) community care grants, (ii) budgeting loans and (iii) crisis loans and (b) received community care grants, budgeting loans and crisis loans, shown (1) numerically and (2) in real cash terms every year from 1987 to 1991, shown both in totals and by benefit office.

The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

Income Support

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will obtain for his departmental library, a copy of the research undertaken by Sean Stitt of Newcastle polytechnic into the viability of income support; and if he will make a statement.

The Department received a copy of this last year. We are always interested in research which might bear upon the effectiveness of income support, although we would not accept the assumptions made in this report.

Pensions Uprating

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would have been the cost in each year to public funds at 1992 prices to have maintained since November 1980 the system by which statutory up-rating of pensions was required to increase by whichever was the higher of prices or earnings.

The annual cost to the national insurance fund (at 1991–92 prices at £ millions) of uprating basic retirement pensions each year by prices or earnings whichever was higher in each year starting in November 1980 for each financial year is given in the table:

Financial Year	Cost £ millions
1980–81	127
1981–82	552
1982–83	747
1983–84	833
1984–85	1,509
1985–86	1,679
1986–87	2,581
1987–88	3,769
1988–89	4,571
1989–90	5,430
1990–91	5,884
1991–92	6,271

There would be some offsetting savings in expenditure on income-related benefits.The cost to the national insurance fund of these extra costs in 1991–92 would mean an increase of £8.70 per week in the combined national insurance contributions of a man on average earnings and his employer.

Expenditure

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what change there has been in social security spending since 1978–79; and what change is expected for the future.

Total expenditure on social security increased by 52 per cent. or £23 billion in real terms between 1978–79 and 1991–92. Between 1991–92 and 1994–95, expenditure is expected to grow by £6.4 billion at 1991–92 prices. Of the overall increase, 32 per cent. relates to expenditure on benefits for elderly people, 39 per cent. on benefits for long-term sick and disabled people, and 13 per cent. on benefits for lone parent families. The figures given above for past growth, and for the division on future growth between client groups correct those given in the DSS departmental report (Cm. 1914).

National Insurance Contributions

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1970 the number of males and females paying national insurance contributions and the amount collected in contributions as a percentage of gross domestic product to one place of decimals together with (a) the number earning more than the upper earnings limit, the amount earned by such males and females, and their aggregate incomes as a percentage of the amount by those paying national insurance and (b) the amount earned above the upper earnings limit as a proportion of the amount earned below it.

[holding answer 19 February 1992]: The information requested is in the tables:

	Numbers of people¹paying contributions (thousands)		Amount collected in contributions as a percentage of GDP²
	Males	Females
1970–71	—	—	4·6
1971–72	—	—	4·6
1972–73	—	—	4·7
1973–74	—	—	5·0
1974–75	—	—	5·3
1975–76	15,829	9,265	5·7
1976–77	15,722	9,189	6·2
1977–78	15,714	9,273	6·0
1978–79	15,654	9,279	5·5
1979–80	15,775	9,533	5·6
1980–81	15,256	9,148	6·2
1981–82	14,478	8,793	6·4
1982–83	14,166	8,664	6·8
1983–84	14,315	8,692	7·0
1984–85	14,243	8,860	6·7
1985–86	14,364	9,170	6·7
1986–87	14,369	9,308	6·5
1987–88	14,465	9,633	6·4
1988–89	14,670	10,096	6·5
¹Source: 1 per cent. sample from Contributors and Contributions Statistics. Although some people pay a mixture of different types of contributions, each person is counted only once in the table. No figures are readily available for years prior to 1975 and are not yet available from 1989–90.
² All GDP data used are consistent with the Regional Accounts article published in Economic Trends November 1991. The contributions figures used in the calculations are the gross receipts for the NI fund which are set out in the NI fund accounts for each year.

(a) It is estimated that in 1991–92 on average 2·6 million men and 0·4 million women earn more than the upper earnings limit. Their earnings are estimated to be:
£ billion
Men	Women	Total
80	10	90

Their total earnings are expected to be about 34 per cent. of the earnings of all those who pay national insurance.(b) It is estimated that the amount of all earnings above the upper earnings limit is about 11·5 per cent. of all the earnings below that limit.Information for earlier years is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Northern Ireland

Domestic Rates

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what will be the level of relief for domestic rates in Northern Ireland in consequence of the application of the poll tax in Great Britain in the current year: and if he will make a statement.

The statutory rule which will give effect to the 1992–93 regional rate for Northern Ireland and to the reduction for domestic ratepayers will be laid before Parliament in early March, in accordance with the normal timetable.

Departmental Staff

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total number of employees in his Department; and how many are (a) black and (b) disabled.

On 30 November 1991 there were 29,860 people in the non-industrial grades of the Northern Ireland civil service and 213 members of the home civil service working in the Northern Ireland Office.There were 1,284 staff in the Northern Ireland Civil Service (4·3 per cent. of the service) who self-reported a disability. Of these, 431 (1·4 per cent. of the service) were, or had been, registered as disabled. In addition, 35 registered disabled people were working in the Northern Ireland civil service under the sheltered placement scheme. There were no registered disabled staff in the Northern Ireland Office.The Race Relations Act 1976 does not apply to Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland civil service does not, therefore, monitor the ethnic origin of staff. The 109 London-based staff of the Northern Ireland Office have, however, been invited to take part in an ethnic monitoring survey and, of those who responded, 14 described themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority.

Attorney-General

Mortgage Possession Orders

To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer of 21 February, Official Report, columns 321–22, for what reason the number of mortgage possession orders made in Coventry court in 1991 exceeded the number of actions entered.

A greater number of orders made over actions entered is not necessarily an indication of error, since some of the orders will relate to actions entered during the previous year. However, the figures given in my answer to the hon. Member on 21 February were provisional and stated to be so. On checking the figures again, it has been established that the data given for orders made erroneously included rent actions. The figures have now been revised and the total number of actions entered and orders made, whilst still provisional, should now read 1,256 and 1,202 respectively.

Departmental Staff

To ask the Attorney-General if he will publish a table showing the number of (a) men and (b) women (x) in his Department and (y) in the Lord Chancellor's Department in each of grades (i) 1, (ii) 2, (iii) 3, (iv) 4, (v) 5, (vi) 6, (vii) 7, (viii) SEO, (ix) HEO, (x) administrative trainee, (xi) EO, (xii) CO and (xiii) CA.

The information requested is set out in the tables.

(X) Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers
	(a) Men	(b) Women
Grade 1	—	—
2	—	—
3	—	1
4	2	—
5	3	—

	(a) Men	(b) Women
6	2	1
7	—	1
SEO	—	—
HEO	1	—
Administration trainee	—	—
EO	2	—
AO	1	1
AA	—	1

(X) Treasury Solicitor's Department
	(a) Men	(b) Women
Grade 1	1	—
2	1	—
3	9	—
4	2	—
5	35	7
6	50	11
7	59	29
SEO	8	3
HEO	22	9
Administration trainee	—	—
EO	27	40
AO	26	41
AA	4	4

(X) Crown Prosecution Service
Grade	(a) Men	(b) Women
1	—	—
2	—	1
3	5	—
4	9	—
5	55	2
6	165	23
7	27	5
SEO	84	32
HEO	127	174
Administration trainee	—	—
EO	362	809
AO	334	954
AA	124	312

(X) Serious Fraud Office
Grade	(a) Men	(b) Women
1	—	—
2	—	1
3	1	—
4	—	—
5	7	1
6	7	4
7	7	1
SEO	7	1
HEO	14	5
Administration trainee	—	—
EO	7	11
AO	9	13
AA	—	—

(Y) Lord Chancellor's Department
Grade	(a) Men	(b) Women
1	1	—
2	2	—
3	11	—
4	5	—
5	27	2
6	55·5	19·5
7	123	42·5
SEO	225	85
HEO	522	417·5

Grade	(a) Men	(b) Women
AT/HEOD	5	4
EO	556·5	1,185·5
AO	9,655	2.949
AA	195	511·5

(A) The figures are based on full-time equivalents, ie part-time staff count as ·5.

(B) Figures for grades 6 and 7 include figures for grade equivalents.

To ask the Attorney-General what is the total number of employees in (a) the Lord Chancellor's Department and (b) his Department; and how many are (i) black and (ii) disabled.

The total number of staff in (a) the Lord Chancellor's Department is 11,923. The total numbers of staff in my Departments (b) are:

Department	Numbers
Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers	23
Treasury Solicitor's Department	474
Crown Prosecution Service	5,758
Serious Fraud Office	129

In the Lord Chancellor's Department 8,674 staff responded to an ethnic origin survey, and of these 622 were black or belonged to other ethnic minorities. As at 1 June 1991 the Lord Chacellor's Department had 171 staff who are registered as disabled.In the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers there are no black or registered disabled staff. In the Treasury Solicitor's Department there are 80 staff who are black or belong to other ethnic minorities. The Treasury Solicitor's Department had four members of staff who are registered as disabled.In the Crown prosecution service, 4,012 staff responded to an ethnic origin survey, and of these 248 were black or belonged to other ethnic minorities. As at 31 August 1991 the Crown prosecution service had 40 staff who are registered as disabled.The Serious Fraud Office has 17 staff who are black or belong to other ethnic minorities, but no employees who are registered as disabled.

Stefan Kiszko

To ask the Attorney-General why the results of the sperm test on Stefan Kiszko carried out by Dr. Edward Tierney were not disclosed to the defence at the time of his trial.

The sample of semen obtained by Dr. Tierney from Stefan Kiszko was submitted to the forensic science laboratory for examination. The Director of Public Prosecutions was provided with a witness statement made by the scientist concerned with the test and that statement was served as part of the committal document. The statement concluded withh an assertion that the maker had

"found nothing else of evidential value"

and the Director of Public Prosecutions relied upon that assertion. So far as can be ascertained from the DPP's case file, no information was received by his staff to put them on notice that further material evidence was in fact available. The conduct of the original inquiry is currently under investigation by the Lancashire police.

Scotland

Ambulance Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give, for the Scottish Ambulance Service, Greater Glasgow area, the success rate in percentage terms of achieving its ORCON standards for (a) reaction to a 999 call and (b) reaching the site.

The current rates of achievement for the Greater Glasgow area are:

Emergency calls	Percentage of calls
Activation time	83 per cent. of calls within three minutes
Reaching scene	81 per cent. of calls within 14 minutes

The target for such calls is 95 per cent. and I have asked the general manager of the Scottish Ambulance Service to review the situation. In addition I am making an extra £250,000 available to the ambulance service in Glasgow specifically to help improve the success rate in response times.

European Community Food Surpluses

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the procedures for distributing EC food surpluses to voluntary organisations in Scotland; and what action is being taken to ensure that such voluntary organisations are made fully aware of the availability of EC surplus food and are encouraged to assist in its distribution to those most in need.

In reply to a question from the right hon. Member for Selby (Mr. Alison), my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced on 26 February, Official Report, column 507–8, the arrangements for operating the European Community surplus food scheme in the United Kingdom in 1992. Agriculture departments will shortly be inviting charitable and other non-profit making organisations wishing to take part to apply by 10 April for designation to distribute food. The details were set out in a joint agriculture departments press release. In addition to that publicity, the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department will be writing to all bodies participating in the 1991 scheme or which have expressed an interest in the 1992 scheme.

Speech Therapy

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what level of resources have been allocated for speech therapy for children in Scotland with a formal statement of needs; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 26 February 1992]: General responsibility for the speech therapy needs of children in Scotland rests with health boards. Financial provision is made within the overall moneys made available to support their programmes, but the element devoted to speech therapy provision is not separately identified.Additionally, education authorities have a responsibility to provide for speech therapy which is identified as a special educational need in a record of needs. Under new arrangements, which will begin on 1 April 1992, education authorities will contract directly with health boards for the provision of this service. The sum of £2 million has been included in the 1992–93 local government settlement to take account of the additional expenditure authorities will incur.

Wales

Home Ownership Schemes

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many properties have been removed from the public sector via shared ownership schemes by each local authority in Wales in each year since 1988.

Since 1988, one dwelling has been sold to the private sector under section 143 of the Housing Act 1985. This occurred in Alyn and Deeside in 1990.

Local Government Finance

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the proportion of local authority revenue expenditure in Wales financed by (a) Government grant, (b) non-domestic rates and (c) local domestic taxation in each year from 1978–79 to 1990–91 and estimates for 1991–92 and 1992–93.

The information available is given in the table. Prior to 1981–82 there was no separate rate support grant system for Wales and so figures are not available.

Financing of local authority revenue expenditure¹
per cent.
	Government grants²	Non-domestic rates³	Domestic rates/community charges⁴
1981–82	71	19	12
1982–83	71	18	13
1983–84	71	17	11
1984–85	71	17	11
1985–86	70	18	12
1986–87	69	19	13
1987–88	69	19	13
1988–89	67	19	14
1989–90	65	19	15
1990–91⁵	62	20	17
1991–92⁵	72	21	6
1992–93⁶	72	21	7
¹ The percentages do not add to 100 per cent. for technical reasons; these include rounding and authorities' use of balances. Local authority revenue expenditure is defined here (i) prior to 1990–91 as "relevant" expenditure plus expenditure on certain non-relevant items such as net expenditure on mandatory student awards (ii) for 1990–91 onwards as revenue expenditure "on a Total Standard Spending basis".
² Prior to 1990–91 comprises rate support grant, specific and supplementary grants within aggregate Exchequer grant, domestic

	Building for sale			Building under licence
	1988	1989	1990	1991	1990¹	1991
Alyn and Deeside	—	—	—	22	—	—
South Pembrokeshire	—	—	—	—	18	—
Cardiff	—	—	—	—	7	—
Source: Welsh Office housing returns.
¹ Data for the last two quarters.

² rate relief grant and rate rebate grants. For 1990–91 onwards comprises revenue support grant, specific and supplementary grants within aggregate external finance, community charge benefit grant, transitional relief/community/charge reduction scheme grants and community charge grant (1991–92).

³ Prior to 1990–91 rate income, net of rebates. For 1990–91 onwards the distributable amount.

⁴ Prior to 1990–91 rate income, net of domestic rate relief grant and rate rebates. For 1990–91 onwards net of community charge benefit grant, transitional relief/community charge reduction scheme grants and community charge grant (1991–92).

⁵ Provisional.

⁶ 1992–93 settlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the total of local government (a) revenue and (b) capital expenditure by local government within Wales for each year from 1978–79 to 1991–92 (estimated).

The information available is given in the table. Revenue expenditure figures are not available on a comparable basis prior to 1981–82.

£ million
	Revenue expenditure¹	Capital expenditure²
1978–79	n/a	201·7
1979–80	n/a	241·8
1980–81	n/a	271·4
1981–82	1,117·1	244·4
1982–83	1,2072	344·9
1983–84	1,267·3	413·9
1984–85	1,304·0	358·4
1985–86	1,352·8	3432
1986–87	1,463·1	413·7
1987–88	1,567·0	499·1
1988–89	1,711·6	510·4
1989–90	1,847·4	644·9
1990–91³	2,086·1	584·3
1991–92³	2,324·1	648·6
¹ Prior to 1990–91 total expenditure for block grant purposes; for 1990–91 onwards new net revenue expenditure including community council expenditure. Whilst these two definitions are similar (for example, both are net of specific and supplementary grants) they are not directly comparable.
² Capital expenditure charged to the capital account
³ Provisional.

Building Schemes

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many properties have been developed under (a) building for sale schemes and (b) building under licence schemes in each local authority area in Wales in each year since 1988.

Information on dwellings built by local authorities for sale is collected at the time of sale. Numbers of dwellings built under licence relate to those intended to be built at the time of disposal of land to the private developer and have been collected centrally only since the third quarter of 1990. Recorded activity since 1988 is given in the table:

Health Service Staff

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of people employed by the NHS in Wales on a full-time and part-time basis.

The latest available data, as at 30 September 1990 for medical and dental staff and 31 January 1992 for non-medical and dental staff, show that there were 72,146 staff employed by the NHS in Wales—including the Welsh Health Commons Services Authority but excluding staff in Gwent and South Glamorgan family health services authorities which are not on the payroll system for which this information is derived—this amounted to 117 staff as at 31 December 1991—the full and part time split is not held centrally. Of these 44,547 were full time and 27,599 were part time.

Welsh Language Teachers

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Welsh language teachers there were in each county in the Welsh education system in the years 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991.

Due to the organisation of the curriculum in primary schools, teachers of the Welsh language cannot be separately identified. The number of Welsh language teachers in secondary schools is available only from the 1989 secondary school staffing survey and relates to that year. The information is given in the table.

Number of teachers teaching the Welsh language in secondary schools in 1989¹
	Welsh language teachers
Clwyd	134
Dyfed	178
Gwent	16
Gwynedd	199
Mid Glamorgan	153
Powys	54
South Glamorgan	76
West Glamorgan	105
Wales	915
¹Source: Secondary school staffing survey, March 1989.

Health

Dentists

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement explaining the circumstances in which dentists have been advised that their payments are to be reduced by 13 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to vary the national health service fees paid to general dental practitioners; and if he will make a statement.

The proposed increase in target net income of 8·5 per cent. which was recommended by the Doctors and Dentists Remuneration Review Body was accepted by the Government. To ensure that the level at which fees are pitched in the coming year will deliver this proposed increase in dentists' net income, the health departments consulted the British Dental Association (BDA). Because of evidence of overpayments resulting from this year's level of fees, which suggest that on average dentists would be paid far more than the intended target gross income, the Government suggested an interim fee reduction from 1 April. Following discussions with the BDA and the health departments agreement was reached to suspend the reduction in fees proposed for 1 April. The health departments and the BDA will also hold a joint enquiry to review the level of payments to dentists in 1991–92; simultaneously, they will begin a more fundamental review of the structure of dentists' remuneration.

Health Service Staff

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of people employed by the NHS in England on a full-time and part-time basis.

At 30 September 1990, the latest date for which figures are held centrally, there were 585,300 full-time employees and 358,700 part-time employees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the increase of staff in district health authorities since April 1989.

Figures at April 1989 are not available. The increase between September 1989 and September 1990, the latest date for which figures are held centrally, was 900 whole-time equivalents (0·1 per cent.). Over the same period there was an overall decrease of 200 whole-time equivalents in the NHS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of the campaign to recruit nurses in each of the last five years; and whether a similar campaign to recruit social service staff will be run.

The cost of the nurse recruitment campaigns in England in each of the last five years was:

	£
1986–87	1,126,770
1987–88	832,494
1988–89	2,338,093
1989–90	4,183,780
1990–91	3,367,420

We have no plans for a campaign by the Department to recruit social service staff. It is for local authorities, as employers in the personal social services field, to take the lead in securing the provision of an adequate work force. We did however hold a seminar in March 1991 with the Association of Directors of Social Services and the local government management board on manpower planning and work force analysis issues. The Department is also funding a major programme of research on social services work force issues at the National Institute for Social Work.

Food Poisoning

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of cases notified to him for 1991 in each health region for (a) food poisoning in general, (b) salmonella, (c) salmonella enteritidis, (d) salmonella enteritidis phage 4, (e) salmonella typhimurium, (f) campylobacter and (g) listeriosis.

The information requested has been placed in the Library.The data show notifications of food poisoning to the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys and laboratory reports of specific organisms to the Public Health Laboratory Service's communicable disease surveillance centre.

Drug Addiction

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his most recent estimate of totals of people in Great Britain who are addicted to drugs as a result of (a) the use of illegal drugs and (b) the use of medicinal products.

The Home Office maintains an addicts index which indicates the number of people notified by doctors as dependent on a range of drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The number of new and existing drug addicts in Great Britain notified to the addicts index was 17,716 in 1990, the latest year for which figures are available.Regional health authorities in England and health authorities in Wales and Scotland are now implementing a drug misuse database which will provide data on drug users starting a new episode of treatment at services in any six-month period. This will provide anonymised data on a wider range of drugs than the Home Office addicts index and will include information on the use of some medicinal products, such as benzodiazepines. Some regions now have this information available and it is hoped that information for Great Britain will be available next year.

York Health District
	¹1979	¹1980	²1990–91	Percentage change 1979 to 1990–91	Percentage change 1980 to 1990–91
In-patients	27,296	28,085	39,530	29·6	26·0
Day cases	4,444	4,658	5,425	22·1	16·5
Out-patients	157,451	162,638	172,133	9·3	5·8
¹ In-patients: discharges and deaths.
² in-patients: finished consultant episodes.

Percentage change in in-patient figures 1979 to 1990–91 and 1980 to 1990–91 on comparative basis.1990–91 figures provisional.

Private Health Insurance

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state for each year since 1978 the percentage of the population covered by private health insurance.

[holding answer 27 February 1992]: The information is given in the table.

Year	Persons Insured/millionss	UK Population/millions	Percentage insured
1978	2·4	56·2	4·3
1979	2·7	56·2	4·8
1980	3·6	56·3	6·4
1981	4·1	56·4	7·3
1982	4·2	56·3	7·5
1983	4·3	56·3	7·6
¹1984	4·4	56·5	7·8
1985	5·0	56·6	8·8
1986	5·3	56·8	9·3

Hospital Cleaning Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what national guidelines have been issued to district health authorities about quality of service expected from private contractors for cleaning services in hospitals; and when these guidelines were last reviewed.

The responsibility for specifying service requirements and quality standards for cleaning services in the NHS rests with the relevant local health authority. They are also responsible for monitoring performance to ensure the required quality standards are met.

Departmental Achievements

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the expenditure and achievements of his Department in North Yorkshire during 1991; and what was the comparable position between June 1979 and May 1980.

[holding answer 11 February 1992]: For the financial year 1979–80, the annual accounts of the North Yorkshire area health authority show total revenue expenditure of £60·4 million (cash) and capital expenditure attributable to the authority amounted to £2·8 million (cash).In 1990·91, the annual accounts of the four successor district health authorities show total revenue expenditure of £165·8 million (cash), with capital expenditure totalling £16·7 million (cash).These figures represent real-terms increases (measured at 1991–92 prices) of 26·3 per cent. for revenue expenditure and 173·3 per cent. for capital expenditure.Between 1979 and 1990–91 in York health authority the number of patients treated is shown in the table:

Year	Persons Insured/millionss	UK Population/millions	Percentage insured
1987	5·3	56·9	9·3
²1988	6·8	57·1	11·9
1989	7·2	57·2	12·6
1990	7·6	57·4	13·2
¹ The basis of collection was changed from 1984. Figures to 1984 are for the three main provident insurers. Figures from 1985 onward include all companies.
² In 1988, 900,000 people covered by the Post Office and Civil Service Sanatorium Society, were included for the first time.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Departmental Staff

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total number of employees in his Ministry; and how many are (a) black and (b) disabled.

Figures taken from a survey covering 92·2 per cent. of our 10,048 non-industrial work force, with part-timers counting as one, show 416 staff to be of ethnic minority origin. The Department employs 141½ staff who are registered as disabled. This figure covers both non-industrial and industrial grades but does not include staff with disabilities who have chosen not to register and counts part-time staff as half units.

Ec Grant Aid

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total amount of EC grant aid that has been given to the salmon industry in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) the remainder of the EC since 1973.

EC grant aid to the salmon industry in the United Kingdom since 1973 has totalled over £13·6 million. Figures for Community aid granted specifically to the salmon industry in the rest of the EC are not available.

Less-Favoured Areas

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the total level of present and planned spending on each of the schemes available to farmers in the less-favoured areas for capital, environmental and other grant aid; and if he will make a statement.

The forecast outturn of expenditure by the Ministry in 1991–92 on payments to farmers in the less-favoured areas (LFAs) in England on capital, environmental and other grant schemes is set out in the following table. The table also sets out estimates of the sums likely to be spent under those schemes in the LFAs in the years 1992–93 to 1994–95. Except in the case of environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) these estimates have been arrived at by applying the latest information on spend in the LFAs to the planning totals for future years. The planning totals do not hypothecate expenditure between particular parts of the country, nor in the case of capital grant, between particular types of investment. As regards ESAs, as the hon. Member will be aware, an expansion of the scheme is in train. It is not possible therefore to apply historic data to planning totals to produce estimates of future spend in the LFAs. For forward years, therefore, figures for planned expenditure on the scheme as a whole are given.

£ million
Scheme	1991·92¹	1992·93²	1993·94²	1994·95²
F and CGS	5·3	5·4	5·8	6·1
FDGS³	1·6	1·5	1·2	1·2
Set Aside	0·2	0·3	0·3	0·3
FWS/FWPS	0·03	0·04	0·06	0·09
ESAs	2·8	21·5	37·4	44·9
Notes:
¹ Estimated Outturn.
² Estimated expenditure based on planning totals.

³ Statistics for the farm diversification grant scheme figures do not distinguish between LFA and non-LFA. The figures given are for total expenditure in MAFF Divisions covering LFA areas.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much assistance has been given to farmers in the less-favoured areas in Northumberland in 1979, 1987 and the latest year for which figures are available, under each of the hill livestock compensatory allowance, suckler cow and other schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Information for the area requested is available only for the hill livestock compensatory allowances scheme:

	£ million
1979	2·288
1987	4·669
1991	6·008

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current level of hill livestock compensatory allowance and suckler cow premium payments; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Jopling) and my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Sir J. Farr) on 11 February 1992, Official Report, column 496–98.

Energy

Electricity Cables

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will estimate the cost of placing electricity cables underground compared with pylons; and what measures he is taking to encourage more electricity cables to be laid below ground.

The cost of placing electricity cables underground compared with overhead lines is a matter for the National Grid Company and the regional electricity companies, but for high voltage lines is approximately between nine and 10 times more expensive. All new overhead lines require a consent under section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 and, in considering applications, the Secretary of State must have regard to the preservation of amenity.

Environmental Assessments

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his policy on making environmental assessments for proposed energy policies, programmes and projects.

My ministerial colleagues and I give full weight to environmental factors when considering such proposals. In preparing their advice on proposals my officials take account, where appropriate, of the guidance set out in the Department of the Environment's guide on "Policy Appraisal and the Environment". The Department's report on the Government's expenditure plans within the energy sector 1992–93 to 1994–95 included an account of the environmental aspects of the Department's activities. The departmental objectives as set out in that report have recently been extended to make clear our intention of seeking to ensure that environmental aspects are properly recognised in all areas of the Department's work.

Thorp

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen), Official Report, 24 February, column 674, on the thermal oxide reprocessing plant, he will set out (a) the proportion of the 30 tonnes of plutonium estimated to be recovered from reprocessing at THORP by the year 2000 that will arise from imported foreign spent fuel, (b) what safeguards will apply to the recovered plutonium and who will pay for the safeguards and (c) what arrangements exist for the return of the plutonium to the country of origin in terms of technical capability and treaty agreements.

British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) estimates that, by the year 2000, some 80 per cent. of the plutonium recovered during reprocessing in THORP will arise from spent fuel owned by overseas customers. This plutonium will be subject to Eurotom safeguards and to the terms of the appropriate safeguards agreements signed by the United Kingdom and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The recovery of BNFL's costs arising from safeguards on its facilities is a commercial matter for the company. Costs of inspection and related activities are met by Eurotom and the IAEA.Plutonium arising from reprocessing in THORP is transferred overseas only subject to the application of safeguards and on receipt of assurances covering peaceful use, physical protection and controls on re-transfer.

Iaea

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals to strengthen international nuclear safeguards have been submitted by the United Kingdom's ambassador to the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency for the agency's high level review of safeguards which began on 24 February.

The United Kingdom is a party to the proposals by the twelve EC member states for strengthening IAEA safeguards. These proposals were included in a statement made by the Netherlands on behalf of the EC and its member states to the general conference of the IAEA in September 1991: a copy of the statement has been placed in the Library of the House. The proposals are being fully explored in the board of governors of the IAEA.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the reason Her Majesty's Government has not paid in full the Kingdom's 1992 contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

In accordance with normal Government practice, the United Kingdom's 1992 contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency will be paid at the beginning of the United Kingdom's next financial year.

Consultants

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list those parts of his Department, including executive agencies, carrying out reviews over the last 12 months into the pay and grading of staff and the firm of consultants engaged, where appropriate.

No reviews into the pay and grading of staff in my Department have been carried out in the past 12 months.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Nagorno Karabakh

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments about the situation in Nagorno Karabakh; and if he will make a statement.

The British Government are playing a full part in encouraging the international community to promote a peaceful settlement. We will continue to urge all involved in the dispute to settle this matter in accordance with international law and with full respect for human rights and conference on security and co-operation in Europe—CSCE—principles. However, the roots of the dispute in Nagorno Karabakh are deep and a lasting peace will not be achieved easily.We have raised with our European Community, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and CSCE partners our concern at the deteriorating situation. The Portuguese ambassador in Moscow, acting on behalf of the Twelve European Community Governments, made a demarche on 20 January to the representatives in Moscow of Armenia and Azerbaijan and to the Russian Foreign Ministry calling on all concerned to work towards a peaceful settlement of this dispute.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs reiterated this point in a recent telephone conversation with the Armenian Foreign Minister, Mr. Hovanissian, and in Moscow last month he used the opportunity of his meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister to encourage the Russians to do what they could to help find a solution to the dispute.In response to a British proposal, the CSCE Council of Ministers agreed on 31 January to send a mission to Armenia and Azerbaijan, including Nagorno Karabakh, to report on the situation. The team, which included a British representative, visited the region from 12 to 18 February. Its report and recommendations are being considered by the CSCE's committee of senior officials in Prague. CSCE countries will then consider how to carry the process forward using CSCE mechanisms.We welcome the agreement to call for a ceasefire and to set up working groups which was announced after the trilateral meeting with representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan convened by the Russian Foreign Minister on 20 February. However, since then there have been further reports of casualties in clashes in Nagorno Karabakh. There is a clear risk of a further deterioration in the situation. It is therefore important that the agreement reached in Moscow be backed up by immediate concrete action to prevent further tragic deaths.

Embassy Cars

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list British embassies that previously qualified for a Rolls-Royce ambassadorial car, but now no longer do so; and if he will list the replacement vehicles.

The table lists posts which, in 1984, qualified for a Rolls-Royce ambassadorial car and which no longer do so.

Replacement Car	Post
To be decided (Rolls-Royce provided in 1990)	Canberra
Range Rover	Moscow
Lincoln Town Car	New York (UN)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will indicate the type, cost and specification of the next official car for Her Majesty's ambassador to the United Nations.

A standard specification Lincoln town car to be leased at an annual cost of US $5,900—about £3,410 at the current exchange rate—including maintenance and insurance.

Eastern Europe

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the new organisational structure within his Department for dealing with Eastern Europe and the area covered by the former Soviet Union.

Relations with Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Slovenia and Albania are handled by the central European department. Relations with the States formerly in the Soviet Union are handled by the eastern department. Both departments have been reinforced to take account of changes within these areas. The joint assistance unit was created in 1989 to administer the know-how fund, and has been increased over the past year to deal with important additional work in the former Soviet Union.

Hong Kong (Ivory)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current number of possession licences issued to holders of ivory stocks in Hong Kong.

As at 26 February 1992, there were 963 possession licences held by commercial stockholders in Hong Kong.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of items from endangered species seized by the Hong Kong authorities in 1991 and the prosecution arising from such seizures.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Volume 204: debated on Friday 28 February 1992

Written Answers To Questions

Education And Science

Students (Concessionary Fares)

London Docklands

Pupil Statistics

Transport

Cash Limits

Midland Metro

Blackwall Tunnel

London Docklands

Subsidies

Liverpool-London Air Service

Coaches

Thames River Bus

Prime Minister

South Africa

Home Department

Parole

Mandatory Life Imprisonment

Crime Statistics

Aylum

Local Government Finance

Dangerous Dogs

Immigration

Election Expenses

Environment

Local Government Finance

Council House Building

Recycling

Unified Business Rate

Redmire To Redcar Rail Link

Planning Authorities (Development Policy)

London Docklands

Shelters, London

Homeless Statistics

Gravel

Leigh Barton

Renaval

Un Environment Programme

Ec Funding

Rose Theatre

"This Common Inheritance"

Fuel And Power Industry Processes

Renewable Energy Sources

New Parliamentary Building

Employment

Social Fund (Vocational Training)

Industrial Relations

Wages Council

Labour Statistics

Trade Unions

Small Businesses

Social Security

Homelessness

Claimants, Leeds

Income Support

Pensions Uprating

Expenditure

National Insurance Contributions

Northern Ireland

Domestic Rates

Departmental Staff

Attorney-General

Mortgage Possession Orders

Departmental Staff

Stefan Kiszko

Scotland

Ambulance Services

European Community Food Surpluses

Speech Therapy

Wales

Home Ownership Schemes

Local Government Finance

Building Schemes

Health Service Staff

Welsh Language Teachers

Health

Dentists